Piglets Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy to enter this warm and friendly playgroup. They talk to staff as they are greeted at the door with smiles and genuine affection. Children independently hang up their coats and place their lunch boxes onto a trolley. They choose to engage with a range of exciting and age-appropriate resources that allow their imaginations to flourish. Staff provide carefully considered activities and experiences for children to develop their curiosity. They eagerly take part in the children's play, sharing thoughts and ideas that support and extend children's knowledge. Older children actively engage in 'tool time', which causes great excitement, as children are supported to use real tools. For example, staff use a 'hand over hand' approach, and children show delight, as they are able to make a hole with a small battery powered drill.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff have high expectations for children, and they role model positive behaviour consistently throughout the day. Children are respectful and show kindness to each other and invite other children into their play. Staff are extremely skilled at recognising when children may need support with their feelings and emotions and intervene with care and sensitivity.

The curriculum is ambitious and supports children's learning superbly. For example, outside, a small group of children go on a dinosaur hunt to develop number recognition. Laminated numbers, one to five, are hidden around the garden by staff. Children find the numbers and then find the corresponding number of dinosaurs that have also been hidden. Children are very enthusiastic and excited and shout the numbers out as they find them.

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

• The manager and all staff have an ambitious commitment to ensuring that all children actively participate in a range of varied and imaginative activities that will support them to make rapid progress. All staff have excellent communication skills and always encourage children to share their ideas and thoughts. The manager communicates her ideas effectively to staff, and they feel well informed and extremely valued.
• Staff well-being is a priority. The manager creates an environment that is welcoming and positive, and staff are confident and highly motivated. Staff access training and other professional development opportunities to further develop their knowledge and skills. Staff are passionate about their role and say they 'love working here'.
• Children demonstrate consistently high levels of independence. Before snack time, older children use the bathroom to wash, soap and dry their hands before they cut up their own fruit. Afterwards, they scrape any food left on their plate into the bin and put their plate and cup into the washing-up bowl. During mealtimes, staff and children eat together. Conversation is natural, which develops children's vocabulary, and children form strong bonds with their key person.
• Babies engage with age-appropriate resources and activities. Staff sing and talk about their play, modelling language and vocabulary, and babies smile and babble in response. Babies become mesmerised as staff use puppets to tell a story. One baby watches intently and laughs as it moves.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive exceptional support from staff, in partnership with the local inclusion team and other professionals. Staff are dedicated and highly motivated to support children's individual needs. This actively contributes to the progress children make in their learning and development.
• Older children engage in activities, such as yoga, to support their physical development and to encourage mindfulness. Pictures of children in a series of yoga poses are used as prompts during the session. Children have fun showing staff their yoga positions and remembering the names of the poses. Staff acknowledge how yoga has had a positive and calming effect on children's behaviour.
• Children are developing a strong sense of community during visits, such as to the shops in the local area. Staff have been encouraging children to think about ways in which they can be kind and helpful to others. Staff and children decided to collect food and provisions to take to the nearby foodbank to make sure that people were not hungry.
• Parents are full of praise for the playgroup, describing it as a 'home from home', and recommend it to other parents. Some parents make comments such as 'the playgroup is a big family' and 'staff share information every day, and children make friends and learn so much.'