Playhouse 2

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager has changed some aspects of practice following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as introducing doorstep drop-off and collection arrangements. Children have adapted well to the changes and arrive happy and eager to play. They display a strong sense of belonging and form close relationships with the kind and caring staff. Children are keen to explore the good range of activities on offer. They make independent choices about their play. Children focus and display high levels of concentration while they fill and empty different sized containers with water. They proudly show visitors a map of the world and point to the location of a live volcano. Children point to countries such as India and announce, 'This is where yoga comes from'.

Children understand the routines of the day and independently manage their self-care. Staff model good manners and remind children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children enjoy sitting alongside the staff at mealtimes and engage in meaningful conversations. They talk about their families and discuss the foods they like to eat at home. Children have daily opportunities to be physically active outside in the fresh air. They play cooperatively together and take turns to ride on balance bicycles. Children learn to manage their own safety while they climb and balance on apparatus.

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

• The provider, who is also the manager has addressed the weaknesses identified at the last inspection effectively. She has been proactive in raising the quality of the provision. The manager has sought support and guidance from the local authority adviser, as well as seeking training for herself and the staff team. Ongoing professional development plans are in place to continuously update staff's knowledge and skills. Safeguarding practice is effective and the quality of teaching is good.
• The manager is now the designated lead for safeguarding and has completed training to assist her in her role. She and her staff team have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. This helps to assure children's safety.
• The manager knows her staff team well because she works alongside them on a daily basis. She regularly meets with them individually to assess their knowledge, discuss best practice and identify further training needs. As a result, the manager monitors the quality of staff practice effectively and ensures they are suitable for their role.
• Staff are enthusiastic and have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They know children well and plan a broad curriculum linked to children's interests and next steps in learning. Staff gather some information from parents when children first begin to attend. For example, they find out what children like to play with at home. However, staff do not seek enough detailed information about what children already know and can do when they first start, to help to plan more precisely for their future learning.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They meet with other professionals to share information and plan for children's learning. Staff ensure that the curriculum they provide meets children's individual needs.
• Staff support children to follow effective routines to support their good health, such as regular handwashing. Staff provide children with healthy snacks and request that parents provide nutritious meals in their children's lunch box. However, staff do not always use these everyday routines to develop and extend children's understanding of the benefits of eating a healthy diet.
• Staff relationships with parents are good. Staff keep them well informed about their child's day through daily discussions and digital messages. Staff work closely with parents of children who speak English as an additional language to help them to settle and learn. They use visual prompts to help children communicate and learn new words. Staff ask parents for key words their child's home language so that they can support them to use it in their play and learning.
• Parents are happy with the care and education the staff provide at the pre-school. They are highly complimentary and state that the 'staff are lovely' and their children are happy and settled.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• seek more detailed information from parents about what children already know and can do when they first begin to attend, to plan more precisely for their future learning
• strengthen the range of activities and experiences to help children to develop a better understanding of eating a healthy diet.