Playhouse @ 4 Community Trust

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements This is a high-quality club and all children enjoy attending. Children and staff have warm relationships with each other. Staff work hard to quickly build relationships with children.

Staff know those children who need additional support to settle in and engage in activities. They sensitively help these children to build their confidence and engage in whole-group activities. Children's behaviour is excellent.

This is because staff set up the environment to engage children in play from the outset and throughout their time at the club. When children arrive, they enjoy activities, such as table football. Outside, staff engage... with children well, for example, playing bat and ball games.

Children make rules of the club with staff, and staff remind children to follow the positive rules, such as walking inside when children run to wash their hands. Children benefit from a range of physical play. Staff lead a warm-up session to encourage children to stretch.

Children then enjoy a game of 'hot potato', working together as a whole group to actively throw and a catch ball until each child is out. Children understand the rules of the game and follow them well.

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

Parents and carers are positive about the service, they describe there is a wide range of activities available to children.

Parents and carers feel staff inform them about children's day, including any matters, like accidents.Leaders provide an inclusive service, especially for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a specialist club for children with SEND and leaders are tenacious in obtaining information about children's education, health and care needs to help to promote continuity of children's care.

Leadership of the club is excellent. The provider proactively manages staff workload and promotes their well-being. This helps to fulfil the provider's vision to enable staff to be child focused and work directly with children without completing unnecessary paperwork.

Leaders have plans in place to develop the outdoor area. This will help to provide children with a wider range of activities outside.The activities planned by staff foster children's interests and creatively help to promote their understanding of the wider world.

Staff issue children with a 'passport' to pretend to travel the world and visit countries who have teams in the Women's Football World Cup. Many children are interested in football and staff widen this interest through activities that enable children to find out about the people from different countries taking part, such as Australia. Staff tell children about indigenous Australians who are of aboriginal descent and how they made pictures.

Children eagerly have a go at making their own indigenous Australian inspired art through dabbing and spreading paint into pictures of lizards and kangaroos. These activities also help children to develop respect for other people that are different or similar to themselves.Leaders monitor staff practice well.

They conduct regular observations and supervision. This helps to monitor staff ongoing suitability and improve their performance. For example, staff have developed their ability to provide activities, such as number recognition activities based on children's interests, without being directed by leaders.

The provider has a strong commitment to improving staff qualifications. This has a positive impact on staff's practice, including their ability to deploy staff to lead activities, both indoors and outdoors.The promotion of healthy lifestyles is a key strength of the club.

Children are actively involved in the preparing of their own meals, using knives safely. Staff ensure children have access to meals and snacks throughout their time at the club. This is important because some children may not eat before they come to the club or when they get home.

Children enjoy practical activities, such as using ultraviolet lights to check for 'germs' on their hands. They learn how to wash their hands correctly while singing 'happy birthday' twice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and can identify concerns about a child's welfare. Leaders know the local procedures for reporting concerns about staff and children. Staff check the premises daily to help to check they are safe and suitable.

Staff understand local safeguarding issues, and support families effectively, such as providing access to their food pantry to help with the cost of living. There are procedures in place to check the suitability of all staff. Staff help children to keep safe online by sharing information with children and their parents, such as about age restrictions for online games.