Burma Court Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This committee-run playgroup provides a community for parents and children that is nurturing, safe and welcoming. Children happily rush up to the door to be warmly and enthusiastically greeted by staff. For children who are settling, strong relationships with key people are quickly forged. Children stay close for comfort and security, while beginning to explore their new environment. Staff take the time to get to know the interests of children and when they may become upset. They are able to easily distract them with an engaging learning opportunity as part of the challenging curriculum in place for children.

Staff have high expectations for children and are positive role models. They speak to each other with courtesy and respect and children copy this. Children are reminded to say please and thank you. They help care for their environment by tidying up.

The behaviour of children is good. Children show care and concern for each other. They develop friendships with their peers and actively seek out others to join their play. Staff are proactive in teaching children to resolve conflict independently while being nearby to support if needed. Staff provide resources such as timers to help children understand the concept of waiting their turn and sharing resources.

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

• Leaders and staff of this playgroup are passionate about creating an environment for children that supports them, as individuals, to have the best possible start to their early education. Leaders work in partnership with the local authority to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access the support needed.
• All staff know the children well. They are skilled at providing opportunities that not only build on what children need to learn next but also incorporates their interests. For example, after finding several spiders in the garden, an interest table is set up within the room. Children look with fascination through non-fiction books, sharing facts with each other about spiders, recalling they have 'eight legs' and 'make webs'. Children proudly create their own spider pictures.
• The curriculum for communication and language is a strength of the playgroup. Children had wide and rich vocabularies. They recall that the centre of an apple is called the 'core' and an octopus has 'tentacles' not legs. The environment is language rich through narrative, songs and the sharing of stories. Children who speak English as an additional language quickly pick up key words and can communicate with other children to share their likes and dislikes.
• Children have a range of experiences and opportunities across the different areas of learning to participate in. They are focused and engaged in their play.
• However, when children encounter difficulty with a task, staff can sometimes step in too quickly to provide an answer or problem solve for them, as opposed to letting them persevere and try again to develop resilience and confidence in their own abilities.
• Leaders work in partnership with parents to promote healthy lifestyles to children. For example, only water is permitted within the playgroup and parents are given guidelines of what should form a healthy packed lunch. Staff encourage children to try new fruit and vegetables through activities, such as making fruit kebabs. Children are physically active. In the garden, they run and move in a variety of ways, negotiating obstacles. Children take turns on the large climbing apparatus, showing skill in balance and coordination.
• Children learn about the community around them, and how they fit into a much bigger diverse world. During settling, staff find out what events are important to children and families, and this is built into planning. Children share other stories, arts and crafts activities and songs that form part of their unique identity.
• Partnership with parents is strong. As a community playgroup, parents are heavily involved in fundraising. They are also encouraged to spend time in the playgroup sharing their skills with children. This could be through sharing stories, leading music sessions and most recently leading numeracy workshops.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• allow children to problem solve independently before stepping in to provide solutions, to build resilience ready for the next stage of their learning.