Hempstead Pavilion Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are warmly welcomed into this small friendly playgroup. On arrival, staff and parents exchange information about children to make sure they work together to support their individual needs. Children enjoy attending the playgroup. They leave their parents easily, ready to start their day. Children excitedly search out and find their friends to start playing together. They demonstrate good behaviour and an understanding of the expectations of the playgroup. For example, children work together to stand up skittles and then take turns to roll the ball to knock them down. This helps to build their social skills.

Staff have developed an effective curriculum that takes account of what they want children to learn and be able to do for their next stage in their learning, such as school. They plan the environment to maximise learning and independence, as well as taking account of what interests children. This ensures all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making good progress in their learning. Staff are aware of the different learning styles children have and introduce children to a variety of ways to achieve tasks, such as teaching them different ways to put on their coats. This helps children develop their self-help skills in a way that they choose.

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

• Children have the opportunity to explore a wide range of books. Staff place books in each learning area so that children can select them independently. Staff read to children throughout the day, waiting at points for children to join in repetitive phrases. Children use books in their play. For example, they use a recipe book when pretending to make lollipops while role playing with their friends. This helps children develop a love of books and reading.
• Staff place a high priority on children's mathematical development. They introduce opportunities for children to see and match written numbers. For instance, children find their slippers in a box with a corresponding number to their coat peg. Staff count the number of children in the group with them and use words such as 'straight' and 'curvy' when playing with the train tracks. These experiences increase children's knowledge and understanding of basic mathematics.
• Children are developing good language skills. Staff organise the environment to maximise opportunities for them to work with children to extend their vocabulary. They introduce new words, such as 'squidgy' when playing with the dough. However, on occasions, staff do not pause during back-and-forth conversations to allow children time to talk. This prevents children sharing their views and ideas.
• Staff help children to develop healthy lifestyles and good hygiene practices. For example, staff offer a range of healthy fruit and vegetables at snack time. Children know that they need to wash their hands before eating. When they decide to have a snack, they go to the sink without being asked.
• Staff have a good understanding of child development. They monitor children's progress closely and are quick to identify if children may need extra support. Staff make swift referrals to outside agencies. This means children get the help and support they need to make the best possible progress.
• Children are developing good physical skills. Outdoors, they work together and arrange resources to crawl and balance on, such as tyres, crates and planks. Indoors, children enjoy using tweezers to pick up small parts such as pom-poms. This helps them develop their finger muscles ready for early writing.
• There is a strong focus on teamworking as well as improving working practices. Staff meet daily before the playgroup opens. They share information about the daily intentions for children and what they want them to learn. Staff have regular supervision sessions and attend courses to improve their practice. They report they feel well supported by the management team and have manageable workloads.
• Partnership with parents is good. Staff keep parents informed with daily updates and regular written reports about children's progress. Parents are invited in termly for a 'cuppa and a chat' session with staff. This session is organised for staff to update parents on their child's progress. Staff provide them with ideas for experiences they can offer to extend learning at home. The playgroup offers a lending library and resource bags for children to borrow. Parents report they are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to support children more effectively to understand how to conduct back-and-forth conversations as part of their ongoing language development.