Kirkheaton Out of School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy attending this stimulating setting, where they are cared for by friendly and enthusiastic staff.

Children engage in a range of exciting activities. Staff provide a well-thought-out curriculum to support children's communication and literacy skills very well. Children enjoy a book of the week about autumnal animals.

They enjoy interactive stories and recite words as they use animal masks to pretend to be characters from the book. Children giggle with delight as staff make a cave from a blanket and they hide under it pretending to hibernate. Children behave well.

Relationships are respectful betwe...en adults and children. For example, staff let children know that they have five more minutes outside, before it is time to go inside for lunch. This helps children to know what to expect and for daily routines to run smoothly.

Children respond quickly to staff's instructions and form caring friendships with each other. They call one another by name and are considerate to each other. For example, children take turns and share equipment independently, such as ride-on toys in the garden.

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

Overall, staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and their learning intentions for all children. They plan and deliver a range of interesting and motivating activities, which give children a variety of experiences. For example, children make 'bouncy eggs' during science week and go on an autumnal treasure hunt.

This helps children to be highly engaged and motivated learners. However, staff do not consistently implement children's next steps to support their individual learning, to ensure that all children make maximum progress.Children are exposed to language and introduced to new words.

While playing with wooden bricks and shaving foam, staff talk to children about what they are building. They use words such as 'storey', 'grand', 'chimney', 'design' and 'extension'. This helps children to develop communication and language skills, which prepares them for their future learning.

Staff consistently promote children's health and well-being. Staff explain the importance of washing the germs from their hands before eating. They talk to children about the importance of brushing their teeth and choosing water to drink, rather than juice.

This helps children to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles.Children carry out some tasks independently, such as washing their hands and putting on their own coats. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to build on these independence skills, particularly at mealtimes.

Staff open children's lunch boxes, peel their fruit and open packets for them without encouraging them to try and achieve some of the tasks themselves. This does not consistently teach children the skills that they need for future success.Staff receive good support from the management team.

Regular supervision meetings, annual appraisals and an open-door culture, promote staff's well-being. However, the management team does not place enough emphasis on highlighting individual staff's specific training needs to raise the quality of their practice further.Parents are complimentary about the setting and staff.

They are pleased with the progress that their children make. Parents speak highly of the communication they receive from the setting, particularly the photos and daily feedback. Parents know who their child's key person is and value the good relationships that they have with them.

Children develop a strong sense of self. They make self-portraits using paper plates and creative materials. Children talk about their homes and families.

Staff note down individual children's achievements and post them into a post box throughout the week. At the end of each week, children's achievements are shared with the group, and they celebrate each other's accomplishments. This supports children to understand what makes them unique and develops their confidence and self-belief.

Staff have good relationships with the local school. They share information, ideas and resources. For example, staff in school share what children are working on in mathematics with the setting.

This joined-up approach means that staff can tailor activities to build on what children already know and can do to maximise their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities to protect children.

They follow policies and procedures to keep children safe, such as accident, medication administration and mobile phone policies. Staff deploy themselves appropriately, indoors and outdoors, to ensure children's safety. Staff are knowledgeable about a range of child protection issues, such as female genital mutilation and county lines.

They can identify indicators that a child may be at risk and talk confidently about the signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff know the action to take if they are worried about a child.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that plans to support children's individual learning are implemented consistently, to maximise progress for all children provide opportunities for children to develop their independence skills further by encouraging them to carry out more tasks for themselves nenhance professional development plans to ensure that training is specific and targeted, to raise the quality of practice further.

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