Stagecoach Walton On Thames

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements All children are settled and confident at the club. They are eager to arrive and happily greet staff and their friends. Children are familiar with the daily routines.

For example, children keenly engage in registration where they are encouraged to wave their arms and project their voice as they choose. Children demonstrate positive attitudes and build on their skills. For instance, they persevere as they learn dance routines and are keen to practise what they have learnt.

Children are confident and enjoy the challenge of new experiences. For example, they successfully learn several new songs to perform within the first few... days of attending the club. Children's positive approach to leaning means that they make quick progress.

Children behave well and reflect the positivity and high expectations that staff model to them. For example, staff encourage children to think about their bodies after a very physical time during dance rehearsals. They encourage children to reflect on keeping themselves healthy and making sure they eat, drink and rest during the break.

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

All staff establish secure and trusting relationships with children. They get to know their individual likes and dislikes. This helps staff plan the best way to deliver activities to ensure all children can make progress.

Staff include children's ideas into the club's activity plans. For example, at the start of the session, children are invited to share news and choose the songs that they warm up to. This helps children to feel valued and listened to.

Staff are good role models and consistent in their guidance to children. To this end, children behave well. Staff excel at supporting children's language development.

They use actions alongside words to help children speak fluently and confidently. Staff promote positive body language and help the children to use it positively while they are performing. This supports children to develop the confidence to become self-assured communicators.

Partnerships with parents are strong. Leaders and staff work closely to help provide continuity in children's care and development. They share regular information about children's progress and invite parents to watch a performance at the end of each term or holiday camp.

Leaders regularly reflect on their practice to make improvements. Self-evaluation is successful. The manager recognises that there are times where younger children spend long periods of time watching older children rehearse.

He has identified this as an area to improve on and will work with staff in the future to offer motivating opportunities to younger children during these times.Staff deployment is effective in making sure children are well supervised and remain safe. They meet children's care needs well.

For example, on hot days they ensure children have immediate access to drinking water and receive plenty of rest breaks.Overall, the manager and staff run the club well. Staff feel well supported in their roles and have good opportunities to keep their skills up to date.

They enjoy working together at the club and say that the manager is helpful and approachable. Although staff receive supervision and training opportunities, the manager highlights he would like to continue to upskill himself and his staff to attend a more extensive range of beneficial training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection. They can identify when a child is at risk of harm and know the correct reporting procedures. Safer recruitment procedures are followed when appointing new staff.

There are robust induction and monitoring processes in place to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff follow effective safety procedures and rigorous risk assessments to help keep children safe in the club. They remain vigilant at all times and supervise children appropriately.