Scl At St. Mark’s Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive with enthusiasm.

They follow the routines well and quickly settle to their choice of play and activities. For instance, children played imaginatively with small world toys, such as vehicles. The activities available support and complement children's learning and interests from school.

Children used their concentration and small physical skills when they created patterns with beads and painted their own designs onto t-shirts. Some children enjoyed practising their early writing and mathematical skills. For instance, making cards for people special to them and writing in these.

Other children made up... sums to add and multiply.Children have good relationships with staff and demonstrate they are happy in their care. For instance, children approach staff confidently, asking for help when needed.

Children behave well. They are developing their understanding of the behaviour expectations. Staff support children's awareness of turn taking, such as when children want to play different outdoor games.

This helps promote children's awareness of fairness and respect for different choices. Children spend time being physically active and they enjoy spending time outdoors. Younger children join older children at activities, such as outdoor active games.

Children have fun as they play games of 'tag' and run races in teams. This helps support positive relationships between the different ages of children.

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

Leaders and staff form effective partnerships with parents and the host school.

This helps to provide continuity and consistency to support children's needs. For instance, staff gain a daily update from the school staff about children's needs. They gain information from parents about their children, such as their interests and any specific needs.

Parents speak positively about the club and state that they are happy with the service provided. They say their children enjoy their time at the club and have good quality activities.Staff support children's behaviour consistently.

They guide children with reminders when needed, such as to walk indoors. Staff give children praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements. This helps to boost children's self-esteem and confidence.

Staff enjoy their work with the children. They get involved with children's activities and encourage their play and engagement. For instance, they sit and chat with children and talk to them about what they are making.

Staff offer children a broad range of activities and resources to make choices from indoors and outside. However, towards the end of the session, children begin to lose interest in the activities and resources that have been out since the start. At times, this leads to some children becoming a little restless, resulting in the noise level increasing.

Children have choices of healthy and well-balanced snacks. Children independently chose and helped themselves to food when they wanted something to eat. For instance, children enjoyed bagels and chose different toppings to spread or put on these.

They also had salad and fruit options. Children helped themselves to drinks of diluted squash, which were available throughout the session. However, the provider has not considered offering a healthier choice.

Staff are led well by the site leader, who models effective practice to them. For instance, when she interacts and speaks to the younger children, she gets down to the same level as them. This helps her to listen carefully to what they have to say.

In addition, this supports children to feel confident that they are listened to and valued as individuals.Leaders provide effective induction procedures to staff, to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff benefit from regular individual staff supervision meetings as well as ongoing training.

This supports staff to continue developing their skills and practice. Leaders monitor the quality of the provision securely. For instance, they visit regularly to evaluate the provision and staff's practice to identify improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff know their safeguarding responsibilities securely. The provider ensures new staff know about safeguarding children from the start.

For example, new staff undertake safeguarding training and have direct access to the safeguarding policy and procedures. This ensures staff are all confident to manage any concerns should they arise. Staff follow effective procedures to keep children safe, including the use of walkie-talkies to communicate with each other.

For example, when children move between the indoor and outdoor areas, this means staff supervise them closely. Staff remind children about safe behaviours. This helps children to understand how to keep themselves and their friends safe.

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