Little Leigh Out Of Schoolclub

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

From the moment they arrive at the club, children's care and learning is tailored to their individual needs. Pre-school children are sensitively supported to part from parents and carers. They demonstrate an unmistakeable sense of security.

Children show that they are ready to make thoughtful decisions about what to do first. Pre-school children work together to negotiate and act out rich storylines. For example, a closed door is cleverly incorporated into extended, active role play. Children say, 'Look at that big sign. It says road closed.' This demonstrates children's well-developed knowledge of the world. They know that symbols and written words carry meaning. Two-year-old children are busy and confident. They excitedly roll little cars through a long, sloping tube. Then they race as fast they can to meet the cars at the bottom. This promotes children's stamina and coordination. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress. They benefit, at all times, from staff's deep, expertly applied knowledge of how children learn.

Parents praise the partnership between the club and the school. This helped everyone to work together effectively to keep children safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. School-age children make seamless daily transitions between home, the club and their classrooms. This helps to promote their physical and emotional well-being. The joined-up approach also helps pre-school children to feel ready and eager to make the move to school. School staff visit the club to read stories. Club staff take children to visit their new classroom and teacher.

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

• Well-planned support for staff's professional development lies at the heart of the club's success. When staff undertake accredited training, managers dovetail the leadership modules into staff's individual performance targets. This helps staff to practise and hone their leadership skills. It helps the provider to grow capable new leaders.
• The manager's inspiring, ongoing dialogue with staff ensures that his curriculum intentions are implemented to the highest standard. Children make swift and visible progress. For example, staff teach two-year-old children how to pour with a jug. Children initially falter and staff adjust their teaching. They convey their own confidence that children can complete the task. Children respond to the challenge and proudly succeed.
• The experienced, well-qualified staff seek knowledge and ideas that help them to keep improving their practice. Currently, the team is focusing on further developing harmony and homeliness in the club. Staff support each other to interpret and apply the philosophy that underpins the approach. Children, therefore, learn from successful learners and everyone benefits from the focus on promoting well-being and autonomy.
• The curriculum is sequenced extremely effectively. For example, staff encourage and enable children of all ages to make drawings and marks. They talk with children to help them to develop their own ideas. The outcome is, that by the time children are ready for school, they make unique and complex representations of their knowledge and thinking.
• The manager and staff create interesting challenges that intrigue and motivate children. For example, children climb a small set of steps to draw on paper attached high up on the wall. The climbing promotes children's muscle development and sense of adventure. They experience and talk about different heights. This deepens children's understanding of associated words, such as 'high, higher' and 'highest'.
• Every interaction is skilfully executed to extend children's knowledge and make them think. This is demonstrated when children want to mend the small-world cars. Staff help them to set up a garage and a rich conversation develops. For example, staff ask, 'How can we get home if our car is broken?' Children think hard about what they might do. They find out that there are different ways to solve the problem.
• A golden thread of inclusion runs through the curriculum. The manager drives learning and discussion about the individual differences that make communities rich and diverse. Children learn to balance their own desires with those of other people. They learn to be positive and rational when difficulties arise. As a result, children's behaviour is lively and considerate.
• Staff accurately assess and build on children's existing knowledge. When children say that honey comes from flowers, staff help them to gain more accurate knowledge about the work of the bees. Children acquire a rich vocabulary. They learn that they can use different words for 'happiness', such as 'cheerful' and 'delighted'. This helps them to think and talk about emotions.