Knodishall & District Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children mostly come into the playgroup readily, and happily go off to find their friends. Those children who are more reluctant to attend are supported sensitively by familiar staff. They quickly settle and become contentedly engaged in activities. Children enjoy staff's interactions with them. They show good levels of interest in the activities provided and they readily choose what they want to do. Those children who learn best from being outdoors can do so. Staff give the same consideration to providing for the areas of learning outside as they do indoors. Children mostly play well together and understand the consistent rules.

Children are developing the key skills needed to be ready for school. They are familiar with the consistent routine. Children listen well and concentrate when they are all sitting together for whole-group activities. Children listen carefully for their name at registration. They confidently respond that they are present when their name is called. Children quickly identify who is not there and make suggestions about why they might be absent. Children are learning about the importance of good health. They understand about foods that are good for us and those that need to be eaten in moderation. Children are learning about oral hygiene.

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

• Staff know the children well. They find out about children's starting points, through their discussions with parents and their own observations. Staff talk confidently about where children are in their learning and what they need to do to help children make progress. Gaps in children's learning are quickly identified and managed.
• Staff support children to be motivated and enthusiastic learners. Children are keen to demonstrate their mathematical knowledge, such as counting the number of children who are present. During a visit from a dental nurse, children are asked how many teeth they have. They readily make predictions and feel inside their mouths to count how many they have.
• Staff support children's speech and language development effectively. They use signing and pictorial prompts to support children's developing vocabulary. Staff engage children in conversation, ask questions to challenge their thinking and actively listen to what they have to say.
• Children enjoy looking at books. However, staff do not make best use of the available resources to encourage children to explore and develop an interest in books and reading. For example, during the inspection, there was a children's workbench in front of the books indoors. Children sit and look at books after snack, but this is not purposeful.
• Staff help children to know what is expected of them. There are consistent rules, such as 'kind hands' and 'walking feet'. Children know to fetch a sand timer if they are waiting for a turn with a popular resource. However, staff do not always manage children's unwanted behaviour in a way that helps children to learn how to modify their own actions.
• Children develop good emotional security and feel safe. They build close emotional bonds with staff. Each child has a named person to take responsibility for them and build relationships with their family.
• Staff encourage parents to remain actively involved in their children's learning. Although parents are not routinely kept informed of events that are happening in the playgroup, they speak highly of the playgroup and the staff within it. Parents appreciate the love that staff give to their children. They state that they are particularly grateful for the unwavering support that they receive, both in their personal and family lives and with child-rearing practices.
• The management team monitors the quality of teaching effectively. There is a programme of regular supervision for all staff. Their practice is monitored, and professional development opportunities are supported to the benefit of children. Staff work very well as a team. They have opportunities to share their skills and learn from their colleagues, to further improve practice and teaching.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the opportunities children have to develop their interest in books and practise their early reading skills
• support staff to manage children's behaviour in a way that will help children learn how to modify their own actions
• build on the established partnerships with parents to provide them with information about what their children will be doing during the session.