Marlow Opportunity Playgroup 1

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive exemplary support to meet their care and learning needs at this exceptional playgroup. This starts from the very moment they arrive and are collected from their cars. Staff have continued this practice following the COVID-19 pandemic as they noticed the huge positive impact it had on children's well-being. Children are greeted by the friendly, smiling faces of staff they know very well. There is a wonderful, warm and nurturing atmosphere within the playgroup, which focuses on positive experiences. Children are extremely happy at the playgroup and have strong, trusting bonds with staff. They feel completely safe as they enjoy stories while snuggled up with their key person.

Throughout the session, children access a vast range of highly stimulating, exciting activities and experiences. They can choose from fantastic messy play, sensory experiences and outdoor activities. Staff ensure that all children can access every opportunity on offer. They have incredibly high expectations of all children and provide a curriculum that matches these expectations. Children are making excellent progress in all areas of their development and well-being.

Children behave exceptionally well. Staff support them to regulate their behaviour by talking through the routine and giving warning of change. For example, they use visual timetables to communicate that play is finished and snack is next. This supports children to feel extremely safe and secure in managing their emotions.

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

• Staff provide a robust curriculum that is highly ambitious and individualised. They expertly tailor this to build on what children know and can do. By providing a holistic approach to learning that combines play, care routines and therapies, they support children to achieve the very best outcomes in their development.
• All staff expertly use a broad range of communication methods when interacting with the children. For example, during morning group time, they sing, dance and sign with children. Children excitedly communicate back using signing and assistive speech devices. They learn to communicate through welcoming and warm shared social experiences.
• Staff skilfully ensure children can choose what they would like to do while at playgroup. For example, children choose whether they want to play in the role-play area or play dough station by communicating using eye gaze. Staff focus intently on the children and their communication. They listen attentively to them and really value their choices. This supports all children to feel heard and highly respected as unique individuals.
• The exceptional manager and her well-led and passionate team consistently improve their skills and knowledge through training. They do this on a wide variety of topics, both broad and specific. They understand the importance of ensuring they provide care that is essential and particular to each child's complex needs. This ensures that children's care routines and learning are of the highest standard.
• The team works extraordinarily closely with local schools in order to support children to make the transition to their next step in education. For example, they make time to partner parents on school tours and accompany children on school transition visits. This supports families to manage change in a way that puts their child's well-being first, by sensitively and reassuringly managing transition to school.
• Staff ensure that they consistently communicate highly effectively with other settings that children attend. For example, they work closely with staff, spending time in each other's settings with the child they share joint care for. This ensures completely consistent and continuous care is maintained to support complex care routines. Along with collaboration on children's learning and assessments, this partnership ensures the very best care and education for each child.
• Parents speak very highly of the positive contribution staff make to their families' lives, particularly their children's lives. Parents gave many shining testimonies, such as 'It's like one big family', 'We would be lost without them' and 'forever grateful'. They detail how staff work tirelessly but happily to support every area of their children's care and learning. It is abundantly clear that parents and practitioners work together incredibly closely to provide the highest quality experience for their children in terms of care and education.
• The highly skilled managers ensure that children make excellent links to their community. For example, they take children on trips to the local park and the garden centre, where children can learn about animals. Children learn through first-hand experiences about the wider world around them during wonderfully exciting opportunities outside the playgroup.
• The extremely knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator works with staff to ensure all children's assessments and referrals are made swiftly. She provides a fantastic wealth of support and reassurance for staff and parents to ensure that gaps in children's development are closing rapidly.