CHADCA Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy to attend this playgroup. They arrive excited to start their day and separate from their parents with ease as they rush to find their friends. Staff are kind and caring and form positive relationships with the children. This helps children to settle well into their surroundings and to feel safe and secure. Children enjoy their playgroup experience.

A kind and knowledgeable staff team take pride in putting the children at the heart of everything they do. They provide children with a wide variety of well-resourced activities, both inside and out. For example, children have continuous opportunities to run around in the fresh air, climb, balance and ride on toys. Children's learning is well planned and successfully builds on their past experiences. All children make good progress in their learning.

The children behave very well. The managers and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children learn to listen to others and take turns as they play together and share toys. Staff consistently reinforce appropriate rules and boundaries in a calm and polite manner. For example, staff talk to children about their behaviour and how this behaviour impacts on the feelings of others.

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

• Staff plan activities with a clear intent for learning. Children enjoy a variety of focused activities based on their interests and next steps. For example, children learn about keeping their teeth clean as they enthusiastically pull teeth out from a toy crocodile. However, during some adult-led activities, staff do not focus clearly on the most important learning they want children to achieve. This means that the intended learning outcome is not always fully achieved.
• Staff use effective strategies to support children to recognise and manage their feelings. Children have daily opportunities to discuss their feelings and emotions. For example, children enjoy group time with the 'worry monster', cuddly toys and storybook. They use wooden spoons with painted expressions to give children the opportunity to name how they feel, such as happy or sad. This gives children the confidence to express and manage their feelings independently.
• Parents are very complimentary about the service the nursery staff provide. They feel that the staff 'go over and beyond' in providing a range of exciting activities for the children. Parents comment on the strong relationships children build with the staff, describing them as 'part of the family'. Staff use regular newsletters, online information and verbal feedback to help support children's development at home.
• The management team has high expectations for all staff and children. They accurately evaluate their strengths and identify areas for development. Staff say that they feel like part of the family and can speak openly and honestly with the managers. They are given regular opportunities to talk about any worries or concerns they have that may affect their work in termly well-being meetings. Staff's professional development is given high priority.
• Children's communication and language development is placed at the centre of the playgroup's curriculum. Children become thoroughly involved as staff introduce them to a rich variety of language through stories and songs. Staff skilfully ask children questions and allow them time to think and express themselves during play.
• Support for children with known or emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. The management team works together with staff, parents and other professionals to support children who need additional help in their learning. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively to benefit the children who receive it. Consequently, all children are prepared for the next stage of their learning and make good progress.
• Overall, staff support children's independence well. Children select their own resources and activities, use the toilet and wash their own hands independently. However, opportunities for children to carry out tasks for themselves are not always consistent. For example, staff hand out plates and cups to children, pour their drinks and prepare and serve snacks for them. This impacts on children's ability to carry out simple tasks for themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to build on staff's ability to implement the learning intentions during activities, to support children's learning to a higher level
• build on opportunities to extend children's independence to the highest level.