Spring Meadow After School Club

Spring Meadow After School Club

Unique reference number (URN): 2766138 Address: Spring Meadow Infant & Nursery School, High Barns, Ely, CB7 4RB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 08/12/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: ActivePlay Education Ltd

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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

Leaders and staff are positive role models for children. They take time to listen to children, show kindness and positive attitudes. In turn, children respond well and begin to think about their own attitudes and actions. Children quickly recognise and join in the routines staff have put in place. For example, when children first arrive to the club room, they sit together and join in a prepared activity. This helps them relax and settle before they eat their snack while initiating positive social interactions between children and with staff.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff work in close partnership with staff from the host school. They quickly communicate any unexpected absences to help establish the reason and to ensure children are safe. Parents and carers report their children enjoy being part of the club, which helps to maintain consistent attendance. Generally, children behave well. At times, staff need to repeat their requests and reminders, to help all children follow the simple rules in place to help keep themselves and others safe. Staff encourage children to look after the resources so that they are not lost or broken. This supports children to identify the wider concept of respect.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders promote children's wellbeing through the emphasis on physical activity, time to relax and provision of nutritious food. They work with staff to provide a welcoming environment in which children want to spend their time. Staff are receptive to children's changing moods. They reassure children and take time to listen to them. Through their positive interactions, staff build trusting relationships with children. Children show they feel safe and able to talk about any worries they might have with staff.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff talk to the class teachers from the host school to find out about the day children have had. This information helps them revise plans when necessary to accommodate children's levels of tiredness or excitement for example. Staff communicate with parents and carers, and work with them to help find ways to reduce any anxieties or barriers to enjoyment children sometimes posses. This helps children feel able to embrace the activities and experiences on offer. In addition, leaders make sure procedures are in place to ensure there are effective daily communication methods for staff to gather information form parents at the beginning of each day at breakfast and holiday clubs. This supports children's wellbeing and welfare.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure key persons are identified to nurture and support the youngest children. Staff encourage children to have a go at the variety of activities and play opportunities offered. Staff recognise the club's ethos of fun play-based activities. They use their experience to adapt games and resources so that all children feel able to engage as much or as little as they want. Leaders and staff build effective relationships with key members of staff from the host school. This helps staff provide consistent support and direction to help enable children to flourish. When children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attend the club, leaders ensure there are sufficient staff to provide additional support. In turn, all children are able to enjoy and immerse themselves in the activities and play. When children are first enrolled in the club, staff gather information from parents and carers, to help them

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Inclusion Expected standard

keep children safe and well. They do not always gather further information about children's interests and home lives, to help effectively build secure knowledge to ensure children feel included, valued and secure right from the start.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure they make regular visits to the club, enabling them to observe staff performance, the quality of interactions and level of engagement children have. This overview of the provision helps leaders evaluate the provision and shape plans for further improvement. Staff contribute their ideas through regular appraisal and discussions. Leaders have recently enhanced how they gather constructive feedback from parents and carers, to help identify any changing needs and make further adaptations to reflect these.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders value staff wellbeing. They ensure any meetings staff attend are meaningful and benefit both staff and children. Leaders ensure that staff maintain a sound knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe and that qualifications, such as paediatric first aid, are maintained. Leaders do not consistently provide focused and highly effective professional development opportunities for staff. This means staff do not always develop even deeper, targeted knowledge and new strategies to help them provide the highest quality of provision for the changing cohorts of children.

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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 enjoy their time in the club. They are met by the friendly staff who listen while children tell them about their day. Children are curious to find out about the activities staff prepare for them. They reflect on different club experience which occur every week. For example, they talk about the days when they bake or use clay. Children point out photographs on the walls and recall their favourite cooking activities. This demonstrates children's positive experiences during their time in the club.

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

Children feel safe and respected. They help to create rules and values they would like to follow, such as being kind to each other. This contributes to the harmonious and relaxed atmosphere. When new children attend the club, their peers welcome them to join in their games. Staff encourage children to work as a team in fun and engaging activities. For example, children enthusiastically run around the playground searching for models of hidden mini-beasts. All children are included and feel proud when they find a bug. Children move around the room and outside space selecting resources and activities that interest them and that they enjoy. They confidently make decisions for themselves, form friendships with children of different ages and interact positively with the caring staff. Children thrive in the club.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen the methods used to gather information from parents when children first start in the setting, to help staff have a deeper understanding of children's interests and what is important to them right from the start. Leaders should further develop staff's continued professional development to focus on the most relevant aspects of children's wellbeing that reflect the cohort of children attending

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Address:

Spring Meadow Infant & Nursery School High Barns Ely CB7 4RB

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: ActivePlay Education Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:15 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to leaders, staff, children and a small number of parents.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the 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. This data is from 14 May 2026

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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. 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

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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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