Mice To Meet You Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff plan activities that are interlinked to children's interests and emerging curiosities. This successfully inspires children. For example, children are fascinated by cars and vehicles, and staff ensure these resources are available both indoors and outdoors. Toy cars create a catalyst for imagination to flourish as children become deeply engrossed in their play. Linking planned activities to children's preferences supports children's genuine eagerness to learn. Staff encourage children to make choices as they play. This promotes children's decision-making skills, independence and growing sense of resilience.

Children share warm and positive bonds with the staff who care for them. They proudly invite trusted adults into their games and benefit from frequent affectionate cuddles from staff. Children respond by clapping and smiling when staff praise and encourage them. Children are self-assured, confident and happy. Children successfully grow a range of plants in the on-site allotment. They learn about nature and the world around them and develop empathy for living things. Children carefully dab paint brushes on wall-mounted boards outside. This creative and expressive play develops children's early writing skills as they make intended marks. Children remain continually occupied and enjoy a broad programme of activities in this stimulating setting.

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

• This is a highly inclusive setting. All children are welcome and their individual needs are understood and met. Staff celebrate children's uniqueness and invest time and effort providing tailored care for children and families.
• Staff foster excellent relationships with a wide range of professionals. They benefit from the expertise and support of medical, health and education professionals to enhance their practice and impact on outcomes for children.
• Staff work closely with parents and grandparents. They offer advice and information to support families on their parenting journey. For instance, parents are offered information on oral hygiene, healthy eating and toilet training. Parents welcome this useful information and children benefit from a joined-up approach to their care.
• The setting is led by committed and driven senior leaders. They have a clear understanding of what they do well and areas to develop. A detailed action plan, coupled with a positive attitude to change, drives improvements and ultimately helps to raise standards.
• Children play outside every day. They benefit from wide open spaces to explore and run freely, promoting their good health through energetic physical exercise.
• Many of the staff working at the setting have done so for many years. This established and stable team means children are reassured by consistent and familiar staff. Furthermore, staff comment they are happy and feel well supported by the caring managers. This supportive environment promotes their excellent morale and, in turn, they work hard to offer quality care and learning opportunities for children.
• Children remain continually busy and occupied. Staff allow time for children to play independently, repeating and practising what they already know. Children also benefit from adult-led activities. This mix of adult-led and self-chosen play enables children to make good all-round progress.
• Children are encouraged to take safe and supervised risks in their play. Staff remain nearby, coaxing and encouraging children. For instance, children balance on sloping beams and navigate climbing walls. This challenging and risky play extends children's positive 'can-do' attitude and resilience.
• Staff engage in plenty of ongoing narration and children hear lots of words as they play to extend their emerging vocabulary. However, staff often use closed questions when interacting with children, which does not support two-way discussion. As such, children are not always offered opportunities to practise speaking.
• Staff know children well, and through their professional observations, they identify what children can do and where they need additional help. However, they do not always make best use of this information about gaps in learning when planning. This means, sometimes, that teaching is not precisely focused on what children need to learn next.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff interactions even further to support children to participate in two-way conversations and help them practise their speaking skills
• ensure planning and teaching focuses precisely on where children would benefit from additional support to help them to make rapid progress.