Belton Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children look at their own photo books with staff. The book contain photos of the children's previous learning experiences and special events in their lives at home. They hold discussions with staff about what they see in the photos, helping them to remember what happened and to develop a sense of belonging in the playgroup. Children are supported to focus and pay attention. For example, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are invited to engage in learning during small focused group times, when they are encouraged to concentrate.

Children show that they thoroughly enjoy being physically active. Staff support them to take and manage risks that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. For example, younger children are supervised by staff when they want to walk down a slide, promoting their safety. Older children are confident in their abilities as they swing, climb and jump on and off objects, showing good strength and coordination in their bodies. Children are creative when, for instance, they help staff to make dough. They are asked to take it in turns to add ingredients, following a recipe. When asked, older children are happy to fetch rolling pins for their friends to use, showing kindness to others. When children add colouring to the dough, staff support younger children to begin to understand how colours can be mixed together. Older children are asked what they want to make with the dough. They reply, 'Pancakes,' showing their imagination.

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

• Staff support children with SEND well. For example, they make referrals to other professionals to help provide targeted support for children's individual needs. The manager uses additional funding effectively to support children's development. For instance, additional resources are purchased, such as stepping stones, to help children to build on their core strength, balance and coordination.
• Staff know their key children well, including those with SEND. They use observations and assessments to identify what children need to learn next. However, this information is not always shared fully across the staff team. At times, other staff do not recognise how best to help some children with their learning. Therefore, sometimes children do not make the progress they are capable of.
• Staff help older children to understand the learning intention of activities. For example, when they give children dough to squeeze, pinch and pass from hand to hand, staff explain to them that this is to help to develop the muscles in their hands for when they start writing. However, staff's interactions with younger children are not always as effective in helping them to understand what is being asked of them. For example, when staff ask them how they are feeling, children do not understand and say their name instead.
• Staff offer children a wide range of healthy foods at snack time. They encourage children to try different fruits and vegetables to help increase the range of nutritious foods they eat. Children are asked to serve their own food, helping them to manage portion sizes and make choices about what they want to eat.
• Children understand staff's rules and boundaries in the playgroup. Staff discuss these during group times, giving children prompts, such as touching their ears to remind them to listen and touching their eyes to remind them to look.
• Staff encourage children to be independent, helping them to learn skills for the future. For example, they ask children to pour their own milk at snack time and to select their own plate and cup. Staff support younger children to follow the routine of putting their dirty plates and cups in a bowl when they have finished eating. Older children manage this on their own.
• Parents comment positively about their children's time in the playgroup. They say that they are kept well informed about what their children are learning. Parents appreciate how much their children have developed in their language and social skills since starting.
• The manager and staff reflect on the experiences they offer children. Recent changes, due to the younger age of the children starting, include removing smaller toys and objects to promote the younger children's safety in the play environment. Staff make improvements based on their knowledge of children's interests. For example, they introduce further equipment, such as tyres, in the garden, when children like to climb.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the sharing of information between staff so that children's learning and development is further supported during children's play
• help staff to develop their knowledge of how to support younger children to understand what is being asked of them.