Ridge Kids

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive happily at the club.

Staff greet them with warm smiles and ask about their day. Children chat away happily and show they feel comfortable and safe in their surroundings. They choose from the resources available and are soon engrossed in their play.

Relationships between older and younger children are relaxed. Children of all ages talk and play together. For example, while one group of children play an imaginative game with dolls, another group choose to draw and make collages.

Children behave well. They have good role models in the manager and staff, who are courteous and polite when speaking to ch...ildren and each other. Children ask for things politely and thank staff for their help.

Staff build positive and worthwhile relationships with the staff at the host school. The manager has regular meetings with teaching staff to find out about what children are learning at school and if any children may need any extra support to get the most out of coming to the club. Staff use this information well to plan activities and provide resources that enable children to continue to build on skills they are learning elsewhere.

For example, children build on their developing physical skills when using the large play equipment outside. They can choose to look at books to further their literacy skills, or develop their problem-solving skills as they use building blocks.

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

The manager fully considers the needs of younger children when planning routines for the club.

She takes very effective steps to help these children settle and not be overwhelmed by their new surroundings. For example, when younger children first start they come together at the beginning of each session to talk about their day and their interests. The impact of this is that children settle well and are soon extremely confident to make their own choices about what to do and who to play with.

The manager acts as key person to younger children. She shows a good understanding of this role and the importance of understanding any extra support younger children may need. For example, she ensures children who may need help with their toileting receive this discreetly and helps children manage their emotions in age-appropriate ways.

Children have lots of opportunities to develop their self-help and independence skills. They show skill and care as they help themselves to snacks, making their own sandwiches and carefully threading fruit onto skewers to make fruit kebabs. They carefully use knives to spread butter and chop fruit, remembering how they have been shown to do so safely.

Staff use their positive partnerships with the host school to reinforce messages and teaching about personal safety. This consistency helps add to children's sense of security and also helps to embed learning. This was illustrated in the consistent message given to children about the importance of staying out the sun and drinking plenty of liquids during periods of extremely high temperatures.

Staff actively encourage children to make decisions and come up with ideas for enjoyable activities to do together. This helps add to children's sense of belonging. For example, on the day of the inspection, children decided to put on a talent show.

They felt safe and comfortable to sing, dance and tell jokes in front of their friends. The encouragement and praise they received from each other and staff helped build their self- esteem and confidence further.Children and parents speak very positively about the manager, staff and the club.

Parents appreciate the quick responses to any queries and the flexibility to change sessions if their work patterns change. Children say that they love attending and are sad on days they cannot do so. Staff use these positive partnerships well to ensure the needs of children and their families continue to be met well.

Staff report that they enjoy working at the club and that the manager is approachable, fair and supportive. The manager recognises that by allocating herself more time to observe staff, she could offer even more targeted support to help them build even further on their existing good practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff take effective measures to ensure the premises are safe, secure and suitable for the care of children. The manager ensures all staff undertake regular safeguarding training. She has effective measures in place to check back on what staff have learned from this training.

The manager and staff confidently talk about the signs that could indicate a child was at risk of harm. They know how to share any such concerns, to keep children safe. The manager has robust systems to ensure those she employs to work with children are suitable to do so.

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