The Ark

The Ark

Unique reference number (URN): 2771374 Address: Idle C Of E School, Boothroyd Drive, Bradford, BD10 8LU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 07/02/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: The Ark

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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 Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and follow the daily routine with confidence. They happily meet staff at their classrooms and walk sensibly to the club, where they independently hang up their belongings and place their water bottles on the tables. Children join in with prayers before mealtimes. They confidently raise their hands, eager to be chosen to lead the prayer for their peers. During mealtimes, children are warm and sociable, eagerly sharing stories about their home life with staff and peers, such as discussing the foods they enjoy at home. Children actively engage with the varied activities on offer. For instance, they move purposefully between different areas of the room. They choose to spend time focusing intently on activities such as building a complex LEGO tower, reading a book in a quiet corner or completing a creative drawing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children respond well to staff requests for attention, such as when an adult raises their hands to signal a transition. They line up independently to use the toilet and respect the expectations of the setting. When children briefly forget the rules and run through the club, staff calmly remind them of the boundaries, and the children correct their behaviour straight away. Staff gently guide children to reflect on their choices. This helps them to consider alternative approaches, such as waiting patiently, and asking politely when navigating the concept of sharing popular resources. Children show care and consideration for their environment. They work collaboratively to tidy away resources at the end of a session before their parents and carers arrive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work closely with parents, carers and the school to ensure children receive the right support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those with barriers to learning and those known or previously known to children's social care. Before children start at the club, leaders gather essential information from parents regarding interests, individual needs, allergies and dietary requirements. For children with an education, health and care plan, leaders use the information shared by parents and maintain regular communication with class teachers to remain fully informed. Staff support communication barriers by modelling clear sentences and naturally guiding children to use correct grammar during everyday conversations. This ensures all children can communicate confidently.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff get to know children well and create a highly welcoming, inclusive environment. They purposefully provide resources that reflect children's preferences and ensure everyone feels included from the outset. Staff tailor mealtime choices to accommodate specific dietary requirements and preferences, which promotes a positive dining experience for all. They support physical development and coordination, and carefully guide children during group games to build confidence and ensure safe participation. Staff consistently offer gentle encouragement to help the more hesitant children join in with activities. Furthermore, they

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Expected standard

differentiate experiences to suit all ages and stages, such as introducing quick mathematics challenges at lunchtime. This ensures every child can participate successfully.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders truly understand what local families need from childcare. Since opening the club, they have built a professional and dedicated staff team to support the community. Staff wellbeing and morale are prioritised through positive reinforcement and regular praise, which creates a close, collaborative working environment where staff feel confident to voice any concerns if required. Leaders manage staff professional development effectively. A thorough induction ensures all staff complete mandatory safeguarding, health and safety and paediatric first-aid training. Leaders use supervisory meetings to set clear professional goals, and they hold daily huddles to discuss children's needs and share updates. Furthermore, they provide consistent, real-time coaching and mentoring, which includes supporting unqualified staff to achieve childcare qualifications. Leaders have highly effective procedures in place to identify strengths and are passionate about continually improving the

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

provision. They have identified, and are introducing, additional strategies that will further support all staff in helping children regulate their feelings and emotions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders build positive partnerships with parents and carers. They use questionnaires to adapt the service and share activity insights on a secure, private social media page, which helps spark discussions at home. At the end of each session, staff provide detailed handovers about messages from class teachers, meals and what children enjoyed doing at the club. Parents highly value that staff genuinely care for the children, noting that they feel included and that children rarely want to leave. Serving a substantial hot meal also gives parents more quality time with their children in the evening. This helps to support children's wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff promote children's physical health and wellbeing and ensure they have access to fresh drinking water throughout their session. When children become warm after exercise, staff explain how the body responds to physical activity and encourage them to drink water to stay hydrated. Mealtimes are sociable, calm and hygienic. Children and staff wash their hands before eating, and leaders wear protective clothing while serving hot food. Staff also explain the safety reasons behind mealtime rules, such as not talking with food in their mouths to prevent choking. Furthermore, children's medical needs are managed effectively, with staff ensuring medication is securely stored but easily accessible within an emergency evacuation bag.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff are warm and build trusting relationships with children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. This generally supports children's emotional wellbeing. Children confidently seek out staff to show them their artwork, and staff praise their efforts, which creates a culture of kindness. Leaders have established clear strategies to help children begin to recognise and manage their emotions. Staff generally use these approaches to reflect on children's individual needs well, such as getting down to a child's level to offer comfort and reassurance. Some staff do not implement these strategies in a timely manner when children are upset or overwhelmed. This means, at times, children are not always helped to process their feelings as promptly as they could be.

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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 confident at this welcoming and friendly, community-focused club. Staff prepare the environment purposefully. They tailor resources and activities to reflect individual preferences and ensure everyone settles happily. Leaders offer flexibility to parents to support regular attendance, which helps children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, build a secure familiarity with their weekly routine. Children access all areas and activities of the club with enthusiasm, including a crafting area, tabletop games, puzzles and construction activities. They enjoy being physical in the designated hall space. Children follow expectations without prompting during games such as kick dodgeball, and change roles independently.

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

Children experience a highly collaborative and inclusive atmosphere built by staff. They kindly support their younger peers during group activities, and children warmly invite each other to join in games. Children demonstrate respectful manners that shape mealtimes, where they consistently thank staff and say 'no, thank you' if they decline food options. Children explain why they must wash their hands after playing outside during the day, demonstrating a clear understanding of handwashing processes. They confidently share their experiences at home, such as talking about their sleepovers or recent parties. Furthermore, they look out for their peers and recognise who requires specific items for regulation, and kindly return them if misplaced.

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

Children benefit from leaders who typically focus on supporting their mental wellbeing and emotional regulation. They respond to staff wearing visual tools on their lanyards, which helps children communicate how they feel without needing to find the words. Leaders provide children with a dedicated quiet area and tent, which gives them a secure space to self-regulate at their own pace. Children demonstrate excitement and confidence at the end of the session as they collect their own coats and belongings and eagerly tell their parents and carers about their experiences.

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Next steps

Leaders should embed planned strategies to strengthen the consistency of staff practice in supporting children to recognise and manage their feelings and emotions.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, children and parents/carers during the inspection.

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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 provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The

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Address:

Idle C Of E School Boothroyd Drive Bradford BD10 8LU

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 09:10,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:30 - 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.

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4 to 11

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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