Barcombe Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly come into the playgroup. They greet the staff with pleasure. Relationships are warm and trusting. Children will often seek out a member of staff for reassurance and comfort. They clearly feel safe and secure. Children access the resources with confidence. They behave well, responding to the high expectations of the staff. Where there are minor disagreements between children, staff deal with the situations sensitively, explaining what is and what is not, acceptable behaviour. Children learn to be independent, pouring drinks and spreading honey on their toast. They follow the established routines. For example, they hang their coats up when they arrive and wash their hands before eating. Sharing and turn taking are an established part of daily life for the children. They know that they must wait for their turn when playing games together.

Children have many opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. They bring in favourite items from home to talk to their friends about during 'show and tell' sessions. Children use 'story spoons' to create their own stories. They narrate these stories to an adult, who scribes for them. At mealtimes, children chat happily with their friends and the staff about their recent experiences. Staff speak to children clearly and help them to extend their vocabulary, which children then use in their play.

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

• Children develop their physical skills effectively. They enjoy being outside in the fresh air. Children work collaboratively to make the see-saw move up and down. They have fun kicking the ball to each other, demonstrating good control. Others climb on the pirate ship. They decide the boat must go more 'speedily' because sharks are following them.
• Staff provide good support to help children understand the world around them. Children are fascinated by the wood lice they find under a log. They take great interest in using the magnifying glasses to observe the minibeasts. Staff encourage children to be gentle when handling the creatures. This helps children to understand how to be kind to other living things.
• Parents are very satisfied with the playgroup. Their children are happy and partnerships are strong. Parents help to establish children's starting points when they join the playgroup. They are consulted about their child's likes and dislikes. However, at times, parents are not kept well informed about their child's next steps in learning or how they can be supported at home.
• Leaders hold regular meetings with staff members to discuss their performance and training needs. They ensure that mandatory training is completed. Leaders support staff in their quest to improve their knowledge and skills. Leaders are reflective and have plans to improve the setting further. For example, they are planning a garden area where children can grow fruit and vegetables, to help them understand the importance of healthy eating.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, (SEND), are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator and other staff work effectively with external agencies to address the needs of these children. This enables children with identified SEND to make good progress.
• Staff successfully invite members of the community to come and share their knowledge and experience with the children. For example, children were curious about where bread comes from. A local farmer, who grows cereal crops, has offered to come and talk to the children about how to grow wheat and other grains. He will bring examples to show them.
• Children independently choose their own activities. For example, they requested that the role-play area become a hairdressing salon. Children have great fun collaborating together to comb each other's hair, decorate it with clips and pretend to cut it. They use a variety of descriptive language, such as 'pretty' and 'beautiful'. They know not to use real scissors on their hair, in case they cut off too much.
• Staff plan appropriate activities to support learning, which are based on children's interests. They monitor children's progress and identify any gaps in learning. However, occasionally, staff are not clear enough about what they want specific children to learn, to ensure that activities are consistently challenging enough to help them make the best possible progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus activity planning more precisely on individual children's specific learning needs, to ensure activities offer appropriate challenge and extend all children's learning
• keep parents regularly informed about their child's next steps in learning and the activities they can do at home to support their progress.