School-aged childcare quality indicators: Children experience high quality spaces

'Very good' quality, safety and maintenance of spaces

Our physical environment, whether offered indoors or outdoors, is welcoming, fully meets children’s needs, and is well equipped. It gives a strong message to children that they matter.

We make best use of available resources to create, sustain and enhance a motivating physical environment for play experiences. As a result, our service has been designed to empower children to actively experience play and learning challenges, centred on their needs and interests.

We understand and uphold the rights of all children to play. This includes recognising the importance of daily outdoor play and the benefits of this for enhancing wellbeing. Children are supported to actively explore and learn about the wider world.

We embrace a benefit-risk approach with children where appropriate. This enables children to engage in a broad range of interesting play opportunities to challenge and extend their development, as well as building self-confidence to develop skills for life.

We work well together to minimise risks to children, both indoors and outdoors. Prompt action is taken by all staff to ensure the safety and security of children, visitors and each other. All staff understand and share appropriate risk assessments. Children are accounted for as our staff are vigilant whether indoors, outdoors or in the wider community. As a result, children are safe and their opportunities to enjoy challenging and fun play experiences are not compromised (Keeping children safe: Practice notes).

We have received robust training on infection prevention and control measures. This means they have a clear understanding and confidence to provide and promote a high-quality, clean, safe environment. This includes understanding of the arrangements for cleaning as well as in practicing food safety.

Where children require personal care, arrangements are effectively planned and staff maintain high levels of infection prevention and control. Children’s privacy, dignity and preferences are fully respected and there are appropriate changing facilities.

Arrangements for monitoring, maintenance and repair of the setting, equipment, and any vehicles, function well and are consistently implemented. Damaged items are promptly replaced.

'Weak' quality, safety and maintenance of spaces

The physical environment may look or feel neglected rather than warm and welcoming for children. There is limited attention to detail such as homely touches, decoration, and the quality of furniture and resources is poor. There may be unpleasant smells or intrusive noise levels. The physical environment, furniture and fittings are generally inadequate, with limited opportunities to display interesting materials and children’s work.

The layout of the physical environment does not enable children to lead their own play and learning. The resources provided by staff do not support children’s engagement. Staff demonstrate limited understanding of the benefits of the outdoors to children’s play and learning.

 Children are not sufficiently supported to access the outdoor environment. Current best practice or research is not used effectively to inform our knowledge in this area. We do not always recognise when children need more energetic experiences. Potential barriers to play and engagement have not been recognised or given adequate consideration. This means that the physical environment does not meet children’s needs.

We do not always work well together to promote a safe environment for children. We may have limited understanding of children’s development and may not recognise when everyday items can pose risk. As a result, children may be at risk from avoidable harm. We may unnecessarily limit children’s experiences and as such children’s confidence may be affected. Excessive restrictions may be placed on their play and learning opportunities, compromising the quality of children’s experiences. Our procedures for infection prevention and control are not robust and heighten the risk of infection.

Arrangements for security within the setting, outdoors and in the wider community may not be well considered and there is the potential for children to exit the setting or be unaccounted for, exposing them to risk of harm.

'Very good' illustrations for children influence and affect change

Children have high levels of involvement in influencing the physical environment, such as the spaces and resources and how these are used. We actively engage children to enable them to direct their play and experiences in the way they choose. Children are listened to and know that their views matter.

Our physical environment provides very good opportunities for children to be independent and make choices. Children are engrossed and motivated in their play and are progressing well in all aspects of their development. 

Staff understand the positive impact that rich, multi-sensory play has on children’s resilience, health and wellbeing. Appropriate resources and materials support children's play, learning and interests. Children have control over what they do and how they play. We provide opportunities for children to learn about sustainability and caring for their natural environment.

Resources are adaptive and responsive to children's differing emotions and interests. They promote interesting opportunities across a broad range of outcomes. 

We understand and promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the provision of high-quality resources and spaces. Children, their families and communities are positively reflected in the resources, spaces and experiences available, promoting a sense of inclusion and wellbeing. This means all children feel included and are developing their knowledge, respect and understanding of difference. 

'Weak' illustrations for children influence and affect change

Children’s needs and views are not consistently sought or taken into consideration when designing the physical environment or when planning experiences and daily routines. Children’s independence is not supported, and they are unable to direct their own play and activities in the way they choose. Children are not engaged and motivated enough in their play, compromising their progress and development.

Our practice in the service related to caring for resources, including the natural environment, does not take account of sustainability. We provide very few, if any, opportunities for children to learn about sustainability and caring for their natural environment, encouraging poor habits in respect of reducing waste and the impact of our use of natural resources.

Our provision of play resources and equipment is limited and, in some cases, outdated and inappropriate. Children may lack motivation and interest due to the lack of stimulating resources and activity. The resources available lack breadth and balance and do not sufficiently meet children’s development needs. 

In some cases, children and their families may experience discrimination as a result of outdated or inappropriate resources being used. This has the potential to negatively influence children’s self-esteem and children’s knowledge and understanding of difference.

We may demonstrate an approach to risk that is either risk averse or not well considered. This is evident in the layout of spaces indoors and outdoors. This may result in the potential for harm. We may not engage effectively with parents and carers to deepen their understanding of the benefits of riskier outdoor play and learning experiences.

'Very good' information management 

Our physical environment provides a secure and safe setting for children while respecting their rights and reflecting our overarching aims and objectives. Any use of CCTV is lawful, fair and proportionate and protects their dignity. It is only used for purposes that support the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care for children.  

Protection of children’s personal information is paramount and complies with relevant best practice and legal requirements. Our leaders and staff are well informed about their responsibilities and have the skills to carry these out robustly. Efficient and effective record keeping systems are in place. This includes the management of electronic information which is in line with general data protection requirements and advice on cyber threats. Our staff fully understand and implement their roles and responsibilities in relation to information management. 

'Weak' information management

The use of CCTV is not well understood by staff. Our leaders and staff are not well informed about their responsibilities and infringements of rights of children, families and staff may occur as a result. Families may not have been consulted about any CCTV or informed of their rights. The arrangements for CCTV do not meet the requirements of current legislation.

Arrangements for the storage of and processing of children’s personal information are poorly managed and do not comply with relevant legislation and best practice.  Our staff do not have an awareness or understanding of their role in using information appropriately or storing it securely.  Where electronic systems are in place they are not secure or suitable.

The following challenge questions can support your self-evaluation:

• How can we be confident that our setting maximises opportunities for children to be challenged, creative and engaged in their play, and to able to explore their ideas?
• To what extent does our environment support different types of play?
• How can we be confident that our physical environment is maintained to the highest standards ensuring a safe and healthy environment for children?
• How do we know our service is secure and that children cannot leave unsupervised?
• How do we ensure children’s privacy, dignity and preferences are fully respected?
• How well are children enabled to select and make use of high-quality resources appropriate to their needs, wishes and development?
• How inclusive is our setting for all children and families? Does it accommodate and promote emotional safety?
• Does it facilitate and support an understanding of difference and diversity for all children? How do we know?
• How do we know our setting provides a wide range of challenging outdoor play and learning experiences that support health and wellbeing across all spaces for children?
• How are children’s files and information stored to ensure they are secure?
• Do we demonstrate an understanding of how data protection laws operate?