West Oxford After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive with confidence and enthusiasm and settle very well after their school day. They have access to comfortable spaces where they can relax and spend time quietly, such as sitting on the sofa to read a book.

Children have access to a good range of resources and activities. Staff ask children for their views and ideas and use these well to help plan themes and activities. Children make choices about their play and they mainly have free access to the resources.

They are able to play indoors or outside as they wish. Children follow their own ideas. For example, some children created their own designs with beads an...d others used an assortment of 'junk' to make models.

Staff and children form positive relationships. Children play across the age group together and are respectful of others. They mostly behave positively and follow the behaviour expectations.

For example, children know to put up their hands at registration time to offer their views or to answer questions. Children enjoy a wide range of healthy and nutritious snacks, which they help themselves to. For instance, they chose different healthy fillings to make their own choice of wraps.

Occasionally, staff complete some tasks for the younger children without giving them the opportunity to try themselves first.

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

The key-person approach works effectively. Staff know their key children well and use this knowledge effectively to support children's needs and interests.

Staff are enthusiastic and join in well with children's play and activities. Staff's interactions complement school learning. For example, during a cooking activity, staff spoke clearly to children, which supported their language skills.

Staff asked children questions to help them think and respond, and they encouraged them to use their mathematical understanding to count.Staff organise the premises well to support children's play indoors and outdoors. They help children to use the resources imaginatively, and children are well occupied.

For instance, a group of older and younger children along with a staff member created a game of skittles using the available resources. However, staff have not fully considered further ways to enhance children's choices, such as from resources stored out of sight.The day-to-day manager is a positive role model to other staff to help them develop their practice.

Staff feel they are supported well in their roles. They receive formal and informal feedback about their practice to help them build on their skills. In addition, the leadership team regularly evaluates the quality of the provision and identifies ongoing improvements.

Since the last inspection, the team has implemented effective induction processes to help staff know and understand their roles and responsibilities effectively.Daily discussions about the 'golden rules' at registration support children's understanding about the expectations of behaviour. Staff encourage children's positive behaviours, such as good manners at snack time.

Staff are mostly consistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour, for example when children occasionally need reminders about the rules and boundaries.The operations manager has completed research to develop a nutritious menu that includes a wide range of different tastes and textures. This also includes food from different countries and cultures.

This helps to encourage children to try new and different foods to widen their tastes. Children follow good hygiene routines before eating and staff remind them to wash their hands. Overall, staff support children's independence well, although occasionally they complete tasks that children may be capable of doing themselves.

Staff provide children with support when needed, such as with the more challenging tasks. For example, they help children to roll up the bread wrap.Partnerships with parents are good.

Staff are friendly and welcoming when parents arrive and are available to speak to them. Parents speak positively about the club and their children's time there. For example, they say that their children enjoy their time at the club and the activities provided.

Staff who work in the school as well as the club help to support the partnership working between them. This contributes to meeting children's needs consistently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The leadership team implements robust procedures when employing new staff, including checking staff's suitability to work with children. Staff have access to comprehensive written policies and follow these carefully, such as putting away their own mobile phones during working hours. They understand their responsibilities to safeguard children well.

Staff know how to recognise indicators that would raise their concerns about children or adults, including those that relate to extreme views and beliefs. They understand how to manage any concerns that arise, including the reporting procedures to outside agencies. This helps to keep children safe and promotes their well-being.

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