Highfield School Premier Holiday Club

Inclusion: Expected standard

Typically, leaders have effective arrangements to identify and respond to children's individual needs. They gather relevant information from parents and carers and, where appropriate, children's schools before they attend. This helps staff understand the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those known to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their wellbeing. When staff identify that a child may need additional support, leaders work with parents and the child's school to consider appropriate support and adaptations.

Staff are nurturing and take time to get to know children. They make appropriate adjustments so that children can participate successfully. For example, children are given additional time to complete activities. They can use quieter spaces away from busy or noisy areas. Familiar comfort items are available, when needed, which help children to settle and feel secure.

Leaders provide targeted training to strengthen staff's knowledge and skills. They seek advice and training from the local authority and other professionals when specialist support is required, such as monitoring screen training.

Leaders also work to reduce financial barriers to attendance. They provide schools with funded vouchers for families, who may benefit from holiday provision, and access to external funding where available. This helps to provide places for eligible children, including those with SEND or known to children's social care.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have established clear and consistent routines that help children understand what is expected of them. Staff apply expectations consistently and sensitively. Younger children quickly develop positive relationships with adults. Staff are kind and respectful role models and gently reinforce expectations when needed. For example, when children talk while instructions are being given, staff calmly remind them to listen and show respect to others.

Staff work consistently as a team to support children's behaviour. Less-experienced staff receive effective guidance from experienced colleagues, who share useful strategies and provide support when needed. Staff are deployed effectively and reinforce expectations throughout the day. Children learn to cooperate during activities, and older children are given responsibilities that encourage them to support younger children.

Children respond positively to staff's encouragement and praise. They are proud to share their achievements and successes with adults, which builds their confidence and motivation. Well-established routines give children meaningful choices about the activities they take part in. Children engage enthusiastically. They collaborate well with others and show consistently positive attitudes towards activities, other children and staff.

Leaders monitor the attendance of children who are booked to attend the holiday club.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff support children's welfare and wellbeing effectively. They encourage children to develop independence through everyday routines. For example, at mealtimes, children independently unpack their lunches, open and close their bags and food containers and peel their own fruit. Staff provide appropriate help when children need it. They promote healthy lifestyles and encourage children to understand the importance of nutritious food. For example, at mealtimes, staff ask children to identify a healthy choice from their packed lunch. Children are excited to share their nutrient-rich foods and explain their healthy choices.

Children benefit from regular opportunities to be physically active and enjoy fresh air. For example, during multi-sports, children work in small teams and encourage their friends to complete obstacle courses. Children also enthusiastically participate in dance and drama activities, using popular stories, such as 'Aladdin', to perform and act together. Staff are aware of safe eating practices and supervise children vigilantly, when they are eating their lunches and snacks. When children stand up while they are eating, staff swiftly remind them to sit down. However, staff do not consistently explain why this is important. This means that opportunities are sometimes missed to help children understand how their actions can keep them safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with regular opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through training and qualifications. Staff value these opportunities and reflect on how their learning improves their practice. For example, staff have recently completed equality and diversity training. They explain how this has helped them adapt their approach to better understand and respond to the varying needs of children and their families. Staff feel well supported. Leaders are attentive to staff wellbeing and workload, and use supervision effectively to provide guidance and support. This helps staff to feel valued and enables them to focus on providing children with positive experiences.

Leaders build positive relationships with parents and carers, and have effective systems to keep them informed. Parents praise staff's communication and value having clear contact information and updates, both in person and online. They report that their children enjoy attending and talk positively about their experiences at the holiday provision. Leaders are considering how to strengthen the methods they use to gather information from parents and carers for those children who are booked into the holiday club at short notice. However, while staff have the mandatory information to ensure children's safety and wellbeing, strategies are not yet embedded to ensure all information about children's individual needs are consistently available to staff from the outset.