Larkhill Breakfast and After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children confidently arrive from their classes to the after-school club, where staff warmly welcome them.

Children enthusiastically greet staff and talk about their school day. They demonstrate they feel safe and secure as they follow the familiar routines. For example, they hang up their coats and bags and sit ready for the register.

Staff quickly engage children in a diverse range of activities. For example, children enthusiastically create construction models, play spelling games, complete puzzles with their friends and engage in imaginative play with the dolls' house. Children of all ages play well together.

O...lder children enjoy the responsibility of preparing the fruit and drinks for the younger children, ready for snack time.Staff and children are kind and caring towards one another. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour.

They sensitively remind children how to take care of the resources and how to move safely around the classroom. Children know the rules of the setting. They say, 'choose it, use it, put it away or lose it' when talking about putting away the toys after they have finished playing with them.

This helps children understand what is expected of them and encourages them to comfortably follow the boundaries.

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

Staff create a warm and supportive environment. They actively engage with children by joining their games and talking about their day.

Staff attentively listen to each child, helping them to feel valued.Staff manage collections and drop offs to and from the club carefully to ensure children are safe and well cared for. Effective communication with the school ensures important information is shared.

For example, staff talk to teachers regularly about what children are learning in school and any additional support they may need. This supports seamless care and continuity for the children.Partnerships with parents and carers are positive.

Parents comment that staff are friendly and welcoming and that their children enjoy coming. Staff ensure that they share daily information when children are collected, so parents have a clear understanding of the activities children have been engaged in. Parents talk about the club having a 'family feel' and the lovely relationships staff make with the children.

Healthy living is promoted through nutritious snacks and meals, which offer a broad selection for children to enjoy. Daily routines teach responsibility and independence, with older children setting the table with cups and plates and helping younger children to pour their drinks if they need help.Children independently learn how to turn take while playing a 'spelling' game.

They ask if anyone else wants to join in and agree on whose turn it is next. Staff support these social skills by consistently modelling positive interactions with each other and the children.Staff development and support is carefully considered.

Staff hold regular meetings and supervisions. These opportunities are used to identify and discuss ongoing training needs, what is working well and what improvements they can make to the club. For instance, staff recently bought new equipment children requested, following a survey children completed.

Children's views are listened to by staff. Staff attend training sessions with the school. They implement strategies and approaches discussed at these training sessions to support children's continuity of learning.

Children enjoy reading to staff. They happily take their story books to staff who attentively listen to each child read. Staff use encouraging language, such as 'Wow! You read that beautifully' and 'You are so good at reading now.'

Children beam at these positive comments, supporting their self-esteem.Staff carefully plan activities for younger children based on themes the on site school are using within their class that week. For example, younger children create pictures based on a recent book they have read.

This helps embed children's knowledge and skills.

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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