Peter Pan Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive to a warm welcome from staff, who build strong relationships with children and their parents. Staff ask parents to share information with them that might be important to a child's day. They use this information when planning activities for each child. This helps children to remain stimulated in their play and learning. Staff respond to children's needs, and this helps children to feel safe and secure at the playgroup. Children behave very well, and staff are positive role models. They are kind, loving and gentle. Staff use positive approaches in order for children to learn how to understand their feelings and emotions. Children who struggle with their feelings are given extra resources and strategies, which support them to begin to regulate how they are feeling.

Staff fully prepare children for changes during the day, such as getting ready to go outside or sitting down for lunchtime. Children quickly learn about the routines. They anticipate what will happen next. This supports children's well-being effectively, particularly younger children, children who are new to the playgroup and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff encourage children to be independent. For example, children find their own names in the morning and put away their belongings. Older children are given extra responsibilities, such as being a helper at lunchtime. They beam with pride when staff praise them for being so helpful.

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

• Leaders have high expectations for every child to do well in their learning and be prepared for the next stage in their education. They have highlighted that supporting children's communication is a priority at the playgroup. Consequently, activities that are rich in language are weaved throughout their broad and balanced curriculum. For example, staff use books and stories to engage children in discussions. They give time for children to respond with their own opinions and ideas. Children independently access books and sit with their friends. They talk about their favourite characters. Opportunities such as these strongly support children's imagination, love of books and their emerging vocabulary.
• Staff work hard to identify the children's current interests and existing knowledge. They know what children need to learn next. All children, including children who speak English as an additional language and children with SEND, are supported well in their learning overall. However, on occasion, although staff are aware of a child's next steps, they do not consistently provide the opportunities individual children need to gain the skills that staff have identified. This does not fully support all children to progress as quickly as they could.
• Staff engage in playful interactions with children and encourage them to ask questions and contribute their own ideas during discussions and interactions. Children demonstrate high levels of curiosity as they engage in a wide variety of exciting activities that staff have planned for them. Children's enjoyment and engagement during activities is high. However, there are times when staff move away from activities and children do not have an adult to further extend their learning.
• Staff plan activities to support children's physical development skills well. Children demonstrate how keen they are to play outside on ride-on toys. They use large spoons to carefully transport water and tea leaves between containers. Children are shown how to use knives and scissors correctly. They learn how to manipulate soft dough, rolling it and squashing it between their fingers. Staff are aware that building up strength in the hand muscles helps children to develop the ability for writing in the future.
• Communication with other professionals, such as school staff and external therapists, is strong. Leaders understand the importance of timely referrals to provide targeted support for children who need it most. Any additional funding is used wisely to close the gaps in children's experiences and learning. Parents provide extremely strong feedback on the positive impact the leaders and staff have had on their families. Staff report that their well-being is high and that the playgroup is a 'rewarding and wonderful place to work'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of how to plan more precisely to support children's individual learning needs
• build on staff's skills further to help them use their interactions with children to more consistently extend their learning.