Happy Hours @ Picknalls

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enjoy coming to the club and are eager to see what activities await them. Staff collect them from the host school and children greet them with excitement and smiles. Children build strong bonds with staff and secure friendships with other children and peers.

Children feel safe and secure.Children freely choose from a wide range of activities. They enjoy role playing as doctors and nurses and 'injecting' each other with toy syringes.

Children follow each other's ideas to try new things. They manoeuvre a toy car garage onto shelving as they race cars off the ramp. Children work together as a team and persevere to wo...rk out where the box needs to be on the floor to catch the cars.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They encourage children to behave and work together for 'stars', to be awarded in their 'Happy House Star Jars'. Children are motivated to help tidy up and be respectful to each other.

The year group with the most stars will choose the end of term treat. Older children show kindness towards younger children. They play a game of frustration with staff while young children sit on older children's and staff's knees.

They work together to count the number of spaces their pieces need to move. Overall, children behave well.

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

The club has a secure outdoor area.

Children can exert energy and develop their physical skills outdoors. They practise their balls skills in a game of football or jump over a ball using ankle skippers. Children who do not want to run around, role play in the mud kitchen.

They use grass, leaves and twigs to make pretend hot dinners of vegetable soup and sausages.Strong partnerships with the host school and the club ensure that the manager and staff can meet the needs of the children. The school shares their curriculum and termly plans with the club.

This means staff plan activities to further enhance children's learning. For example, children are currently learning about remembrance and poppies. At the club they have provided activities for children to make their own poppies.

Children's voices are heard. They are involved in making choices about what activities they want to see and do. Staff ask children for their ideas and will incorporate this into their planning.

Parents comment that the club is excellent. They say their children enjoy coming so much they do not want to go home. Parents say that staff are friendly and helpful.

Children are learning about how to keep themselves safe and healthy. The club provides healthy snacks for them, which they can access whenever they want through snack time. The breakfast club provides breakfast for children before they go to school.

All children know they must wash their hands before they eat. Children understand they have to keep themselves safe and do this by following the rules. For example, they are not allowed to climb on chairs as they may fall and hurt themselves.

Children have access to a literacy area and enjoy listening to stories and use hand puppets to help recall a story. However, at times the noise level in the club becomes loud. This hinders some of the children who want to listen to stories as it makes it difficult to hear.

Staff are positive role models and skilfully interact and play alongside children. They encourage children to continue with their learning and ask questions which make them think before responding. Staff occasionally do not enhance children's learning further in relation to mathematical concepts.

For example, when completing number puzzles that go up to nine, they do not extend this activity, even though children recognise and talk about numbers beyond 10.The manager invites staff to attend supervision meetings. Observations of staff practice are also completed.

This enables staff to reflect on their practice. Staff report a high level of morale and particularly like having access to training to support them in their professional development.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported within the club.

The host school and club devise a care plan, which helps them share information with parents and support the needs of the children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff regularly attend training on safeguarding.

This ensures their knowledge and understanding is kept up to date. All staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about children in their care. Information is shared between the host school and the club, which ensures a consistent and diligent approach.

This means all children and families are safeguarded. Staff hold appropriate paediatric first-aid certificates and if children have accidents, then first-aid treatment is administered, alongside a cuddle and reassurance. Reports are completed immediately, ready for parents to sign on collection.

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