Willowdene Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children demonstrate they feel safe and are happy at the club. They enter the club with confidence and benefit from a suitable environment.

Younger children enjoy playing in appropriate spaces where they can relax and take part in a variety of activities such as board games and reading books. Overall, children make their own choices of what to do and enjoy a good range of activities indoors and outdoors, which supports their school learning. Children follow their own ideas with confidence.

For example, some children create their own pictures and designs with colouring pens, while others enjoy carefully colouring in differe...nt types of 'pop art' pictures.Children are separated into different rooms according to their ages. This allows for the older children to enjoy more age-specific activities such as learning about plastic pollution and enjoying 'mad hair day', while the younger children enjoy role play as police officers and exploring with construction.

Children have good relationships with staff and clearly enjoy the company of their peers. Overall, behaviour is good. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently explain to children why some behaviours are not acceptable, to help them develop a deeper understanding of the rules and expectations.

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

Staff organise the premises effectively to support children's play indoors and outdoors. Children enjoy what is on offer, and staff support children's play purposefully. Staff engage and play imaginatively with them, which keeps children well occupied.

For instance, children and staff enjoy pretending to be clowns using pom-poms and available resources as they put on a balancing show.Staff and managers work well together and create a happy environment. Staff comment that they feel well supported by the management team.

They have regular training opportunities and supervision, which they say help them fulfil their roles and responsibilities. The manager regularly evaluates the quality of the provision and identifies ongoing improvements well.Staff overall are generally consistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour.

For example, they encourage children's positive behaviour, such as good manners at teatime. However, occasionally, some staff do not correct or remind children about the behaviour expectations, such as sharing resources and handling books with care, to further support their understanding of these.Children benefit from a freshly prepared healthy tea or light snack, and they follow good hygiene routines.

Staff wear appropriate protective clothing when serving and handling food to maintain children's well-being. Children are confident in choosing and serving their own tea and snack, which supports their coordination and independence skills. For instance, children pour their own drinks and serve themselves jacket potatoes with beans and cheese.

Staff support children's physical skills well. For example, children have fun outside daily and enjoying running games and team games such as football. In the lighter months, children enjoy exploring and investigating in woodlands, which supports their moving and handling skills well.

Staff know the children well and adapt the key-person approach positively to help children feel safe and secure. Staff interact with children enthusiastically and support their needs and interests completely. For instance, children can add requests for specific activities in the planning book.

Staff communicate effectively with children and use discussions well to ask questions and support children's thinking and speaking skills.Partnerships with parents and others involved in children's care are effective in maintaining continuity of care. For example, staff talk to teachers and relay messages as required when taking and collecting children from school.

Parents have a good range of information available to them, such as noticeboards, and staff are always available to talk to them. Overall, parents comment positively about the staff and the activities available to their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and her staff have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. Effective recruitment procedures are in place and all staff have appropriate checks to ensure they are safe to work with children. Staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children.

They are confident in the signs and indicators that may mean a child is at risk. Staff understand the routes for referral in managing any concerns that arise, including referrals to outside agencies as and if needed. This helps to keep children safe while promoting their well-being.

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