Mini Meadows

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children delight as they are welcomed into the club by the friendly staff team. They develop close relationships with staff, who show an interest in their school day and home lives.

All children feel comfortable to approach staff to talk about anything that is worrying them. They benefit from lovely interactions with staff, who are supportive and encouraging. This contributes significantly to the children's sense of belonging, and helps them to feel safe and secure.

The club is a hive of activity that excites, motivates and enthuses all children. The well-resourced environments are set up so that children can make independ...ent choices in their play. There is an abundance of activities for children to join in with, both indoors and outdoors.

As a result, children show high levels of engagement. Children have endless amounts of fun as they create their own 'desert islands'. They are imaginative and concentrate well as they crush biscuits and carefully spoon custard to represent the sand and the sea.

Children behave incredibly well. They fully understand the club rules, which they positively reinforce. They recognise that they must be kind and respect one another.

During mealtimes, children confidently talk about what being respectful means to them.

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

The manager and staff team are committed to their roles and want the very best for every child. They place great importance on teaching children vital life skills, such as caring about others, respecting the environment and trying things for themselves.

Staff explain that they really enjoy what they do and feel well supported by the manager.Children of mixed ages enjoy spending time together. They work together to build on their ideas during creative activities.

They talk about how they could decorate their shells differently using the wide range of resources available. Children comment that they find staff to be 'so kind and helpful' and that they 'can't imagine not attending the club.' The manager is aware of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's mental health.

Staff have introduced a 'calm tent' in the environment to support children to regulate their emotions. There are a wide range of books in the club that help children to freely talk about their feelings. This fully supports children's well-being and emotional health.

The views of children are of utmost priority. Staff ensure children's interests are considered during activities. They ensure the child's voice is heard through a 'club council', led by children.

All children have a role to play at the club. They each have the opportunity to become an 'expert' in a particular aspect of practice. For example, children who are 'risk assessment experts' look for potential hazards in the environment.

They communicate these to staff and their peers to assure high levels of safety during their sessions.Staff help children to learn about their unique selves. They encourage parents and children to share information about their culture, home life and family celebrations.

Children have lots of opportunities to talk about things that make them special. As a result, children are extremely considerate and learn to celebrate one another's differences.Children's physical health is promoted well.

Children are encouraged to make healthy choices and stay hydrated during their sessions. They support staff to decide on a healthy and balanced menu by sharing their ideas. Children benefit from many opportunities to be physically active, both indoors and outdoors.

They demonstrate good control and coordination as they take part in football matches and take safe risks as they negotiate the outdoor gym equipment.Partnership working is strong. The manager and staff work extremely closely with the host school.

They work collaboratively with other professionals to ensure that children's learning, care and support needs are well supported. Staff provide parents with updates about their child's achievements on a regular basis. Parents comment that their children 'love attending the club' and that they 'cannot fault the amazing staff team.'



Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a secure knowledge of the signs that a child may be at risk of harm and the procedures to follow. Staff are confident with the procedures to follow should they have a concern about the manager or a staff member's conduct.

There are effective procedures in place for the safe recruitment and induction of staff, to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Staff carry out daily safety checks on all areas of the club to help ensure that children play in a safe environment. A robust system is in place to ensure that children are only collected by authorised individuals.

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