Kids Club Ely Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a calm and relaxed atmosphere that helps children to feel safe and secure. Children are happy, independent and engage confidently with staff who know them all well. They learn the key skills they need to succeed in their future lives. Children behave well. They follow the good examples set by staff who carefully remind them of the rules and boundaries. Children are happy, gentle and polite. They learn how to share and work collaboratively. For instance, when creating pretend birthday cakes, they share equipment and discuss how many candles are needed.

Children are confident in making choices for themselves and independently explore the environment, both inside and outside. Children show high levels of concentration as they jump in large puddles. They imaginatively scoop water with different sized containers and examine the patterns they make when riding balance bikes through the water. Staff plan and provide exciting activities relating to children's emerging interests. They support children well to help them make good progress in their learning and development. Staff encourage children to make choices. For example, children vote which story staff read during circle time. Staff read the story with enthusiasm and use good intonation to help captivate children's interest and attention.

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

• Staff work well together as an effective team. They meet regularly to review children's progress and achievements. Leaders provide staff with a clear curriculum that helps children to build on what they already know and can do. Staff plan experiences to support what children need to know next, taking into account their individual stage of learning and emerging interests.
• Children learn the skills needed to succeed in their future lives and in readiness for the move to school. For example, they develop good independence and can confidently dress themselves. Children see to their personal needs well and are confident in washing hands after messy activities, before and after mealtimes and after using the toilet. They help to tidy-up and know where toys and equipment belong.
• Staff help children to learn about the benefits of eating a healthy and varied diet. They provide parents with examples of healthy food choices for inclusion in children's packed lunches. Staff implement effective processes to ensure children's individual dietary requirements are met. Staff sit and talk with children as they eat, promoting good manners and social interaction at meal times.
• Children thoroughly enjoy playing outside and develop good physical skills. They climb steps to the slide, run and pedal tricycles in a purposeful well-resourced space. Children use rakes and brooms to sweep leaves and use these to support their imaginary play. For example, children pretend they are riding horses or flying on broomsticks.
• Staff understand the importance for children to develop good communication and language skills. They read stories and sing songs with children every day. Children recognise and repeat familiar words, phrases and anticipate what is going to happen next. Staff talk to children as they play and introduce words that help to develop their knowledge and understanding. For instance, staff discuss how the consistency of gloop in the messy tray changes over time.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of each child's individual needs and requirements. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to put appropriate plans in place where children need extra support in their learning and development.
• Staff work effectively to support children who speak English as an additional language. Children show increasing confidence as they begin to say some single words and form simple sentences in English.
• Staff benefit from one-to-one meetings with the manager who provides continued support and sensitively considers their well-being. Staff say that they feel valued and well supported. Staff are committed to their ongoing professional development, including seeking professional early years qualifications.
• Parents are positive about the preschool and staff. They state that they receive regular information about their child's day and the progress they make in their learning and development. However, not all parents know who their child's key person is, or what their child needs to learn next and how to support their ongoing learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance partnerships with parents further so that all parents know their child's key person and how to support their child's individual learning at home.