The Lime Trees at Croft Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy and have fun while they are at the club.

They benefit from the relationships staff build with them. Staff are friendly and welcome all children as they enter the club. Children, in particular those who are attending for the first time, receive clear instructions to help them understand what to do when they arrive.

Children are kind and like to help one another. They are encouraged by staff to show their new friends where they can hang their belongings up safely.Children develop social skills.

Staff encourage children to join in with a game of hopscotch with their friends. Staff model and tell ch...ildren how to play, for example to throw the beanbag and then hop on the first box. Staff remind children to bring the beanbag back to their friends to give them a turn.

Children engage well. They follow the instructions and successfully wait for the beanbag, before starting to jump in the boxes.Children are offered a variety of healthy snacks to choose from.

Staff display food in ways that encourage children to self-serve. Children speak to one another, about what they will choose, as they queue up with their plates. Staff support children, if needed, to serve and spread their own butter on their bread.

While children eat their snack, staff talk to children to find out about their interests. They ask children what they did at the weekend. Children eagerly tell staff, listen to their friends and respond politely.

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

Staff value children's views and encourage them to come up with ideas for activities. Staff use themes, such as an artist of the month, to plan activities for children. In addition, as staff know children well, they tailor the experiences they offer, which helps children to engage for long periods.

Staff build children's imaginations. For example, while children build, staff offer narratives and ask questions about what they are creating. Children stomp toy dinosaurs into the structure and tell staff it is a dinosaur enclosure.

Staff ask how will we stop the dinosaur getting out, which prompts children to add a ceiling. Staff enhance this further. They ask children questions to develop their thinking.

For example, how they will make the ceiling strong. Children try different ways before agreeing it would be best to add an internal wall to hold the middle of the ceiling up.Staff develop children's skills towards becoming independent.

After children finish eating, staff encourage them to wash their own cups and plates and put them on a towel to dry. Children are keen to scrape their plates and use a cloth to clean them. Additionally, while children put their coats on, staff describe how to do up the zips.

They tell children that one side of the coat zip must go all the way to the bottom before they pull the zip up. Children watch as staff model what to do. They have a try themselves and receive further support if needed.

Staff support children to develop their physical skills. They encourage children to throw balls through a net. Children enjoy the experience, especially when staff make it more difficult.

Staff tell children to take a step back before they throw again. They encourage children to keep trying when they nearly get the ball through. Staff suggest ways to counteract the wind from moving the ball.

Children position themselves at different angles and persist to attempt in getting the ball through the net. They put their arms in the air and call 'yay' to celebrate as it finally goes through.Managers have a strong vision for ongoing improvements and are dedicated to supporting children and their families.

They prioritise staff development to improve their overall offer for children. Managers encourage staff to reflect frequently on what is provided at the club. They listen to staff and promptly act on staff's suggestions.

For example, managers increase the number of staff to support children with additional needs. This supports staff to feel valued, well supported and to be happy in their work.Parents comment on how friendly staff are.

This helps their children to settle well. Parents add that their children come home frequently with pictures they have created and talk about their experiences. This helps parents feel confident that their children enjoy attending and that they are happy.

Additionally, due to the support staff provide, their children have been fully included and have participated in activities that they would not choose to do at home, such as painting.

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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