Furley Park After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enter the club happily, greeting the staff with big smiles. Staff work hard to create a safe, welcoming environment, where children feel comfortable and secure. They build warm, positive relationships with children, who readily go to staff for comfort, and to chat about their day in school.

Children respond well to staff's clear guidance and expectations. They understand and follow the established routines of the club, such as hanging up their bags and coats and being kind to their friends. Staff are good role models, helping children quickly learn to negotiate and cooperate with each other.

Children understand ho...w to take turns as they play games together. Staff focus on offering children a variety of experiences that complement their time at school, chatting with their friends, being creative or playing games, inside and out.Staff provide a wide range of interesting activities to engage children.

For example, children laugh with delight at the cascades of bubbles they create outside. They proudly share their collage pictures, drawings and paintings with staff, who praise them and value their achievements. Staff adapt activities successfully to match the differing ages of children attending.

For example, older children independently use scissors to create their felt pictures, while staff support those who are younger and find the cutting of the thicker materials more difficult.

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

Staff have strong partnerships with parents. At the beginning of the year, staff work with parents to establish children's preferred activities.

Parents value the regular communication with staff and their flexibility, which helps to meet their needs. Parents say their children are very happy to attend the club and they are confident their children are safe and well cared for.There is close liaison between the club and school staff.

Where children have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or there are concerns about a child's safety or welfare, discussions are held and common strategies put in place to ensure a consistency of approach, which helps to meet the needs of the child.Overall, staff plan engaging activities that reflect children's interests. However, the array of resources within the closed cupboards are not as familiar to children as they could be, limiting children's independent choices.

Leaders meet termly with staff to discuss their practice and training needs. Staff benefit from regular and relevant training to improve their knowledge and skills, such as in dealing with challenging behaviour and understanding autism. Leaders ensure that mandatory training is completed within required time frames.

Children enjoy role-play activities. They make up songs and sing to each other. Some children dance and put on 'shows' for older children and adults.

Children are confident. They talk to staff about how they feel.Children behave well, responding to the high expectations of staff.

They show awareness of the safety of others, skilfully negotiating the space when riding on the scooters, to avoid accidents.Snack time provides opportunities for children to eat together in social groups, which helps to support their communication and language skills. The food provided is healthy.

However, children spend too much time queuing up to be served, rather than having the opportunity to make independent choices.Staff provide opportunities to support children's physical development. Outside, children enjoy kicking balls to each other and hitting balls with racquets.

Inside, children use modelling dough to create figures and models. They enjoy drawing and colouring activities.Daily risk assessments undertaken by staff ensure the premises and equipment are safe and secure for use by children.

Where a potential risk is identified, steps are taken to remove the hazard.Children benefit from outside visitors from the local area. Recent visits have included learning how to use a hula hoop and how to care for a pony.

On other occasions, they engage in craft and cooking activities to celebrate festivals from around the world.

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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