Friends at Play

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children show that they feel safe and secure at this busy, friendly club. Good relationships exist between staff and children. Staff provide an inclusive environment, where all children are welcomed.

Children eagerly enter the club and quickly become involved in the many activities available to them. For instance, they spend prolonged periods decorating strips of paper and stick these together to make paper chains. Other children use boxes to create elaborate houses and musical instruments.

Children demonstrate good levels of respect and tolerance for others. Staff help them to understand and value the differences and simi...larities between themselves and others. For example, they complete activities that encourage children to talk about themselves, and to share their cultural beliefs and celebrations with their peers.

Staff encourage children in their play and support them to strengthen the knowledge and skills they obtain at school. For example, children enjoy arts and crafts linked with space, rockets and astronauts. They have interesting discussions with staff, such as telling them that rockets cannot travel to the sun as it is too hot.

These positive experiences help to reinforce their existing knowledge.

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

Overall, children behave well. They interact well with others and play harmoniously with friends.

However, at times, staff do not follow a consistent approach to help children to understand the rules of the club. For example, not all staff help children to follow the expectations, such as sitting at a table when eating snacks.Staff ensure the environment is safe and secure.

Resources and equipment throughout the club are safe, good quality and varied. Staff carry out daily safety checks to ensure the club's rooms and equipment that children use are safe and fit for purpose.Energetic play is integral to children's time at the club.

They have good opportunities to be active. For instance, children play chasing and skipping games outdoors and have access to good-quality climbing apparatus.Children report that they enjoy the time they spend at the club.

They express that they enjoy playing with their friends and the many activities offered. For instance, they recall recently decorating cupcakes for Halloween.Overall, children develop a sense of belonging.

They interact enthusiastically with staff and visitors. However, at times, staff do not always support the less confident children who need encouragement to join in with whole-group sessions. This does not enable them to develop their confidence and engagement as well as they could.

Partnership working between staff, parents and the host school are effective. There is a strong commitment to working cohesively to provide the very best care, experience and opportunities for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Staff recognise that some children need extra emotional support and need time out from other children.

Therefore, they ensure that there are opportunities for children to enjoy cosy, smaller spaces to relax, communicate with their friends and build relationships.Staff encourage children to be independent in organising routines. For instance, children help to tidy the toys after play and confidently get themselves ready for outdoor activities.

Children respond promptly to guidance from adults. For example, when staff blow a whistle, children quickly respond. They stop what they are doing and listen carefully to instructions.

These rules help children to stay safe in the event of an emergency.Leaders seek the views of parents to help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the club. They use their responses to make positive changes.

For example, following feedback from parents, the club has introduced a newsletter to enable them to share information on the activities provided.All staff, including those new to the team, work well together. They have regular staff meetings and opportunities to share their views and opinions.

Leaders use thorough inductions and staff supervisions to help ensure that staff understand their individual responsibilities well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

They complete regular safeguarding training to help them to recognise the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm. Clear procedures are in place, and these are displayed within the environment to help raise awareness of child protection issues. Leaders have robust recruitment and induction procedures in place, to check that the staff working with children are suitable.

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