Friends at Play

Friends at Play

Unique reference number (URN): 2744252 Address: Hughenden Primary School, Spring Valley Drive, Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe, HP14 4LR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Potts, Florence Giverny

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes towards the club. Clear routines at arrival support children to settle quickly and choose activities independently. This contributes to a calm and orderly environment where children feel secure and ready to engage.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between staff and children are warm and respectful. Children confidently approach adults for help and reassurance. Children feel safe and trust adults to help them. When disagreements occur, children seek staff support. Staff respond promptly and calmly, explaining expectations clearly and helping children resolve the issue. Children return to play positively, showing that relationships and boundaries are well understood. Children are supported to apologise and show their manners and respect for the environment while at the club.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally cooperate well and enjoy playing together. During group activities, such as baking and craft tasks, children take turns, share resources and wait patiently. For younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, adults model language, use simple explanations and provide gentle reminders to reinforce routines and boundaries.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children's attendance and punctuality are monitored effectively. Systems ensure that children are accounted for throughout the session, supporting safety and wellbeing. While behaviour management is effective overall, staff do not always consistently extend children's cooperation and negotiation skills during child-led and outdoor play. As a result, opportunities for children to independently develop deeper collaborative skills are occasionally missed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children feel safe and emotionally secure within the setting. Staff are attentive and responsive, noticing when children need reassurance or support. Children confidently seek help from adults, reflecting the trusting relationships in place.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Care practices meet children's individual needs. Staff promote good hygiene routines and supervise mealtimes so children develop independence safely, such as spreading toppings and pouring drinks. Practitioners use these opportunities to discuss healthy choices, including adaptations to food provision, such as replacing jam with fresh fruit. This supports children's understanding of how choices affect their health and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Dietary requirements, allergies and alternative diets are clearly documented, checked and risk assessed. Alternatives are provided where required, and ingredients are adapted, including the use of oat milk during baking and breakfast, reducing risk across the provision.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from quieter and sensory spaces after school to regulate before re- engaging in play. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported sensitively when unsettled. For example, staff remain nearby and prompt children to use their comforters where needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

When incidents occur, adults respond promptly and use these moments to help children understand how to mitigate risks and keep themselves and others safe.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff foster an inclusive culture where children feel valued and supported to participate fully. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are known well by staff, who take time to understand their individual preferences, behaviour and interests. This enables staff to respond sensitively and reduce barriers to their engagement. Staff gather information through daily observation, discussion with families and liaison with the host school. Leaders identify emerging or changing needs appropriately and seek advice from external professionals where required.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff support children with SEND who prefer to play alone with resources and simple instructions to engage them in activity and share their play, demonstrating trust and growing confidence. Staff interactions and adaptations to their teaching support children's emotional security and meaningful inclusion. Staff receive suitable training to support children with SEND and follow agreed strategies set by leaders and the school's specialist teacher to promote continuity of approach.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work with families and the school to share information and respond to needs. Leaders consider available evidence when making decisions about the use of early years pupil premium funding to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders maintain effective oversight of the day-to-day running of the club. Staffing, supervision and routines are organised to support children's safety and wellbeing across sessions. Leaders provide relevant professional learning, including guidance to support behaviour, routines and inclusive practice. Attendance and ratios are monitored carefully, and leaders respond promptly to operational needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths. They recognise the positive relationships between staff and children, the calm routines in place and the inclusive culture promoted. Leaders work in partnership with parents, the host school and external professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring that agreed strategies are communicated and applied in daily practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents speak positively about communication and the support their children receive. Leaders shared examples of how families are kept informed about activities and events, helping to build trust and continuity of care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and open about areas for development. They recognise that the quality of adult interaction during child-led and outdoor play is not yet consistently strong across the staff team. However, leaders do not yet use the views of children to help to identify the club's strengths and areas for future development. Leaders consider staff workload and wellbeing in their decision-making but acknowledge the need to strengthen monitoring and coaching so that high-quality practice is sustained across the provision.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive confidently and are greeted warmly by staff who know them well. Younger children are supported sensitively from the start of the session, while older children settle quickly with their friends. Children understand routines and move independently into breakfast or play, helping the club to feel calm, organised and welcoming.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children learn alongside one another in mixed-age groups. At breakfast, younger children observe older peers spreading toast, choosing toppings and serving their own cereal, and they are encouraged to try these things for themselves. Children talk together, sharing stories about their evening and plans for the day ahead. These everyday interactions help children feel included, capable and part of the group.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy a wide range of experiences that reflect their interests. They take part in creative activities, such as cutting and craft work, small-world play and shared baking, where they cooperate, take turns and follow clear routines. Outdoors, children choose energetic games such as football and running games, enjoying space to be active. Staff supervise children closely and offer encouragement, helping children to stay safe and engaged.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders promote inclusion through experiences that reflect children's lives and communities. Leaders shared photos from their scrapbook showing holiday activities, where children learn about festivals such as Diwali, Eid and Christmas by making candles, cards and decorations. These activities help children understand similarities and differences and contribute to a strong sense of belonging. Leaders communicate with parents and monitor children's attendance in partnership with the host school.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are known well by staff. Practitioners prioritise emotional regulation and respond sensitively to children's individual needs. After school, quieter and sensory spaces are available for children who need to rest or regulate following the school day. Overall, children enjoy attending the club. They feel safe, valued and cared for and benefit from positive relationships, clear routines and a broad range of experiences that help them to feel confident and happy. Children say that their friends at the club are 'friends forever'.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to strengthen systems that ensure staff deployment and interactions with children are consistently effective across the whole team, so that children benefit from purposeful adult involvement throughout the session. Leaders should enhance the use of children's views and feedback to inform planning and evaluation so that provision continues to reflect children's interests, experiences and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, designated safeguarding leads, teachers, parents and children during the inspection.

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Address:

Hughenden Primary School Spring Valley Drive, Hughenden Valley High Wycombe HP14 4LR

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Potts, Florence Giverny

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 09:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:10 - 18:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Age range of children at the time of inspection

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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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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