A PRIMARY school kids club has been told it is giving children an ideal start in life after being rated ‘good’ by Ofsted inspectors.
Castle Top Kids Club, which uses Mossley’s St George’s Primary School on Stamford Street, is encouraging its pupils to develop before they event start school properly.
In fact, one of the few things lacking is a variety of materials and textures for its children to explore.
Inspectors were impressed from the moment they saw people walk in, even the fact they can wear a uniform is a good thing.
A report states: “They arrive to pre-school happy and excited to enter.
“Children confidently find their peg and hang up their belongings. They are invited to wear the pre-school uniform – this gives children a sense of belonging.
“Staff have high expectations for learning and behaviour. As a result, children behave well. They understand and follow the pre-school rules.
“Children are polite and use their manners well. They share and take turns with their friends.
Children show care and concern for each other. They play well together and work together as a team.”
Inspectors highlighted what is seen as the high point of Castle Top, its sandpit.
They added: “Children enjoy playing in the large sand box outside. They use spades to dig and buckets to make sandcastles.
“Other children enjoy experimenting with the different patterns they can make in the sand using tractors.”
While playing in the sand may be popular, there is a serious side to what kids do at Castle Top, which did not go unnoticed by inspectors.
They continued: “Children learn about what makes them unique. They are starting to understand different cultures and ways of life.
“Staff make really good use of familiar stories and songs to support children’s growing vocabulary, they read a story of the week with the children.
“They learn new words and staff model different sentence structures during their play.
Consequently, children make good progress with their communication and language development.”
Safety and cleanliness also made the grade as ‘children use crayons, glue and scissors. They practise colouring and using the scissors safely.
‘Staff encourage children to look after the pre-school environment. Children tidy up frequently throughout the day. This helps children to learn how to take responsibility for the resources and develop their independence skills.’
Other things highlighted about Castle Top were children getting daily exercise and fresh air and using bikes and the climbing frame to practise their coordination and balance skills.
A vegetable patch where they learn to grow their own food was also pointed out,
And SEND provision also met the satisfaction of inspectors, who said: “Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are making the progress they are capable of.
“This is due to staff putting in place tailored plans for children. Leaders make referrals in a timely manner.
“This ensures that children receive the support they need from other professionals to thrive in their development. Furthermore, staff use additional funding well to support children’s individual needs.”