Oulton Little Stars Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children happily arrive at the club and chat with staff about their day. Staff form close bonds with all children, and take interest in the creative things they have made at school. The atmosphere in the club is calm.

Children gladly find areas that interest them, such as playing with dinosaurs and construction bricks.Staff carefully consider how to organise the indoor environment to promote children's engagement. For example, they place visual challenges alongside activities, such as the construction bricks.

This sparks children's interests and prompts them to build new shapes and structures. Children engage in conversati...ons with others while they build their constructions. For instance, they create ice-cream cones using play dough and choose the colours they wish to use.

Children demonstrate their imaginative skills as they say that 'the green play dough tastes like mint'.Children behave well and play cooperatively with peers. For example, they willingly share their play dough when they ask for specific colours.

Children feel safe and secure. They develop good friendships at the club. For instance, older children voluntarily help younger peers with aspects of the routine, such as putting their coats on and lining up for outdoor play.

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

The manager recognises the importance of an effective key-person system to help children to feel safe and settle well. For example, some children attend the holiday club at another setting within the same organisation. The manager ensures staff work at their sister settings during school holidays to promote continuity of care for children.

This supports children's emotional well-being and security. Parents highly praise the team for helping children to settle well. They comment that 'staff are friendly and supportive' and their 'children never want to leave'.

Staff know children and their family backgrounds extremely well. They plan activities for indoors based on children's interests and what they are currently learning at school. They identify the importance of encouraging children to make their own choices.

For example, children are encouraged to work with staff to plan activities of their choice.Children talk with the inspector about their experiences. Many of them comment that 'the outdoors is their favourite thing about the club'.

However, at times, staff do not fully consider the organisation of thre outdoors. This means, on occasion, not all children's interests are fully incorporated into the outdoor environment, and their engagement in the activities they enjoy is interrupted.Overall, staff promote children's independence well.

They actively encourage younger children to develop their self-help skills. Children enjoy making their own sandwiches for snack and have a variety of healthy fillings to choose from. They confidently use a knife to cut their bread and spread the butter.

Children freely access the water dispenser to refill their own drinks bottle. This helps children to stay hydrated during their session.The manager understands the importance of promoting children's positive behaviours.

She supports staff to teach children about managing risks for themselves, depending on the activities available to them. For example, the club operates from the school hall, where children can run around and be physically active. However, during club sessions, children are taught to walk.

They know to explore resources respectfully and correctly. This ensures children's safety.Staff have additional roles and responsibilities at the organisation's sister settings.

The manager at the club, who is also the training manager for the company, works in close partnership with other setting leaders. She works with them to discuss the arrangements for staff supervision and identify priorities for their training and ongoing development. This promotes continuity in staff's continuous professional development.

The manager is aware of the areas she wishes to develop to help further improve the club. For example, she plans for staff to attend training to enhance the outdoor experiences children receive. She aims to gather the views of parents through questionnaires, to ensure the service they provide continues to meet the needs of all children who attend.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of different types of abuse and key indicators for concern. They are confident to whistle-blow should they have concerns about another staff member or staff at the host school.

Staff have secure knowledge of a range of child protection issues, including online safety. They understand the procedures to follow should they have concerns for children in their care. This includes working collaboratively with the headteacher at the host school.

The manager and staff actively ask parents who will be collecting children from club. They ask parents for a memorable password to identify any new persons who collect. This ensures children go home safe with authorised individuals.

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