Abbeydale Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this stimulating and exciting playgroup. Staff welcome children happily with their kind, nurturing nature. Older children develop their independence and school readiness as they line up with their age group, hang up their belongings and choose activities to engage with. Staff support children and talk to them about the process and their day ahead. Children settle quickly and are confident in the playgroup environment.

The manager and her team develop and deliver an ambitious and inclusive curriculum for all that attend. They use their excellent knowledge of the children to create meaningful learning opportunities for them. Staff adapt their teaching style to meet the needs of each individual child. For example, children develop their imaginative and physical skills when they create structures with magnetic shapes. Staff ask older children about the colours and shapes they are using. When children who need extra help join the activity, staff hand them the shapes and label the colours repetitively with the single word. Children begin to copy the word and label the correct colour. Children and staff beam with pride as they achieve.

Staff weave mathematical language into children's play. Younger children label the numbers they see on the wall. Staff ask them what number they are and they quickly point to their age. Older children begin measuring each other on the number line. Staff assist children and ask them if they can order themselves from smallest to tallest. Children eagerly work together and happily engage with the challenge.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The manager highly values her staff team and the importance of their well-being. Staff report that the manager is very approachable and they feel very well supported in their roles. Staff have regular supervisions and training opportunities. For example, staff are aware that many children do not have access to outdoors at home. They have attended training to enhance their understanding of how to support outdoor learning so they can implement high-quality learning experiences for children in their large outdoor space. Staff and children are happy and love learning.
• Staff teach the children the value of communication from a young age. Children are confident to ask for help and enjoy conversations with others. In the garden, staff engage children in conversation about the woodlouse they find in the mud and how it moves. However, at times, staff use closed questions and do not give children the opportunity to think and use their own ideas. For example, when children want the same toy, staff tell children how to resolve the problem. They do not get the children to think how they could manage this themselves.
• Additionally, when children create pictures with tissue paper and glue, staff do not ask children what they would like to call their picture and they simply tell the children what they are labelling it.
• The manager and her staff provide very good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those that need extra help. Staff create very good relationships with children and their families. They work together to ensure that children get consistent support. The manager makes timely referrals to external agencies to ensure that children get the best support while at the playgroup and for their transitions to school. Children have access to inclusive learning and teaching. They are safe and secure and make very good progress.
• Children display very good behaviour. They are respectful of their environment and have good relationships with others. When staff announce it is tidy-up time, children work together to tidy away, ready for the next part of the routine. Children recognise when their friends need support and ask them if they would like help. For example, when children see a friend attempting to tie their jumper around their waist, they kindly assist them while explaining how to tie it up. Children are extremely happy with the kindness of their friends.
• Staff begin to teach children the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Children develop their physical skills in the garden as they run, ride bikes and climb on the climbing frame. However, staff do not always talk to children about why a healthy lifestyle is important. For example, at snack time, children eat fruit and vegetables. Staff do not initiate discussions about the foods children eat and the different types of food needed for a healthy diet. Additionally, staff ask children to put their food waste in the compost bin but do not discuss why we compost food.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use every opportunity to develop children's knowledge of a healthy lifestyle, so they learn why it is important for their bodies and the environment
• encourage staff to use more effective questioning, to allow children the opportunity to think for themselves and use their own ideas.