Play and Learn Before & After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are relaxed and settled at this friendly club, enabling them to form positive friendships.

They thoroughly enjoy the company of the staff who care for them and enjoy playing with their friends. Children excitedly speak about their favourite activities, such as playing board games together. Older children help their younger peers to understand the rules and enjoy playing with them.

Children can ask for specific activities which develop their confidence in following their own ideas for learning. The club uses children's interests to plan a wide range of activities. There are opportunities for children to complete qu...ieter tasks, such as reading stories in a dedicated quiet area.

Children can also access activities to develop their physical skills. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air and to safely play on the host school playground. Children choose from a variety of equipment.

For example, they play group games such as football or use the balancing equipment to develop their large muscles.Children behave exceptionally well. They listen and respond to clear expectations given by staff.

Children understand that the rules are in place to keep them safe. For example, they talk about walking inside and sitting down while they eat.

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

Staff carefully plan the environment to meet the needs of all children.

For example, staff set up areas for different types of play. They create areas for children to be imaginative, such as using paints to make firework patterns. Children benefit from quiet areas, where they can relax and colour pictures and practise writing their name.

Staff interact with children throughout the session to promote their communication, language and thinking skills very well. Children relished the opportunity to build models with staff and talk about the robots they have designed and how they have managed to stick the parts together.Staff at the club have developed effective communication systems with the host school.

They find out what themes children are learning about at school, so they can plan further activities at the club. For example, staff plan activities to support children's understanding of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. They provide porridge oats, bowls and spoons of different sizes so that children can re-enact the story.

Staff use clear questioning to encourage children to recall what happens in the story and familiar phrases, such as 'just right'. Staff ensure any messages from school are passed on to parents when children are collected to go home. However, staff have not sought precise information about children's next steps in learning so they can tailor activities to support their development.

Staff ensure that routines are consistently adhered to so that they are well known to the children. They explain to the children what is happening next so that children are prepared for changes as they happen. This helps to provide a sense of safety and security for the children.

Children follow instructions well and help to tidy up toys and games they have been playing with.Staff promote children's behaviour with a range of strategies, such as giving the children responsibilities. For example, children make their own sandwiches and older children are given responsibilities, such as pouring drinks or helping the younger children to make their sandwich.

Children play cooperatively with each other and enjoy playing in mixed-age groups. Staff praise the care shown by the older children towards the younger ones. For example, older children make sure that their younger friends can reach the butter and show them how to spread it on the bread.

Children are provided with a range of healthy options for their snack and children willingly try new foods. Children enjoy sociable mealtimes as they talk about the healthy eating, such as not having too much butter on their bread.Staff are well qualified and attend regular supervisions and staff meetings.

They use these opportunities to share ideas for improvements and to identify training that directly benefits the children.

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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