William Older Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive with excitement and enthusiasm. They confidently wave goodbye to their parents as they receive a warm welcome from friendly staff. Children who have recently started attending the playgroup are given extra comfort and encouragement by key staff. This helps them to settle quickly alongside new friends. Staff thoughtfully plan an array of play experiences and activities that support children's individual learning. Staff ensure that they listen to children's thoughts and ideas, incorporating their current interests into their day. This helps children feel valued.

Staff are positive role models. This enables children to understand what is expected of them as they learn to take turns and play collaboratively. This contributes towards children's good behaviour. Furthermore, staff form strong and nurturing attachments with children. They recognise the positive impact this has on their emotional well-being. In turn, children are confident to seek out staff for play, comfort and support when needed.

Staff ensure that children have an abundance of opportunities to develop their physical skills. The well-equipped and stimulating outdoor areas enable children the freedom to curiously explore in a variety of ways. They delight as they run, climb, balance and manoeuvre their whole bodies. This supports children's core muscle development. Furthermore, staff carefully consider a variety of ways to increase children's small muscle dexterity. For instance, children use chunky tweezers as they carefully practise grasping and releasing pom-poms. This supports children's hand-eye coordination and helps to prepare them for early writing.

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

• All staff plan and provide meaningful, appropriately challenging learning experiences for children. They provide an ambitious curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. Staff plan for children's individual next steps in their learning, knowing what they want to teach them next and why. This enables children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to continually strengthen their knowledge and prepare for future success.
• Leaders and staff prioritise children's communication and language development. Staff hold appropriate back-and-forth conversations with children and expose them to new words, such as 'crinkly' and 'caterpillar'. This supports their growing range of vocabulary. Staff have a good understanding of children's ongoing development. Therefore, any additional support children need in their language development is sought swiftly. Staff use Makaton and gesture to reinforce spoken language. This supports all children to become confident communicators.
• Generally, children's understanding of behavioural expectations is well considered. Staff quickly help children to resolve any minor disputes. This helps children begin to learn right from wrong. However, staff do not always consider how they teach older children about risks. For example, staff ask children not to run inside and give them reminders to sit down when eating. These messages are consistent and appropriate. However, they do not provide any explanation as to what the risk is and why they are asking these things. This means older children do not always have opportunities to learn how they can keep themselves safe.
• Children with SEND are well supported. Timely referrals are made to ensure that children and their families receive prompt support when needed. Staff recognise the importance of partnership working with a range of external professionals and parents. Children with SEND have tailored plans in place that incorporate specific strategies given by other professionals to meet children's needs. As a result, children with SEND are consistently supported to make good progress alongside their friends.
• Overall, leaders plan daily routines well. However, on occasions, some planned group activities are not organised as well as they could be. This means children do not always receive the support they need to remain engaged and focused. Consequently, sometimes, children lose interest in their learning. Despite this, children make good progress and are generally motivated to learn.
• Staff provide ample praise and encouragement when children try something that challenges them. For instance, staff encourage children to persist as they try and put their own coats on and zip up their bags. Children cannot wait to share their achievements with staff, who proudly celebrate with them, when they succeed. This enables children to become independent and resilient learners.
• Leaders and staff value the relationships they have with families. Parents are highly complimentary of the experiences their children receive at this playgroup. They report positively on the progress their children have made since starting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further develop older children's understanding of risk and how to keep themselves safe
• refine the organisation of some planned activities to help keep children fully engaged in their learning.