Play Aloud Cowper

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are very happy at the club and engage in activities very well. Staff support them to feel settled and secure. For example, children and staff spend time together in the pre-school building while the hall is being set up for the club.

Children enjoy sharing stories with staff. They then move happily through to the club, ready for their healthy snack and then play.Children choose to take part in many creative activities, such as model making and drawing.

Young children concentrate remarkably well, for example when they use pens to draw intricate patterns. Other children take part in designing models, such as hot-air... balloons. They talk openly about their dreams and aspirations.

These include places in the world children would like to visit. Other children talk of how they will hold positions of power in order to help people who are poor.Children are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles.

They spend time outdoors whenever they can. Children have opportunities for climbing and space to run around. The provider employs a chef who provides a cooked meal each day.

Children relish this as they sit together to eat and share social conversations.

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

The highly qualified staff team is well established and turnover is relatively low. Despite this, the provider has robust recruitment procedures in place.

This helps to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Induction procedures are strong and enable staff to gain a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and health and safety policies.Staff are warm, friendly and approachable.

They treat all children with respect and model kindness. In return, children develop these positive attributes, which they demonstrate in their interactions with each other and staff. Children's behaviour is excellent.

Staff receive regular coaching and supervision from the managers. They also observe each other's practice as they seek ways to improve and to support their peers. Managers actively encourage staff to talk about their well-being and look for ways to support them.

This results in a dedicated and motivated team.Staff have many opportunities to access training courses. They talk positively about how these help them to develop their knowledge and skills.

Parents speak very positively about the club and staff. They say they have peace of mind that children are safe and enjoying themselves at the club. Parents comment that when they arrive to collect children they are always highly engaged in activities and are reluctant to leave until they have finished.

Partnerships with the host school and adjacent pre-school are strong and effective. Children are collected from their classrooms or the pre-school by the same members of staff each day. This provides consistency of care for children.

Staff have opportunities to speak to children's teachers and this enables them to share relevant information.Managers and staff evaluate effectively the service they provide and look for ways to improve. They seek the views of children and parents and incorporate their ideas into practice.

Following a recent health and safety audit, they have made changes to their daily safety checks and now discuss health and safety practices more regularly at staff meetings.The provider uses a welcome pack to provide information for parents about how the club runs, including information on some of the policies and procedures. However, the detail given on some key policies is limited and does not enable parents to have the best possible information about the provider's responsibilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The managers and staff have a very good understanding of how to recognise concerns about children. They talk confidently about what they would do if they felt children were at risk of harm.

All staff know how to make referrals swiftly, both within the setting and to relevant agencies. They complete safeguarding training during induction and at regular intervals. This helps all staff to keep their safeguarding knowledge relevant and up to date.

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