Before and After School at Pitton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy, confident and clearly enjoy their time in the club.

Staff warmly welcome them as they arrive from their classrooms. Staff and children have good relationships and the children confidently talk about all the things they enjoy, such as drawing, playing with cars, role play and card games. Staff engage well with the children and plan activities that they know are of interest to the children.

In addition, children can choose different activities or resources from the cupboard. Staff interact well with the children in the pretend café and children invite staff to choose food. Children play card games with s...taff and there is lots of discussion about the game.

Children behave well. They are polite and well mannered, saying please and thank you at appropriate times. Older children help the younger ones to know the boundaries and expectations.

For example, they help pack the toys away and tidy up. Older children play games with the younger children and help them to recognise that it is taking part that is important, not always winning.

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

Staff work well together as a team.

There is clear leadership from the manager. Staff have regular meetings with the manager on an individual basis and as a team. They are encouraged to share their ideas and introduce new topics, such as different baking opportunities for the children to try.

Staff provide lots of good arts and craft materials to enable children to develop their imagination. Younger children spend considerable time mixing different colour paints to their satisfaction. Staff talk with them about what they are painting and children will ask staff for help and support when they need additional supplies.

The manager and staff build strong relationships with parents and carers. Parents report that communication is good. They state the 'care is excellent, relaxed but stimulating' and their children feel 'safe, happy and confident with lots to do such as baking and craft'.

The manager and staff work closely with the school to build and maintain positive links, so they can work together for the good of the children. The setting operates from one of the classrooms in the school and the staff team works hard to make children feel that this is a more relaxed environment than the school day. This enables children to play and be comfortable.

Staff support children in learning about healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy healthy nutritious snacks, such as sugar snap peas, cheese, peppers, fruit and bread sticks with hummus. Children have good opportunities to use the school playground, where they run, play football and engage in games developing their stamina and physical skills.

Staff place a high emphasis on children's well-being.Children benefit from the staff knowing them very well. Staff provide opportunities for the children linked to their interests.

They recognise when some children have been at school and then an after-school club and just need to relax, so they provide a cosy area where children can sit and read a book or just sit quietly.There are good systems to monitor and evaluate the provision that take into account the views of the staff, children and parents. Staff capture the children's views through simple child-friendly questionnaires, which has led to children being able to choose what snacks they have.

In addition, if children request specific games or toys, the manager provides these, for example large wooden blocks that children can use for lots of different activities.

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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