Box Kids

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enter this warm and welcoming holiday club happy and ready to play. They are greeted by friendly staff, who ask them about their holiday so far.

The children freely explore the playroom. They become deeply engaged in their chosen activities. For example, children show their imagination and creativity as they explore black beans in the role-play area.

They scoop the beans into a flowerpot and add pencils for a stem. The children play well along side each other, giggling and sharing their ideas as they talk about what they are making. This supports children's communication and social skills.

The staff build... good relationships with the children in their care. Younger children seek out their key persons and call their names, inviting them into their play. Staff offer the children lots of praise and encouragement, which helps build their confidence and self-esteem.

The children take walks in the community and spend large amounts of time outdoors. They take a picnic to the local park and playing fields, where they have plenty of space to run around. The staff provide children with a wide range of sports equipment and games to play, to help strengthen their muscles and enable them to burn off excess energy.

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

The manager and her team plan the play environment based on children's current interests, which encourages them to engage in their play. They plan activities based on current themes and events, such as Easter and spring. The staff position themselves at the children's level.

They ask them questions and have conversations about what they are doing. This enables them to extend children's knowledge and understanding during their chosen play.Children show good communication and listening skills.

A group of children make cheesecakes. They take turns reading out the instructions from the recipe. The children follow the instructions as they weigh out the ingredients and discuss the next steps.

They guess how long the cheesecake will take to set and how much more they will need. Younger children learn new vocabulary from the older children, which strengthens their confidence in communicating with others.Staff feedback that they enjoy working at the holiday and after-school club.

They receive support and guidance from the management team. Staff attend regular supervision, where they are given constructive feedback to support their practice. Staff complete regular training online and an induction that outlines all policies and procedures.

This ensures staff know their job roles and responsibilities.Parents are extremely happy with the care provided at the holiday club and would recommend it to others. They state that the holiday and after-school club is a highly valued part of the community.

Parents appreciate the continued support and guidance from the manager and her team. They state their children come home happy and excited to share their experiences at the club. Staff provide parents with feedback about their child's day and pass on any important information from the school.

The management team continuously reflect on the provision and make necessary changes. They gain feedback from parents and suggestions from the children to highlight areas for improvement. For example, the staff asked the children what they would like to improve about their play environment.

The children told the staff they would like a cosy book area. They shared their ideas and designs for the area. Staff worked with the children to create a space where they can have quiet time, reading stories and developing their imagination.

Overall, children behave well. They take turns and happily share the resources. Staff support children with resolving minor conflicts.

They encourage the children to be respectful and kind to one another. Children say please and thank you. They listen to each other sharing ideas and opinions.

However, staff do not always encourage children to have respect for the resources or their environment. For example, children do not tidy away resources after they have finished with them, which can cause a messy environment where toys might get broken.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager, who is also the safeguarding lead, is clear on her responsibility to ensure children are safe from harm. She ensures the play environment and places they visit with the children are safe by conducting assessments to identify any risks. Staff ensure children understand how to behave and stay safe when out in the community.

They learn about road safety and the importance of listening to the adults in charge. The staff show they can identify the different signs and symptoms of abuse. They know the importance of keeping adequate records and when to report any concerns about a child.

The manager and her team are clear on how to report any allegations made against staff to the relevant authorities. They remain vigilant about online safety and ensure the children do not access any personal devices at the club. The manager implements safer recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children.

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