Little Acorns Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This positive and vibrant staff team recognises the uniqueness of each child's experiences and development. Staff use this information to create challenging and interesting experiences for children.

Children listen and pay attention exceptionally well during circle time. They join in with discussions about the weather and count the children present that day. Children enjoy singing familiar songs and do the accompanying actions with plenty of enthusiasm and excitement. During such times, they learn about simple concepts, such as 'loud' and 'quiet', 'slow' and 'fast' and counting forwards and backwards.

Staff help children to learn about science and nature by growing their own food, such as tomatoes and spinach. Children watch as the plants grow and change in size and shape and learn how to take care of them. They discover first hand where food comes from.

Children focus intently as they explore, pull apart and cut the sweet-smelling and brightly coloured flowers into little pieces. They laugh and squeal as they squeeze the spray bottle and squirt water at each other. These are some of the ways that children learn to develop the physical skills needed for early writing.

Children enjoy playing with the pretend frog life cycle resources. They stick their fingers in the chia seed which looks just like frogspawn and engage in pretend play with the different-coloured frogs sat on lily pads.

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

• The manager analyses the progress of individual and specific groups of children. She identifies any gaps in children's learning and puts plans in place to address these. The manager makes sure that every activity is challenging and interesting for the different ages and stages of children attending. Where required, she makes appropriate adaptations to activities, or introduces new resources, to meet the needs of children with additional needs.
• The special educational needs coordinator is highly skilled at coordinating the playgroup's response to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She skilfully advises and supports staff and parents, and regularly liaises with other professionals. This joined-up approach helps these children to make the best possible progress.
• The manager places a strong emphasis on promoting children's early literacy skills. For example, children identify their names on arrival and listen intently to stories each day. They can choose a book to take home and share with their parents. Trained staff provide high-quality and fun letters and sounds activities for older children each day. As a result, children confidently identify many letters and their sounds.
• Staff know the children very well and develop strong relationships with them. They recognise the importance of giving children a hand to hold, offering reassurance, smiles and praise as they play alongside them. Staff have high expectations for the children and encourage them to follow the rules.
• Staff provide children with nourishing and well-balanced meals and snacks. However, they do not provide children with enough opportunities to develop their independence skills at mealtimes or during the changeover of activities.
• Staff plan termly outings for children, parents or carers and staff. This provides them all with opportunities to socialise together. These trips focus on helping children to learn to take manageable risks and experience physical challenge in their play. For example, they visit soft-play establishments and adventure playgrounds.
• The manager makes sure that staff receive regular individual support meetings where they can discuss any suggested improvements or concerns and their well-being. She makes sure that each member of staff's practice is monitored and any training needs are identified and planned for. This helps to make sure that staff are happy in their work and improve the knowledge and skills they need to effectively teach children.
• The manager has successful strategies in place that promote highly effective partnerships with parents. Parents comment that staff respect and listen to them. The manager attends the local authority's early years provider meetings. All of this helps the staff team to reflect on its practice and fully support children's well-being and development. However, there are few opportunities for children to gain an awareness of how they differ from, or are similar to, other people.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with more opportunities to develop their independence skills
• provide children with more opportunities to build on their respect for, and understanding of, the similarities and differences between themselves and others in the wider community.