Little Acorns Out of School Club Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enjoy coming to this friendly and welcoming setting.

They are happy, settled and secure. Children build good relationships with the staff who care for them, and new children settle quickly. Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development well.

For example, they encourage children to take turns and share resources as they make pictures of sparklers using foil, glitter and straws. Children learn to play well together as they explore with toy dinosaurs and small-world toys. Staff praise and encourage children.

This helps increase children's confidence and promotes their self-esteem. Child...ren take part in strategies to encourage positive behaviour and teamwork. For example, children are rewarded with pebbles which they put into a jar, to mark their good behaviour.

The team with the most pebbles is rewarded with a prize, to celebrate their achievements. Children benefit from clear boundaries and routines. This helps them to feel emotionally secure, and their behaviour is good.

Staff support children's growing independence. They encourage them to hang up their own coats and bags. Staff provide opportunities for children to make simple choices and decisions.

For example, children choose from a range of healthy fruits at snack time. They choose which activities they would like to try and what to play with next.

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

Children are fully engaged with the wide range of interesting and exciting activities on offer.

For example, they play with trains and build with blocks. Children enjoy colouring and practising their early writing by using colouring pencils and pens. They play imaginatively together in the toy kitchen and with toy animals they pretend to care for.

Managers and staff believe it is important that children feel a sense of ownership at the setting. They plan activities that follow children's interests and preferences. Staff develop ways to include all children in activities.

The manager has experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Staff are caring, friendly and kind. They have lovely relationships with the children and have formed strong bonds.

Children enjoy interesting conversations with staff, and develop their social skills through play with them and their peers.Children enjoy fresh air and exercise on their way from the local school to the setting. They join in physical games with staff in the setting's secure and spacious hall.

Here they jump, slide, spin and run on the spot.Children develop their smaller muscles and coordination through a wide variety of craft activities. For example, they build with magnets and explore with different sizes of tweezers, as part of an activity.

Children benefit from healthy snacks and drinks at the setting. Managers cater for vegetarian and vegan diets. The setting has a nut-free policy.

Parents speak highly of the setting. They say their children enjoy attending and exploring the variety of activities on offer. Parents say they feel well informed about their children's experiences, and praise staff for being helpful and friendly.

The setting has established good relationships with the school staff, when they pick up and drop off children. Staff are aware of what topics children are currently studying. They use this information to help plan complementary activities at the setting.

This helps to create a consistent approach to support for children's learning and development.Staff work well together as a team. The manager supports their well-being and professional development through regular meetings and briefings.

Staff are encouraged and supported to keep themselves up to date through daily briefings with the manager.Managers organise the setting well. Managers and staff evaluate routines to minimise any risks to children.

For example, staff wear high-visibility vests when picking up children from school. They encourage children to walk safely in pairs in a line. Staff position themselves at the front and back of the line to try to keep children safe.

Managers at the setting reflect well on experiences for children. They invite views from parents, with a view to acting on any suggestions made. They are committed to continually improving the experiences for children and the service the setting provides.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff know what might cause them to be concerned about a child. They know the procedure to follow to help keep them safe.

Managers have a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe, including broader safeguarding issues. The space, in which children play, is clean and secure, and resources are well maintained. Staff complete training in first aid and safeguarding.

They encourage children to learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, they talk to children about the importance of road safety. Staff encourage children to tidy up resources so they do not trip, and to walk indoors, rather than to run.

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