Singleton Playschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff develop strong nurturing relationships with the children. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Staff demonstrate their passion for working with children as they cuddle up close and read stories to them. They understand the importance of supporting children's well-being. Children beam with delight as staff praise them for their enthusiasm during tasks, such as tidying away the toys they have been playing with. Staff provide a rich range of learning experiences that motivate children to learn. They gather information from parents about children's existing knowledge and current interests. Overall, staff use this information to plan what the children need to be learning next.

Staff are sensitive to the individual needs of children. For example, they recognise the importance of understanding children's home life. Staff use their knowledge of the children to have open discussions about events and people who are important to them. This helps children to foster a sense of belonging and helps them to feel valued and listened to. Staff model kindness and respect, and this has a positive impact on children's behaviour towards each other. Children learn that they must use 'kind hands' and 'kind words'. Staff emphasise the importance of good manners, and children are well behaved and polite.

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

• Staff mention that managers create a positive working environment. They say that their well-being is a high priority for managers and that the nursery is a 'wonderful place to work'. Staff are encouraged to undertake further training to enhance their knowledge and skills. Managers strive to provide a good-quality provision for all children.
• Generally, the timings of important routines, such as lunchtime, run smoothly. This helps children anticipate what is happening next and engage in valuable interactions and learning experiences. However, the organisation of some routines are not as well planned and, at times, interfere with children's participation in activities. For example, staff interrupt some children's engagement in group times to change their nappies. As a result, some children do not benefit from the same enjoyment and learning as other children do.
• Staff enthusiastically join in children's play and activities. They encourage children to be curious and to ask questions. For example, staff's use of effective questioning allows children to think about what may happen next during a story. Children are excited to talk about characters and events in a familiar book. They develop a love of stories. During times like this, children's imagination and vocabulary are strongly supported.
• Overall, staff use appropriate teaching strategies to help children achieve their full potential. They use a broad curriculum to plan a range of activities. However, on occasion, staff do not always provide experiences that are meaningful and that include the children's interests. As a result, some children lose interest and wander off. Consequently, some learning can be incidental rather than purposeful.
• Staff are skilled at interacting effectively with children. They give children time to contribute their thoughts and respond to questions. Children demonstrate a love of singing and saying rhymes, which helps build on their communication skills. Staff provide puppets to accompany a favourite story. Children giggle with laughter as they chant, 'Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.' Staff are proactive. They identify concerns and work with parents and other professionals to provide targeted supported for children who have communication delay. Consequently, all children make progress to become confident and articulate.
• Children are provided with daily opportunities to engage in outside play. They run around in the fresh air and develop good spatial awareness as they skilfully negotiate obstacles under the watchful eye of the staff. Children develop an understanding of the world around them as they experience an outing to a museum or a farm. Staff provide activities that embrace the celebrations of various cultures. This helps to embed a respect for the diversity of others.
• Parents mention that staff ensure that children are ready for the next stage of learning, such as going to school. They say that the commitment and dedication that staff provide to support children's confidence and resilience strongly supports children's successful transition to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of some routines, such as nappy changing, so that all children receive the same enjoyment and learning as others
• support staff to plan activities to more precisely match children's interests so that they are motivated to learn.