Silverdale Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are greeted warmly by staff as they arrive at the setting. Children separate happily from parents and information is shared between parents and staff about each child. Children take off their coats and soon settle at their chosen activities.

Children develop positive attitudes to learning and have strong relationships with staff who know them well. They choose from a range of stimulating resources. Children enjoy playing with staff in all areas of the playgroup. For example, they sit on the floor and play with vehicles or pretend to make dinner in the role play area. Older children construct with plastic bricks next to their key person for a significant amount of time. Children are independent learners who are encouraged to make decisions for themselves. Older children put on their own coat to go outside, pour their own drinks and choose what they would like from a selection of nutritious items at snack time. This helps them to develop their self-care skills.

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

• The manager has a strong vision for the playgroup and has designed a curriculum with a clear intent for all children. This is shared well with staff, who are fully aware of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. They tailor the curriculum to help children to make good progress in their learning, given their starting points in development. Staff understand the knowledge and skills that children need for the next stage of their education.
• Staff have wonderful relationships with children and care deeply about their emotional development. They make sure they are excellent role models and help children to manage their behaviour well. Staff are patient and skilful and know when to observe and when to intervene. This helps children to learn to manage their own conflicts appropriately. Staff support children to develop respect for others. For example, children learn to help one another and to say 'excuse me' when they want to get past.
• Managers and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. They identify children who may need additional support and work closely with external agencies to ensure that all children receive early help when required. Parents speak highly about the support they receive as a family because of this partnership working with external agencies.
• Staff receive support from management that makes them feel proud of what they do and boosts their well-being. The manager has regular appraisal meetings and observes staff practice. However, observations of teaching and feedback given to staff do not always focus precisely on increasing and improving their individual knowledge and teaching practice.
• Staff have a good relationship with the local school and liaise regularly with teachers, who visit the playgroup. This helps to ease the transition from playgroup to school and helps children continue to be supported in their next stage in learning.
• Children happily engage with the visiting inspector and are becoming confident communicators. Staff are aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's communication and language development and work closely with professionals to ensure they are implementing strategies to support children's progress. Staff read stories and sing to children during their interactions. This helps children to develop their speaking and listening skills over time. However, sometimes in their interactions, staff are too quick to ask a lot of questions in quick succession, which results in children losing engagement and not speaking.
• Staff understand that it is important for children to lead a healthy lifestyle. They provide children with a nutritious selection of snacks to choose from. Children follow good hygiene practice and know that playing outside helps them to stay healthy.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop supervision meetings to focus on enhancing the quality of teaching for all children, providing staff with clear targets that will enable them to provide the highest level of education to children
• coach staff to use questioning techniques more effectively during their interactions with children.