The Larks And Nightingales

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements The smiles on children's faces as they hurry to enter this exceptionally welcoming environment show how much they relish their time at the club. Staff greet children with friendly smiles, and show great interest in how children's day at school has been. This helps to build the confidence of the very youngest children and develops their self-esteem and feelings of being valued.

Children are self-motivated and confident as they choose what they want to do. Staff encourage children to persevere when they encounter difficulties and to work out for themselves what they need to do next. This encourages children to use their own ideas to ...extend games and activities.

For example, younger children draw pictures of their favourite ice creams. They deliberate over the choice of colours they use and compare these to the flavours of the ice creams. Children are very proud of their finished pictures and welcome the very genuine praise they receive from staff and other children for their efforts.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. As children of different ages play together, older children show high levels of respect and care for younger children. For example, when playing table games, older children encourage younger children to think before making their next move.

Children become so immersed in their play they do not want to leave when their parents arrive.

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

Children are extremely sociable. They communicate well with each other and invite visitors to the club into their games.

Children are exceptionally confident as they give adults instructions of how to play a game. They describe in detail how the game is to be played and how to recognise when the game has ended. This high level of confidence and well-being shows how safe and secure children feel in this environment.

Staff encourage children to risk assess their environment, indoors and outdoors. This teaches children how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, children know to keep the walkways free from clutter and when they play on the floor to make sure their legs do not cause others to trip or fall.

All children fully understand the rules and routines of the club. They automatically wash their hands before sitting down for snack. Children know they do this because they have been handling resources and to keep their hands free from germs.

This shows children are fully aware of meeting their own self-care needs and understand how to keep themselves healthy.Staff have an excellent relationship with the host school. They share information about younger children's development and work together to develop the skills and abilities children need to learn next.

For example, to further support children's writing skills, staff sit with children to help them to form letters and spell words correctly.Developing children's physical skills is a core feature of the club. Staff encourage children to access the outdoor environment as often as is possible.

Children use the grassy inclines to climb and to roll down. They are very conscious of the safety of all children and know to play ball games in a separate area.The manager and staff constantly reflect on, and discuss, the effectiveness of the club.

They have ambitions to further develop their outdoor area to provide even more and varied opportunities for all children who attend. Staff welcome children's ideas, and, where possible, ensure that they form part of any changes made. This further develops children's sense of responsibility and their feelings of being a valued member of the club.

Parents are very complimentary about the service the club provides. They particularly comment on the wide variety of activities their children are involved in. Parents appreciate the opportunities that the club offers for their children to extend the friendship groups which they make in school.

Staff offer children a range of healthy and nutritious food. Children make snack time a sociable occasion as they sit and chat to their friends. Staff obtain information about children's dietary requirements and food allergies.

They ensure that the food they provide children adheres to this information.Staff's well-being is a high priority. They work together as a integrated team, where everyone supports each other.

Staff share high aspirations to provide the very best possible opportunities for children, which are at the heart of everything they do.

Safeguarding

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

Also at this postcode