St John’s After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are extremely happy and content at the club. They quickly settle in to the many activities available and excitedly seek out their friends to share experiences with. They actively move around to explore and display a very strong sense of belonging and familiarity of the environment.

Children demonstrate continuously that they feel valued, safe and secure. Children develop their social skills exceptionally well. For example, they form close friendships, initiate conversations and learn to share resources and equipment with other children.

Children are immediately immersed in their chosen activities and enjoy highly ...stimulating opportunities that help to support their development exceptionally well.Staff are incredibly kind and caring and have high expectations of children. They warmly welcome children into the club after the school day and listen attentively to their news.

This successfully supports children to feel highly valued and helps to develop their sense of belonging. Staff interact with children exceptionally well. They know when to allow them to explore independently and when to join in their play in order to extend their learning.

Staff are extremely skilled at asking children questions. They talk to children as they play and encourage them to describe what they are doing, ensuring that children have enough time to express their thoughts and ideas.

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

Children's behaviour is exemplary.

They are friendly and considerate towards others and enjoy each other's company. Older children support their younger friends through a 'buddy' system and demonstrate kindness and concern as they play together. Staff are excellent role models for children.

They show great respect for each other and demonstrate positive teamwork. Furthermore, children have created their own rules for the club which are continuously promoted by staff and children alike.Staff know children extremely well.

They give great consideration to ensuring that the activities provided reflect children's individual interests. In addition, children describe how they are able to freely access resources from the store room and how staff promote opportunities for them to make decisions about what they would like to do at the club.Children develop excellent independence skills.

For example, they serve themselves at snack time and instinctively tidy away when they have finished. Snack is a social occasion where children of different ages happily chat together about their day.Wonderful attention is given to children's physical development.

For example, as soon as the school day ends, they are immediately engaged in energetic activities outdoors. Young children develop their confidence and take safe and controlled risks as they navigate the equipment available. They develop their balance and coordination skills as they skilfully move across the equipment.

Children giggle in delight as they try to get to the end of the course while balancing a bean bag on their heads. They persevere in this challenging task, demonstrating a positive can-do attitude.Children thoroughly enjoy being creative.

They concentrate for sustained periods as they colour in pictures using a variety of writing tools. They experiment with play dough to make 'pizza', using cutters and tools to create their favourite toppings. Staff use this opportunity to reinforce the importance of healthy eating.

They talk to children about the effect that food has on their bodies and the significance of making healthy food choices.Leaders use a range of successful methods to evaluate the club meticulously. They actively seek and welcome the views of children and parents and act upon any suggestions made.

Children evaluate what they do at the club and this helps staff to plan challenging and stimulating activities for them to enjoy. Staff liaise regularly with teaching staff to ensure that children's learning at school is complemented in a fun and engaging way.All staff are passionate and dedicated practitioners.

They strive to ensure that they provide a happy, relaxed and fun atmosphere where children are highly valued. Staff are supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities and benefit from continuous modelling and coaching where they are encouraged to reflect and build on their high-quality practice. Training opportunities are plentiful and staff comment that they feel highly valued and enjoy working together as a team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have an excellent knowledge of the procedures to follow should there be a concern about a child's well-being. They confidently explain what action they would take in the event of an allegation about staff conduct.

Staff have attended safeguarding training and the manager successfully uses different methods to check that staff understand their role and responsibility in protecting children from harm. Leaders implement thorough recruitment procedures to ensure that staff's suitability is checked and that this is maintained throughout the duration of their employment. Robust checks of the environment, including outdoor areas, are completed daily to ensure that children are safe and secure.

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