Woodpeckers

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children clearly enjoy their time at the club.

They show that they feel safe and comfortable as they confidently chat to staff. When they arrive at the club, children place their belongings in a designated area in the room before engaging in their chosen activity. Children's views are important at the club.

They play a large part in deciding what resources and activities are on offer. Children enjoy playing with the activities they have chosen during their time at the club. Some children play table-football cooperatively with their friends.

Other children develop their own ideas when they spend a long time playing... in the role-play restaurant. Children communicate their needs, such as when they ask staff for resources that are not out. They regularly seek out staff to join in their activities.

For example, staff and children engage in role play centred around a travel agent's. Children are friendly and demonstrate exceptionally high levels of confidence. They welcome visitors to their after-school club.

They say the best bit about the club is, 'spending time with my friends', or 'colouring'. Children behave well and are kind and understanding to each other. For example, older children encourage, welcome and include younger children in the games they play.

Children have a space to be calm, where they can talk about their feelings. As a result, they learn to understand and self-regulate their emotions.

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

The manager has successfully addressed the last inspection recommendation to enhance experiences for children.

For example, children have beanbags in a corner where they can relax after school and sit quietly to look at a book.When staff collect the early years children from their classroom, it is methodical and well-organised. The teachers are given information from staff about who is going to the club and have these children ready.

Staff double check that they have all the correct children. The children understand they must walk in an orderly fashion to the club room. This helps to maintain their safety and welfare.

The youngest children at the club have a key member of staff assigned to them. This gives them a familiar adult to go to and helps them to settle in and to form strong bonds with staff. The key-person system helps to ensure that children are happy from the outset.

Staff have children's safety at the heart of their practice. When playing outdoors in the dark, all children wear high-visibility jackets. This enables them to be seen easily and helps to promote their safety.

Staff provide daily opportunities for children to enjoy playing outside and take part in games that provide them with physical exercise and enjoyment. For instance, they enjoy make-believe games as they run away from 'the monster'.While others enjoy team games together or with staff, such as hockey and tennis.

Games, such as these, encourage children to be physically active and to develop their coordination.Staff play and support the children when they arrive in club after their school day. They communicate and engage well with the children and support their continued learning from school.

Staff provide children with a variety of media and materials, which encourages their creativity. Children enjoy colouring pictures that reflect St Andrew's Day. They also have fun as they construct intricate 'cakes' from dough.

Children enjoy a healthy light tea, which staff freshly prepare for them. Staff encourage children to make choices about what they would like to have. Children sit and eat together at the table, where they chatter socially with their friends.

Parents speak very positively about the club. They say their children enjoy attending and the activities staff provide. They feel their children are well cared for and get to socialise with their friends.

Parents say they would recommend the club to others.Overall, staff promote good behaviour. They give clear and concise instructions.

They repeat instructions and give children time to respond. For example, they encourage children to use walking feet instead of running across the room. However, occasionally staff do not fully encourage children to follow behavioural expectations during snack times, such as sitting at the snack table to eat as opposed to sitting elsewhere.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff understand the indicators of abuse and know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child. The manager and staff understand how to keep children safe, including from radicalisation and extreme views.

There are stringent risk assessments in place to ensure the safety of children and staff. For instance, the outdoor space is checked by staff before children are allowed out to play. Staff are well deployed to protect the children and keep them safe.

For example, when playing outside, staff use a walkie-talkie system to relay messages to one another. Staff ensure that children with allergies remain safe. This contributes to children's health and well-being.

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