FISH Brixington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children settle quickly to play at this friendly, welcoming club. They interact positively with staff who give a calm, reassuring approach, helping children feel safe.

Children play happily with their friends. Staff act as good role models and support children very well to manage their behaviour. Children feel valued and included in the club.

They discuss their views and ideas, and staff give clear consideration to these when planning activities. Children enjoy a wide range of games and activities that support their interests and encourage their participation effectively. For example, children like using their imaginations... to make colourful pictures relating to their favourite stories.

They use junk modelling resources, such as empty toilet rolls and coloured tissue paper, to make a 'fire-breathing dragon'. Children work together to create a display of pictures for special events and celebrations. The club provided care for children of keyworker parents during the initial lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also kept in contact with all children and families to provide support and ideas to do at home. They liaised with parents to help their children settle back into the club easily.

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

Leaders encourage staff well to continue developing their knowledge and understanding of children's well-being and development.

For example, staff have completed training that has helped them understand how art activities, such as messy play, can support children's mental health. Children enjoy pushing their hands through different textures, such as shaving foam and food colouring, and like to watch this drip off their fingers. They say, 'It feels soft,' and they like watching how the colours 'mix together'.

Staff liaise well with the host school to provide continuity for children. They aim to follow any topics children are working on in school to complement these with related activities at the club.Staff encourage children's awareness of positive ways to manage their personal care and health needs effectively.

Children enjoy nutritious snacks of fruit, vegetables, scones or beans on toast. They like making pizzas with healthy toppings, such as cheese, peppers and tomatoes. Children know the importance of washing their hands regularly and do so willingly, for instance before snack time.

Staff talk with children about keeping themselves safe, such as to wear helmets and high-visibility jackets when using their bikes.Leaders and staff continue to reflect on their practice and make further improvements. For example, since registration, they have changed the layout of the playrooms.

This has provided more space for children to develop their imaginations, for instance with role play. In addition, they have made some changes to snack time routines to support children's socialisation skills.Parents comment positively about staff.

They say staff are very friendly and welcoming and their children are happy in their care. Parents say staff provide a good variety of activities and their children enjoy going to the club.Children behave very well.

They recognise the club rules, such as to play together nicely, be kind and polite. They wait politely for a visitor to move away from a doorway before going through to another play area. Older children show kindness to their younger friends and invite them to help with an activity.

Children play cooperatively and help each other work out the rules of a favourite card game.Staff interact easily with children and sit with them when doing the activities. For example, children like to draw and colour pictures.

They talk with each other about pictures they draw of a park, with grass, trees, birds and people walking their dogs. Staff support children's ideas well. They develop a cooking competition, following their interest in a favourite television programme.

Children develop independence, for example when weighing out ingredients. They proudly show staff the chocolate cakes they make with added squiggles on the top to reflect 'superworms' from a story they have recently read.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders support staff well to develop their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and continue to review this with them. Staff complete relevant training and, together, discuss safeguarding issues that may indicate concerns, and procedures they would need to follow. Staff understand their responsibilities to protect children and keep them safe from harm.

They complete risk assessments of the premises and ensure the security of the children. Staff liaise with the schoolteachers and have organised appropriate collection arrangements for children. Leaders understand the importance of following clear staff recruitment procedures to ensure staff's suitability to work with children.

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