Ultimate Activity Camps at Bedford Modern School

School

Unique reference number (URN): 2833604 Address: Bedford Modern School, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7NT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 06/03/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: The Ultimate Activity Company 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders place particular importance on supporting children's emotional wellbeing. They provide quieter, calming activities and remain close by to engage in meaningful conversations about their thoughts and feelings. This sensitive support helps children to recognise and express their emotions, contributing to their emotional wellbeing and helping them to feel safe, secure and valued within the club.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff have created a very welcoming environment where children feel safe and confident within the club. Staff actively and consistently join children in their play, helping to make activities enjoyable and purposeful. From the very beginning, children develop positive relationships with their peers, showing care and affection as they hold hands, chat and form friendships. These positive interactions support children to build trusting relationships and develop a sense of belonging within the club. Staff teach children the importance of good hygiene by encouraging them to wash their hands before meals. During physical activities, staff talk to children about the effects of exercise on their bodies. These interactions help children to know how to keep themselves healthy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure younger children attending the club are allocated a key person who takes time to get to know them well when they first join. Staff gather information about children's interests, preferences and needs. This helps staff plan activities that children will enjoy and engage with.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders engage children in daily welcome sessions, where they come together to discuss the need to use 'walking feet' and 'kind hands', sharing their understanding of the setting's behavioural expectations. This collaborative approach encourages children to feel valued and actively involved in establishing and maintaining a positive, respectful environment. Leaders monitor attendance and follow up any unexplained absences to promote children's wellbeing and regular attendance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff consistently use positive praise and behaviour management strategies, resulting in children behaving well throughout the session. Staff act as positive role models and children respond well by following their examples and demonstrating kind and respectful behaviours. Overall, staff explain activities to children, helping them to benefit from the activities on offer. However, some activities are not always appropriately matched to the needs and abilities of younger children. As a result, children sometimes lose interest and become less engaged.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff support children to prepare for transitions, giving clear explanations about when activities are coming to an end and what will happen next. Children are familiar with the daily routine. For example, they confidently find their own water bottles and collect their snacks. This shows established routines that support children's self-help skills and independence. However, some transitions are overly lengthy, resulting in extended interruptions to children's play. This reduces the time children have to become deeply engaged in play and disrupts the flow of the activities on offer.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with parents when children join the club. They gather detailed information about their individual needs, interests and any potential barriers they may face. They use this information effectively to tailor the care and support they provide, helping to ensure children receive an inclusive experience. However, on occasion, the adaptations leaders make to promote children's safety limit some children's ability to participate fully in conversations during mealtimes. For example, staff do not always ensure seating arrangements enable all children to fully join engage in group interactions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding effectively to maintain higher staff-to-child ratios and make adaptations to the provision to enable children to fully participate in the activities on offer. For example, leaders use fidget toys,' now and next' visual resources and sensory equipment to meet children's individual needs. These adaptations support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to access activities and engage alongside their friends.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, leaders have effective oversight of the club and reflect on the provision and activities offered. They gather detailed information from parents about children's individual needs and use parent surveys to identify any shared themed and areas for development. For example, when parents identify that children may need support with their emotional development, leaders introduce activities that encourage children to share their feelings and any worries they may have. However, sometimes activities are not pitched precisely to children's ages and stages of development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with external agencies to access additional support to ensure children's individual needs are understood and effectively met. Parents comment that staff are very welcoming and they value the variety of activities available for their children at the club. They feel that staff adapt activities effectively to ensure their children's individual needs are supported. Leaders have a robust recruitment process in place and ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. They complete appropriate checks and follow safer recruitment procedures. Leaders ensure staff complete mandatory training and provide opportunities for them to access additional training to further develop their knowledge, skills and confidence in their roles. Leaders monitor staff wellbeing through daily discussions, ongoing supervision and regular support. Staff report that they enjoy their roles and feel

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

valued and supported by leaders, who are approachable and responsive to their needs.

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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

On arrival, children are warmly greeted by staff. They provide reassurance to children who attend for the first time or who show hesitation, taking time to find out about their interests and preferred activities. Staff talk to children about the planned activities for the day and sensitively encourage them to join the group. This supports children to settle quickly, develop confidence and engage in games and activities.

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

Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to be physically active. Staff organise activities such as mini-Olympics and team games, explaining the rules and expectations. Children develop their large muscles as they run, balance and negotiate space safely. Staff encourage children to work together as part of a team, helping them to build positive friendships and develop confidence. Children demonstrate that they enjoy the activities by cheering each other on and offering words of encouragement to each other.

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

Children are confident to talk to staff and readily include them in their games. For example, they invite staff to help complete puzzles and join in with construction activities. Staff act as positive role models, consistently demonstrating good manners and respectful interactions. Children follow their example, displaying positive behaviour, using their manners and showing consideration for others.

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

Children take part in creative activities that encourage them to explore and express their emotions. Staff invite children to talk about their feelings and children talk about creating 'emotion blobs' that are 'happy and loved'. Children confidently share their thoughts and feelings with staff, helping them to feel listened to, valued and emotionally supported within the club.

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Address:

Bedford Modern School Manton Lane Bedford MK41 7NT

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: The Ultimate Activity Company Ltd

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Next steps

Leaders should review mealtime arrangements so that safety adaptations are balanced with opportunities for all children to engage in meaningful conversations. Leaders should ensure that activities are tailored more closely to children's age and stage of development. Leaders should improve organisation of transition times so that children do not have to wait for long periods of time to minimise disruption between activities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to leaders, staff, children and parents 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 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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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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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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