Swaffham Preschool Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this warm and welcoming pre-school. Learning opportunities for children are plentiful and staff plan fun and interesting activities. Staff interact with children in a calm and relaxed manner, helping them to feel happy, safe and secure in their environment. Staff help children to build their confidence and cheerful outlook on life. Children are curious and willing to have a go. They develop close relationships with their peers, playing together happily and showing kindness and consideration to each other. For example, children help to push in their friend on their chair when they see them struggle to reach the table. With the guidance of staff, children are learning to resolve their own conflicts, and they understand the need to share and take turns with their friends.

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the pre-school. They express their thoughts and opinions to staff confidently and articulately in their play. Children are provided with a wide range of activities that support them to use their senses and be creative. They follow a recipe to make dough and engage in experiments to learn how rain clouds are formed. Children use their imagination to turn pots and pans into musical instruments, relishing the very loud sound they make. Children are physically active. They balance well on different sized logs as they hop from one to the other with little support needed from the staff, who constantly praise and encourage them.

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

• Staff plan well for children's learning. They fully consider children's interests and learning needs that help them to build on what they already know and can do. There is a clear focus on building children's independence and helping them to understand their emotions. Children are making substantial progress and are well equipped for starting school.
• Staff are knowledgeable about the subject matters they teach and deliver activities in fun and interesting ways. They give clear explanations and encourage children to think, and problem solve for themselves. For example, during story time staff ask suitable questions to help children recall what they have heard and encourage them to think about how they may wish to build their train track in the garden.
• Staff provide good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and know the children and their families well. Children play in a learning environment that consistently meets their needs. Targeted support plans are in place and regularly reviewed. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to help children make good progress while attending the pre-school.
• Parents are well informed about their children's time in the setting. For example, through daily feedback and three parents' evenings each year. Activities such as a book lending library and shared baking recipes help parents support learning at home. Parents say they are happy with the care provided.
• Stories are a key part of daily practice, helping to promote children's communication and language skills. There is a strong emphasis on developing a love of reading, both in the pre-school and at home. Older children engage in conversation and ask questions to develop their knowledge. They have good opportunities to see and recognise their name, and practise sounds that letters represent through fun songs and actions.
• Children follow and understand the rules and routines of the pre-school. They learn to take care of their own care needs, such as toileting and dressing themselves. Children learn skills that will help them be independent when they start school. For example, how to undo packets and zip and unzip their lunch box at mealtimes.
• Staff identify professional development opportunities that help them to gain knowledge and improve practice. Leaders occasionally monitor staff's practice so that it also helps to inform training needs. However, although staff say they enjoy working at the setting, staff's frequency and experience of supervisions are mixed and at times they do not foster a positive culture of support and coaching for all staff in the team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve supervisions so that they consistently foster a positive culture of support and coaching for all staff.