Fenham Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and settle quickly, eager to join in activities. Staff welcome them warmly into the relaxed and appealing environment, which helps to support children's emotional security and well-being. They know children well and are sensitive to those children who may need a little more reassurance. Children show trust in familiar staff, for example by seeking cuddles from them. Staff's attentive and warm approach puts children at ease and they show a strong sense of belonging.

The playgroup provides a well-planned and engaging curriculum that, overall, supports children's learning and development effectively. There is a focus on ensuring that children have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed when they move on to school. Children develop their independence and are keen to take responsibility. For example, they help staff to set the table for snack time. Staff provide a wide range of resources that are linked to children's interests and are organised to encourage independent exploration. Children play together with confidence and are lively and motivated learners. Alongside this, staff plan activities to help children to develop specific skills. This helps to ensure that all children learn and remember more. Children make good progress and achieve well.

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

• Staff support children's independent learning well. They extend children's learning and promote critical thinking. For example, while building with bricks, staff encourage problem-solving by asking, 'How can we make the tower bigger?' Children work together to test their ideas, showing resilience and determination. They keep trying until they succeed. Children show pride in their achievements, smiling at staff's praise and giving their friends a 'high five'.
• Overall, the curriculum supports children's learning very well. Staff encourage children to develop their mathematical knowledge. However, at times, they overlook ways to deepen children's understanding. For example, although children recall numbers from memory, staff do not consistently support them to learn about number values and quantity.
• Active play and exercise are important parts of the daily routine. During outdoor play, children have the freedom to explore and move confidently. Children develop balance and coordination, for example when they walk across the tyres. There are further opportunities indoors for children to practise skills, such as climbing the ladder frame. This supports children's physical development well.
• Staff teach children good hygiene habits, such as the correct way to brush their teeth. They work with parents to ensure that children benefit from a nutritious diet. Children learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, for example when they tell their friends they must wash their hands 'to get rid of the germs'.
• They talk about how the food in their packed lunches helps them to grow 'big and strong'.
• Managers regularly review teaching practice and provide feedback to staff to build on their skills. They encourage staff to continue with their professional development, which leads to improvements. For example, staff have learned more about how children learn through repeated patterns in play. They have included more activities and resources to support this. Children have increased opportunities to develop their thinking skills and to explore how objects relate to one another.
• Staff use additional funding to help to support children's progress. For example, the playgroup provides additional education hours to extend children's opportunities to learn. Staff provide additional resources to help children to develop particular skills in areas where they need more support. This helps to ensure that all children, including disadvantaged children, make good progress and do not fall behind in their learning.
• Staff use visual aids, such as picture cards, to help children to understand routines and to know what to expect next in their day. However, at times, staff do not provide children with clear, consistent and positive expectations for their behaviour. For example, they do not support children consistently to pay attention during group activities. Occasionally, children distract each other and become restless, which interrupts their learning. That said, overall, children behave well and are polite and kind to their friends.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's confidence and expertise in teaching early mathematics to help to deepen children's understanding of mathematical concepts
• give children more consistent and positive guidance about the expectations for their behaviour.