Lostock Playschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a nurturing and engaging environment that fosters children's current interests. Staff place a high priority on supporting children's emotional well-being. They understand the individual needs of children in their care. For example, on the rare occasion, when children are feeling sad, staff offer a reassuring cuddle and support them in their play. This helps children to settle quickly. Staff form strong bonds with children through their positive and warm interactions with them. Children feel safe and secure. They develop a real sense of belonging. For example, staff and children sing a welcome song to acknowledge who is ready to play today. Children beam with big smiles as they place their picture onto their 'welcome tree'. They help their friends who struggle to find their picture. Children are developing kind and respectful attitudes towards each other.

Staff set high expectations for all children. They offer a curriculum that gives children ample opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, children practise balancing along the stepping stones and climb up the climbing frame safely. Children show good hand-eye coordination as they confidently throw a ball into the air and hit it with the bat. Children are developing good physical skills, such as core strength and coordination. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning.

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

• The setting provides a curriculum that focuses on the skills they intend for children to learn. However, there are some inconsistencies in how the curriculum is implemented. On some occasions, staff provide too many expectations of children. For instance, children are sat for long periods of time during group time and are then asked to line up in pairs to go outside. During these times, children become distracted and lose focus in their learning.
• Staff support children's emerging decision-making skills. For example, as children enter the setting, they choose how they would like to be greeted, such as with a 'fist-bump', a 'high five' or a cuddle off their key person. In addition, they place a pom-pom in the tube to choose which story they would like to read during story time. These opportunities positively support children to understand the importance of sharing their own views.
• Staff are passionate about supporting children with SEND. Therefore, they prioritise working together with parents and external professionals to ensure that children receive the correct support. Staff are aware of children's individual needs, and they provide tailored interventions to support their next steps in learning. This means that gaps in children's learning quickly close and that children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. At snack time, staff offer children a choice of fresh fruit, crumpets and a drink of water or milk. Children make their own choices. They practise chopping their fruit and spreading the butter onto their crumpet. Children confidently pour their own drink, and they drink from an open cup. They show good levels of growing independence.
• Parent partnerships are a strength of this setting. Staff provide parents with regular opportunities to meet with their child's key person. This helps to keep parents up to date with their child's development. In addition, parents and children attend interactive sessions that are based on the stories the children enjoy. Staff share ideas and encourage parents to take books home. This supports parents to extend children's learning at home and consistently support their communication and language needs.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. They model key words to children such as 'autumn' and 'crunchy' during an activity to support children's imagination. This broadens children's ever-growing vocabulary. Staff prioritise reading and singing to children daily to support their early listening skills. Children excitedly sing 'old McDonald had a farm' after listening to different animal sounds and matching the sound to the correct animal. Children make good progress in their early communication and language development.
• Children have a positive attitude towards their learning. Staff support children when they find new tasks difficult. For instance, they model to children how to use the 'walkie talkies' effectively when children are unsure of how they work. Children persevere and keep on trying. Staff offer lots of praise, which boosts children's self-esteem. On their next attempt, children confidently press the button to communicate with their friends. Children are becoming motivated learners.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the implementation of the curriculum at all times to consistently support children's engagement in learning.