St Paul's Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have strong and secure relationships with the staff at this pre-school. Managers create a nurturing and inviting home-from-home environment for children, who arrive with joy and confidence. Children independently store their lunch bags before accessing the many age-appropriate activities available. Older children concentrate well as they explore puzzles in the mathematics area and look at books in the cosy reading area. Older children are good role models for the younger children and like to help them. For example, when it is time to tidy the toys away, they support younger children to stack the wooden blocks correctly.

Staff help children to build their small-hand muscles. For example, they help children to create happy and sad facial expressions with salt dough. Young children concentrate well during this activity. Staff support children's understanding of emotions. They discuss with children the different ways to express emotion, including what makes them feel happy or sad. Staff speak in kind and gentle voices and create a calm atmosphere. Children of all ages are curious learners and confident communicators. Staff have high expectations for children and give children time to think and respond to questions. Children know the routine of the pre-school and readily respond to staff requests.

The curriculum is ambitious for all children and prepares them for the next stage of learning. For example, staff support children to develop confidence and knowledge in their physical development. Older children build core skills and balance as they confidently climb up ladders and walk on stepping stones in the outdoor play area.

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

• The pre-school managers and staff create secure relationships with parents. They go above and beyond to support the individual needs of parents. For example, they provide families with lots of guidance on helping children to develop healthy eating and dental hygiene habits at home. As a result, children enjoy nutritious, healthy and varied packed lunches. Parents recommend the pre-school to others. However, although key persons share daily information with parents about their child's personal care, they are not always forthcoming in updating parents about children's individual learning and developmental progress.
• The curriculum has a strong emphasis on developing children's ability to share and to help others. At snack time, older children take turns to count the plates and then put them on the tables. They serve the snack to the rest of the group, who wait patiently. During group moments, like story time, staff enable children to decide if they will take part. Although staff listen to children's ideas and respect their views, at times they do not consider younger children's individual preferences when managing nappy changing. This does not always create a positive experience for them.
• Managers have established a team of staff who enjoy working at the pre-school and who feel supported by their peers and manager. The manager provides high-quality continued professional development opportunities, ensuring that staff's knowledge and skills are kept up to date. Many staff are highly qualified, and this positively impacts on children's learning and development. For example, staff have recently completed training on providing environments that promote sensory development and independence. They have since adapted the layout of the room and introduced new activities to support children further. For example, they have changed the height and location of the coat hooks so children hang coats independently, In addition, parents are encouraged to come into the pre-school to participate in children's learning experience even more.
• Managers have created an ambitious curriculum, which supports all children to develop and progress to the next stage of learning. For example, they support children's creative development and imaginations with role-play games. Staff play with children in the home kitchen area. They cook pretend food and then evolve the play for children to become policemen, wearing police hats and using a telephone to speak to people who need help. There is a strong focus on literacy, especially on reading books. Staff read in an exciting way, and children enjoy listening and joining in. Staff provide children with prior learning to enhance their experience on trips out. For example, they read a story about trains in advance of a railway trip across the Tamar Bridge to Cornwall.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in their learning and development. The special educational needs coordinator supports staff to know and use effective strategies, such as visual cues, which enables children with SEND to thrive. Managers have effective links with outside agencies to ensure that children receive additional professional support when needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities for parents to receive up-to-date information about their children's daily learning and overall progress, to further strengthen parent partnership
• review and adapt children's intimate care routines to reflect their individual preferences and to improve their overall experience.