Meltham School’s Out

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this safe, welcoming and highly stimulating club. They happily enter with energy and excitement, and quickly start playing with a wealth of activities and resources. Children generally remain highly engaged.

Staff expertly plan activities and build on the essential skills and attitudes, which children require for successful learning in school. For example, children show excellent focus and motivation while making healthy pizzas to take home. They absorb lots of new knowledge.

For instance, children learn about herbs, such as 'oregano', which they smell inquisitively. Children thrive ...on staff's warm, positive and friendly interactions.Children constantly make choices, such as playing indoors or outdoors, and they have first-class involvement in how the club is run.

This fosters children's self-esteem and helps them to grow in confidence. Children develop high levels of independence during daily routines. Children demonstrate exemplary behaviour and are highly sociable.

They understand and follow the club's rules and values, which they help to create and staff display. Staff are kind and respectful role models. Staff use visual prompts, such as ringing the bell, to prepare and support children for changes in the daily routine.

Children promptly respond. For example, they help to tidy up and line up sensibly to walk to the snack room.

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

Staff plan excellent settling-in programmes.

For example, new children are allocated a 'buddy' and complete an 'All about me' document. Staff also ask children to bring in an 'All about me' box containing special items from home to share. Staff also ask parents to complete a settling-in survey, to monitor children's emotional well-being.

Staff take exceptional account of children's interests and views. For example, children share their ideas through planning meetings, a suggestion box and surveys. This helps children to feel valued.

Staff work in excellent partnership with Reception class staff to promote continuity for children. This helps children to feel secure. For example, staff create exciting interactive displays and activities linked to key stories and school topics.

Staff also exchange information via a communication book, which also includes discussions with parents.Staff reinforce children's early mathematical and literacy skills in fun ways. For example, children learn unique mark-making techniques.

For example, they explore pointillism, where they apply small, distinct dots in patterns to form an image on their autumn leaves. Staff proudly display these on the miniature autumn tree. Children count the mushrooms on their pizzas and play giant-sized games, where they have to think strategically to get four counters in a row to win.

Children have extensive opportunities to practise their hand-to-eye coordination, in support of their early writing skills. For example, children use rolling pins to flatten their pizza dough, spread tomato puree on the pizza base and use tongs to grasp healthy toppings.Staff plan many activities designed to foster children's social skills and friendships.

For example, children share equipment and chat away as they make pizzas. They play together imaginatively, for instance, while engaging in the role-play shop area.Staff provide light healthy teas, some of which children prepare, such as vegetable soup.

This helps children to learn about healthy lifestyles. Children also take part in activities, such as creating collages for a display about healthy eating.Staff provide exemplary opportunities for children to value and respect everyone's uniqueness.

For example, staff celebrate diversity within resources, displays and themes, such as 'marvellous me'. Children take part in activities which are linked to a wide range of multicultural traditions and events, such as Black History Month.Staff establish highly effective partnerships with parents.

Parents have access to comprehensive information, for example, via the website, which includes regular newsletters. Feedback from parents is highly complimentary.Overall, staff are deployed well.

For example, they lead on certain initiatives. Staff are designated specific tasks, such as being on duty at the door. However, when children's key persons are undertaking such tasks, other staff do not always recognise when some children require greater support to engage.

Staff's qualifications and continued professional development have an excellent impact. However, the manager does not extend the highly effective coaching, mentoring and support to relief staff, to enhance their interactions. Self-evaluation takes full account of everyone's views.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good knowledge of possible indicators of abuse, and of how to report their concerns. This helps to keep children safe from harm.

Child protection procedures are strengthened, for example, through regular safeguarding meetings. Staff promote a safe and secure environment, which helps to promote children's welfare. They demonstrate safe practices, such as using walkie-talkies to promote children's safe transition between indoors and outdoors.

Children help to carry out risk assessments and staff help them to learn to keep themselves safe. For example, children take part in activities linked to road safety and online safety, which staff display. Staff also arrange visitors, such as the mounted police.

Also at this postcode