Tiddlers Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy deciding what they would like to play with and use to help them learn. They quickly find out where their favourite toys and equipment are kept and confidently ask staff to help them if they struggle. Children play happily with their friends and welcome staff to join in their imaginary games and explorations. For example, children are delighted to wrap bandages around the arms of staff. They talk about making people better and what happens in a hospital. This helps children begin to make sense of the world around them.

Children scoop water from a bowl into the sand tray. They know that they can change the texture of the sand this way. Children confidently describe what they are doing. Younger children look on before joining in. They take time to feel the sand, while staff give more explanations about the changes. This helps children build on their vocabulary, using more complex words and phrases. As children grow, their clear speech contributes to their ability to communicate effectively with others.

Children make choices for themselves, for example when they would like a drink or a snack. They understand that they need to wash their hands before they eat, which helps to establish positive hygiene routines from an early age. Older children are good role models for their younger friends, who share the space and resources with them.

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

• The manager has high expectations of staff and children. She works closely with the owner of the playgroup to help ensure that all statutory requirements are met. Together they discuss how the quality of staff's interactions and the environment have an impact on the care and education of children.
• Staff work closely with parents to help provide consistency between home and playgroup. Key persons gather information about children's routines and interests from parents and find out what children already know and understand. This helps staff build a clear picture of how they can most effectively support children's learning in the playgroup.
• Children enjoy walks in the local countryside. Staff help them search for and learn about plants and insects. The memorable activities help children build on what they know and understand. Children enthusiastically recall their walks and adventures when they look at photos displayed on the wall. This helps to reinforce what children already know and encourages them to use new words in their sentences when they talk about their experiences.
• The manager considers how to make the playgroup environment welcoming and safe for children to play and explore. Quieter areas provide space for children to relax and to choose books to look at on their own or for staff to read to them. Older children memorise familiar phrases from popular stories, which they chant during appropriate times in the stories. This contributes to children's developing love for books and stories.
• Children behave well in the playgroup. They follow the clear and simple rules, such as walking inside the building. When reminders are needed, or when the youngest children need support to help them share and take turns, staff take time to encourage and praise children's positive behaviour and reactions to others. This helps children begin to regulate their own actions. Activities, such as games using a parachute, provide opportunities for all the children to work together. Children begin to consider the need to wait their turn to wriggle under the parachute, while their friends flap it up and down.
• Children are motivated to see what other children are investigating or playing with. Staff are enthusiastic and keen to help them. However, this sometimes hinders opportunities to allow children to solve problems or to predict what might happen next.
• Staff respect that children are able to make choices about which resources they would like to play with. However, while younger children enjoy themselves, staff do not consistently encourage and support them to develop their focus during activities. This affects how quickly children develop new knowledge and strengthen their skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children time to work out how to do things and predict what will happen next for themselves and with their friends
• help staff to engage younger children in meaningful activities and experiences that provide suitable challenges to support their continued learning.