Berry Brow Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Berry Brow Pre-School Playgroup is filled with energy. All children are engaged in various activities in the room. Staff encourage children to develop their speech and language skills. They role model new words, sing songs and read stories. Children are supported in learning by using their interests. For example, staff introduce dinosaurs to splashing in the water with the staff using new words, such as 'filling, emptying' and 'pouring'.

There is a consistent approach to supporting children from all the staff as they remind children about 'good sharing'. Children say 'thank you' and 'you're welcome', after being able to show their counting skills, such as counting how many children are at playgroup. Children clap when they have finished counting, showing how proud they are of their achievements.

Staff provide a variety of different experiences for children. For example, they have the opportunity to cut up real vegetables in the home corner, and use a soup maker to blend the vegetables. Children enjoy outdoor play. They love being able to climb to the top of the slide and use the telescope to look at the real castle on the hill. They enjoying mixing in the mud kitchen, talking to staff about what is inside the bowl.

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

• Leaders have a focus on communication and language for children and to help them to develop their independence. This is woven through the day from staff role modelling language, and staff encouraging children to wash their hands by themselves.
• There is a consistent approach to behaviour. Staff reinforce the expectations about turn taking and give lots of praise. Children use good manners and include other children in their play well.
• Staff and children have strong bonds, and children feel safe and secure. This supports them to independently explore and experience the opportunities available. For example, mixing dough together and making animal footprints in the dough.
• Parents speak very highly of the service. They comment on strong communication from staff. Leaders work well with parents, signposting them to support and advice, when needed. Parents mention how reassuring and flexible the staff are. Children enjoy taking home books to enjoy with their family. Parents feel involved in their child's learning.
• Children enjoy the outdoors as they cycle up and down the path and look for minibeasts. They walk around the tree, staring up at the branches, looking for the leaves. However, leaders do not consider how to ensure all children have the same access to the outdoors in all weathers.
• Staff support and guide children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders promote an inclusive setting. They ensure children are able to access the learning opportunities in suitable ways. This ensures that all children make progress in their development. Staff use different strategies to engage all children, for example making eye contact and using visual cards. They engage with a variety of specialists to meet all children's needs. Leaders are ambitious in ensuring all children make progress from their starting points.
• Mathematics development is woven through the day, including counting, shapes and mathematical language. Staff adapt their approach to the child's needs. For example, using name cards with coloured shapes so that they can recognise the shape first. This progresses to literacy skills and they recognise the first letter and finally their full name. Children are excited to see their name and guess their friend's name.
• Children are respected and given opportunities to make choices and share their preferences. For example, they choose to clap or wave during the 'hello song' at circle time. Children's interests are a high priority. For example. when children get the puppets and musical instruments out, staff join in their play. Staff use the sounds of the instruments to engage interactions, extending children's communication skills and use of eye contact.
• Staff have professional discussions that support their well-being with leaders, with some staff accessing new training when it is available. However, leaders do not yet tailor training opportunities to enhance the already good knowledge of the staff.
• Leaders are highly supportive of the team. They support their well-being and work together towards the same vision. Leaders include staff in the constant evaluation of practice. They make adaptations to provision for safety reasons or to support further learning for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider innovative ways to ensure all children have the same access to the outdoors in all weathers
• tailor training opportunities to enhance staff's knowledge and skills.