Playology Beach School & Learning Studio

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are deeply committed to helping all children to achieve the very best that they can. They celebrate children's natural capabilities when they begin to attend and have extremely high expectations for how every child can learn even more.

Children spend most of their time on the beach, where staff aim to involve them in, 'hands on, feet in' learning. Children benefit from a wide range of challenging and stimulating activities that are planned in great detail to precisely meet their learning needs. All children become absorbed in their play. Toddlers become engrossed when they make cakes from sand to cook in a pretend oven. Pre-school children show remarkable problem-solving skills. They work together with their friends to build a den from sticks, ropes and nets. Children show a desire to learn more. Staff help older children to use fact-finding books to identify creatures and objects that they find. Younger children discuss characters and ask questions during animated and exciting story sessions. They giggle and squeal with delight while staff read to them skilfully.

Staff pay close attention to children's individual character and preferences. Their personalised approach helps children to feel at ease and to form warm relationships with staff. They settle very quickly and show extremely high levels of self-esteem and contentment.

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

• The highly-qualified staff have plenty of experience and knowledge. This contributes to the highly effective educational programme, which aims to 'cultivate creativity' and 'ignite imagination'. Children are highly motivated. Their keen interest and deep involvement help them to benefit fully from staff's expert teaching, across all areas of learning.
• Staff use their in-depth knowledge of individual children's abilities and needs, to inform incisive, personalised plans for learning. Children's progress and achievements are remarkable. They swiftly and consistently build on what they know and can do. Many achieve levels of development beyond typical expectations for their age.
• Children take part in, 'reflection time' and draw pictures about what they have learned. They help staff to decide which activities they will do next, to help them to learn more. Staff bring children's thoughts and interests into plans for their learning. They celebrate children's ideas and display their achievements in the indoor learning studios.
• Staff make excellent use of opportunities to teach children even more. For example, birds and aircraft that pass in the sky lead to animated discussions filled with rich language. The impact is evident in children's excellent language skills. They are fluent, articulate and have a wide and varied vocabulary. This prepares them extremely well for later learning.
• The manager has insightful knowledge about staff's strengths and interests. She takes account of these in sharply focused reviews and development plans. Staff are keen to build on their own, already exceptional, teaching skills. Their drive and passion contribute to their capacity to maintain and enhance the outstanding quality of education.
• Children's behaviour is exceptional. Staff give them plenty of time and space to understand and manage their feelings and frustrations. Older children learn to resolve their own conflicts. They explain that their friends' ideas are sometimes different to theirs. They listen to one another's suggestions and find ways to settle differences during play.
• All children, including younger children, develop an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They tell visitors that they must not go beyond the 'stop sticks'. They wait for staff to invite them in to the 'fire circle' to toast their corn-on-the-cob on the fire.
• Parents say children, 'fully immerse themselves and embrace nature', and leave with, 'eyes sparkling with imagination and creativity'. Staff inspire them to continue children's learning at home. Staff, parents and children work together on projects, such as a hat parade, aimed at teaching children to take care of the natural world. This approach helps to extend and reinforce children's learning.
• Staff say they want to prepare children for, 'any challenge life brings'. They help children to develop their confidence and character, and to value what makes them unique. Children share objects from home and teach their friends about celebrations that are important to them. Children are very self-assured and highly resilient.