St Gabriel’s Whizz Kids

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Staff create a warm, welcoming and carefully arranged environment for children to play, explore and relax in. They have high expectations of children and their behaviour at this friendly club.

Staff have been in post for several years, which provides consistency of care for children. They know children and their families exceptionally well and have strong links within the local community. Children happily and confidently enter the club.

They eagerly engage in conversations with their peers and staff and talk about their school day.Children engage very well with the wealth of exciting activities available. They very much ha...ve their voices heard and can choose what they want to play with.

Indoors, they develop their physical skills as they play basketball and darts. They can take on different roles as they happily play in the hairdressers or pretend to eat in the Chinese restaurant. As children play board games, staff build on children's learning at school as they talk about colours and numbers.

Younger children settle well into the club. They learn to share the resources and take turns as they play games. Older children thoroughly enjoy playing football outdoors.

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

Staff have excellent relationships with parents, and with teachers at the host school. They download the school's newsletter to ensure that any messages from school are passed on to parents and remind parents of upcoming events, such as inset days or non-uniform days. As children in Reception class explore the stories of a famous author, staff ensure that they complement this learning in the club.

Children explore different festivals, such as Chinese New Year. During this festival period, children in the club explain what this means for children in China. Younger children see Chinese signs displayed and know which animal represents the year of their birth.

Children play in the Chinese restaurant and make Chinese gifts and lanterns. In order to complement children's learning in school, staff display a phonics sheet that is used with younger children in Reception class. This helps to reinforce younger children's learning and develop their early literacy skills.

Staff thoroughly enjoy working in the club and feel very well supported by the manager and owner. In an attempt to motivate the engagement of boys in activities, staff make games and resources to inspire boys to take part. This has been very popular and a great success.

Behaviour management strategies within the club help children to learn how to behave very well. The rules of the club are drawn up in conjunction with children. For example, staff use systems that help children to learn how to ignore others' behaviour or walk away if they feel annoyed.

Staff also have, in conjunction with children, written examples of when children should report a concern or reflect on when this is just 'tattling'. Children's views are requested as they sign out of the club at the end of the session, so they can comment on what they have enjoyed.Staff have accessed many training courses and ensure that the information gained is used during the club session.

For example, following a training session on mental health, staff talk to children about their feelings and emotions as part of a group. This helps children to share any worries or concerns they may have.Children's good health is promoted well.

They choose what they want to eat, and staff ask children what they would like to eat for the following week. A list of children's attendance is drawn up, so that staff are able to offer them what they have chosen the week before. Snacks and teas are healthy and take account of children's individual dietary needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures that staff keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date by accessing regular child protection training. Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding issues and wider safeguarding matters.

They know the signs to be concerned about in relation to child protection and who to contact if they a have a concern about a child's well-being. They know what to do if they have a concern about the conduct of another staff member. The manager liaises with teachers at the host school with regard to keeping children safe online.

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