Healey Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and happy in this inclusive setting. Relationships among children, parents and staff reflect a positive and respectful culture. Leaders and staff have an admirable dedication to ensure that all children can succeed. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Staff quickly create targeted support plans for children and work well with wider professionals. This ensures that all children make good progress.

Staff plan experiences that children may not have had before. Children learn about music from different cultures through performances from visiting musicians. They go on outings in the local community, with trips to the park and the supermarket to buy foods to eat at mealtimes. All children's unique backgrounds and beliefs are highly respected and welcomed. This includes holding Christmas and Eid parties, and taking part in Chinese New Year celebrations. These opportunities help to give children a breadth of enriching experiences and the knowledge and skills that they need for life.

Children demonstrate the impact of the curriculum as they recall previous learning. They talk about how some dinosaurs have wings and eat fish. Staff plan activities which consider children's interests. Overall, this helps them to display positive attitudes to learning. Staff introduce complex new vocabulary to children as they share stories and name 'velociraptors' and 'tyrannosaurus rex'.

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

• Leaders place an emphasis on establishing children's positive early eating habits. They recognise the importance of promoting diets which are rich in fruits and vegetables. Children take part in cooking activities where they make healthy foods such as vegetable stir-fries and taste cuisine from around the world. This helps to develop children's taste and knowledge about a range of foods, and also provides them with a healthy start to life.
• Staff have animated and expressive interactions with children which help to promote their thinking skills. For example, during an activity of 'snow' making, staff encourage children to think about what they will need to make it. This helps to promote children's ability to solve problems and think independently.
• Staff are clear about what they want children to learn. They carry out observations and assessments of children's development. This helps them to think carefully about what children already know when deciding what to teach them next. However, group activities are not always well planned to sustain children's attention. On occasions, younger children lose focus and do not benefit from planned learning.
• Children have a variety of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They practice using their large-muscle skills as they climb frames and use hula hoops. They enjoy the outdoor space as they pedal bikes and move vigorously as they run and climb hills. Staff teach skills which help children to develop their small-muscle control. Children refine these as they use scissors to snip paper and roll dough. This helps to develop their precision, control, and hand-to-eye coordination for early writing.
• Generally, staff set clear expectations and boundaries for children. They talk about using listening ears and model using good manners. Staff treat children with compassion and respect. Overall, children's behaviour is good. However, on occasions, when children struggle with regulating their own behaviour, staff do not always help them to explore their own emotions and understand how their actions may impact on the feelings of others.
• Parent partnerships are effective. There is a warm, community feel, where families are widely welcomed into the setting. For example, parents who are chefs come in to lead cooking activities. Parents are kept well informed about their children's development. Staff ensure they have the strategies and guidance they need to support learning at home. Parents say that their children make good progress and 'love coming here'.
• Staff well-being is well promoted, and all staff report that they are happy working here. Leaders have thought carefully about how to promote staff morale through initiatives such as team building activities. Leaders, including the nominated individual, regularly evaluate and reflect on the standards of the playgroup. They have clear action plans in place. Staff carry out regular training to update their knowledge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise group activities to support all children's learning, particularly younger children
• make the most of opportunities to help children explore their own emotions and understand how their actions may impact on the feelings of others.