Smalley Pre-School Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make good friendships and enjoy their time at the playgroup. They behave extremely well. Staff are teaching children the skills to cooperate and negotiate during their play. Children demonstrate high levels of independence. They are confident to move between the indoor and outdoor space and make decisions about what they play with. Children are learning to manage their own self-care skills. For example, they use a particular technique that helps them to put on their coat without needing assistance from staff.

Children thoroughly enjoy imaginative play. Staff ensure that activities are well resourced to support this play. Children pretend they are at the hairdressers and take on different self-chosen roles. A member of staff provides very effective support for their learning. She supports one child to take the appointments and record these in the appointment book. As she is having her hair done, she uses very descriptive language to support children's expanding vocabulary. The member of staff skilfully supports a child when she recognises they are not familiar with the correct word for the customers. Children engage in this play for a long period of time and are enthused to tell others what they are doing.

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

• The committee has a professional approach to managing the setting. There is a very effective process to ensure that all new committee members have completed relevant checks, understand their role and responsibilities, and have completed safeguarding training.
• The manager has a clear vision: to support all children to be well-rounded, independent individuals who have the key skills they need for their future learning. Careful consideration is given to what children will learn from each activity to ensure this is meaningful and appropriate for their age.
• Staff plan activities and resources according to children's interests. Children are very keen to join in and sustain their engagement in play for long periods of time. Children's preference for indoor or outdoor play is well supported, as staff open up the setting throughout most of the session and ensure that snack is available outside as well as inside.
• Staff provide well-planned small-group activities to help children to develop their concentration and attention skills. The member of staff shows lots of enthusiasm, which helps to engage the children. The consistent use of signs to reinforce what they are saying helps children to recognise what is happening next. Outside, staff join in with children's imaginative play. Children learn to recognise numbers and respond to instructions. However, staff sometimes talk to children about things they already know rather than providing challenge to extend their knowledge.
• The well-qualified staff team provides very good support for children who need additional support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents and carers commend the staff for the exceptional levels of progress their children make.
• A strength of the setting is how the manager ensures there is frequent and informative communication between the staff team. This means that all staff members know each child really well, including where they are in their development, and can ensure they are safeguarded and their needs are met. All staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities and contribute to a well-organised session that gives children opportunities to engage in a variety of activities.
• Training is carefully chosen to meet children's needs and support their learning further. Recent training in supporting children's communication and language is helping staff to focus on developing children's vocabulary. However, although supervision is in place and is used to establish where staff need to improve their practice, this does not currently address the occasional inconsistencies in teaching with regards to ensuring appropriate levels of challenge.
• The manager has established effective partnerships with the local school to support children's transitions. There is information sharing with some of the other settings that children attend. However, this is not fully established to ensure consistent support for all children.
• Through activities and discussion, staff help children to understand how to keep themselves healthy. When they have been running around outside, the children recognise that they need a break, and a member of staff talks to them about cooling down and getting a drink.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen supervision arrangements to provide children with consistently high levels of challenge in order to help them to make the best possible progress
• develop further the partnership working with other settings that children attend to provide consistent support for their learning and development.