S4YC Out Of School Club - Parkgate

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy to attend this welcoming club.

Staff are calm and nurturing. As a result, children settle quickly and form close bonds with staff and peers. Staff know the children well and ensure that there is a wide range of fun activities that follow their interests.

For example, building on their interest of fairy tales, children choose to make fairy wands from a plethora of craft materials. Children enjoy engaging in imaginative play. For example, they dance around the room pretending to be their favourite characters.

Children behave very well. They are kind to each other and wait patiently for their turn ...when playing games. Older children act as role models for younger children and help them with tasks, such as washing their hands before snack.

Younger children are collected safely from school by club staff. Children benefit from spending time outside. They make the most of open space and large apparatus, such as rope bridges and climbing walls.

This supports children's developing physical skills.The club remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents have been kept up to date with changes to the service and provided with ideas to continue learning at home.

As a result, children were eager to return and settled back into club routines quickly.

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

Children benefit from the strong relationships between the club and school. Staff communicate with teachers effectively about what has happened during the day and pass on messages to home.

The manager and teachers have regular meetings to discuss children's needs and interests. The manager uses this information to help plan activities that build upon the learning taking place in school.Staff have high expectations of all children.

They are supportive and encourage children to keep trying. For example, young children practise writing their names on artwork and are praised for their efforts. This supports children's self-confidence and resilience.

Children learn about different cultures through play. For example, children create their own Chinese lions using boxes and different materials. This helps children to develop an understanding of the wider world and express themselves creatively.

Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents are complimentary about the service and praise the kindness of staff and the flexibility offered by the club.The senior leadership team and the manager of the setting work well together.

They communicate effectively and have a shared vision for the setting. All staff benefit from regular supervisions, appraisals and team meetings. This provides opportunities to discuss key issues and share good practice.

There are many opportunities for staff to access training. However, the impact of this training is not always monitored effectively. This has a minimal impact on the service provided for children.

The manager is clear on some strengths and areas for development and there are some plans in place for improvement. However, they currently do not take into account the views of staff, children and families.Children understand how to keep themselves healthy.

For example, they understand that they should eat a balanced diet and eat sugar in moderation. Children enjoy a range of nutritious snacks, such as fresh fruit and vegetable sticks. They learn valuable independence skills through serving their own snacks and putting away their plates.

Children say that they feel safe in the setting and enjoy getting extra time to play alongside their friends. They are welcoming to visitors and speak with confidence about what they like to do at school and at home.Staff are positive role models.

They support children to use their manners and to be considerate of other's feelings. As a result, children are confident and self-assured.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are aware of their responsibility to keep children safe. They are clear about the actions they would take, should they have concerns over a colleague or the welfare of a child. The manager completes regular risk assessments, to ensure the environment is safe and to minimise any potential hazards.

Relevant policies and procedures are in place and updated in line with changes to legislation. All staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates and are qualified to administer first aid. This helps to keep children safe in the event of an accident.

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