Step Ahead Kids Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive at the club happy and excited and are warmly greeted by the staff.

They find their pegs and independently hand up their coats and belongings. After washing their hands, they locate their name cards to hang on the registration tree. Older children willingly support younger children with this task.

They engage in lively conversation with their friends as they help themselves to a healthy snack and drink. Children share news about their day and begin to plan activities they would like to do at the club. Staff provide a well-organised and inviting environment for children, where they are encouraged to make thei...r own choices.

There is a comfortable area for reading and relaxation, floor space for construction and games and various table activities set up and ready for children to access freely. Children enjoy learning about space and planets. The staff invite them to suggest ideas for activities linked to the theme, which they record on a whiteboard.

These ideas are taken forward to plan further activities for the week ahead. This helps children to feel valued and respected. Children enjoy working alongside each other when creating models.

They carefully explain what they are making and the resources they might need. For example, a child showed delight in talking about his rocket booster that was going to blast off into outer space. Children are very well behaved and respond positively.

They develop positive self-esteem as they receive lots of praise and encouragement from the staff.

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

Staff establish strong relationships with parents and with the teachers who work at the host school. This helps them to find out about and understand children's particular interests and any additional needs.

Staff collect younger children directly from their classroom at the end of the school day, providing them with an opportunity to receive any important messages and to ensure children arrive safely at the club. This helps children to feel secure and well supported at the club.Parents comment that they feel reassured that their children are cared for by suitable staff.

These staff give high priority to ensuring the safety of the children. They also help them to settle quickly when they first start at the club. Parents say their children love their time at the club and have great fun playing with their friends and learning new skills, such as chess and card games.

Staff interact effectively with children and ensure they enjoy their experiences. They talk to children and listen to their ideas. Staff invite children to join in games, enabling all children to feel included.

The staff offer support to younger children during activities, for example, when using tools and materials to make alien models with play dough. However, less-confident children would, on occasion, benefit from individual support from an adult to help them initiate ideas for their creative designs.Teatime provides a valuable opportunity for children to engage socially with their friends and the staff.

They display very good table manners and say 'please' and 'thank you' when passing items to one another and making their selections. They are highly independent and confidently create their sandwiches, using knives to spread butter and choosing their own fillings. Staff share in the fun and marvel when a child carefully creates a 'mega sandwich'.

Children enjoy making and designing. They have great fun building models and towers with construction sets. Children practise their cutting skills and explore different methods to join materials when making junk models.

They excitedly explain the features of their play dough models to others. For example, a child exclaims, 'My alien has six legs. Look, it has three on this side and three on the other'.

Children are well supported to learn about the importance of good hygiene routines and leading a healthy lifestyle. They wash their hands before eating, place tissues in the bin and remember to cover their mouths when coughing. Children enjoy a wide variety of healthy foods, including fresh fruit and vegetables.

They recognise their own needs and freely help themselves to water when they feel thirsty. Children benefit from fresh air and enjoy playing games outside.Leaders and managers have effective systems in place to continuously assess and monitor the provision.

Senior managers regularly visit the club to undertake internal quality checks. They observe staff practice and ensure club procedures and safety checks are effective and promote the best outcomes for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Robust risk assessments ensure children have a safe and secure environment in which to play and learn. All staff have a thorough understanding of their role and responsibility to protect children. Regular training opportunities and meetings ensure staff have a good understanding of the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk.

They know the correct procedures to follow and who to contact. The management team implement effective recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. They carefully monitor the ongoing suitability of staff through regular supervision and appraisal meetings.

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