Holy Trinity Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this friendly and welcoming playgroup. They are greeted at the door and quickly settle into engaging activities with welcoming staff. Children work together as they build tracks and push vehicles along the track. They use their imaginative and role play skills as they play in a pretend hair salon, where they brush and straighten the mannequin's hair.

Children explore large-scale construction. Assisted by a supportive adult, they look at instructions and work out how to join the pieces together to form shapes. They carefully attach pieces of jigsaw puzzles together. They look at the pictures on the box and use their problem-solving skills to match the pictures. Children develop their large motor skills as they climb and balance on the ship climbing apparatus outdoors. They pretend to fix the ship, selecting a range of tools, commenting that, 'It's broken.'

Children listen attentively to stories and rhymes, both inside and out. They use their recall skills to talk about Elmer the elephant in the story. They then use their mathematical skills to compare pictures of elephants and order them by size. They practise their fine motor skills by making marks on paper. They choose the colour they wish to use and create pictures that they proudly name.

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

• The manager and staff have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and promotes the interests of the children at the setting. There is a strong emphasis on building self-help skills. For example, children independently put on their coats before going outside, they select their own snack and put their plates and cups away once they finish eating.
• Parents are complimentary about the care and quality of education the playgroup provides. They speak warmly about the 'family' atmosphere and the friendly staff. However, at times, parents are not always informed about their child's next steps in learning, or how they can be given strategies that they can use at home to help their child practise the skills they have learned.
• Children respond well to the routines set in place. They listen to instruction and understand the sequence of events throughout the day. However, learning is sometimes disrupted throughout the day as children are called to do other activities in quick succession. This prevents children from learning as they start to lose interest and become restless.
• Children's healthy lifestyles are supported well. Staff work closely with families to ensure that children have healthy lunch box contents. Oral health is promoted. Children are given a dental set to take home with information about how to care for their teeth. Children show that they understand the importance of hygiene practices by independently sanitising their hands before eating their snack.
• Children behave well at the playgroup and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children are polite and courteous to visitors. Staff give gentle reminders to children about using their manners and children respond well, remembering to say 'please' and 'thank you' when they receive a drink or a snack.
• The staff support children's emotional needs well. Children come to staff for reassurance and comfort when they are unsure or upset. Additional support is given to those who may require further help managing their feelings. Children are given continuous praise and encouragement throughout the day. This helps children feel valued and respected at playgroup.
• The manager ensures that additional funding is thoughtfully implemented. For example, it is used to provide uniform or additional sessions to some children. Furthermore, funding is used to provide educational visits for children, and additional resources that enhance children's experiences to develop an understanding of the wider world at playgroup.
• The playgroup manager regularly evaluates the quality of experiences children receive. She monitors staff practice and provides all staff with training opportunities. Staff feel very supported and comment that they feel part of a 'family' while they are at work.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve strategies when working in partnership with parents to ensure that parents are informed of their child's ongoing progress
• review daily routines, so that children have fewer interruptions and are more engaged in their learning.