The quality and standards of the early years provision:
OUTSTANDING - 1
Summary
- The manager is highly motivated and passionate about the camp. He has ensured strong policies and practices are rigorously in place in order to continually ensure the safety and welfare of all children.
- Excellent plans for the development of the camp focus on the needs of the children attending and feedback from parents and staff. Continual incisive reflection on the quality of staff interactions and activities provided ensure that the camp consistently improves on its practice.
- The whole environment, particularly the adult-led activities, offers children exceptional learning opportunities. Children are highly motivated and eagerly join in with a wide range of resources and activities. Children have a great deal of fun while at camp.
- Exemplary relationships between staff and parents ensure they provide for all children's individual needs well. Staff are highly responsive to children's interests and they get to know them exceedingly well. Children settle into camp swiftly. Parents share information about children when they start at the camp. The senior management team has identified that this information is not used as succinctly as it could be and are in the process of reviewing how they gather and use this to build on children's experiences further.
- Children initiate their own play, share resources and play cooperatively with their peers. Children's independence is promoted at all times. As a result, children are extremely confident and access the environment with enthusiasm.
- There is a sharp focus on children's physical development at camp. Children move between indoor and outdoor play seamlessly. They participate in yoga, sports and dance as well as play outside using large play equipment and joining in with playground games.
Inspection findings
Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding
The manager and staff demonstrate an uncompromising pursuit of excellence. Robust
monitoring ensures each child is well supported whilst at the camp. Every child is given
excellent support to reach their full potential. Safeguarding is effective. The manager
responds to potential safeguarding issues with rigour to ensure that children are
protected. Staff have a deep understanding of their responsibility to report concerns, as
well as wider safeguarding issues. Recruitment procedures are thorough and ensure all
staff who work at the club are suitable. Following recruitment, staff undergo a
comprehensive induction procedures and have regular supervision meetings. This helps
to ensure staff are excellently supported in their role. Which in turn has a positive impact
on children's welfare and safety. Parents speak highly about the camp and the
professional nature in which it is run. They say they feel their children are safe and
secure in the staff's care.
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding
The management team and staff have an outstanding knowledge of the Early Years
Foundation Stage and an excellent understanding of how children learn best through
play. Activities are varied and engage children in a range of rich learning opportunities.
Children are well supported in developing skills for future learning. Staff are enthusiastic
play partners. They join in with children's games and activities, providing suggestions
and asking skilful questions that encourage children to think and solve problems. For
example, staff challenge children to think about how they can build on their construction
models.
Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding
Children learn to listen, respect the views of others, question and explore. For example,
younger children talk about things they have brought to camp and their friends are
encouraged to ask questions about their objects. The key-person system is effective, and
children have warm relationships with all staff. Staff talk to parents daily when children
are collected, sharing information and discussing activities children have enjoyed in the
club. This helps to successfully promote their ongoing development. Staff are superb
role models and skilfully encourage interaction and social conversations that help
children to make very secure friendships. Staff are always on hand to praise good
behaviour and to help to empower children to speak out and manage the behaviours of
others when it is unwanted.
To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:
- seek out different opportunities to enhance how staff use information gathered about children to extend even further the variety and challenge of activities for children.
Inspection activities
- The inspector has a tour of the areas of the premises used by the camp.
- The inspector observed the quality of staff interactions with children, completed a joint observation with the supervisor and held discussions about children's progress and learning.
- The inspector held conversations with the manager, staff and children throughout the inspection.
- The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability checks and their qualifications and sampled relevant policies and procedures.
- The inspector took into account the views of the parents during the inspection.