Rawthorpe (St James) Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in the care of the inspiring staff team. Staff work extremely hard to plan a curriculum that has clear purpose and that is personalised to children's individual learning needs. Children show deep levels of engagement in the exciting activities that staff create, such as the role play beach area. They excitedly join in outdoor games and dance to promote their gross motor skills. Children giggle and laugh as they chase each other with water balloons and delight in wetting their friends in a game to mark the end of term. Staff encourage children to share and take turns and praise children for their achievements. This helps enormously to help build children's self-esteem and reinforce positive behaviour.

Staff pay excellent attention to supporting children's healthy development. For example, children enjoy nutritious snacks. They have wonderful opportunities to learn about the nutritional benefits of food and where it comes from. On the day of the inspection, children picked carrots they had planted. They use words such as 'germinate' and 'harvest'. They discuss how roots form under the soil and, with water and sunlight, the carrots grow. Children excitedly tell visitors about the pumpkins and potatoes they have grown.

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

• The key-person system is extremely effective, and staff know all children exceptionally well. They make accurate and precise observations and assessments of children's progress, and they plan appropriate next steps to move children's learning forward. Staff use their knowledge of their key children, as well as their observations and assessments, to identify and plan swiftly for children who may need additional support.
• Staff ensure that they expose children to different experiences and books to broaden their understanding of the diverse world that they live in. Staff help children to learn about their local community and gain a sense of belonging. For example, children attend a story session in the adjoining library. Older children say they like going to the library and that they also sing songs there. This supports children's language and their learning in other areas.
• Staff have high expectations for behaviour and are excellent role models. Children confidently show their understanding of why behaviour rules are in place and recognise the impact their behaviour has on others. For example, children know how to ask for things politely, wait when adults are talking with other children and show care and respect for each other when playing.
• Interactions between staff and children are superb. Staff expertly use practical activities to build on children's language skills and mathematical thinking. They explain that some buckets are 'heavy' and some are 'light'. Children experiment with different quantities of wet and dry sand as they build sandcastles.
• Children's transitions on to school are exceptionally well supported. Staff collaborate closely with families and receiving schools to ensure smooth handovers. Key information about the children's learning and development is shared with teachers to ensure continuity of learning. These thoughtful transitions help children feel confident as they move to the next stage of their education.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents report that the things that set this setting apart from others are the kindness, gentleness and knowledge of the amazing staff. They describe how special it is that the staff share their passion for nature. Parents love how the staff see their children as individuals. They say children come home enthused and eager to share their learning. Parents value the additional support that staff provide with specific child-related issues, such as toilet training, sleeping and tooth brushing.
• The management and staff team actively reflect on the pre-school's provision. They strive for continuous improvement and development. There are outstanding support systems in place for staff. Their well-being is a high priority. Staff engage in a wealth of training to broaden their knowledge and professional development. This includes undertaking their own research and embarking on courses to support those children who may attend in the future with special educational needs/and or disabilities. The management team gathers the views of parents and staff to drive improvement forward.