Annemarie & Linda’s Happy Shack

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy, settled and secure at this friendly and inclusive setting. Parents say that their children look forward to the range of activities and experiences on offer.

Children build strong bonds with the staff who care for them. New children settle quickly. Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development well.

They encourage children to share resources and take turns, for example, when they play board games. Older children are encouraged to help and play with younger children. With the support of staff, children help to decide together the rules of the setting.

This helps them to feel... confident, included and part of a team. Children's behaviour is good. Children choose from a range of challenging and interesting activities and experiences.

For example, some children choose to visit the park with a member of staff on their way back to the setting after school. Others choose to play together while using craft resources. Some children prefer quieter time to build with construction toys or read books, which they have brought from home.

During the school holiday periods, staff plan exciting trips out to the beach or swimming pool. Children take part in yoga and visit a local art gallery, where they learn new skills, such as costume making and drumming.

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

Staff plan well for children's physical development.

Children climb, swing and stretch on equipment during visits to the park. They develop their balance and coordination as they climb trees and play football. Children develop their smaller muscles through activities, such as baking, cooking and collage.

Children are confident and happy to ask staff for help when they need it. They are growing in independence. For example, children put away their shoes and coats when they arrive, and clear away their own dishes after mealtimes.

Staff encourage children to make simple choices and decisions. For example, children choose which food they would like to put in their sandwiches at snack time and what they would like to play with next.Parents praise the setting and staff.

They say that their children are settled and enjoy coming to the setting. Parents praise the wide range of activities on offer and comment that they feel well informed about their children's experiences at the club. Staff have established good working relationships with local schools from where they pick up and drop off children.

There are robust systems in place for sharing information between schools and the setting, so that parents are well informed about their child's day.Staff have built strong relationships with the children in their care. They take care to include all children in the daily life of the setting.

Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Staff have completed training in supporting children with SEND. They attend meetings with parents and partner professionals in education and health to provide a consistent approach to support children's development.

Children are encouraged by staff to play cooperatively and be respectful to others. For example, they remind children to use manners and to patiently wait their turn. Staff support children to understand what it means to be tolerant, and understand views and opinions that may be different from their own.

They encourage children to discuss these themes. For example, children develop their own ideas, through writing and pictures, of how best to play with and respectfully treat others.Children are eager and enthusiastic to take part in the varied activities which staff plan each day.

They show high levels of focus and concentration as they colour Easter cards and make Easter baskets to take home at the end of the day.Staff work together well as a team. The experienced managers provide strong support for staff, including for their well-being.

For example, they provide flexibility within working arrangements to accommodate staff's interests and preferences. Managers provide support to staff through appraisals and personal development plans. They evaluate staff's training needs and support them to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

Staff are very reflective. They constantly evaluate the daily experiences for children at the setting. Staff gather the views of parents and children.

They use this information to plan future activities and continuously improve the service which they provide.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers have a robust understanding of their responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe, including broader safeguarding issues.

Staff know what might cause them to be concerned about a child. They know who to contact and the procedure to follow to help keep children safe. The space in which children play is clean and secure, and resources are well maintained.

Staff complete food hygiene training. They encourage children to learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, they clean tables before mealtimes and encourage children to make sure that their hands are clean before they eat.