Eastington Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Warm and friendly staff welcome the children and their families into this nurturing playgroup with open arms. They prioritise forming strong relationships and getting to know the children in their care. Children enter eager to learn. They seek out their friends and quickly settle into their chosen play. Staff reassure children to help them feel comfortable around new people. They introduce visitors as 'safe' to talk to and interact with. Staff celebrate children's achievements and offer them lots of praise, which builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

The manager and her team have clear expectations for children's learning. They focus on promoting children's personal, social, and emotional development, which prepares them for later life. Staff want to support the children to become resilient and to be tolerant of making mistakes. They do things wrong on purpose and allow the children to point out their mistakes and laugh together. Children learn to do things for themselves. They put on their coats, pour their drinks, and tidy away their toys. Staff provide the children with knives to cut fruit and spread butter on their crackers at snack. They purposely give children the wrong number of plates to encourage them to solve problems and develop early mathematical skills.

Staff are excellent role models. They encourage children to use their manners and wait their turn. Children develop strong social skills. They learn to manage their feelings and resolve any minor conflicts with little support from staff.

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

• Children discover and explore the world around them. They visit the playgroup's allotment, where they grow different vegetables and look for bugs. Staff involve the local farming community in bringing in different animals. For example, three sheep and their lambs visit the playgroup. The children share their knowledge and experiences of feeding the lambs. They touch the lambs and sheep, and notice how soft they feel. Staff talk to the children about sheep wool and how it is used. They remind children about the importance of washing their hands after touching animals and getting rid of the germs.
• The manager and her team have created a well-sequenced curriculum that covers all seven areas of learning. They interact with the children at key moments to extend children's learning past what they already know. Staff provide a wide range of planned activities to support children's next stages of learning. However, staff do not always consider the timings for these planned activities to ensure that children engage for long periods. This means that children become distracted by other play opportunities, which impacts on their participation and focus during activities.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. They have access to a large playing field and a park. Staff encourage children to challenge their bodies and take safe risks when climbing on the equipment. They encourage children to build obstacle courses and participate in movement activities, which strengthens their muscles and coordination. Children notice the effect that exercise has on their bodies. They talk about feeling hot and detect how fast their heart is beating.
• Staff provide children with a language-rich environment. They continuously narrate to the children during their play and introduce new words and vocabulary. Staff plan activities and games to support those children with speech and language delays. They do small-group work and help to build children's confidence with speaking in larger groups.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Staff provide the families in their care with a wide range of support and guidance. Parents state that the manager and staff have an open-door policy to allow them to talk about any concerns or struggles. Parents receive detailed feedback on their child's development and next stages of learning. The key person has important discussions about any delays or emergent needs. They give parents ideas to further support learning at home. Parents state that the staff know the children well and create a family atmosphere for them and their children.
• The manager and her small team work well together. They share ideas and feedback on how to improve the provision, such as creating a small sensory room where children can go if they feel overwhelmed. Staff feel valued by both the manager and the committee. They receive regular supervision where they can highlight any professional development courses that interest them. The manager prioritises their well-being and is always available to talk through any personal or work-related issues. This creates a positive workplace environment.
• Overall, children behave extremely well. Staff highlight the rules and boundaries of the setting and can be heard offering gentle reminders to children. However, these reinforcements are not consistent. During transition times, children become excited and run to get their coats or wash their hands. Staff, at times, do not remind children to use their 'walking feet', which results in children tripping over or running into each other.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of planned activities to support children's consistent engagement and participation more effectively
• support staff to reinforce the rules and boundaries of the setting consistently so that children learn to behave in a safe way.