Croft Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff implement a successful curriculum to suit children's individual interests. Staff promote an approach where children learn in the moment, while supporting them to meet their milestones in all areas of development. Leaders create an ethos for a warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere with the intent for children and their families to feel valued, safe and happy.

Children are progressing well in their physical development. Staff provide a wide range of garden equipment to support children in developing their large muscles. These include climbing equipment, such as ropes, frames and ladders on trees, which also helps children to learn about managing risks safely. Children also take part in Latin-inspired dance sessions once a week as part of an exercise regime to live healthy lives, where they learn rhythm and how move their bodies to a beat.

Children are developing a love for books through the ample experiences available. Staff provide activities where children develop their own stories and act them out to their friends, using a wide range of imagination and confidence skills. There is an on-site library that children and parents use regularly, and story sacks to borrow and read together at home. This has positively improved children's interests in books, and enhanced their communication and language skills, as it promotes a platform for practising their speech.

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

• The highly qualified managers are extremely enthusiastic in promoting staff's continual professional development. They inspire staff to lead their own learning through their interests and the needs of their key children. This allows staff to strengthen their knowledge and provide a curriculum to suit children's individual needs. Managers effectively carry out staff observations to detect further training needs and to be reflective of staff practice.
• Staff promote British values to introduce the ethos of 'how they want the world to be'. They initiate new topics each term and share the themes with children during circle times, such as accepting each other's differences to embed inclusiveness for all. However, at times, staff do not support older children to regulate their emotions and understand the feelings of others, to help build secure relationships.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have a strong support network around them. Staff get to know the children well, they gain knowledge and understanding of their needs to support them in their development. Managers hold meetings regularly with staff, parents, and outside agencies, to ensure children with SEND are set realistic targets. This supports them in meeting their milestones and reaching the best possible outcomes.
• Staff allow children time to work on their problem-solving skills as part of the setting's child-led approach to learning. For example, children attempt to carry water across the garden from the water tray to the role-play café. Children quickly realise that carrying the water in their hands or in funnels is not effective. Children use their thinking skills to figure out that they need jugs to successfully resolve the issue.
• Parents feel very well supported in their child's development. Leaders and managers hold highly informative meetings to support parents in understanding their child's learning, and provide ideas of how to promote learning at home. Staff and leaders create good communication with parents through handovers, parent's evenings and online platforms to provide insight into their child's learning. Parents express their gratitude for the supportive management team, as they advise them on sleep routines and toilet training.
• Managers make great effort to expand children's learning experiences by inviting people of various professions into the setting. For example, an astronaut came to visit the children to speak with them about planets, space shuttles and the space station. This expanded children's ideas of the universe, particularly for children who have a deep interest for space rockets.
• Children are well prepared for school. Staff ensure that children are meeting their early years outcomes through good quality assessments, highlighting any gaps in development. For example, staff encourage children's independence, including confidently accessing resources, asking for help when needed, knowing how to get a drink, use the toilet and dress themselves. Managers invite teachers into the setting to meet their new pupils and to share their development reports, in readiness for a smooth transition.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to support older children to regulate their emotions and gain an understanding of the feelings of others, to help them in securing friendships.