Broadbottom Pre-school Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are busy playing and learning at this setting. Managers and staff have high aspirations for children. They support children to develop the skills that they need to prepare them for school by offering a range of activities and by supporting children as they play. For example, staff encourage children to put on their own coats and to pour their own drinks at snack time. Staff model behaviour well. They join in children's play and demonstrate how to take turns, use equipment carefully and to consider their friends. Children show lovely behaviour and start to build friendships with their peers.

Through observations, talking with parents and listening to children, staff build their knowledge of what children need. They use this to help them to prepare a curriculum that is interesting and engages children well. Staff understand children's starting points and they skilfully help children to build on their learning during play. For example, when children count bricks, staff extend this learning by asking children to add one more. Staff take children on regular outings to support children's knowledge of their local community. They walk to the shops, where they explore and purchase local produce, such as lemon curd. They taste this at snack time. Staff use the trips to help children think about safety. They discuss road safety as they look for safe spaces to cross the road. Children begin to consider ways of keeping themselves safe.

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

• Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in dancing and exercise routines. Staff teach listening skills as they demonstrate to children how to follow the instructions. They help children feel that their heart is beating quickly and they talk about why this happens during exercise. Children begin to build knowledge about their bodies and keeping healthy. Hygiene routines are in place and are usually followed. However, staff do not consistently remind children to use a tissue to wipe their nose. This increases the risk of passing on infections.
• Outdoors, children have space to be physically active. They confidently use wheeled toys and slides. Children have a tremendous time as they hop and balance between stepping stones. Staff remain close by, offering encouragement and a hand to steady children if they wobble. Children gain confidence with this reassurance and develop their large muscles and their coordination.
• Staff are skilful and enthusiastic when storytelling. They make good use of props to keep younger children interested. Children continue their learning outside as they re-enact stories and recall familiar phrases. Staff join children's play, asking questions with genuine interest. This helps children to increase their imaginations and their expressive language.
• Staff know children well. They observe and monitor what children know and can do, which helps them to identify any gaps in learning. Where support is needed, this is swiftly put into place. This supports all children to make good progress in their learning.
• There is plenty of time for children to explore, think and try out, well supported through high-quality interactions with staff. For example, when children build structures from bricks and from wooden tubes in response to a story of 'The Three Little Pigs', staff join their play. They wonder with the children which of the structures is the most stable. Children pretend to be the wolf as they investigate which of the structures they can blow down. Children learn to test and follow through their ideas and thinking.
• Staff encourage good behaviour. For example, they praise children for considering their friends. Children show care for each other. Older children take their younger friends by the hand to show them where the bathroom is. Children consider making space so that others can join their play. Children begin to understand that their behaviour has an impact on others.
• Managers support staff well. A robust recruitment process and induction help to ensure that staff are suitable and safe to work with children. All mandatory training is kept up to date. However, professional development is not sharply focused on building staff's knowledge over time to help further improve the teaching of the curriculum.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• sharply focus staff development, so that knowledge is built continuously and teaching promotes the best possible outcomes for children
• consistently teach children how to follow hygiene procedures and learn how to reduce the risk of spreading infection.