Upton St Leonards Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have strong bonds with all staff, particularly their key person. This helps children to feel safe and supports their emotional well-being. Staff understand each child's individual needs and have provided a cosy corner for children who need some time to sit quietly, play with a quiet toy or look at a book.

Children are very engaged in their learning and make independent choices about their play through the accessible age-appropriate activities. Staff tailor activities to support children's interests and the significant events happening in their lives, particularly for those who have just had new siblings. For example, staff have set up a 'baby station' for children to bath, change, dress and feed the dolls, helping children understand how to take care of a new baby and helping them learn about what happens at home.

Children demonstrate good literacy skills through the staff's teaching and the many letter recognition resources available for them. Children arrive at the setting to self-select their name cards and place them on the table ready for snack. Some children can recognise the initials of other people's names at the table. Children dig through the sand tray to find plastic letters and call out what letter they have found. Some children are beginning to write some letters and numbers with mark-making tools.

Children are encouraged to take risks within a safe environment, while gaining confidence in their abilities. For example, children construct with wood and tyres in the garden. They balance along the planks and jump off the end, with adult support. Children measured the distance they had jumped from the plank and marked where their feet landed with chalk.

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

• The children participate in walks around the village to explore the wider community, including visiting the newly carved tree trunk on the green, the church and the residents, allowing children to gain a sense of belonging in their local area. They visit the local allotments to plant a variety of fruit and vegetables. Children learn about how to care for and grow the plants, gaining a sense of achievement and exploring a variety of tastes when the produce has fully grown.
• Older children are well prepared for school as they have developed independence in taking care of some of their needs, such as toileting, pouring their own drinks and dressing themselves. Children's good language skills support them in developing strong friendships and communicating their needs well. Staff create clear next steps for each child and work closely with the local schools to prepare children for further education.
• Staff provide good support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Their key person understands their needs well and implements targets to ensure they have inclusive opportunities to learn and develop. Leaders and staff work closely with families and other professionals to ensure all children are progressing well.
• Children are gaining an understanding of the concept of time. Staff ensure they follow a well-planned routine that suits children's individual needs. Staff provide a visual timetable to help children to understand what will happen now and what will happen next. It also develops children's thinking around organising, sequencing and patterns. This is particularly helpful for children who speak English as an additional language.
• Children's communication and language is developed well through circle times that are held each morning. This is an opportunity for staff and children to discuss daily occurrences, such as the weather. They talk about special events, such as birthdays and welcoming new friends who have joined the setting. Children enjoy these open conversations, where they respect each other's discussions and listen carefully when their peers are talking.
• Children have high levels of engagement as they participate in activities. Children follow their own ideas using creative resources and enjoy voicing and trialling their thoughts. However, on occasions, staff become too involved in the children's creations, which interrupts children's imagination, discouraging their developing thought processes and ideas.
• Staff and parents work together to build positive, trusting partnerships. Managers invite parents into the setting to join in with stay-and-play sessions and watch children's performances, such as plays and graduation ceremonies. Parents explain that their children are developing well and have detected more language being used at home. However, some parents feel there is a lack of communication from staff about their child's development or how to continue learning at home.
• The manager works closely with staff to evaluate their practice. She spends time in the playroom observing and providing feedback to support their professional progress. Staff have unlimited access to various online training courses based on child development. This has improved staff practice and their knowledge in how to deliver teaching to further promote learning opportunities for all children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance interactions with children to help them to explain their own thoughts and ideas and develop their imagination even further, particularly during creative activities
• share information more frequently with parents about children's development and implement strategies to extend children's learning at home.