The Park Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff offer a welcoming and stimulating learning environment where children feel happy and safe. Staff recognise that some children may be overwhelmed by the busy atmosphere of the playgroup. As such, they use calm areas where children benefit from one-to-one attention. Children spend time exploring sensory resources in a well-equipped room. Children request favourite songs. They sing as they complete actions, smiling and laughing to demonstrate their enjoyment. Staff build children's confidence. They know all the children extremely well. This is evident in the close bonds they share. Staff celebrate every achievement children make. This helps children to become confident learners who embrace new skills.

Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills. For instance, staff support children in small groups to develop their listening and attention skills and their speech. Staff also use good questioning techniques to extend children's language and thinking skills. Children demonstrate their good communication as they add narratives and storylines to their role play. Children are able to participate in two-way conversations. Staff create a range of activities and interesting resources to support children's learning. Children show delight as they explore and create different sounds with musical instruments. Staff consider children's existing skills and plan for what they want them to learn next. They consider children's backgrounds and home environments to ensure that they fully understand their prior experiences.

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

• The committed manager is well supported by a strong leadership team. Leaders have developed a consistent staff team. Staff receive targeted training, which has a positive impact on the quality of care and learning provided for children. Staff are motivated, enthusiastic and well supported by leaders. Staff feel valued within their roles.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is dedicated and committed to her role. She supports staff to use assessment to help identify any emerging concerns. Close partnership working with parents and professionals has been established. The nursery is highly inclusive and caters for all children's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children make good progress from their starting points.
• A strength of the nursery is the way in which staff support children and families who speak English as an additional language. Staff use words in children's home language to help develop their ability to communicate their needs and build on their understanding of new words. For example, during circle time, staff offer children milk or water to drink and speak Gujarati to support children's choice and understanding. The manager supports families by translating documents to enable communication.
• All staff are effective in helping to build children's emotional resilience. They are warm and attentive to the children's needs. Children are praised when they display positive behaviour. For example, children stop and tidy up when staff sing a familiar song. This helps children to follow instructions well and promotes their good behaviour.
• Staff promote children's oral health and good hygiene practices. For example, children understand the importance of washing their hands before mealtimes. Staff support children to brush their teeth after lunch. As such, children learn the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Staff know children's next steps in their learning. They support children well to build positive attitudes to learning. However, occasionally during free play, staff do not consistently meet children's individual needs. For example, children who are less familiar with the routine struggle to transition between free play and structured activities. This makes it hard for them to participate fully in all of the opportunities available.
• Staff provide children with good opportunities to explore beyond the playgroup. They regularly take children for nature walks, collecting items of interest to use and talk about. They also visit the local library to explore a wider selection of books. This helps to develop children's love of books further.
• Partnerships with parents and carers are strong. Staff use information from parents and during home visits to engage in meaningful conversations with children. This helps to develop their self-confidence. Parents enjoy regular updates on their children's progress and value the way in which staff develop nurturing relationships with their children.
• Leaders create a culture of respect for staff, children and the wider community. They offer invaluable services for the local families. For example, they host coffee mornings and distribute food the children have grown from their allotment. These awareness programmes give children a positive sense of their own place in the community as they learn how to support others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand what leaders intend children to learn during daily transition times to help children participate in all the playgroup has to offer.