PLAY at Saltdean LTD

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements The children settle quickly to the wide range of activities and experiences on offer at this well-organised after-school provision. The leaders and staff team work hard to foster good relationships with the children. They are keen to seek children's ideas and opinions to inform what is provided at the club.

This contributes towards children's views being valued.Staff explain the plan for the session. This is so children are clear about the availability of activities in the school hall, computer room and extensive outside play areas.

Children are encouraged to be independent and select the experiences they wish to engage in.... They demonstrate good behaviour and show kindness and courtesy to their friends. Staff are positive role models to children and adapt their approach to respectfully meet their individual needs.

This includes ensuring children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have adaptions in place, so inclusive practice is upheld.Children demonstrate high levels of sustained concentration as they engage in chess games, build marble runs and confidently access computer programmes. Children use good levels of language to express play ideas to their peers.

Staff provide ample opportunities to support children to be physically active and develop their gross motor skills. For example, children access a large trim trail, scooters and engage in team games, such as football. Staff weave in other beneficial skills to teach children how to work as a team, listen to one another and develop resilience when learning how to win and lose.

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

Leaders strive to ensure all children have quality experiences to play, learn and relax with their friends after a busy day at school. Leaders seek the views of children, staff and parents in a variety of ways to reflect on the quality of their provision. This enables them to self-evaluate their strengths and identify what they want to develop to drive continuous improvement.

Leaders ensure there is a daily team briefing so all staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities. This also provides an opportunity for staff to share their ideas and skills to expand the range of activities available to children. Staff are deployed well and communicate through walkie-talkies, this ensures children are supervised effectively to keep them safe.

On occasion, staff do not notice when some children are not participating to quickly re-engage them in play. Despite this minor oversight, children demonstrate they are happy and thoroughly enjoy spending time with their friends at the club.Staff have good oversight in making sure that what they provide is adapted to meet the varying ages and stages of children's development.

Staff seek out inventive ways to support children to learn while having fun. For example, younger children and staff use chalk outdoors to create tracks for their toy cars. They are completely absorbed in their play and delight in testing out their ideas to experiment using different ways to make their toy cars travel left, right, under and over.

Staff use this opportunity to teach younger children about positional language to build on their existing mathematical knowledge. At times, some staff are eager to ask children multiple questions without giving them sufficient thinking time to respond. Nevertheless, children show a real keenness to proudly talk about what they know to adults and peers alike.

Leaders and staff model to children the importance of contributing towards their own good health and well-being. This includes joining in with physical games, managing their own hygiene and behaving well when independently collecting a hearty cooked meal. Children demonstrate good manners and chat socially to a variety of friends and staff while eating their tea.

At times, noise levels can escalate which can be difficult for some children, but overall, there is a positive atmosphere to support children to thrive.Leaders work closely with their staff to provide one-to-one meetings. This enables leaders to hold discussions so they are assured staff remain suitable.

Additionally, leaders provide ongoing support and training opportunities. The designated safeguarding lead ensures the staff team have a secure understanding of child protection issues. Furthermore, staff are clear about their responsibility to report concerns immediately and know the process to follow to ensure children are effectively safeguarded.

Leaders and staff have positive partnership working with the school and parents. This is to ensure they hold the relevant information they need, to enable staff to meet children's individual care and learning needs. Leaders provide regular feedback and updates.

Parents commend the provision and comment how their children enjoy attending.

Safeguarding

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

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