St Matthew's Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this warm and welcoming setting. They leave their parents and carers with a wave, excited to start the day. Staff know the children well and use this information to help meet their individual needs. Staff spend dedicated time with children when they first start, sensitively providing reassurance and offering experiences that engage them. This means children feel secure, as they receive care and attention. This helps to promote their overall well-being.

Staff provide children with a rich and varied curriculum. They engage well with children as they play. For example, younger children skilfully sort puzzles while older children explore the role play area, talking about their family members. Children show delight in their achievements and have beaming smiles when they are praised. Overall, children build on their skills over time.

Staff support children to recognise their emotions and resolve conflicts. For example, they encourage children to lead their own play, promoting their independence. Children work together to build with wooden blocks and take it in turn to build different structures. When complete, children are reminded to tell each other 'well done'. This ensures children are kind and considerate in their play.

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

• Children are at the centre of everything the staff do. Staff plan a wide and exciting curriculum based on children's needs and interests. For instance, when children talk about going to the farm, staff recognise their curiosity. They set up an activity with farm animals and engage in conversation about the types of animals that live on a farm. This helps children to engage in experiences and make good progress in their learning.
• The setting works closely with parents and other professionals to make timely referrals for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It uses funding to provide one-to-one and small-group sessions. The setting offers intense support for children to close gaps in their learning. It places a strong focus on helping children to transition to school when the time comes. This ensures that all children are ready for their next stage in learning.
• Children have daily opportunities for outdoor play. They love playing outside together, and staff provide a range of opportunities for them to develop their physical skills. Children enjoy playing imaginative games and football with their friends. They engage in sand and water activities. Staff encourage children and show them how to use resources, which helps to extend children's learning.
• Mathematics is promoted well throughout the setting, as staff support children to count out objects and recognise numbers. Staff plan focus activities, supporting children to gain a concept of weight, space and measure. For instance, staff support children to learn to balance the scales. Children slowly add sand to the giant weighing scales and watch the weights rise and balance. Children are acquiring early mathematical knowledge in preparation for later learning.
• Staff work with parents to develop children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy a range of healthy snacks and are encouraged to sit together as they eat their packed lunches at lunchtime. Staff encourage children to be independent; they collect their mats, choose their seats and pour their own drinks. Children become very confident in managing their own self-care.
• Staff promote children's communication and language skills extremely well. They narrate clearly and emphasise words for children to copy. Children learn to clearly pronounce words, such as 'squidgy' and 'squashy', while making play dough. Staff ask children to vote for their favourite book each week to encourage them to become familiar with a story. Children have lots of opportunities to retell stories and develop a love of books.
• The leadership team knows the staff well because it works closely alongside them. A strong focus is placed on staff's well-being. Staff welcome open team discussions, and they are provided with ongoing professional development opportunities, such as supervision sessions and training. Staff attend mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid. However, the coaching and monitoring of staff are not fully embedded. The leadership team does not target gaps in staff's teaching practice to raise the quality of teaching. This means, at times, the quality of learning the children receive is inconsistent with their next steps in learning.
• Parents and carers express genuine happiness about the care their children receive. They know the staff well and appreciate the communication they receive about their children's experiences while at nursery. Parents comment on the progress their children have made since attending and how happy they are when they arrive. They know their children's level of development and what activities they have been taking part in. This helps support children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to monitor and focus on strengthening staff practice to raise the quality of teaching for all children.