Playdays (Wolverhampton) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop close relationships with their assigned key persons, who are gentle and sensitively give careful attention to children's individual needs. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well to explore and discover safely to help them progress. Children arrive happy, behave well and show good levels of engagement as they sing the welcome song in their rooms. Babies and younger children benefit from a relaxed approach, with staff who follow their lead. For example, staff engage them well and build on their fascination with rolling the balls down the frame.

Children show a keen interest in learning because their interests are creatively incorporated into activities that are sequenced well to help children learn. Pre-school children are intrigued by the life cycle of the butterfly as they eagerly name the fruits and foods eaten by the caterpillar. Children are inspired and show sustained levels of interest as they make their own elaborate dough caterpillars and structures using leaves they have collected. Children in the toddler room are equally as inspired in the sensory room. For example, children delight in using the various visual aids and watching the torch as they listen to the story about a mermaid. Children are supported well to increase their imagination as they play in the role-play areas.

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

• The highly qualified and experienced manager ensures staff deliver a curriculum that is centred on children's interests. This flexible curriculum captures what children enjoy most and staff use children's interests to provide playful learning opportunities across all areas of learning. For example, the children's interest in World Elephant Day and in animals and their habitats is used extremely well to skilfully facilitate their learning.
• Promoting children's physical development and outdoor play is at the heart of the educational programme. Staff make good use of the outdoor environment to provide opportunities for children to take managed risks. For example, children learn how to use the swing, the trapeze swing and the rope ladder safely. Babies benefit from an environment where staff place a clear focus on supporting their physical skills.
• There is a strong commitment to valuing and respecting the diversity of the children attending. Each room has family photos displayed, which staff use well to encourage children to talk about their unique families. Children learn to enjoy foods and music from a variety of cultures.
• Listening to children's voices and encouraging their participation and sense of belonging is a central focus. For example, staff, children and parents have helped to create the 'blossom' room. This is an inspirational space for children to recall what they enjoy most and consider what they are good at to help promote their self-worth.
• Staff fully understand that working in partnership with parents is crucial to their success. Various events are planned throughout the year, which are highly valued by parents. For example, the nursery garden is used for a summer festival, and at Christmas staff create an impressive winter wonderland. Parents report that they appreciate the monthly breakfast cart made available for them to grab a croissant and a drink for free. They state that their children make good progress and are well prepared for school.
• Overall, the environment indoors and outdoors is very well organised to meet the needs of children and to inspire them to learn. However, staff in the two-year-olds' room do not always make the best possible use of the available resources and experiences to offer children choice. Therefore, on occasions, children do not show high levels of engagement.
• The manager leads an enthusiastic and happy staff team. She ensures staff make the most of professional development opportunities and the latest early years research to enhance their practice. She encourages staff to adopt a reflective approach to help them develop their practice, particularly in promoting children's communication and language. However, on occasions, some of the new and cover staff do not place the same high level of focus on promoting children's language during their interactions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in the two-year-olds' room to make better use of the available resources and experiences throughout the nursery to offer children more choice and increase their level of engagement
• build on staff professional development opportunities, in particular for new staff and cover staff, to help sustain and build on the good quality achieved.