St Hubert's Pre-School Playgroup Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and eagerly enter the setting as they are greeted by their key person at the door. Children are in a secure routine as they independently hang their coats up and place their lunchbox in a designated area. They begin to explore a tray of natural resources and containers and use their fine-motor skills to scoop pasta shapes into bottles. Staff explain to children how they will make their own musical instrument. They extend children's learning by asking questions, such as 'is it too small or too big?'. Children learn about capacity as they compare how much pasta they have in their bottles. They use their senses to listen to the sound that their instruments make as they shake them.

Children are good at sharing resources as they offer notepads and pens to their friends, asking 'do you want to join?'. They are helpful and work as a team to tidy up. For example, children use their physical skills to carry large baskets to where they belong. Children shout out with excitement when staff tell them that they are going to read a familiar story. Children listen and watch as staff use expression and hand movements to exaggerate parts of the story. Children sit nicely and they look at their friends and smile to share their experiences.

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

• The leadership team implements a curriculum for children that evolves around their interests and next steps. Staff know their key children very well as they do regular observations to identify next steps. These are shared with all staff to help children receive continuous and consistent learning opportunities. For example, when children show an interest in rubber ducks, staff introduce different-coloured ducks. They encourage children to count how many ducks they can see, to build on their mathematical knowledge.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Managers and leaders use additional funding to provide children with their own practitioner. This enables these children to receive personalised teaching that meets their individual needs. Children who have SEND make good progress and demonstrate that they feel comfortable and safe. For example, they smile as they watch staff use sign language while singing a familiar nursery rhyme.
• Children learn about a wide range of cultures and how families celebrate different festivals, such as Diwali, Eid and Chinese New Year. They feel valued and respected as they share words from their home language with friends during group sessions. Staff talk to children about their own family traditions to expand children's understanding of diversity, preparing them for life in modern Britain.
• The leadership team maintains strong links with local schools, nurseries and childminders. Important information about children's development is shared with relevant professionals to give children an all-round learning experience. Teachers visit the setting to meet children prior to their transition to school, supporting children's confidence and security. In addition, childminders are invited to attend play sessions and trips to further support children's security and learning.
• Staff have regular supervisions with the leaders to discuss training opportunities that will improve the quality of teaching. They feel valued as their strengths are identified and new roles are created, such as training coordinator and communication and language leader. However, the manager has not identified that sometimes good practice and teaching are not consistent. For example, the manager notices when young children become disengaged or fall asleep without sleeping mats. She addresses these issues immediately. However, she does not speak to staff about them to ensure that it does not happen again.
• Children benefit from having access to a wide range of appropriate and exciting learning opportunities. They choose between role-play areas, construction equipment and play dough resources. However, some children often express their dislike of the noise levels when they repeatedly cover their ears. They do not hear the staff reminding them that it is tidy-up time, which impacts on their ability to learn routines and join in with others.
• Parents are happy with the care that their children receive and speak highly about staff's supportive and welcoming nature. They comment about how happy and secure their children are. Parents feel involved in their child's learning as they receive weekly updates about their child's development and interests. They are invited into the setting for workshops to help them to prepare for their child's transition to school. Parents feel reassured that their children are happy when the staff send messages and photographs of their children's daily achievements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor staff practice more effectively to help them understand how to consistently meet children's care and learning needs
• review the organisation of activities to reduce noise and further enhance all children's learning opportunities.