Merryfields Playschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are nurturing and enthusiastic in their approach. They spend time with children and get to know them when they first start. Leaders ensure that there is an effective key-person system. This helps children to settle quickly and form reassuring bonds with staff. Staff provide a calm environment and support simple routines to create a safe and consistent experience for children. This helps to foster children's confidence and positive behaviour. Staff have high expectations for children. They give children plenty of time to complete tasks for themselves and learn from engaging in riskier play. For example, children quickly gain the skills necessary to climb carefully up the ramp and jump off the end.

Staff encourage children to freely access the interesting array of resources, inside and outdoors. Consequently, children become immersed in their exploratory play and often work together following the same theme. While there is a strong emphasis on supporting children to lead their own play, staff demonstrate good skills in building on children's ideas. This helps children to widen their knowledge of how things work and how to be resourceful. Staff skilfully incorporate mathematical language into children's play. They encourage children to order pine cones by size and use terms such as 'smallest' and 'largest'.

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

• Staff thoughtfully plan for children's learning and development, continuously observing and assessing them during play interactions. They use their understanding of each child's abilities and child development to respond effectively in the moment, while also identifying what children need to learn next. This approach allows staff to create opportunities that celebrate children's interests and extend their learning effectively.
• Staff nurture children's imaginative play. They join children in their role-play situations, such as pretending to go to the hospital. Staff notice when children are exploring new ideas. For example, they encourage children to consider how they can secure a bandage, before demonstrating how to tie a knot. This helps children to develop new physical skills as they twist the bandage and give it a go for themselves.
• Overall, staff support children's developing language and communication skills. They narrate children's play and use simple sign language to help children to express their choices. However, where further support is needed for children with speech and language delay, staff are not yet implementing more tailored strategies to help children make the best possible progress.
• Children are encouraged to be independent and to take responsibility for tasks, such as cleaning up spillages and helping to prepare the snack. Staff provide authentic resources, such as china mugs and glasses. Children quickly learn how to handle these safely. For example, they intuitively pause their play to check that everyone is safe when the occasional breakage occurs. Visits to a local allotment provide further opportunities for children to learn about staying safe when out and about.
• Staff actively keep parents informed about their child's time at the playschool. For example, they share photos of children's activities through an online app. Parents appreciate this communication and are inspired to repeat activities with their children at home. This consistent engagement helps to ensure children experience good continuity in their care, learning and development.
• Staff model positive interactions, reinforcing the values of kindness and respect. They teach children valuable skills to help them to play cooperatively. Children learn how to share and take turns, inlcuidng when waiting patiently to fill their cup at the water station. Consequently, they adopt good learning habits for their future.
• Leaders prioritise effective support, training and continuous professional development for staff. As a result, staff feel supported and appreciate the strong emphasis on their well-being. This commitment fosters a dedicated team that collaborates effectively to bring about improvements to the provision for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to build on their knowledge and understanding of strategies to support children to make the most progress they can in their communication and language development.