Friends Together

Friends Together Redbourn Cricket Club, The Bunchers, North Common, St Albans, AL3 7DB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 August 2016 Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The highly qualified staff team is exceptionally skilled in their interactions with children. They consistently consult and take superb account of children's emerging interests and needs very successfully. Children thoroughly enjoy exciting and innovative experiences that motivate them to participate and have immense fun in their learning through their play.  The dynamic manager and her dedicated staff team demonstrate an exceptional passion for excellence. They effectively reflect on their practice taking into account the views of parents and children. They are highly organised and successfully embrace each other's qualities and skills to drive improvements and continually raise the quality of the club.  All staff are inspirational role models. Children behave extremely well and treat each other with great respect. They demonstrate impeccable manners and play harmoniously together. Children are fully aware and adhere to the clear boundaries and rules in place.

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This provision is outstanding

These help them to swiftly learn how to keep themselves safe in the vast outdoor area and understand what is expected of them.  Children are eager to attend this exceptionally friendly and vibrant club. Each early years child is allocated a key person who is a qualified teacher specialising in early years. They use their expertise and fun attitude to help children swiftly flourish in confidence. This enables them to fully participate and often volunteer to take the lead role in team games.  The experienced manager shares her superb knowledge of how to run an excellent provision for children with other newly registered providers. This helps other clubs work towards providing a high-quality environment and exciting experiences for children.  Parents are very complimentary about the club and activities offered. They describe staff as 'extremely professional at all times'.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 continue to extend the excellent relationships with parents to further enhance their understanding of how to help protect children at home when using electronic devices.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interactions with children in their play, both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the club.  The inspector spoke to children's key persons, other staff and children at appropriate times.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and also took account of their written views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The staff team works together exceptionally well, effectively utilising their individual skills and wealth of experience. This has a very positive effect on improving children's enjoyment at the club. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have an excellent knowledge of the action to take should they have any concerns about children's welfare. They deploy themselves extremely well in all areas and are highly vigilant to ensure that children remain safe at all times. Staff supervision meetings are given high priority to fully support staff in their professional development. This is based on observations of their practice, self-appraisal and discussion. This ultimately continues to enhance the quality of coaching and support that children receive. Staff share their comprehensive range of policies with parents when their child first attends. This helps parents to have an excellent understanding of the responsibilities of the club. The

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

manager and staff have a superb knowledge of how to protect children when they use electronic devices. They are considering innovative ways to share this practice with all parents in order to enhance their understanding of how to protect children at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

All children have an amazing time exploring this highly stimulating environment. Staff have chosen to consider the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Partnerships with other providers are very well established and make a very strong contribution to meeting children's interests and needs. Key persons meet with the children's early years teachers and agree how the club can help children fulfil their potential over the summer period. Pertinent observations and meticulous assessments enable staff to plan for children's precise next steps to complement their learning. Staff provide endless and exciting opportunities that enable children to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Older children's excellent interaction with younger children inspires them to work together to conduct scientific experiments. They select recycled resources to make protective casing for a fresh egg, in readiness for it to be propelled into the air.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

They watch with excitement to see if their egg has remained intact. Organised visits from a guide dog and its handler provide children with wonderful opportunities to help them understand about the needs of others in the community. Children try on glasses that enable them to experience what it is like to be blind or partially sighted.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thrive in this inspirational holiday club. Their well-being is at the heart of all staff's practice at all times. They are warmly welcomed by all staff and children, swiftly making new relationships with each other. Children display very high levels of independence and a real sense of belonging. They thoroughly enjoy exciting, stimulating and extremely well-organised physical activities. Fun yoga sessions help children to move their body into different positions. They practise synchronising their breathing in time with their movements. Children have a fantastic time dancing in aerobic sessions. Staff skilfully help them to understand the importance of stretching their body before exercise and raise their awareness of current events, such as the Olympics.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY479492 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 981022 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 4 - 12 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 73 Name of registered person Juliette Christina Heggie

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07970860099

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reference number

Friends Together was registered in 2014 and is privately owned and managed. The club has sole use of Redbourn Cricket Club. It employs 11 members of staff. Of these, eight hold qualifications at level 3 or above, including four with qualified teacher status. The club opens from Monday to Friday during summer school holidays. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm.

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reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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