Club Excel @ St Hilda's Harpenden

Inspection of Club Excel @ St Hilda's Harpenden 28 Douglas Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2ES

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This provision meets requirements

When children arrive at the club, they receive a warm, enthusiastic welcome from the friendly staff. Those who find separating from their parents difficult, are soon playing happily with others. Children enjoy exploring the wide range of activities and play together very well. They spend time carefully colouring pictures and talk about how the bright colours make the animals look like rainbows. Children enjoy role play, such as pretending to cook meals. They build on this play when they go outside. For example, they mix mud, sand and water together and pretend to cook it in the toy microwave. Children engage in self-chosen play and organised activities extremely well and their behaviour is good.

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This provision meets requirements

Children benefit from being outdoors. They enjoy exploring the garden area, such as finding what is made of metal as they use magnets. Children take great delight is using gymnastic ribbons. They twirl them around and watch what patterns they can make. At other times, children engage in team games on the school field. They have space to run and use their larger muscles in physical activity. They know when to find a shady spot when they get too hot, and to have a drink of water to cool down.

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need to do better?

n Staff think carefully about how to help the youngest children to feel secure at the club. They use their knowledge and experience of other early years settings to set out an environment that is familiar to children. Children comment on how to use resources, such as dough tools and balance beams. They say, 'I know how to use this because there is one at my nursery.' This gives children a sense of belonging and positively promotes their well-being. n The provider has strong recruitment procedures in place. This helps to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Induction procedures help new staff to gain a good understanding of safeguarding, health and safety procedures and the day-to-day running of the club. n Staff plan activities that link together well and keep children engaged. For example, the theme of jungle animals is linked through small-world play with toy animals, to art activities and hide-and-seek games. Children enjoy making

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need to do better?

colourful parrots using feathers and demonstrate strong skills when using scissors. Outdoors, children hide animals and give others clues as to where they might find them. n Children have opportunities to get to know each other. At groups times they introduce themselves and staff encourage children to say one thing about themselves, such as their favourite colour. Children show respect for others as they listen and take note of what is said. They enjoy group story times and

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need to do better?

23 August 2022 confidently contribute their thoughts and ideas. n Parents speak positively about the club and staff. They say their children are very happy to attend and enjoy returning each year. Parents say they have confidence leaving their children, as they feel they are safe and the staff care for them well. Staff encourage parents to give their feedback on the club using questionnaires. n The provider, managers and staff evaluate the service they provide and look for ways to improve. They use a whole company staff meeting after the summer clubs have ended to review, evaluate and plan. The provider seeks training for staff to help them to continually develop their knowledge and skills. An area of practice that is currently looking to be developed is working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The managers feel this will help them to more closely support children and families.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider, managers and staff understand how to recognise the signs that children may be at risk of harm or abuse. They know how to swiftly make referrals both within the setting and to relevant agencies. Staff undertake training to help them to gain further knowledge and skills, such as on how to look out for signs of extremist behaviour. The staff proactively implement the health and safety procedures into their practice. For example, they supervise children closely and use radios to communicate with others. Staff make sure all children are clearly signed in the register and find out, from parents, who will be collecting children at the end of the day.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2586742 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10249120 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Out-of-school day care

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inspection

Total number of places 92 Number of children on roll 80 Name of registered person Club Excel Lesuire Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01923 469475 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Club Excel @ St Hilda's Harpenden registered in 2020. The club is open five days a week, from 8.30am until 5.30pm, through some Easter and summer school holidays. During the summer there has been up to 20 members of staff employed by the provider working at this club. The club director holds a level 6 qualification, and some other staff hold qualifications starting from level 2 and above.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the club received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and managers and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the club. n The inspector took a tour of the club with the provider. They talked about how the club is organised and discussed the play opportunities they provide for children. n The inspector observed the quality of interactions during activities, indoors and outdoors, between the staff and children. n The inspector held a meeting with the provider and one of the managers. A sample of documents, including safeguarding policies and procedures and staff suitability records, were seen by the inspector. n The inspector spoke to a sample of children, staff and parents and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

23 August 2022 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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