Thrumpton Kids Clubs

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited and happy when they arrive at setting. They separate from their parents with confidence and quickly join their friends to play. Children are warmly greeted by staff and have a sense of safety. Staff provide comfort to children who are new to the setting, providing them with cuddles and reassurance. They use information from parents to offer new children their favourite toys to help them engage in play with other children. For example, staff support children to accept the needs of others by encouraging turn-taking games. Children roll cars to each other saying, 'ready steady go'. This helps children who are new to the setting feel secure and begin to develop friendships. Children are proud when staff praise their good behaviour and acts of kindness to towards others.

Staff adapt activities promptly to allow children to follow their current interests. For example, when older children talk about previous snacks, they are offered opportunities to make hot cross buns with play dough. Children show high levels of concentration when they do this. Staff join in children's play. They promote children's early mathematical awareness effectively. They help them to learn about concepts, such as counting and comparing size and capacity. Younger children thoroughly enjoy role playing in the home corner with play food, engaging in activities, such as making their friends a cup of tea. Staff play alongside them and help children to build on their imaginative skills.

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

• Overall, children enjoy group times as part of their daily routine. Staff use these times to involve children in singing and listening games. However, staff do not always notice when quieter, less confident children lose interest, compared to other children who ask and respond to questions. This means that during some larger group times, staff do not always ensure that all children benefit from what is being taught.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their independence through daily routines, such as snack time. For example, children peel their own banana and put their plate in the washing-up bowl when they have finished eating. Staff support children in practising tasks, such as putting on coats. Children show high levels of independence in their play, confidently choosing activities and taking a lead in their own learning. These experiences help to equip children with the independence and abilities needed to thrive in the next phase of their learning.
• Overall, staff know their key children well. They complete ongoing assessments of children's achievements and identify next steps for their learning. However, for some children, the next steps that staff identify are not always developmentally appropriate. Sometimes, they are not specific enough to build on children's existing knowledge and skills, to support them to make the best possible progress.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. It is clear to see the warm and trusting relationships that exist between staff and children. Staff work closely with a wide range of external agencies to further support children with SEND, such as health visitors, physiotherapist and inclusion teams. Appropriate plans are implemented to enable children to achieve their best possible outcomes.
• Staff plan environments that encourage children to be physically active. Children build resilience and strength as they test their physical limits on the assault course in the garden. Staff support children to negotiate space and walk in the same direction as their friends. As staff interact with enthusiasm, they encourage children to join in and provide challenges to children's physical ability as they adapt the assault course. Children learn to stretch or jump, further developing their coordination and balance.
• The newly formed leadership team shows commitment and passion in raising the standards for children's learning and care. They continually evaluate the service to provide better outcomes for children. The leadership team listen to staff and have a high regard for their well-being. As a result, staff say that they genuinely love working here. They target training that matches their interests to enhance staff practice and support the children they care for.
• Relationships with parents are strong and trusted. Parents welcome the effective communication. Staff keep parents informed of their children's progress through an online application and daily verbal feedback. Parents value photographs sent to them of their children's accomplishments. This helps parents talk to their children about their day.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• target support more effectively to quieter, less-confident children to help increase their confidence and engagement, particularly during large group activities
• support staff to identify and plan more precisely for individual children's next steps in learning to enable them to make the best possible progress.