St Peter's Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are settled, confident and happy at the setting. They are eager to join in with the challenging activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, children are fascinated to experiment with water using fruit. They learn that an orange with the skin on will float and a peeled orange will sink. Children have good opportunities to be imaginative and bring their fantasies alive. For instance, they enjoy becoming 'hairdressers', 'florists' and 'builders'. Children explore and investigate the world around them. For example, they learn about the different types of bees and the different habitats in which they live, such as hives and nests.

Children develop a good understanding of the benefits of healthy lifestyles. They independently follow good health and hygiene routines and talk about healthy foods at mealtimes. All children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills and learn to move in different ways. This includes building and negotiating obstacles, using crates and tyres. Children build on their communication skills and have good opportunities to extend their vocabulary. For instance, when they talk about the concept of items floating and sinking, they learn new words, such as 'buoyancy' and 'submerge'.

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

• The manager and staff have made significant changes to their practice since their last inspection. They attend regular and beneficial training. Staff have recently learned about the different ways to implement and teach all areas of learning. As a result, staff provide all children with purposeful learning opportunities.
• All staff establish secure and trusting relationships with children who are eager to come into the setting and enjoy the company of staff. For example, children are excited to show staff the snail they have found. All children have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being.
• Overall, children behave well. They are kind to each other, such as helping each other pour drinks. Staff recognise and praise positive behaviour. However, they do not consistently help children understand the consequences of their actions. For example, when children over enthusiastically wave an item around, they are simply told 'no' instead of being provided with an explanation as to why they are being asked to stop.
• Overall, children are engaged in their learning experiences. They are generally focused during activities. However, staff do not consistently organise changes in routine effectively, to ensure that they maintain the attention of children. This results in children appearing confused and not fully understanding what is expected of them or knowing what is happening next.
• Staff support all children to make good progress. This includes those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, staff have created a sensory room to help children feel calm when they become overwhelmed.
• The manager closely monitors the good quality of education and care that staff provide children. She routinely observes staff interacting with children and gives them helpful feedback. Staff evaluate their practice together and discuss each day how well they engaged children and what they could continue to build upon. They use their findings to support their future practice.
• All staff establish positive partnerships with parents, who speak fondly of them. Staff keep them fully involved and informed about their children's day, achievements and next steps in learning. They routinely share photographs of what children have enjoyed doing.
• Staff support children to gain a good understanding of the similarities and differences of people's experiences and communities outside of their own. For example, children learn about how different countries, such as Poland, celebrate Christmas in their own unique way.
• Staff use additional funding effectively to meet the individual learning needs of children. For instance, they have recently purchased sensory equipment. This has helped children settle quickly into the setting as they explore calming actvities.
• The manager and staff get to know children well. This includes their individual needs and what makes them unique. This helps staff to plan activities that they know will motivate children to learn. Children have a positive attitude towards their learning and make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further support staff to manage children's behaviour in a way that supports children to learn about why and how their behaviour affects themselves and others
• support staff to review the organisation of changes in routines, to ensure that all children remain fully engaged and know what is expected of them throughout.