N16 Tots And Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to arrive in the mornings at this welcoming nursery. They greet staff they know very well and immediately begin to chat to their friends. Children play with activities which are meticulously planned by staff to reflect the children's individual interests. For example, children in the toddler room use their favourite diggers to explore the sensory tray. As a result, children are engaged in their play.

Children have excellent opportunities to explore the outdoors. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, go on daily outings which include visits to local parks and gardens, as well as a forest school. Children have many opportunities to develop skills across all areas of learning. In particular, children use their communication and language skills especially well. Children who speak English as an additional language and those with speech and language needs make good progress because staff work with external agencies to provide early intervention and support.

Children behave well because staff are skilled at supporting them to communicate their needs and regulate their emotions. For example, when children get frustrated, staff model good sharing and turn taking. As a result, children play happily with their friends.

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

• Staff work with parents to give and receive as much information as possible about their children. As a result, staff know the children well and are able to plan to meet the needs of all children and support their learning.
• Staff regularly assess children's learning, both formally and informally. They have regular meetings with parents throughout the year, which gives staff opportunities to share children's progress and next steps. Staff identify children's next steps and plan activities which build on children's prior knowledge.
• Managers work together with staff to implement a well-sequenced curriculum. There is a strong focus on building children's resilience and self-esteem. This helps children to be well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• Staff plan opportunities for children to get to know others in the local community. For example, they use public transport to take children to visit the theatre regularly. Staff have previously made links with older people in the community. As a result, children's knowledge and understanding of their local community is strong.
• Staff teach children new and challenging vocabulary. For example, children are learning about recycling and enjoy naming materials, such as glass, plastic and card. Children are beginning to use these new words in their everyday language.
• All staff work well to support children in their play. Occasionally, in group activities, staff expect children to concentrate for too long. As a result, not all children are engaged in their learning.
• Managers and staff work together with a range of external bodies and families to deliver high-quality support to children with a range of additional needs. Consequently, children receive early intervention and parents say they trust the staff to care for their children.
• Staff plan a curriculum which builds on children's prior knowledge. For example, after visiting a local theatre to watch, 'A tiger that came to tea', staff plan a variety of activities to develop children's communication and language. This includes opportunities to explore sand and water, the role-play area and reading stories. As a result, children can remember and talk about their experience of going to the theatre very well.
• Staff talk about how they work hard to create a maths-rich environment. For example, children hold a group of objects in their hands to explore what different quantities look like. This helps children to begin to understand what groups of numbers look like.
• Children behave well. They learn about fairness and sharing, which helps them to understand how their behaviour affects others. Parents visit to talk about their jobs, such as working in law. This leads to a discussion among the children about right and wrong.
• All staff are considerate and treat children with respect. They ask children for consent before carrying out care practices. This helps children to feel valued and they have opportunities to express their feelings and make choices.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to organise and plan group activities so that all children are motivated and engaged.