St Mary's Playgroup CIO

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are trained to identify children's individual needs, ensuring they receive the right support to help them settle at the setting. They work closely with parents and staff to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning receive the right support. Staff have in place focused monitoring of children's care and developmental needs. This helps them to promptly identify any children who may require additional support. Staff have clear strategies in place to provide focused assistance where needed. For instance, some staff have received training to help them plan small-group activities that support children's language skills. This targeted support helps staff to narrow any gaps and ensure that children make progress. However, on occasion, leaders do not always recognise when quieter children have limited adult interaction during the day, which affects them as they learn to communicate and interact with others.

Leaders collaborate closely with professionals to ensure that children and families receive the essential support and guidance they need to promote learning and wellbeing. Leaders use funding effectively and continually review its impact. For example, they have purchased additional resources and brought in outside providers to offer children specialist music and football activities. This helps to support children's listening and attention skills in readiness for school.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff have implemented secure settling-in procedures. This helps to ensure that they know their key children well and supports children to feel confident and safe in the setting. Staff track children's progress effectively and use the information to help them design a sequenced curriculum. For instance, children practise scissor skills by cutting different materials, such as dough and leaves, as they develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Staff have a clear focus on supporting all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning, to ensure they make progress.

Staff plan a curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. Outdoors, they set out a vast array of activities for the children to engage with. However, on occasion, due to the number of activities on offer, staff are not always able to purposefully engage with the children as they explore their chosen activity. Consequently, the planned environment does not have the intended impact on children's learning to ensure they are making consistent progress.

Staff support children in developing their social skills as they take turns to scoop and pour sand while looking for hidden treasure. Staff encourage children to name numerals on the treasure. However, staff do not consistently help children make links between numerals and quantities to further support their counting skills. Staff make effective use of repetition to ensure children hear the correct pronunciation of words. For instance, they talk about the 'pipettes' they are using to make their potions.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their initial starting points across all areas of learning. They are developing their independence in readiness for school. For instance, children pour their own drinks at snack time. Staff support them to develop positive hygiene routines and remind them to wash their hands. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, are making the progress they are capable of in preparation for school. However, on occasion, children are offered an overwhelming choice of activities, and inconsistencies in staff interactions limit how deeply some children can extend their learning. Children confidently use their communication skills to tell staff when they need help with completing activities. For instance, they ask for assistance in completing puzzles. Children extend their language skills as they talk about pictures on puzzles and describe what they see to staff. Children are learning how to express their feelings and gain a sense of belonging.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the children in their care. They support children in learning to recognise their emotions. For example, staff use colours to help children express how they are feeling. Staff make effective use of praise to recognise children's achievements and encourage them to have a go. For instance, they persuade children to try balancing along the wooden beams of the obstacle course before jumping off, helping them to develop their physical skills.

Staff are positive role models and have clear expectations for behaviour. For instance, staff encourage children to take turns to choose which song they would like to sing. Staff provide the children with a clear routine and an array of activities and experiences. However, on occasion, the number of activities offered is slightly overwhelming and does not ensure that staff offer consistently high-quality interactions to further enhance children's attitudes to learning.

Staff recognise the importance of adapting activities and care routines to each child's individual needs, ensuring that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel safe and secure and can participate fully in their chosen activities. Leaders monitor attendance and recognise how this supports children's early education.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of working closely with families to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face challenges and barriers to learning, are supported. Generally, staff make sure children receive the support they need to thrive. They implement secure settling-in procedures to ensure that staff know the children extremely well and develop close bonds with them. Staff receive regular updates from parents to ensure they have the most up-to-date information about children's routines, such as whether they have had a good night's sleep. They are sensitive to children's needs and remind them to use the toilet or ask if they can change their nappy. Children feel safe and have a secure sense of belonging at the setting. Generally, staff have a clear focus on ensuring they meet the overall physical and mental wellbeing of children. They offer children space to help them regulate their emotions and use coloured cuddly toys to assist them. Children learn how to cope with their feelings.

Leaders provide children with healthy snacks and work closely with parents to offer guidance on providing nutritious lunches. Children have milk and water to drink throughout the day. Typically, staff use mealtimes and activities to teach children about the importance of making healthy choices and maintaining good oral hygiene.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are dedicated to supporting staff to offer high-quality teaching experiences for children and their families. They are aware of the strengths and areas for development within the setting. For instance, leaders are aware of the challenges in recruiting new staff for the setting and the impact this has on the existing staff's workload. All staff report feeling extremely well supported in their roles by the leaders and having high wellbeing. Leaders ensure staff keep up to date with mandatory training. For instance, all staff are booked to complete paediatric first-aid training before their current certificate expires. Staff have access to an online professional development programme to build on their knowledge and skills. Leaders work closely with other professionals and parents to support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those who might face barriers to learning. They make effective use of any additional funding they receive to provide extra opportunities and resources for all children. For instance, they use some of the funding to engage external specialists to come into the setting to lead focused activities with the children to support their attention and social skills. Leaders keep parents well informed through face-to-face discussions, the children's online records, and termly meetings. Parents are very happy with the help and support they receive from the staff at the setting.