Northleach Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the playgroup happily, separating from their carers with ease. They quickly settle down and choose the activities they wish to take part in. Staff warmly greet the children and their parents, who are welcomed into the playgroup to settle their children should they wish. Children show they have formed secure relationships with staff, such as by sharing their news. They demonstrate they know the routines as they hang up their coats and bags where their photo is on display. Children engage in role play based on first-hand experiences. Staff support them well, talking to them and encouraging them to recall their personal experiences as they play. This helps support children to develop their imagination.

The staff have a clear vision for their curriculum. They plan experiences to help children gain the skills and knowledge they need in readiness for their move to school. Staff monitor the children's progress carefully. They seek support and advice from the local authority team when there are gaps in children's learning, allowing them to put plans in place to help them catch up. Overall, children make good progress in their learning and development.

Children develop a love of books. They independently choose books and ask staff to read to them, which they do animatedly to engage children's interests. Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their hand-eye coordination and strengthen their hand muscles in readiness for early writing. For example, children scoop bird food with a spoon, fill up the feeder and enjoy painting pictures.

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

• The staff have made significant improvements since the last inspection to meet the actions raised and improve the quality of the curriculum. They have sought advice and support from the local authority and attended training, which has had a positive impact on children's behaviour and their all-round learning.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff have created a 'calm' space where children can have time away from the group. They look at books with staff, who help them to learn to talk about their feelings and how to manage them. Staff praise the children for their acts of kindness, such as when they share resources or play cooperatively. This helps children understand positive behaviours and to be respectful to others.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills effectively. They provide small-group sessions to support children's listening skills and encourage them to describe objects in a box so that others can guess what is in there. Staff extend children's vocabulary by introducing words such as 'bristles' and 'handle'.
• Children develop good levels of independence. Staff support them to put on and take off their coats, all-weather suits and boots, and to hang them up or put them away. Children enjoy taking responsibility as they hand out the plates and cups at snack time. Staff encourage simple counting during routines, such as asking children to take two pieces of apple or cheese.
• Children enjoy playing outside in all weathers. Staff provide a range of physical activities to help children build their gross motor skills. Children run around with confidence, negotiate spaces, climb and balance. Staff help them develop new skills in rolling hoops along the ground, which children enjoy practising.
• Staff report that they feel very supported in the playgroup and have regular access to training and development opportunities. Some staff have recently attended 'Getting it Right for Boys' training and have implemented new ideas as a result. For example, staff do not routinely disturb children's play unnecessarily to get them to join in with group times. When children need to finish their play for snack or mealtimes, staff offer plenty of time for them to prepare for the change and use visual aids, such as sand timers. This has successfully reduced unwanted behaviour, particularly from the boys.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are good. Parents report that their children enjoy coming to the playgroup. They are very pleased with the progress that their children have made, particularly their speech, language and confidence. However, staff do not consistently engage effectively with parents to help them encourage their children to manage their personal needs early enough.
• Staff get to know the children well and plan activities based on their interests and individual needs. However, they do not liaise quickly enough with other adults caring for the children at other settings they attend. This means they do not have enough detailed information to provide full consistency in supporting some children's development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• engage parents more effectively in supporting some key aspects of their children's personal, social, and emotional development between the nursery and home
• liaise more swiftly with adults at other settings children attend, to fully promote consistency in their learning and development.