Ultimate Activity Camps at St Hugh’s School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are made very welcome at this holiday activity camp. As they arrive, they are greeted warmly by cheerful staff, who check children have everything with them they need for the busy and fun day ahead.

Staff are especially attentive to younger children, or children who are coming to camp for the first time. Staff explain to these children what they will be doing, and help them make friends with other children. This all helps children feel safe and happy to be there.

Staff want all children to enjoy the activities on offer and have a positive experience at camp. Although activities are planned in advance, each day sta...ff consider the interests and ages of the children attending and adjust the timetable accordingly. This helps ensure all children have a positive attitude to being at camp and approach activities with enthusiasm.

Children take part in activities that enhance their all-round development very effectively. They learn lots of new skills as they learn the rules to different sports. They also have opportunities to develop their artistic and creative skills.

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

Staff are very successful at meeting the needs of younger children within the context of a mixed-age camp. With this in mind, staff provide a 'base room' for these younger children, filled with toys, resources and books designed for this age group. Children thoroughly enjoy spending time there, playing with their friends.

Staff place a high priority on helping children develop a positive attitude to following an active and healthy lifestyle. Staff pace the day well for children, ensuring there are periods to rest and rehydrate between periods of physical exertion. Staff remind children of the importance of sun protection and regular snacks.

This helps children learn to follow a healthy lifestyle for themselves.Children enjoy the variety of the day. They enjoy swimming and ball games.

They have fun exploring woodland areas and learning about nature. They also enjoy the times when they can play more freely, catching up with siblings and friends of other ages.Staff put children's safety at the heart of what they do.

They carry out very thorough risk assessments of all activities. The camp manager is in regular contact with staff at the host school, enabling her to know about any other groups who may be on site at the same time. This enables her to ensure children are always supervised closely and the site remains safe and secure.

Staff are clear and consistent about their expectations for children's behaviour. They gather children together at the beginning of each day to remind them of the camp rules. Children listen well and show they are remembering these.

The resulting good behaviour enables the camp to run smoothly, safely and happily.Children benefit from good levels of consistency in staffing. They see familiar faces each day, which adds to their sense of well-being.

Staff are kind and engaging. They show interest in children's lives and hold lots of conversations with them throughout the day. Very occasionally, some staff are less confident in how to respond to younger children who are anxious about taking part in activities new to them.

Children show pride in what they can do. They enjoy the challenges staff set them, such as to find the longest log or the biggest leaf. They enjoy learning more about the natural world.

For example, children enjoy learning what the word 'fungi' means. They listen to what staff tell them and then join in, sharing what they already know too.The camp manager and staff from head office work together extremely well to ensure staff are well equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to work at the camp.

There is a robust programme of induction training before each camp opens for the holidays. This enables staff to meet children's needs very well and ensure attending camp is a positive experience.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive robust and effective safeguarding training. They are clear about signs that could indicate a child is at risk of harm or neglect. They know how to respond to any such concerns, to keep children safe.

For example, staff know to listen to and record what children say, to promptly share it with relevant personnel withing the organisation, and to escalate it to outside professionals if need be. They know what to do if concerned about a colleague's conduct. Leaders follow robust recruitment arrangements, to ensure those they employ to work with children are suitable to do so.

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