St.Anthony’s Night Owls

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children happily enter the club and talk confidently to staff about their day at school and how they are feeling. This shows that they feel safe and secure. All the staff at the club also work in the school.

They know children exceptionally well. They have a clear understanding of children's interests and what they are learning in school. They use this to plan activities to engage children and extend their knowledge and skills.

They have developed close, nurturing bonds with children, which enable them to understand and meet children's needs. Staff place a strong emphasis on open-ended play to help develop children's imagi...nation and creative skills. Children enjoy participating in adult-planned activities and self-directed play.

They talk proudly about the skills they have learned from staff and their peers while at the club, including knitting, crocheting and origami. Staff organise the provision to provide time and space for children to become highly engrossed in activities. Children enjoy creating complex models with construction and art and craft materials.

They design and label superheroes with their friends and confidently describe them to visitors. Children talk excitedly about how they can store their creations and add to them throughout the week. Children's behaviour is excellent.

They listen respectfully to staff and their peers, share, take turns and help each other. Older children take on key responsibilities, helping younger children. They show kindness and compassion to their younger peers.

They offer to read stories and younger children gather round and listen intently.

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

Staff ensure that children follow the rules of the club, which are the same as the school rules. This provides consistency.

They remind children to play safely, look after the resources and help tidy toys away. They support children to take care of the world they live in. Staff help children to understand sustainability.

They talk to children about the importance of not wasting paper, to save trees.There is a buzz of activity and chatter in the club. Children enjoy playing with small-world toys, making up stories as they play with their friends.

Staff play alongside them and extend their learning. Children work together with friends to complete puzzles. They proudly show staff and choose the ones they want to complete the next day.

Staff promote healthy lifestyles. They ensure that thorough hygiene measures are in place to prevent the spread of infection. They remind children of the importance of staying hydrated, and provide healthy snacks.

They understand children's dietary requirements and sensitively manage these. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to play outdoors. This promotes children's mental health and well-being.

Children have access to the Reception class all-weather play space as well as the school playground and field.Staff ensure that children are safely supervised at all times. They keep a robust record of children's attendance and have clear procedures in place for the safe collection of children.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff chose to split the group into two key stage age groups for safety. They evaluated the impact of this and decided to continue with this system post-pandemic. This enables children to have time and space to play with age-appropriate activities with their friends.

Furthermore, staff also provide flexibility for children to choose which room they would like to play in. Older children have the opportunity to interact with and support younger peers and help them learn new skills.Parents talk positively about the club.

They say that their children greatly enjoy attending. They describe staff as 'friendly', 'caring', 'attentive' and 'reliable'. They value the clear communication they receive from staff and the experiences their children have.

Leaders closely monitor the provision. They have clear policies and procedures in place, which they update in line with current recommendations. They work in close partnership with the school to ensure the safe recruitment of staff and that all mandatory training is completed.

They have ambitious plans to further develop the outdoor space for the club and to potentially extend the club facilities in the future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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