West Faversham Community Association at Herne Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enjoy their time at the club and are eager to get back there after they are picked up from school. Children are confident to communicate their own thoughts and ideas. Children are polite and behave well.

They develop good social skills. They include each other in their play and initiate games. For example, they work together to chalk around the outlines of their bodies.

Children enjoy participating in activities to develop their physical skills, such as racing games. Children gain a clear understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they are happy to follow health and hygiene routines implem...ented since the Covid pandemic, including sanitising hands more regularly.

This is embedded well and children do not need reminding. Staff fully include children in their play and extend on their ideas and learning. For example, when they are interested in dinosaurs, they go on to create dinosaur habitats using natural materials, such as leaves and sticks.

Children have respect and understanding of other peoples' similarities and differences outside of their own communities and beliefs. For example, they learn about festivals traditional to other cultures and religious beliefs, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year.

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

Staff build and maintain positive relationships with children.

They get to know them and their individual personalities well. Staff know children's likes and dislikes and plan activities that they know will interest and engage them. Children have positive well-being and self-esteem and they are confident and happy in their play.

They enjoy their time and take ownership of the club. For example, children independently choose what they want to play with. They are confident to share their ideas and thoughts on activities they would like to take part in.

Children feel listened to and valued when staff include their ideas. All children are well supported, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).The manager and staff effectively evaluate their practice together.

For example, they hold discussions at the end of each day to review how much the children enjoyed the activities. Staff use their findings to continue to engage children in motivating play opportunities. Children's views and suggestions are also included in the evaluation of activities.

The manager highlights the need to build on more challenging physical play opportunities outdoors. However, children enjoy the outdoors and have opportunities to balance on equipment, such as tyres.The manager closely monitors the quality of care and play opportunities staff provide for children.

For example, she regularly observes staff as they interact with children and provides them with helpful advice to support their future practice. All staff, including the manager, complete regular training. They are keen to keep up to date with new information and build on their skills and knowledge even further.

For example, they attend available training at the school that they pick children up from.Staff establish positive relationships with parents and keep them fully informed. For example, they share information about children's time at the club daily and pass on any information from the teachers.

Parents wait outside to collect their children, due to the changes since Covid-19. However, this has not had a negative impact on the level of inclusion and communication that they receive from staff.All staff establish good partnerships and communicate daily with the teachers at the school.

This helps staff to provide children with consistent play experiences. For example, they implement the same activities or celebrate the same festivals that children are learning about at the school. Staff provide children with a high level of consistency.

For instance, they attend the school at lunch time and spend time in the reception classes with the children.Children have good opportunities to explore and investigate. For example, they enjoy regular simple science experiences such as exploring colour when mixing water, ink and shaving foam.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff, including the manager, have a secure knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and child protection policies. This includes having sound knowledge of how to help keep children safe and protect their welfare.

For example, they know who to contact to seek additional advice and report any concerns. Staff attend routine safeguarding training and discuss safeguarding in one-to-one and team meetings. This helps to ensure that staff keep their knowledge current.

Children take an active role in risk assessments and know how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they recap the rules and boundaries daily. This includes how to keep safe when using the internet.