Gants Hill Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff prioritise children's safety and happiness. They provide a welcoming space, where children are cared for by familiar and nurturing staff. This helps children to settle and feel secure at the playgroup. They build affectionate bonds with staff and show that they feel confident and ready to learn. Staff plan the learning experiences around the children's interests and preferences. This helps children to enjoy their early education. They freely explore the activities and concentrate intently on the things that interest them. For instance, children demonstrate good attention to detail as they paint colourful 'rainbow houses'. They happily share their knowledge with their peers, such as showing them how to draw 'a sunshine'.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They are patient and supportive as they guide children towards positive values, such as being kind and helpful. This helps children to understand the rules and boundaries. They listen to staff, follow the routines and play nicely with others. Staff provide an ambitious curriculum to help prepare all children for their next stages in learning. For example, staff plan a range of focussed learning experiences for older children, in readiness for them starting school. These help children to develop early literacy skills. such as pencil control, and to learn about shapes, measurements and numbers in different contexts.

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

• Staff monitor children's progress across all areas of their learning, and provide targeted support, to help close any identified gaps. They liaise with parents, and other professionals where needed, to promote continuity in children's experiences. Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively to cater for children's individual needs, such as one-to-one support to join in with routines and activities. This good partnership working helps all children, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress from their starting points.
• There is good support for children's language and communication skills. Staff incorporate opportunities for children to hear new words and to practise speaking and listening throughout the activities. They also use non-verbal forms of communication, such as picture cards. This helps children, including children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language, to understand rules and routines. Children become confident communicators and express themselves effectively.
• Staff use playful ways to introduce children to mathematical concepts. For example, as children transfer dried pasta between containers, staff encourage them to compare weight and size. They count how long it will take to fill the big container and how many pieces will fit inside with the children. Children confidently display their understanding of numbers and measurements as they play with building blocks.
• Staff provide some opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. For instance, they celebrate a range of multicultural festivals and events, which help children to understand their similarities and differences to others. However, staff do not always consider how to extend children's knowledge and experiences of their community and nature.
• Overall, staff support children's positive attitudes to learning well. For example, they praise and encourage children's early attempts at writing, which motivates them to practise further. However, staff do not always consider children's ages and abilities when planning and delivering large-group activities. Therefore, some children become distracted, lose interest and miss out on learning opportunities.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles for children. This includes providing nutritious snacks and activities which teach children about good oral hygiene. Staff inspire children to keep fit, such as with daily exercise routines and outdoor play. Children show that they enjoy being physically active as they move in response to music or tackle the outdoor climbing equipment.
• Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders and other colleagues and comment on the strong sense of teamwork. They benefit from regular supervision and training, to enhance their professional practice and help them to safeguard children.
• Parents speak highly of the care and support their children receive. They praise how staff regularly share information with them about their children's learning and how they can continue this at home. Parents report that their children have developed better confidence and communication skills since joining the playgroup.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further strengthen the curriculum for Understanding the World, to help build on children's knowledge and experiences of their community and nature
• support staff to plan and deliver large group activities more effectively, to help all children remain focused and engaged in learning.