Avebury Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a safe and welcoming space for children. They know that children need to feel happy and secure to thrive. Therefore, they prioritise children's emotional well-being. For instance, staff provide tailored settling-in sessions to ensure that children build secure attachments with them before they join the playgroup. Children settle quickly. They feel at ease and are eager to learn. Staff plan the learning experiences based on the things that children enjoy so that children are drawn to activities and develop positive attitudes to learning. This child-centred approach helps all children make significant progress in their academic and personal development.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They teach them important social language and skills such as how to say 'please' and 'sorry' and to share the toys. Children demonstrate high levels of respect for others and play happily alongside their peers. Staff recognise that some children do not have access to a wide range of play and learning experiences outside of the playgroup. Therefore, they carefully plan the curriculum to help close the gaps in children's learning. For example, staff take children to visit museums and local parks to broaden their curiosity and understanding of the world. They encourage parents to come with them so that they can share in their children's learning.

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

• Staff monitor children's progress closely. They ensure that children who need extra help receive the right support at the right time. Staff plan effectively for the next stages in children's learning and provide specialised activities to enhance their language and social skills. They also work closely with parents, sharing advice and resources to further promote children's development. This cooperative approach helps all children to achieve their full potential.
• The support for children's language and communication skills is a real strength. Staff use a wide range of words and ask meaningful questions while children play. They consistently incorporate visual forms of communication, such as simple sign language, into their teaching. This helps children who speak English as an additional language or are developing their speech to understand the routines and express their needs. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, become confident and effective communicators.
• Staff provide a broad curriculum for the children and plan a wide array of fun and engaging activities to support their learning. However, they are not always consistent in introducing numbers and other mathematical concepts during play activities to support children's early mathematical skills.
• Children show a keen interest in literacy and develop their mark-making skills well. Staff ensure that books are readily available and read to children in ways that excite them and ignite their love for stories. Staff understand that children need to develop strength, control and coordination throughout their bodies in preparation for learning to write. Therefore, they ensure that children have lots of opportunities to practise large- and small-muscle movements, such as by painting, digging, pouring and threading.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles for children effectively. They provide nutritious snacks and teach children to manage their personal care and hygiene, such as using the toilet and washing their hands independently. Staff also give guidance to parents to support children's good health at home, such as advice on healthy eating and workshops on oral hygiene. Children learn that there are lots of fun ways to be physically active. They play outdoors each day and enjoy climbing and jumping in the indoor 'soft play' room.
• Children benefit from lots of opportunities to explore their feelings and emotions. For instance, they examine the facial expressions on the 'emotions dice' and talk about their own experiences of feeling happy, sad or angry. Staff skilfully support these conversations. They encourage children to reflect on their actions and how these may affect other people's feelings. This helps children begin to moderate their behaviour.
• Leaders have clear oversight of the playgroup and develop the provision around the needs of children attending. For instance, they have identified that outside of playgroup, many children do not have opportunities to experience and learn about the natural world. Therefore, they are developing an area of their garden into a 'forest school' to further enrich children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further the opportunities for children to develop their understanding of mathematics and the vocabulary linked to numbers, shapes and measurements.