Mighty Oaks @ Ashton Keynes

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are very settled and confident in their setting.

They have secure relationships with familiar staff that help them to explore and experiment in their play. Children laugh with enthusiasm during activities. Staff engage well with the children, interacting with them effectively.

They give children ideas for different play and encourage children to extend this further. For example, children use the tyres to jump in and out of. They move the tyres by dragging them and then rolling them onto the grass to extend their ideas.

Children are highly sociable as they play and during daily routines, such as mealtimes.... They share ideas while building with construction toys or making marks in the salt, kindly sharing resources with their peers.Children have lots of opportunities to make their own decisions and choose what they like to do.

For example, staff ask the children where they would like to eat snack, such as inside or outside. Children choose to build a den and eat the snack in the den together, forming good social relationships. Children behave well.

They learn to share with each other. They show compassion and care towards their younger friends. Staff adapt play to make sure all children are included.

Children notice their friends observing their play and invite them in to experience the fun that they are having.During the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the setting closed, however, parents say staff kept in regular contact to inform them about changes to operating procedures and hygiene arrangements.

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

Staff value children's opinions in the club.

They encourage them to talk about the things they would like to do and make choices about the activities on offer. They gather detailed information from parents when children first attend and regularly check in with children to ensure they feel secure. Children form good relationships with staff and show that they feel happy and safe here.

Staff promote children's physical well-being very well. They have access to plenty of outdoor space to run, climb, explore, throw, kick and roll. They use the space well to extend their movements, using equipment to challenge their existing skills.

Staff encourage all children to play outside to gain fresh air and to increase their physical health. Children have access to hot, healthy foods, which support their understanding of healthy eating. Children have access to fresh drinking water at all times to help them stay hydrated.

Partnerships with parents and teachers in the school are strong. Staff are extremely effective communicators and meet the needs of the children very well.Staff who work in both the school and club share experiences and knowledge of the children to build strong continuity.

Staff form good partnerships with the host school. Staff share information with the children's reception class teachers to support their learning in school. For example, they complement topics and plan fun activities that build on children's mathematical and literacy skills.

Children use sticks and create patterns and marks as they learn to hold the pencil correctly to develop their early writing skills. They talk about the noises different materials make in the discovery tray as they develop a deeper understanding of familiar stories to extend their learning from school.The manager continually monitors and reflects on practice with staff to identify improvements and to look at ways to develop the club.

Staff qualifications and the continued mentoring from the manager have a very positive impact on practice.Staff are positive role models and they value the uniqueness of every child as an individual. They are caring and patient.

Staff work very well as a team. They take a genuine interest in what children do and say, striving to provide the best possible experiences for them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe from harm. The manager provides opportunities for them to update and refresh their knowledge of new child protection procedures and broader safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation. The manager works closely in partnership with the headteacher in the school to promote effective information sharing and consistency.

Staff regularly talk to children about keeping themselves safe. For example, children learn how to climb safely on the outdoor equipment. Staff know which children they expect in the club and act swiftly to check where older children are, if they do not arrive promptly from their class, to ensure their welfare.

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