A before-and-after-school club has been praised by inspectors for raising its game after failing to meet the required standards on a prior visit.

The Little Diamonds club is based at Flixton Infant School in Urmston and was inspected by Ofsted on May 11.

Following the visit, it was deemed that the club had met the required quality and standards of early years provision.

This was in stark contrast to the last inspection in December 2019 when it was judged that the provider was not meeting standards over safeguarding and child welfare.

The club, registered in 2017, is for children aged four to 11, has 60 places and has 87 children on its roll. It opens Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 8.45am and from 3.15pm to 5.45pm during term time and some school holidays.

It employs eight members of staff, three of whom hold a childcare qualification at Level 3 and five others who are unqualified.

In her report, inspector Alison Tranby said that manager of the club had “addressed weaknesses identified at the last inspection”.

A number of staff now have a paediatric first-aid qualification, ensuring the safety of children in the event of a medical emergency, she said.

She went on: “The manager and staff place a great emphasis on promoting children’s social and emotional development.

“All children call staff by their first name and younger children have an assigned key person.

“This creates a distinction between school and the club and helps children to feel relaxed and secure.”

She said that the manager ensures that children benefit from a wide range of healthy foods that meet their individual dietary needs.

Children are provided with a range of fruit and vegetables and staff encourage them to try different foods and tastes and to drink plenty of fresh water throughout the sessions.

Ms Tranby also said that staff undertake regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date.

“They have a good understanding of how to identify the signs that children may be at risk of abuse,” she said. “They are acutely aware of the procedures to follow in the event of any incidents that require a referral to the relevant child protection agencies.

“Staff also know the procedures to follow and who to contact if they are concerned about the behaviour or any staff members.”