Little Monsters @ Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children confidently greet the club staff.

Their familiarity with the daily routine is evident as they quickly organise their own belongings and wash their hands ready to eat a snack. The familiar routine and calm interactions of staff contribute to the positive feel of the session. Children enjoy the freedom to choose activities for themselves both indoors and outdoors.

A range of planned resources are presented for the children to use, and more are available in accessible containers. Staff form warm relationships with the children and are attentive to their needs. They notice and support those children who need a little ...more help to become engaged in activities.

Staff are consistently engaged in play and conversation with the children. They get down to children's level and model positive and respectful interactions. Children enjoy these interactions and invite staff to join their play.

For example, they ask staff to order food from their restaurant and to join in a game with them. Children are very keen to show and tell staff about their achievements. They demonstrate pride and delight in the positive responses staff give them.

Children behave very well. Older and younger children work cooperatively together.

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

Children are visibly comfortable within the setting, with one another, and with the familiar staff.

They confidently move around the environment. Staff give them positive feedback on the good choices they make about how to spend their time. Children have many opportunities to develop their language skills as they engage in two-way conversations with staff and friends.

Staff plan weekly activities which build on the learning and experiences Reception and nursery children have in school. They observe the children and record their achievements in learning journals. This supports staff to keep parents informed about their children's experiences.

Children choose to use chalks in the garden to practise writing numbers. They respond positively as staff challenge them to count and write numbers beyond 20. The daily routine incorporates time for looking at books independently and the opportunity to hear stories being read.

Stories are read with enthusiasm, and children enjoy joining in and commenting on the pictures.A healthy snack is provided for those children who would like it. Children learn to develop healthy practices as they wash their hands before they eat.

There are daily opportunities to play outside and be physically active.Children's fine motor skills develop well as they use play dough to decorate gingerbread men and make chapatis. They are encouraged by staff to recall how they made chapatis when they were celebrating Diwali.

Children also enjoy the challenge of completing activities that have been planned for the older children. However, on occasions, they are not fully supported to develop their own ideas.Children are well supported to develop their knowledge about other cultures and communities.

They learn about celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Remembrance Day and Eid. They have opportunities to taste foods, complete artwork and listen to music. Children are also encouraged to notice the differences and similarities between themselves and others, for example by painting and discussing self-portraits.

Parents and children are invited to share their views and suggestions about the provision. Parents say that they feel well informed about their children's experiences at the club. They say their children are very happy and are sometimes reluctant to come home because they are having so much fun.

Children are involved in planning activities and selecting resources, and some have the opportunity to be on the 'Little Monsters Council'.The senior manager and staff team have a strong partnership with the school. They communicate about children daily, and when possible follow similar routines to enhance continuity in the children's experiences.

The senior manager and supervisor work closely together to implement systems which support staff to develop their practice. The staff complete regular peer observations and have regular supervisions. Staff are positively encouraged to develop their professional skills through further training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff know the signs and symptoms of abuse to look for. They are confident in their knowledge of the procedures to follow if they identify any concerns about the welfare of a child, or the behaviour of a member of staff.

Staff have accessed training to enhance their knowledge of the wider safeguarding issues, such as child sexual exploitation and the 'Prevent' duty. Rigorous policies and processes ensure that statutory training for paediatric first aid and child protection remain up to date. Staff ensure that the environment remains safe and secure at all times.

Also at this postcode