Lutley Acorns After School & Holiday Club

Inspection of Lutley Acorns After School & Holiday Club Lutley Community Centre, Brookwillow Road, HALESOWEN, West Midlands B63 1BU

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This provision meets requirements

Children arrive happy at this warm and nurturing after-school club. Children chat with their friends as they independently hang up their own coats. Staff remind children to wash their hands before sitting down at the snack table. Children make choices from a wide variety of snacks on offer, such as grapes, raisins, toast, crumpets, jam and cheese. Children laugh and tell staff their favourite colour as the supportive staff listen to children's preferences and ensure they give each child their chosen coloured cup. Children feel safe and secure to express their views openly and honestly.

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This provision meets requirements

Children show excitement as they play independently in the well-organised environment. Staff take time to find out about children's interests and incorporate these into the activities they provide. For example, when children show an interest in creating and making, the staff act upon this immediately and provide a range of creative resources for children to use. Children make their creations and staff offer support, such as helping children to thread through straws to make snakes and creating aliens for the spaceship. Children have fun playing with their friends and demonstrate that they are highly engaged in the activities on offer to them.

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need to do better?

n Staff build good working relationships with the school and parents. They gather information about children prior to them starting at the club. In particular, staff check whether children have any allergies and develop health care plans to ensure all children's needs are fully met. Furthermore, they talk to parents to find out about their children's likes and dislikes and carefully use this to plan interesting activities. This ensures the club is inclusive for all children and that the needs of all children are met. n Children develop independence as they engage in imaginative play. Children show considerable excitement as they put on superhero costumes. Staff offer support by scaffolding how to put on the dressing-up clothes. Furthermore, when children disagree about 'who had it first', staff are on hand to remind them about the behaviour rules that children have set themselves. Children are quick

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need to do better?

to ask their friends to help fasten the back of their costumes and delight when running safely towards each other, pretending they have superpowers. Children have fun and engage happily in activities with friends and staff. n Children enjoy using their physical skills. The younger children play games like tag alongside the older children. They set rules for the game and decide who will go first. Children talk about taking turns when they have tagged someone and ensure the younger children have a go. Staff remind children to walk sensibly and to be kind to each other as they negotiate the open space. This helps

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need to do better?

4 January 2023 children to understand rules and boundaries. n A key-person system is in place for all children, in particular for the youngest children, who are building on their social development. Staff recognise when shy children are not ready to play alongside others. Staff become active play partners by pretending the baby is sleeping when children put dolly in the pram. They talk to children, offering reassurance, and become involved in their play. Children's emotional development is well supported by the strong and positive relationships with staff. n Parent partnerships are embedded to ensure children's needs are met. Parents say their children are happy and are supported well at the club. For example, they feel they can openly discuss concerns and agree on joint strategies to help with their children's learning at home. Furthermore, parents share their positive experiences about how the club supports children with additional needs.

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need to do better?

n The provider and manager continually look at ways to improve their practice. They hold meetings with staff and regularly plan for all children. The manager has implemented a system to capture the views of the children through questionnaires for the older children and smiley faces with the younger children. This helps children to feel valued and listened to at the club.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers know how to keep children safe and understand the procedures to follow should an allegation be made against a member of staff. Staff recognise signs of abuse and know the correct procedures to follow when reporting their concerns. Staff demonstrate awareness of their responsibilities around the 'Prevent' duty. Leaders and managers know how to recruit staff safely and have a robust recruitment procedure in place. The manager has implemented a safer mobile procedure and maintains records of all Disclosure and Barring Service checks and identity checks carried out for staff, which demonstrates their suitability.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY465649 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 10263082 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 45 Number of children on roll 70 Name of registered person Melanie Gooch & Samantha Riley Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 07799963952 / 07775855740 Date of previous inspection 19 April 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Lutley Acorns After School & Holiday Club registered in 2013. The setting employs six members of staff. Of these, two hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 and above, and three hold a qualification at level 2. The setting opens Monday to Friday, from 3pm until 6pm during term time, and from 8am until 6pm during school holidays.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the after-school club received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the club. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the club and discussed how the provision is organised. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff working with children and evidence of paediatric first-aid qualifications. n The inspector spoke to parents on collection of their children and took account of their views. n The inspector carried out discussions with the registered individual, manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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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

4 January 2023 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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