Glenfield Methodist Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter the playgroup and tell visitors that they love playing with the dolls and phones. They choose to go outside and independently put on their hats, as they have learnt that this protects them from the sun. Children confidently explore the resources placed outside. They dig in the sand and paint bricks with water, developing their physical skills. They use their hand-to-eye coordination as they pour water from different containers. Staff promote communication and language as they encourage children to touch the water and ice and describe how they feel.

Staff count with the children as they play hide and seek. They support the children to count to 10 before they look for those that are hiding. Children enjoy using the large area to run and excitedly find their friends. While outside, staff make available a range of boxes for children to investigate. Children sit inside them and try wearing them as hats. Staff encourage them to use their imagination and pretend to be a robot. They help them to make holes for eyes and to talk in a robotic voice. Children select pictures of towers and use blocks to recreate the image. When they find it tricky to put the blocks in the correct place, staff support them to persevere until they succeed. When they have completed the building, they celebrate.

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

• Staff follow children's interests to support learning. For example, children dig in the sand and find pebbles and shout excitedly that they have found treasure. Staff extend this by adding sequins to represent treasure. When children find the sequins, staff promote their mathematical development, encouraging them to count how many they have.
• Key persons know the children and their families well. They plan experiences to complement children's home life. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the playgroup closed, children were given resources to use at home, such as threading materials to help develop their fine-motor skills. Parents report that they are supported to extend their child's learning at home.
• Staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who, therefore, may need additional support. They work with parents and other professionals to ensure that an appropriate support plan is in place. This means that relevant learning is provided. Children make progress in their individual learning and development.
• Staff support children to develop the knowledge and skills that they need so that they benefit from what school has to offer. Children are independent and confident to make decisions. They are able to communicate their needs. For example, they spread their crackers, put on aprons and say when they need to apply their eczema cream. Staff support children to feel ready to start school. They help children to try on school uniforms and talk about going to school. Children look at pictures of the school that they are going to and discuss their school visits with friends.
• Staff promote positive behaviour; they support children to share and to understand how others may feel. For example, they guide them to play with the sand carefully so that it does not get into their friends' eyes. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn to follow rules. Children learn to take turns when playing board games.
• Staff know that children enjoy going to cafés with their parents. Staff use this knowledge and set up a pretend café. Children write menus, take orders and say what ingredients they need to buy to make their own cakes. As they play, they are developing their communication and language skills.
• The manager gains feedback from parents, staff and children to evaluate the provision. She uses the feedback to identify how to meet the needs of children and improve practice. For example, following refection, staff attended training to support communication and language development. This means that staff can respond to children's specific needs.
• Staff use assessments to check children's developmental stage and plan learning experiences. However, at times, activities are not suitably challenging. For example, children can easily use tools provided to cut shapes in the dough. This does not build on what they know and can do to extend their learning further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure the experiences offered are planned to build on what children know and can do, to extend learning further.