Lydgate After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children play happily together from the start of the session to the time they go home.

They thoroughly enjoy choosing from the wide range of motivating crafts, role play and other activities that staff prepare for them. Children engage in many physical and creative tasks indoors and outside, which contribute well to their personal development, health and well-being. For example, they develop their own games with bats and balls or enjoy serving the pretend customers in their role-play kitchen and restaurant.

The experienced manager and her staff have high expectations for children's engagement in everything they do. Childre...n feel safe and well cared for. They learn to take good care of themselves with staff's guidance.

For example, they enjoy a variety of healthy and nutritious snacks, and learn to wash their hands thoroughly beforehand. Children are very well behaved. They are polite and considerate towards each other as, for example, they share their toys and plan role-play activities together.

They respond well to staff's friendly and positive role models. Staff build warm and friendly relationships with children. Parents welcome the very good care and positive feedback that staff consistently give their children.

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

The experienced and well-qualified manager provides strong leadership to her staff team. She sets a clear direction for their continued development. The manager involves all staff in regular planning and supports them to take initiatives and develop their training and qualifications.

Staff are reflective and take advantage of training opportunities to develop their skills.Staff act on children's views and interests to ensure that activities engage and motivate them. They gather detailed information from parents when children first start.

Staff use the information well to help children to make a smooth start to their experiences of the club. For example, staff ensure that there are toys, role play and creative activities they know children will engage with.The club actively promotes children's healthy lifestyles.

Staff involve children in planning and preparing nutritious snacks. They support children to appreciate eating in moderation and making positive healthy choices. Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their physical well-being.

For example, children play team games with enthusiastic staff or develop their own obstacle courses using the trim trail.Children enjoy many creative activities and parents report that their children are proud of the many artistic achievements they bring home. For example, children design their own shields and colourful dragons for St.

George's Day. They design colourful, tasty-looking trays of buns with their home-made play dough.Children are well behaved.

They play happily with children of different ages and make new and lasting friendships. Staff involve children in setting and following simple rules for safe play. They closely align their guidance with the expectations set by the school that children attend.

Staff involve children in making their own decisions and sharing their ideas.The manager and committee work closely together to ensure that the club meets children's and parents' needs well. They regularly review the quality of their work through supervision sessions, observations and discussions.

The manager and committee seek parents' views through discussions and questionnaires. They are, for instance, planning to build on their resources for dance and music, particularly outside.Staff provide strong support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They liaise closely with children's teachers and parents in order to support them effectively. Staff are sensitive to children's feelings and needs. They spend time talking to children and supporting them to find solutions to experiences that they may find difficult.

Parents hold the club in very high regard. They feel that staff provide warm and friendly care and ensure that their children make a smooth start. Parents appreciate the wide range of experiences that their children enjoy throughout their time with the club.

They typically comment that they know their children are 'in very good hands' and the manager and staff are 'amazing'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

Also at this postcode