Harlequin Out of School Clubs - Tunbridge Wells

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Happy and highly motivated children thrive in this friendly, welcoming pre-school and out-of-school club. Well-qualified and dedicated staff ensure children receive the highest attention and care throughout the day.

Children confidently explore the stimulating and safe environment which is planned superbly to fully support their interests and enhance learning.Children's behaviour is exemplary. They learn to be respectful and mindful of each other's needs.

For example, when they are playing games, they are gracious and genuinely pleased for whoever wins. This supports children's ability to make strong friendships... and develop their exceptional social skills. Staff act as excellent role models for this positive behaviour.

They create a calm and fun space where children laugh, dance and sing with happiness. Leaders devise an ambitious curriculum for children's physical development. They plan a highly inclusive programme of outdoor play which offers children challenge and encourages them manage risks as they play.

They listen carefully to the views of children to enhance and develop this further. For example, following a research project into the benefits of dance for children's well-being, children asked to have more dance-style activities at pre-school. They now enthusiastically take part in regular music and movement and yoga sessions.

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

Inspirational and dedicated leaders are highly focused in their desire to provide the highest quality care and education. They actively listen to parents, staff and children to create a curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs. Staff benefit from a well-targeted and effective programme of professional development and training.

Inclusive and responsive teaching ensures all children receive the interventions and support they need to make excellent progress in their learning.Children flourish as they build strong and emotionally supportive bonds with staff. They share stories from home, remember and recall past activities and include staff in their play.

Fun-loving and nurturing staff are very receptive to their needs. They are quick to offer cuddles and reassurance when needed, as well as exciting activities to stimulate learning. Children experience a diverse range of experiences to help them learn about each other's lives and communities, similarities and differences.

Children's communication and language skills are excellent. They speak confidently about what they are learning. Staff skilfully extend their language skills by introducing new words such as 'displacement' and 'melting', as children engage in science and cooking activities.

Staff make excellent use of signing and visual cues to support some children, including those who speak English as an additional language.Children and staff benefit from a culture and environment that ensures their well-being and health are given the highest priority. Children learn to be independent and to take care of their own hygiene and self-care routines.

Children use mathematical language and numbers spontaneously while they play. Captivating activities, such as measuring rainfall or creating a tally of sunny days, give children meaningful experiences of using mathematics in real-life situations.Interesting resources are provided to extend and develop children's knowledge.

For example, children consider how they can make water travel from one place to another using a range of pipes and guttering. Young children demonstrate excellent skills in problem-solving and attention as they carefully transport water from one area to another using a range of different sized and shaped containers.Staff know children's abilities, likes and interests well.

They sequence their learning extremely well while teaching them valuable skills to support their future learning. As children cook, staff skilfully build on skills they have learned already, such as using utensils or remembering what happens as ingredients are combined, heated or cooled down. Children make connections with previous learning.

For example, they compare the effects of heat to melt chocolate with their experience of seeing ice melt outside.Parents are full of praise for the pre-school. They admire the dedication and professionalism of staff.

They share comments about how much their children have learned and how impressed they are with their increasing knowledge. Staff share information with parents regularly and they have an excellent understanding of their children's achievements and learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children. Excellent recruitment procedures ensure staff's suitability to work with children. Leaders have an ambitious programme of training in place to support staff awareness of child protection and wider safeguarding issues.

They follow robust policies and procedures and know what to do if they feel a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. The pre-school works closely with other professionals to ensure all children receive the highest support and consistency in their care. Staff proactively teach children to keep themselves safe, for example when they are out in the community or using the internet.