Fish Exmouth

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the out-of-school club. They comment how they 'love playing with their friends' and enjoy the wide range of activities on offer. Children talk about how they like playing 'chess' and 'baking'.

They are highly involved in the planning of activities. For instance, children write or draw their ideas down and staff implement them throughout the week. This helps children to feel valued.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They play extremely well together as a team. Children make up new games, such as 'crazy tag', and thoroughly enjoy playing these on the field with staff and peers alike.<...br/>
Children can choose from different experiences that meet their interests. For example, they can engage in baking chocolate cake or choose to play outside. When baking, children talk about the different ingredients and enjoy using scales to measure these out.

Outside, children use large-scale musical instruments to create a variety of sounds. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, children wash their hands more frequently, to help reduce the risk of transmission.

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

Partnerships with the on-site school are strong.

Staff liaise closely with the schoolteachers about children's well-being, to ensure their emotional development needs are met. For instance, staff visit new children in their class prior to attending the club. This helps children become familiar with the adults that work there and supports a smooth transition.

Staff are keen to improve the club to benefit children. Recently, staff have made a 'mental well-being' board with the children. Children have made 'fish' pictures with their name on and place these on the board to reflect on how they are feeling.

For instance, whether they feel 'happy, sad, angry, proud, worried' or 'annoyed'. This helps staff to monitor children's welfare and provides opportunities for children to talk about their thoughts.Parents speak highly of the club.

They state that staff are always 'pleasant and helpful'. Parents comment how their children love attending and how they cannot 'recommend it highly enough'.Children have excellent opportunities to be active.

They use the facilities of the on-site school, such as the wooden play equipment and forest school area. Children can engage in 'den building', play with the 'mud kitchen' or cook marshmallows over the firepit. Children have an awareness of how sweet foods can 'make your teeth fall out' and how these should only be consumed in small quantities.

Children positively comment on the range of snacks they enjoy at the club, such as pasta and exotic fruits. Staff also provide children with unique recipe books of meals they can cook at home with their family. For instance, 'cornflake chicken' and 'lemon and yoghurt flatbread'.

Staff also cook with children at the club, helping them to understand the benefits of healthy food.Staff and children have warm and nurturing relationships. Children spontaneously hug staff, who respond affectionately.

Staff are enthusiastic and join in with children's games and activities, such as 'bingo' or 'magnetic construction'.The provider ensures new staff are suitable to work with children. A robust recruitment procedure and training opportunities are in place prior to staff starting.

All staff receive frequent supervision and appraisal meetings, to discuss their practice and ways in which to engage children even further in their play.Children are curious and keen to investigate the activities on offer. They talk about how they are saving 'yoghurt pots' to make 'frog heads' and how they are learning about 'Vikings'.

Children enjoy arts and crafts that meet their interests and are confident to express their views about the resources available. For example, children comment that staff do not need to 'change the club' because they 'like it the way it is'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a comprehensive understanding of child protection. They can identify possible signs when a child's safety may be compromised and know of the relevant agencies to share their concerns with. Staff attend frequent safeguarding training to ensure their knowledge is up to date with current legislation.

They can recognise if a child is at risk of extremism and know the action to take to protect children's welfare. Staff regularly monitor and clean the play equipment to ensure it is safe for children to use. The staff carry out frequent fire drills with the children to help them learn how to keep themselves safe in the event of a fire.

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