Thornton Hough Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are keen and eager to enter this home-from-home playgroup. They are greeted by friendly staff who know them well. Children put away their belongings and quickly settle into play. They have firm friendships with their peers and strong bonds with staff. This promotes children's emotional well-being and helps them to feel safe. The playgroup routines are well embedded, and children know what to expect. They follow staff's instructions, share the toys and take turns with their friends. Children have lovely social skills and demonstrate kind and friendly behaviour.

Overall, staff provide children with an effective curriculum. They implement mathematical development particularly well. Older children concentrate intently as they use pipettes to transfer water to and from vessels. They predict how many pipettes they will need to fill various containers, using mathematical language such as 'more' and 'less'. Children learn to match numbers to amounts and practise making repeated patterns using cubes. Staff support children to count with one-for-one correspondence and work out 'one more' and 'one less'. Children make good progress in their learning and are developing some of the skills needed for school.

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

• Leaders use children's assessments and current interests to plan a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a good understanding of what children need to learn next and implement this through adult-led activities. However, leaders do not consider how to implement the curriculum for those children who prefer to free play. This means, at times, that some children's learning is not consistently extended.
• Staff promote children's communication and language skills well. They spend a lot of time talking to children and introduce a range of new vocabulary, such as slope and slippery. Staff explain the meaning of new words and encourage children to use them in their play. Children hold lengthy back-and-forth conversations with their friends about a range of topics. They are confident, articulate communicators.
• Overall, children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and enjoy taking part in group activities. However, staff do not consider how they need to further adapt their teaching to support children's different stages of development. At times, group activities are pitched too high for some children. This does not help them to stay engaged and get the best from the learning experience.
• Children are developing good levels of independence. Staff support children to access a 'café style' snack time. Children butter their own crackers and pour their own drinks. They use the bathroom independently, washing and drying their hands. Children are very independent in their play and make lots of choices. This helps them to feel confident in their own abilities and develop new skills.
• The procedures for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well embedded. Staff recognise when children need additional support and implement it swiftly. Timely referrals are made to outside agencies, and staff work in partnership with other professionals to support children. They use additional funding, such as the early years pupil premium, to narrow the gaps in children's development. Children with SEND are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
• Children enjoy the outdoor area. They practise balancing and climbing using the balancing beam. Staff encourage children to choose different animals and move in ways that replicate them. For example, children use their arm strength to pull themselves across the beam 'like a snake'. This helps children to build their physical strength and move their bodies in different ways.
• Literacy development is well embedded. Children enjoy reading stories, and they talk about what is happening. Staff encourage children to point out rhyming words and recall what they remember about familiar stories. Older children learn to write their name accurately. Staff support them to start in the right place to ensure they form the letters correctly. Children are developing some of the key skills needed for their move to school.
• The long-standing staff team are happy and settled in their roles. They access some training and have regular supervision meetings. However, staff do not have accurate feedback on their practice and targets to help them improve their skills and knowledge. Consequently, there are some weaknesses in the quality of education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement the curriculum more precisely during free play, to help extend the learning of those children who do not access the adult-led activities
• adapt group activities more specifically to consider the different ages and abilities of children
• provide staff with more accurate feedback on their performance to enhance their skills and strengthen the quality of education.