Topmark Out of School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are extremely happy and excited to participate in the wide range of activities set up in the large indoor and outdoor areas.

Activities suggested by children are planned into the provision. Experiences, such as football skills and netball, engage children and keep them enthused. Children work in small groups in the role-play area, which is currently set up as a shop.

Children enjoy working together, buying and selling goods from the shop. Younger children maintain attention and concentration in creating beautifully crafted cards, using a variety of resources, while exercising their fine motor skills. Lots of child...ren benefit from using the calm area to relax and read a book or hold a conversation with their friend away from the busy indoor and outdoor environments.

Staff are positive role models and have high expectations of children. They engage in conversation with children, making them feel welcomed and valued. Children show a positive attitude and are motivated to investigate and explore the stimulating environments.

Staff praise children and encourage them to take risks by participating and enhancing their skills in archery and fencing. Children are very proud of their achievements. For example, on completing their craft activity independently, a child enthusiastically shared their work with other staff and their parent at home time.

Parents are pleased with the wide variety of activities on offer for their children and welcome the opportunity for their children to develop specific skills by specialist sports coaches, such as fencing.

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

Children demonstrate that they feel safe, comfortable and confident to share any concerns they may have with their key person or any available adult in the provision.Leaders and managers regularly seek the views of parents, staff and children to improve the provision.

For example, some staff requested to enhance skills in a particular area of sport. The provider now has expert, specialist coaches for different sports, such as fencing and archery. These members of staff provide training, mentoring and coaching to other members of staff.

Leaders and managers implement effective systems to consistently monitor the impact of training that all staff attend. Staff welcome the opportunity to carry out further training to improve their performance.Leaders and managers implement an effective key-person system, which enables staff to support younger children to settle in more effectively when they join the provision.

The provider works well with the leadership staff at the school and the local authority to evaluate and make improvements to their service.Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive a comprehensive induction that enables them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively.Effective security systems, followed by parents, staff, children and visitors help to keep children safe.

All children take turns, show respect, care and concern for their peers and adults. They cooperate together and follow the good conduct and behaviour modelled by staff.Leaders have high expectations of all staff and children.

There are established routines and expectations that children and staff are familiar with, that ensure the service runs smoothly. For example, all children come in and put their coats and bags away at the back of the hall. They then sit in their year groups and wait patiently and calmly for the register to be taken.

Snack time is staggered in year groups. This approach can be applied when sending children off to choose their activities following registration to maintain a calm, orderly environment.Staff are extremely happy with the support they receive from leaders and managers.

They appreciate the ample opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge by undergoing additional training that enables them to carry out their roles effectively. For example, staff shared how beneficial it was for them to receive coaching and mentoring from managers and specialist trained sports colleagues to enhance their skills in that particular sport to teach children effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff complete safeguarding training using a recognised training provider. Staff receive coaching and mentoring monthly by leaders and managers to review their knowledge of safeguarding. Managers quiz staff members on different safeguarding scenarios to check staff's understanding and knowledge to keep children safe from potential risks or harm.

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