Evolution Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited to begin their day. They separate from their parents with ease as friendly staff welcome them inside. Children feel safe and secure. They build sensitive relationships with staff, who know them well. Staff allow children time to settle before beginning to explore the creatively presented activities that they have planned. Staff support children's behaviour well. They model positive language, such as please and thank you, demonstrating kindness and respectful interactions for children to observe. Children follow staff's good example and show compassion towards others.

The manager has an ambitious curriculum. Children maintain their focus as activities are interesting and staff link them to children's interests. Staff use their observations and knowledge of their key children to devise tailored and individual next steps for children's development. For instance, they create a messy play tray based on children's interest in dinosaurs. Staff actively play with children and provide them with new language, such as 'big' and 'squishy'. Children engage in their play and develop positive attitudes to their learning. Staff swiftly identify children who require additional help or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). With parental consent, they make referrals for support.

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

• The curriculum is designed to fit the needs of children and ensure they make progress. Staff have clear intentions for every child's learning. As a result, children develop skills that prepare them for the next stage in their education. However, at times, the focus of group activities can be broad. This means that, at times, staff do not focus some group activities on children's individual learning.
• The manager and staff work well together to deliver an inclusive curriculum. They work effectively with families and professionals to ensure that children with SEND receive a shared approach to their learning. This supports children to achieve the best outcomes.
• Staff provide a calm and respectful environment for children. They give children lots of praise, such as when they tidy up. Staff use a range of strategies, such as visual aids, to support children's understanding of routines and expected behaviours. For example, they remind children of the skills they need before taking part in a group story, such as 'good sitting' and 'good listening'. Children develop an understanding of the behaviours which staff expect.
• Children's emotional well-being is a high priority in this setting. Key persons complete forms with parents to get to know them and their child. Staff help children to feel special. For instance, they create individual photo albums of children and their families, which they display for children. Children settle quickly and build secure relationships with staff.
• Staff help children to develop a secure understanding of early mathematical concepts. For instance, young children excitedly count and compare the number of small insects they find while exploring the mud kitchen.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They use children's home languages and familiar words to support children's understanding. This helps children and families to feel valued.
• The newly promoted manager shows a drive for continual improvement. For example, she uses regular team and supervision meetings to observe staff's practice, offering constructive feedback to help to improve their teaching skills. This helps to inform staff's ongoing professional development. However, the manager does not monitor closely enough how well these programmes help to extend individual staff's practice so that all children fully benefit from consistent approaches from staff.
• Parent partnership is strong. There is good communication and parents are happy with the care their children receive. Parents share examples of positive parent partnership, including early intervention, referrals for children with gaps in their learning and development, and effective support for their children during key transition points.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the planning of group activities to precisely match each child's developmental stage
• develop the professional development opportunities for staff further, to strengthen their knowledge and skills to ensure more consistency in practice.