WCPS Happy Hometime Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children come in to the club very happily. They have fantastic opportunities to play outdoors and they thoroughly enjoy the activities that staff provide. Staff join in with children's play and their excellent interactions inspire children's learning.

For example, children enjoy riding around the play road on balance bikes and in cars. Staff introduce a traffic-light game to encourage children to know when to stop and go. They extend children's play further as they introduce money, and children play imaginatively as they use their money to visit the petrol station to fill up their cars.

They develop their physical skills a...nd show good balance and control as they manoeuvre around the track. Children enjoy exploring rice. Staff introduce mathematical concepts as they encourage them to weigh out the rice and discuss the amount they have in their envelopes.

Children enjoy making hats for Chinese New Year. They colour in their chosen pictures and use scissors and staplers safely, and with confidence, to create their hats. Children concentrate for long periods and show determination to complete a task.

Their behaviour is good, and they play well together. They eagerly help each other and show real care and concern for their friends. Children enjoy the praise they receive, and they show they feel safe and settled in their surroundings.

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

The manager and deputy manager have settled well in to their roles. They work together to lead an enthusiastic, dedicated staff team. The manager completes regular supervision meetings and provides staff with opportunities to discuss their practice.

However, she has not considered how to identify further ways to enhance staff skills and expertise in order to build on the experiences offered in club.Children are emotionally secure. They have built secure relationships with their key persons who take the time to get to know them.

Key persons are enthusiastic and show a real passion for the job they do. They provide a range of activities that interest children and build on their learning from school. However, there is scope for key persons to liaise with parents when their children first start to help offer every child a tailor-made experience from the outset and improve communication between home and the club.

Staff engage in dialogue with children. They talk to them about what they enjoy doing and listen intently to their responses, valuing what they say. Staff encourage children to listen to their friends and be respectful of each other's opinions.

Staff help children to understand about festivals and celebrations that are special to them and their friends. They talk about what makes them unique and help them to learn about communities beyond their own.Staff act as excellent role models and they speak calmly and sensitively to the children.

They have high expectations and remind children of the club rules. Children show mutual respect for one another. They are kind, considerate, polite and well mannered.

Communication between the club and school is good. The manager and deputy manager regularly hold meetings with the nursery and reception teachers to discuss the children in their care. Teachers share any concerns they have about children and discuss how the key persons can support children with specific needs.

They share strategies that they use to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure continuity between school and the club. Key persons identify if children need further support or encouragement and provide play-based activities that engage children and give them the confidence to have a go and try new things.Children are independent.

They enjoy sitting together to eat a range of snacks and know to wash their hands before they do so. They demonstrate good self-care as they use the toilet independently. Policies and procedures are implemented well to support the safe running of the club.

Staff tune in to the different ways that children learn and play. They are skilful at setting up activities that spark children's interests to encourage them to work on aspects of their learning in an interesting and exciting way. For example, children excitedly play with the construction and superhero figures.

Staff have introduced pens and blank 'wanted posters' and they encourage children to draw their superhero villains and to write their names and comments. This is helping children who are reluctant to write, to do so in a fun and interesting way.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. There are strict procedures in place for the collection of children, and staff identify and minimise any risks to children. Staff are all appropriately vetted, and their ongoing suitability is checked.

The manager, who is the designated safeguarding lead, ensures that all staff complete annual safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date. All staff are aware of the signs that would alert them to children suffering abuse, including wider safeguarding issues. They are familiar with the local reporting procedures and know what to do if they are concerned that a child is at risk of harm.