J W Playclub

J W Playclub

Unique reference number (URN): 2614099 Address: 4a Chetwynd Street, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 0EQ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 20/10/2020 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Williams, Jacqueline

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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's interests are well understood by staff and are used to plan the environment on offer. Resources are stored at children's level, enabling them to independently select what they want to play with. Staff provide children with positive praise, recognising their achievements. This promotes children's confidence and engagement. Positive relationships between staff and children are evident. For instance, staff interact with children respectfully, modelling language, such as please, thank you and 'excuse me', which they also encourage children to use. This promotes children's good manners. Although staff reinforce rules and boundaries, they do not consistently provide clear explanations of why these are in place. This hinders children's understanding of expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Routines are in place for children, including when on the school run. For example, children wait appropriately before crossing the road. They follow instructions to keep themselves safe, demonstrating an awareness of road safety. Children independently line up behind their peers, waiting for their turn to wash their hands. They know to wash their hands prior to eating, engaging positively in the routine.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders promote children's attendance by maintaining records of absence. They offer flexible sessions to support families' needs and promote children's regular attendance.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are invited to a wealth of stay-and-play sessions well ahead of their start date. This promotes familiarisation with the club and eases transitions. During this time, staff generally get to know children very well. They gather detailed information from parents and carers to understand children's unique needs, preferences and challenges. This information is used to inform planning, adaptations to the environment and staff practice to ensure the club meets children's needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff regularly review information gathered about children so that any changes are identified, supported and planned for. They observe children's play and maintain frequent communication with parents to support early identification and inform timely referrals where needed. They work collaboratively with a range of external professionals, including social workers and school leaders, to support continuity and develop a shared understanding of children's needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders welcome external professionals into the club to observe children. They contribute to children's assessments and help to ensure that strategies in place are consistent with other professionals' goals and objectives. Leaders and staff engage in targeted training and research to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to support children's specific needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

There are weaknesses in risk assessment processes. For example, leaders and staff do not identify all hazards in the environment, including hanging wires, drawstring bags and blind cords, which each pose a risk of strangulation. Staff are aware of a high number of bees in the garden due to a nearby nest. However, staff do not fully consider children's reactions when bees fly near them. For instance, when children are using the slide, they often flinch, increasing the risk of falls. Although the area is supervised, this risk has not been fully recognised. However, when hazards are reported to leaders, they take prompt action to remove or minimise the risk to help keep children safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff supervise food areas to promote safer eating and encourage children to wash their hands before sitting at the snack table. This supports their health and hygiene. Children have access to a range of healthy options, including fruit they choose themselves, and they pour their own drinks. This promotes their self-help skills. When children find opening packets difficult, staff support them rather than doing it for them, which promotes children's confidence. Staff understand and implement expectations for safer eating practices, including monitoring food brought into the club to keep children safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Overall, staff are attentive to children's needs. For example, they quickly identify when children are hurt and respond appropriately by administering first aid. They offer children reassurance, applying a cold compress and checking in on their wellbeing. This helps children to feel safe, secure and well cared for. Children take on small responsibilities, such as tidying away resources, fostering a sense of belonging and involvement.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Since the last inspection, weaknesses in risk assessment processes remain. Risks are not consistently identified or managed unless highlighted. As a result, children continue to be exposed to avoidable hazards because staff do not fully understand how to identify or respond to these. This does not help to protect children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Nevertheless, since the last inspection, staff better understand expectations for safer eating, including the importance of effectively monitoring food brought into the club. Staff provide clear guidance to parents and carers about what a safe lunch box looks like, such as cutting up grapes and excluding nuts. This helps to keep children safe.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the community they serve. As a result, they offer extended hours and a holiday club. Staff collect children from local schools at various times throughout the afternoon, enabling those who attend full time to access after-school activities run by their own schools. This helps to ensure children do not miss out and supports their inclusion and participation in the wider community.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders provide staff with opportunities to attend training based on their needs and the families they serve. They prioritise staff wellbeing, taking supportive action to respond to individual circumstances. This promotes staff's welfare. Parents and carers report high levels of satisfaction and value the communication they receive from staff. They feel well informed about the support in place and the experiences available to their children. They say that staff go 'above and beyond' to support children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff take their time to get to know children well.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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 are not fully protected by risk assessment processes, as leaders and staff do not always identify potential risks in the environment. However, the impact on children is minimised because, when risks are identified, leaders respond swiftly to reduce hazards.

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

Children are welcomed from all backgrounds and schools. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from the activities on offer and an environment that is thoughtfully planned to meet their individual needs and interests. Children develop secure attachments with staff, who generally know them and their families extremely well. For example, children experiencing times of change or difficulty receive tailored support and reassurance. They have access to spaces that are specially designed to help them to regulate their emotions. Children develop a sense of belonging as they explore books that reflect their own lives and those of others. This promotes their understanding and respect for one another.

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

On arrival to club, children settle quickly and engage happily in their play. They benefit from access to both indoor and outdoor spaces, enabling them to move freely. Children play cooperatively together, demonstrating secure friendships and confidence in social situations. They enjoy a range of activities and remain engaged for sustained periods. In the role-play area, children sit together pretending to care for their babies. Other children engage in small-world play, driving cars alongside one another, through the main room and out into the garden. Children report that they enjoy their time at club and speak enthusiastically about the colouring competitions they repeatedly take part in. They explain that if they win, they have a chance to win a prize, which highly motivates them to join in and do their best.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all staff know and understand how to identify and respond to risks within the environment 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure staff implement effective risk assessment processes so that hazards are recognised and promptly addressed, minimising risk and protecting children 15/07/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead, children and parents and carers during the inspection.

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Address:

4a Chetwynd Street Newcastle Staffordshire ST5 0EQ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 06:45 - 09:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:00 - 18:15

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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

The inspector 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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