School Friend Clubs @ Wimborne

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are collected from their classrooms by happy staff, who greet them with a smile. Children are keen to share their school day and happily chat with their key person. They know the routines well and independently put on high-visibility yellow jackets.

This makes the children easily identifiable as they cross the busy school playground at the end of the day.Children are confident and ask the inspector questions, such as 'Why are you going to after-school club?' Satisfied with the answer, they are kind and say, 'follow me and I'll show you where to go and what to do.'Children have access to a good range of activities and resou...rces.

Children use their imagination well and work together to construct complex towers with small building bricks. Children spontaneously sing about pirates and talk to their friends about a 'Pirate Tower' they are building. Children use these play opportunities at the club to talk about what they have learned about pirates at school.

Children make their own choices at the club and staff support them with these decisions. For instance, some younger children are hungry and enjoy an early snack of toast and soup. Young children show good independence skills.

They butter their toast while they chat to older children about films they have seen recently.Children enjoy a range of activities that build on their physical development. For instance, children enjoy spending time outside in the infant playground, where they play football and chase one another in the fresh air.

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

The manager's ethos is to provide a place for children to relax after school and spend time with their friends. The manager talks about the club's strengths. For instance, using the same staff at breakfast and after-school club helps children build emotional bonds between themselves and their key person.

Staff are quick to intervene and support children to manage their behaviour. For instance, when children struggle to manage their feelings, their key person supports them and this helps children regain their emotional balance.Children are involved in planning the activities.

For example, staff and children regularly discuss and plan craft and fitness activities the children would like to explore. The plans are displayed and this makes children feel valued and welcome.Children and staff plan the craft activities together.

For instance, children want to ice cakes, and staff provide small cakes, icing and sprinkles. The children participate in this activity with great eagerness. Staff ensure there is a mix of ages within the craft group.

Older children help the younger ones with the task and later remind them to take their cakes home. Younger children learn the importance of helping others within this supportive group.Staff provide a healthy snack for the children.

Children talk enthusiastically about the tea menu, especially the tomato soup. Older children like to help staff and say, 'We like the responsibility of cutting the fruit.' The manager talks about the importance of providing children with healthy foods and serving fresh fruit at breakfast and after-school club.

The classroom is sometimes a little noisy, but staff quickly gain children's attention in an interesting way. For instance, the manager engages the children in a clapping sequence, which they happily join in. When the room is quieter, children listen to the manager, there is a flurry of activity as children tidy up before they go outside to play.

Children have learned the signals staff use to gain their attention, without having to use a raised voice. The effect is that children's attention is quickly gained and they can hear the staff's instructions.Children are busy and engaged at the club.

Children talk about their favourite activities and how staff help them take resources out of the cupboards when they want to play with something else. However, some children would like more craft activities available during the session, to build on their creative development.The manager reports positively about the changes made by the senior leadership team.

For example, standardised documents and flexible online training promote staffs' well-being. Staff receive ongoing professional development training. For instance, they have completed paediatric first-aid training and online safeguarding courses.

Parents are very happy with the club and report their children enjoy attending. They talk about good communication between themselves and the manager. Parents speak of a flexible service with supportive staff, especially when they have to work away from home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a clear understand of their responsibility to safeguard children. Staff recognise the signs and symptoms that indicate a child may be at risk of harm.

Staff know to refer any concerns to the designated safeguarding lead and she knows the procedure for referring concerns to the local authority. The manager and staff receive regular training in safeguarding to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff have attended 'Prevent' duty guidance training and understand their role in protecting children from extremist views and radicalisation.

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