St Philip And St James Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are warmly welcomed by friendly staff, who take a genuine interest in every child's well-being. All staff place a strong emphasis on building secure, trusting relationships with children. They gather key information from parents before children start. This is used effectively to help new children settle quickly and with confidence. Children are given meaningful opportunities to share their ideas and showcase their creations, knowing staff will respond with genuine enthusiasm. This helps children feel safe, valued and motivated to explore the stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from an ambitious curriculum tailored to their interests and developmental needs. At the start of a new term, for example, staff prioritise children's personal, social and emotional development. Older children display an understanding of rules and boundaries. When reminders are needed, staff intervene sensitively. Younger children learn well from their older peers, developing friendships and playing cooperatively together.

Children thrive outdoors in the fresh air, where staff's enthusiasm for nature is evident and infectious. They demonstrate high levels of curiosity and intrigue, as they investigate insects in the garden or experiment with creating the most bubbles using wands and soapy mixture. Younger children show a growing love for books, as they listen attentively to stories brought to life by expressive staff. Across the provision, children receive a high quality of education and care, which enables them to make strong and sustained progress.

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

• Experienced and knowledgeable leaders support staff in swiftly identifying children with additional needs and ensuring timely referrals to external professionals. Staff skilfully adapt their practice and provide targeted support to meet these children's needs. In this way, all children are fully included and actively involved in pre-school life. Leaders also work with professionals to ensure these children are equipped for their move to school.
• Developing children's communication and language skills is a strong focus across the provision. Staff enrich conversations by introducing new vocabulary in context. Older children eagerly ask questions to make sense of the world, with staff responding clearly and thoughtfully. Children confidently recall and apply vocabulary that they have previously heard. For instance, while they play in the outdoor construction area, older children place a barrier at the entrance and explain 'these are cones to protect everybody'. Such moments demonstrate how children are developing into competent communicators.
• Mathematical concepts are woven into children's everyday experiences and activities. For example, while role-playing building different rooms in a pretend house, skilful staff introduce measuring with a metre ruler. They encourage children to pay close attention to the numerals and what they mean. Children are then inspired to use the metre ruler independently and talk about the increasing numbers. Similarly, younger children learn early mathematical language, such as 'full' and 'empty' while filling and emptying containers with sand. In this way, children steadily develop good mathematical knowledge and understanding.
• Staff thoughtfully plan a wide range of enjoyable activities that promote children's learning and development. They observe how children access the curriculum and adapt it when needed. For instance, staff model recording the different insects they find in the garden and write the number to represent the quantity of each. However, on occasion, staff do not fully make the most of spontaneous opportunities during children's play to extend their existing knowledge and challenge children's thinking further.
• Leaders support staff effectively, who are very happy in their roles. Staff generally work well as a cohesive team, and most routines run smoothly throughout the day. However, at times, such as during 'rolling' snack, organisation is less effective. For example, some staff leave group interactions to assist at the snack table, even though other staff are already there. This can disrupt children's play, affect their understanding of what is happening and reduce opportunities for them to remain fully engaged in learning experiences.
• Parent partnerships are strong and highly effective. Parents feel listened to and supported by dedicated leaders and staff. Communication is open and regular, with updates on their children's progress shared consistently. Parents speak warmly of the 'special book' that staff carefully compile, which includes photographs of their children taking part in activities at the pre-school. Staff also offer parents guidance and practical suggestions for learning at home, which helps parents support their children's development. This collaborative approach effectively supports continuity in children's education and care. Parents especially value the progress children make in their independence and speech since attending the pre-school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's teaching skills to consistently recognise and act on spontaneous moments in children's play, to further extend and challenge children's thinking
• strengthen the smooth running of everyday routines so that all opportunities for children's learning are maximised and children fully understand what is expected of them.