Club 4 U Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are keen to come into the playgroup on arrival. They demonstrate a sense of responsibility. For example, children hang up their belongings and independently select from the activities available. Staff have a good knowledge of children's interests and developmental stages. They use this information to plan meaningful and engaging learning opportunities that motivate children to explore, learn and persevere.

Children explore how different tools make marks in dough. They develop their fine motor skills as they manipulate the equipment and show a sense of pride when sharing their creations with others. Staff encourage children to talk about the patterns they make. This builds on children's growing vocabulary and develops their conversational skills. Leaders and staff provide a welcoming and nurturing environment, where children feel safe, secure and valued.

Staff are excellent role models. They have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff use gentle guidance to reinforce the use of good manners and being kind to their friends. At snack time, staff encourage children to share the equipment with their peers and relish the chance to hand out the plates. Staff use activities such as these to promote children's social skills, turn-taking and cooperation, while also fostering a sense of responsibility and independence.

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

• Leaders have developed a well-planned and ambitious curriculum with clear intentions. This enables children to build their knowledge, skills and understanding progressively. Staff collect thorough information from parents and carers when children begin. This allows them to understand each child's development and plan effectively for their next steps in learning.
• Leaders and staff place a strong emphasis on fostering children's love of reading. Daily story sessions capture children's interests, with repeated phrases and puppets bringing stories to life. Staff provide opportunities for children to borrow story sacks and choose books from the lending library to continue this learning at home. They use these opportunities to help children develop their language and literacy skills and inspire a lasting enjoyment of books.
• Staff show a good understanding of how to promote children's communication and language skills. They encourage back-and-forth conversations and ask questions to promote discussions further. As children print with apples and paint, staff encourage them to recall their previous learning. They talk about the playgroup's apple tree and comment on how the apples have changed over time. These discussions extend children's thinking and help them to make connections between their prior experiences and new learning.
• Staff know children well and use this information to support children's learning through activities and routines. They build on children's skills such as enabling them to pour their own drinks and encouraging them to attend to their own personal hygiene needs. However, at times, staff do not use opportunities to enhance and extend children's learning further. For example, occasionally, they give instructions or set rules without explaining the reasons behind them. This limits children's understanding of why certain behaviours or safety practices are important.
• Staff feel well supported by the management team. This contributes to high morale and a positive team culture. Leaders demonstrate reflective practice. They consistently seek and act on the views of staff and parents. Staff are committed to providing the best possible experience for children.
• Partnerships with parents are highly effective from the start in supporting continuity of care for children. Parents report that staff build caring and consistent relationships with their children. They value the guidance and information they receive about their learning and development. Staff proactively support families through key developmental stages such as potty training. They work collaboratively with them to maintain a consistent approach that promotes children's well-being.
• As a result of caring and attentive staff, children begin to recognise and understand their own feelings and emotions. When minor disagreements arise, staff intervene sensitively. They help children manage their frustrations, develop a deeper awareness of their emotions, build their resilience and form positive relationships with others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's skills in recognising and acting on moments during routines and play to enhance and extend children's learning further.