Kids Collective @ Elmridge

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy to see the staff who collect them from their classrooms.

They are eager to enter the after-school club. This shows that children feel secure. Children know that there will be interesting things to do and talk about.

This week, the theme for activities is science. Younger children settle quickly to play with liquids, pipettes and containers. Staff help them to notice the colours and smells that result from their investigative play.

The activity provokes children's conversation and thinking. Older children estimate how many pipettes full of water they need to fill a container. They work diligently... to test their prediction.

This shows that children have time and opportunity to pursue their own ideas.Parents and carers comment that children enjoy every minute of their time at the club. They say that staff provide lots of things that children want to do.

Parents are pleased that staff always pass on messages from school. This helps everyone to promote children's welfare effectively. Children work together to write rules for behaviour.

The rules reflect their particular concerns. For example, 'don't hide toys'. Staff unfailingly model the considerate, fair behaviour that they want children to copy.

Children play extremely well together and develop self-control.

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

The group manager passes on information that helps the club leader to keep practice innovative and of a consistently high standard. Staff feel supported to improve their professional skills.

They are encouraged to seek promotion within the company. Leaders make staff's welfare and well-being a priority. All of the staff are long-term employees.

They demonstrate a clear understanding of the provider's vision and aims for the club.Staff are active participants in their own professional development. This makes improvement planning effective because everyone feels involved.

For example, staff decide to make dough play a daily activity. They evaluate the impact and find that children now develop more intricate play across several days. This promotes children's creativity and deeper involvement.

Longer-term projects include plans to develop an outdoor space that the school no longer uses.Children learn about eating a balanced, healthy diet. They find out where food comes from when they harvest vegetables from the club allotment and prepare tasty soup for tea.

Children know the importance of taking regular drinks. In their role play, they make sure that the toy dog always has water to drink.Well-established routines help to promote children's independence.

Staff prepare bread rolls then children choose fillings and make their own sandwich. Children share food hygienically. They use a pair of tongs to move salad and vegetables from the platter to their plate.

Using the tongs helps to strengthen children's hands and fingers and helps to prevent the spread of infection.Children enjoy playing outdoors. They benefit from fresh air and space to run.

Staff join in enthusiastically with energetic play, such as football. Younger children concentrate as they walk along the path on bucket stilts. They persevere when this is difficult.

They gain stability and confidence as they play.Exciting activities stimulate rich language and lively conversation. Children measure the ingredients that will make their model volcano erupt.

They are fascinated to see the ingredients 'going into darkness'. Children's intense anticipation is rewarded. The volcano produces frothy 'lava' that runs down the sides of the model.

The activity provides children with first-hand experience of causing chemicals to react.Activities extend children's knowledge about the wider world. On Burns Night, children eat haggis and learn about clans and tartan.

They listen to a recording of Scottish bagpipes. Staff share books and stories about Scotland. For example, children hear about 'Nessie the Loch Ness Monster'.

Children learn that the British Isles is a diverse and evolving mixture of communities and traditions.Everyone in the school and club work together to help new children to feel settled and safe. Staff in school say that children look forward to attending the club.

They praise the well-organised team, who communicate effectively about children's individual needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider trains leaders and staff to follow well-developed child protection procedures.

Staff know what to do if children disclose information that raises concern about their welfare. Staff promote children's health and safety. They adhere strictly to information about children's allergies to particular foods.

They follow parental preferences regarding children's diet. In a further example, staff pass information to parents about risks such as chat rooms concealed within online games. This promotes children's safe use of the internet.

Staff keep required records. They make written records of medicine that they administer. They accurately note the time that each child is collected from the club.

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