Barracudas

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive at the club with enthusiasm and keen to find out from staff what their day will entail. Staff provide them with a warm welcome and encourage them to place their name on the self-registration board in their base room. Children are confident and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.

They enjoy talking to the inspector and sharing their achievements with them. Staff are positive role models. They consistently use good manners when speaking to children and encourage children to do the same.

Staff provide children with meaningful praise when they have tried hard at a task that they find tricky, such as usi...ng scissors to cut out shapes from felt. This helps children develop pride and the motivation they need to keep trying. Staff capture children's attention as they read stories with enthusiasm and good intonation.

They make this an interactive experience and value what children say in response to their effective use of questions. This encourages children to predict what might happen next and triggers their inquisitiveness. They ask enquiring questions, such as 'What is a jockey?' Children demonstrate good independent skills.

They consistently follow good hygiene practices with minimal support and staff encourage them to be responsible for their personal belongings. Staff make transitions around different areas of the club fun. Mealtimes are a social occasion.

Children laugh and talk about the activities they have enjoyed with their new friends and staff.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Good working relationships are in place with the host school. Leaders and staff communicate with them to improve the organisation of daily routines, such as access to additional toilet and handwashing facilities to ease overcrowding prior to snack and mealtimes.

Children benefit from swimming lessons at the school's on-site swimming pool. These sessions are led by a qualified swimming instructor and lifeguard, and are supported by additional staff members for increased supervision.Experienced leaders and managers are committed to supporting staff's professional growth.

They prioritise opportunities for staff progression within the club. Leaders regularly observe staff practice to identify areas for development, and additional training is provided as needed. This approach ensures that staff have the skills and confidence necessary to support children effectively.

Recent training has had a positive impact on developing children's independence at snack time.Staff share the club agreements with children to help support positive behaviour. Staff calmly stop minor disagreements between children.

However, when doing so they do not provide children with clear explanations of why their behaviour does not align with the club agreements. This means that children do not receive clear messages about what is right and wrong. Despite this, children begin to make new friendships as they socialise with children who attend from the wider community.

Children's safety is paramount. The system in place for the hand over and collection arrangements of children is robust. This ensures that children are consistently accounted for and only collected by individuals who are authorised to do so.

Staff supervise children well in all areas of the club. They use walkie-talkies to communicate with one another, ensuring children are always within sight.The club offers a diverse range of adult-led sport activities and experiences each week, such as archery, go-karting, fencing, and team ball games.

These support children's physical development. However, when children choose not to participate, staff do not consider offering alternative activities to maintain their engagement. Nevertheless, children eagerly participate in explore and play sessions.

Staff promote children's understanding of a healthy balanced diet. Children enjoy using a rich range of craft materials to create a healthy meal. They are highly imaginative as they design 'special' fruit by twisting different coloured pipe cleaners together and show a strong sense of pride in their achievements.

Staff work in partnership with parents to gather detailed information about their children's individual needs. This information is shared with their key person and other staff to ensure that their needs are consistently met. Children also share their interests, likes and dislikes with staff through drawings on individual pieces of bunting, which is beautifully displayed along with their peers in their base rooms.

This helps to provide children with a strong sense of belonging.Children's emotional well-being is thoroughly supported. Staff complete frequent welfare checks throughout the day.

They encourage children to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and make sure they are shielded from the sun as much as possible on warm days.Parents are complimentary about the provision the club provides. They appreciate the high level of communication they receive, not only about their individual children's experiences but also improvements to procedures.

Parents comment how their children are excited to attend and describe staff as 'diligent' and 'friendly'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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