Super Camps at The Croft Preparatory School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy to attend and keen to be involved in the play activities that staff provide.

Children are extremely sociable, and friendships are quickly established. Staff create a very welcoming environment. On arrival, all children play in a large hall.

They choose to build with construction toys, draw, read books or play games.Once all children who are expected have arrived, they sit together in a large group and talk about the agreed behaviour expectations. These include being kind and helping others, not going beyond marked boundaries outside, listening to adults, and not sharing food and drink.

They agre...e that 'having fun' is a priority. For much of the day, children are divided into four groups in accordance with their age. Younger children enjoy activities in the school's early years classroom and outdoor area, and in the art room.

A key-person system operates, and throughout the day staff differentiate in accordance with the different care needs and abilities of the younger children. The relationships between staff and all children are very good. Children are physically active outdoors every day.

That said, on a day that is very hot, children understand that outdoor activities are limited and that when they go outside they must wear hats, apply sun cream and drink lots of water. Staff support children in making healthy choices about food.

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

The provider scrutinises children's application forms, that parents complete online, to ensure that staff are aware of children's individual care and learning needs before they attend the playscheme.

Staff support children in practising the skills they are learning in school, while they enjoy involvement in the good variety of activities available.Children behave well and play cooperatively. Staff intervene promptly and appropriately when there are any signs of disruptive behaviour.

Children are aware of simple rules, such as lining up before they move to different areas within the school building and outside.Activities help children to improve their handling skills. They practise pencil control while drawing, colouring-in and while using scissors during creative play.

Staff remind children of safety measures when they pass scissors to others.Children communicate confidently and are fully engaged in their small group when staff read a favourite story. They join in with repeated refrains and some are proud that they can voice parts of the story in advance of what is coming next.

Children express their views when the reader asks open-ended questions. Children's interest in the story continues in the art room, where they use items they have collected on a walk in the school grounds to create pictures of the characters in the story.Staff inspire children's imagination.

Children leave their creations in the art room and return to the hall, where a staff member tells the story again without using the book. Children help to tell the story as the staff member leaves lots of gaps for the children to fill. A child says, 'I can see the story in my eyes' and another says, 'Did you hear a growl'.

In the meantime, another staff member has taken the art creations outside and has hidden them, so that children can search for them on their upcoming hunt. Staff provide a map. Children are excited when they can see a character's footprints, and they then proceed to find the characters.

Staff support children in linking letters to sounds. For example, children select different toy animals, draw them, and then ask for help to write down the name of the animal they have drawn. Some children decide to create models of the animals.

Children are physically active in the school's hall. They play a 'Simon Says' game. They listen intently for an instruction that is not preceded by the staff member's name, because they know that this means they will be out of the game.

Mealtimes are social occasions, when children hold conversations with staff and the children in their group. Procedures ensure that staff are made aware of any dietary needs, so that they can make sure children do not eat any food that would do them harm. Parents are informed that packed food must not include nuts.

Records, policies and procedures required for the safe and efficient management of the provision, and to ensure that the needs of all children are met, are well maintained and implemented. An inclusive service is provided for children and their families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The provider ensures that staff complete training to keep their child protection knowledge up to date. Staff are aware of the signs of abuse and neglect and know the internal and the local referral procedures to follow if they have a concern. They are aware of the duty to prevent children being drawn into situations that put them at risk.

Staff make sure that the premises are secure, so that children cannot leave unsupervised and unwanted visitors cannot gain access. They identify and successfully minimises potential risks indoors and outdoors. The provider ensures staff's suitability through thorough recruitment and selection procedures.

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