Moonbeams After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy to arrive at the club.

They are confident, settled and independent. Children are keen to choose their own play and complete their own tasks with confidence. Children are eager to join in with the challenging and motivating play experiences that staff carefully plan for them.

For example, they independently use a hot glue tool safely to create their own wooden structures. Children have a positive attitude towards their play and take pride in their achievements. For instance, they are excited to show their friends and staff what they have created.

Children enjoy using their imagination and make ar...t in different ways. They take part in interesting creative activities, such as knitting. Children are polite and behave well.

They are thoughtful, kind and caring. Children are excited to become the 'glamorous' assistant and help their friends, such as by pouring them a drink at snack time. Children have a secure understanding about the importance of healthy lifestyles.

For example, they independently follow health and hygiene routines, such as handwashing practices. Children enjoy a wide variety of physical play opportunities. They enjoy regular visits to the park and woodlands to climb and balance on trees and more challenging equipment.

Children follow rules and instructions with high levels of maturity and enjoy playing team games together. This includes chess, air hockey and ball games.

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

All staff get to know children's individual personalities well.

This includes their likes and dislikes. This helps staff establish secure and trusting relationships with children, who settle quickly and happily into the club. Children have a positive sense of belonging and high levels of self-esteem and well-being.

They enjoy the company of other children and staff and show pride in their club.The manager and staff build and maintain positive relationships with parents and keep them fully involved and informed. They communicate with them daily and talk about what their children have enjoyed doing.

Staff encourage parents to continue to play with their children at home. For example, they share resources for them to enjoy together, such as games and drawing equipment.There is a positive partnership between the staff and the teachers at the school from which they collect the children.

Staff communicate regularly with teachers and pass on any information shared from them with parents. The manager makes sure that staff can accompany children to their school events. This includes parent lunches and progress meetings if their parents are unable to attend.

Staff successfully provide children with a positive and consistent link between the school and club.The manager and staff effectively evaluate their practice together. At the end of each day, they discuss how well they feel children enjoyed their experiences.

Staff ask children what they enjoyed at the club and talk about what they would like to do differently. Staff use their findings to support their future practice and activity plans. This helps staff to continue to plan motivating play opportunities that they know will keep children engaged and interested.

The manager closely monitors the quality of care and play opportunities all staff provide children. She regularly observes staff interact with them. The manager provides them with helpful feedback to support their future performance.

Staff are keen to continue to enhance their practice. For example, they discuss that they wish to extend children's opportunities even further, to learn about the natural world and how things grow. All staff attend regular training to build on their skills and keep their knowledge up to date.

Staff have recently learned about the different ways to engage boys in play.Staff support children to gain a secure knowledge and understanding of other peoples' similarities and differences outside of their own communities and experiences. This includes traditions and festivals celebrated from around the world.

For instance, children learn about Diwali and Chinese New Year. Children talk about the traditions of other religious beliefs. For instance, they discuss and understand why Muslim women wear a traditional head covering.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and child protection policies. This includes knowing who to contact to seek advice and how to raise and follow up any potential concerns.

All staff attend regular training to help keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date. They complete thorough risk assessments to help keep everyone at the club safe. This includes minimising the risk of COVID-19.

Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe. They are confident to participate in challenging activities and manage risk safely. For example, they have an active role in cooking items, such as sausages, on the barbeque.