Little Donnington Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this nursery. They are warmly welcomed into the setting and settle quickly into interesting activities that are on offer. Children benefit from a broad and well-planned curriculum that covers all areas of learning. They are safe and feel happy in the environment, which is bright and stimulating, displaying an array of the children's beautiful work. Children are well focused during activities. They enjoy choosing for themselves and lead their own play. Children have access to a fun outdoor space which offers an array of equipment to support their physical development. For example, children enjoy riding on the bikes, playing in the mud kitchen and using the climbing frame.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and safety. Children understand the importance of keeping themselves and others safe. For example, they walk carefully through the main school to attend school assemblies. This supports their smooth transition to main school, as they become familiar with the routines. Children are developing a good understanding of mathematics and numbers. Staff use routines to practise counting together with the children. For instance, staff use snack time to help children to count pieces of fruit and gain skills in simple addition.

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

• The small staff team has a clear understanding of the children in their care. Activities are planned well and are based on the children's interests. Staff build on what children know and can already do. For example, staff provide children with an Easter egg decorating activity with a range of resources, such as glitter, paint and feathers. Staff use this activity to support children's counting and colour recognition. They use a wide range of descriptive language, such as 'soft', 'sparkly' and 'large'. Staff consistently comment on children's play and encourage them to make predictions about what may happen next. For instance, they say, 'What will happen if we put glitter on?' This supports children's communication and language development.
• Children make good progress in all areas of their development. Their progress is well monitored through written observations, photos and 'wow' moments which are documented throughout the day. This enables any gaps in children's learning or development to be identified quickly. Staff work closely with other professionals to effectively support any children with specific needs.
• Staff have built strong relationships with parents and families. Parents share that they feel well supported. Parents offer high praise for the staff and state they are caring and respectful to their children. The support for home learning helps to achieve consistency and continuity.
• Children are encouraged to be independent and enjoy being given responsibilities. For example, older children brush up the sand when it falls on the floor and put toys away before snack time. However, staff do not always encourage younger children to do things for themselves and gain even better self-help skills.
• Staff work effectively as a team. Staff deployment in the playgroup is good. Staff are able to focus and fully engage with children as they move from different activities. Leaders identify staff training needs effectively through supervision meetings and mentoring. Staff access a range of training offered by the school and local authority. They use this to raise the quality of teaching and care.
• Leaders liaise with other professionals and support is given to children who have additional needs. Children are prepared for the next stages of their education and supported to make a seamless transition through the good communication between settings. There are strong links with the local schools and other settings. This means children become familiar with the routines when they start in a new setting, enabling a smooth transition.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support younger children to be more independent in their self-care routines.