YMCA Essex @ The Willows Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy and enjoy their time at the after-school club. They enjoy seeing the friends they have made from different age groups and settle into their play.

Staff are friendly and approachable. They welcome children with smiles and listen to them while they talk about their school day. Children give messages from teachers so the staff know what topics the children need to work on.

Staff understand that children will be hungry when they first come out of school. They make them healthy snacks of fruit and offer them choices. They sit together with the children and talk to them about what they like doing at home.
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For example, staff ask the children to tell them about their favourite movies. They ask them if they have read the books as well as watched the films and they talk about the authors. Children behave extremely well.

Staff set consistent boundaries for children and this helps them to feel safe and secure. Children develop a sense of belonging in the club. They know where to put their bags and coats and choose freely from a range of activities and resources.

Staff teach children to respect one another and the staff. Older children help the younger ones with their activities and they enjoy making crafts together. Children are confident in the club and are familiar with the routines.

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

Staff present a welcoming and stimulating environment for children. They provide a good range of interesting and absorbing activities for children to explore. Staff have a secure knowledge of the early years foundation stage and work closely with the school and parents to support children's learning.

Children benefit from spending time outdoors. They enjoy playing football on the school field and develop their physical skills on the climbing frame. Children have lots of time to unwind after their school day and choose where they want to play.

Some like to engage in physical activities outdoors and others choose quieter activities inside.Staff provide opportunities for children to become involved in the preparation of their evening meal. Children have fun making their own pizza.

They choose from a variety of toppings and decorate their pizza to show their individuality. Staff praise the children for their achievements and this raises their self-esteem. Staff are vigilant and understand the risks involved in cooking and eating.

They know which children must avoid ingredients that could harm their health. Staff encourage children to drink and keep themselves hydrated, explaining the importance for their health.Children enjoy marking current events and celebrations.

They embrace diversity and celebrate each other's differences and cultures. Staff provide resources and support children in making arts and crafts creations. They decide together what they could make.

This time they use paint, paper and glue to make flags to cheer on the football team they all support.Staff make sure that the environment is safe for children to play and learn in, indoors and outside. They carry out risk assessments of all areas and resources before allowing children into the after-school club.

Staff understand how to teach children to keep themselves safe and to learn how to manage their own risks.Staff work closely in partnership with parents and with teachers at the school. Parents receive regular communications from staff and have access to an online platform, where they can see staff reports about what their children are doing.

Parents are free to collect their children at any time and staff are very accommodating to their needs.The provider ensures that staff have regular supervision meetings with the area manager, who visits them regularly. The area manager ensures that staff undertake regular training courses to enhance their practice and build on their skills.

Staff evaluate the activities they provide and take account of parents' views when making improvements to the provision. Staff keep appropriate documentation available for inspection. The provider has not informed Ofsted of a change to the person managing the club, which is a requirement of the early years foundation stage.

However, this does not have an impact on the care and education the children receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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