School of Play Mcr Ltd at Bowdon Preparatory School for Girls

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are settled and enjoy spending time at the club.

They have formed close bonds with all staff and their peers. Children happily arrive at the club and sort out their own belongings before going off to play. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at the club.

Staff are positive role models. They have high expectations of children's behaviour. Staff remind children to use good manners and to listen to others when they are talking.

Children behave well. They are kind and helpful. For example, children help to give out the coloured paper during a craft activity.

Staff praise children for part...icipating in activities. They have a star of the week reward system in place to promote positive behaviour. This helps to build up children's self-esteem.

Children benefit from lots of learning opportunities as they meet important people in the community. For example, children recently learned about the job role of police officers, who visited the club. They also enjoyed meeting first aiders, who taught them basic first-aid procedures.

As a result, children were able to practise putting bandages on their friends. These meaningful experiences help children to develop their understanding of the wider world.

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

Staff have built effective working relationships with the host school.

This helps them to have a good understanding of the needs of children who attend the club. Staff use these professional partnerships to ensure continuity of care for all children.Parents are happy with the service provided.

They are thankful for the 'friendly and welcoming staff' at the club. Parents praise the club for the range of exciting activities they have on offer for the children. As a result, children are eager to attend and enjoy their time at the club.

Self-evaluation is thorough. It includes the views of staff, children and parents. Managers send out questionnaires to gain parental feedback about the club and take on board any suggestions.

For example, staff have implemented further science investigations following parental feedback. Staff continuously listen to and act upon children's views. For example, children decide which activities they would like more or less of each day.

This provides staff with ideas about how they can improve their service.Staff promote opportunities that enhance children's growing independence. For example, children wash their own hands before eating their snack.

They choose the activities that they would like to play with during free-play sessions. Children collect their own lunch boxes and carry them to the table at lunchtime. This helps children to develop important life skills, such as independence, as they complete tasks by themselves.

Children behave well. They follow staff's instructions and listen attentively to staff when they are talking. Children display friendly behaviour towards their peers.

For example, they take turns as they climb, balance and navigate the outdoor trim trail. Children also work well as a team as they line up in order of age. This generates lots of problem-solving and critical thinking.

Staff benefit from a range of training opportunities. They comment on how they feel valued and well supported in their job roles. Leaders ensure staff keep their mandatory training up to date.

They complete supervisions of staff. However, targets are not always individualised or focused on how to help them further improve their practice.Children are taught how to keep themselves safe.

For example, they know how to hold scissors correctly when walking back to their tables. Children understand why they cannot eat grapes whole. As a result, they know to take their grapes to a member of staff to be cut up into small pieces.

Overall, children show a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.Children learn about different cultures and countries. For example, they learn words in other languages, such as Spanish and French, and enjoy sampling foods from other countries.

Children also learn about a range of festivals. They talk about the similarities and differences between themselves and others. This helps children learn about diversity.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe. They know the signs and symptoms of abuse.

Staff know what they would do if they had a concern about a child's welfare. They attend regular training in safeguarding to ensure their knowledge is continuously updated. Staff understand their duty to be vigilant about possible indicators that a child or family member may be at risk of being drawn into extremist behaviours.

Children learn about road safety. They practise how to cross roads safely as they walk to the sports pitch. Children are well supervised throughout the club.

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