Vibrant Minds After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive happy to attend the setting. They wash their hands and quickly settle at a table with their friends. Healthy snacks are served by staff, who chat to the children about their day at school.

Behaviour is good. Staff ensure the setting follows the same behaviour management systems as the school the children attend. This continuity means children clearly understand routines and expectations and helps them behave appropriately.

Children follow adult instructions very well. For example, all of the children stop talking immediately and pay attention when the register is being taken. All of the children are confide...nt and able to manage their own self-care.

They look after their belongings, go to the toilet themselves and put on their own coats before going home. Activities are stimulating and age-appropriate. They meet children's needs at the end of a busy day at school.

Children choose what they would like to play with and enjoy a range of adult-led activities. Personal and social development is well supported by the provision. Children are kind and respectful to each other.

They share and take turns when playing. Older children take account of younger children and are considerate towards them, supporting them when they are having difficulties with something.

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

The manager is keen that the setting is the best it can be.

She regularly asks parents, staff and the children for feedback. She uses the outcomes to develop and improve provision. For example, children recently said they would like more art activities.

As a result, the manager organised for an artist to come in and work with them on various creative projects.Staff are dedicated and hard working. Many of them have worked in local schools and have lots of previous childcare experience.

This positively supports their work.The manager understands the importance of developing staff skills and knowledge. All staff complete regular safeguarding and health and safety training.

Recent discussions with the staff team have highlighted a need for further 'play skills' training, which the manager has organised.Staff develop strong, meaningful relationships with children. They know them very well.

Staff find out what interests them, and their likes and dislikes, before they start. This helps staff plan a programme of activities to make children feel safe and secure and they settle quickly as a result.Children are articulate and confident when talking to adults.

They ask for help when they need it and willingly share their ideas during group activities. They talk about how much they enjoy attending the setting and highlight how interesting the activities are.Children thoroughly enjoy the creative activities on offer.

Children shape and model clay, draw and colour pictures and make collages. Staff provide them with a wide range of art materials and equipment to support their work. However, some staff do not support younger children's developing creativity well.

Rather than encouraging children when they are having difficulty, they tend to complete the activity themselves. This means children do not acquire new skills.Children have some opportunities to be physically active, both inside and outside.

However, the outside space is not fully accessible, as there are some unsafe areas. This means children are not able to run around easily and let off steam at the end of the day. The manager is very aware of this and is working with the community centre to improve the situation.

Staff have strong relationships with the local school. Teachers share relevant information about the children with them when they pick up. This ensures there is continuity of care across the settings and positively supports children's transition to after-school care.

Parents are very complimentary about the setting. They appreciate staff communication and say they receive daily updates about their children's activities and emotional well-being. They mention how kind and nurturing the staff are and feel that their children are kept safe at all times.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and her staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They understand the steps they must take if they are concerned that a child may be at risk from harm, including whistle-blowing.

They complete regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date and key staff have completed designated safeguarding lead training. All staff are subject to appropriate checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Regular risk assessments are completed to ensure the premises and resources are always safe for children to use.

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