Windsor Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to attend the playgroup and quickly separate from their parents when they arrive. Friendly staff help children settle in and choose an activity. Children demonstrate that they are confident to approach staff for help and ask them to find a towel to dry the slide. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. When children display unwanted behaviour, staff intervene quickly and explain to children why their behaviour is unacceptable. Children are generally kind to each other and use their manners.

Staff know children well and provide appropriate next steps for their learning and development. All children make progress from their starting points. Children enjoy playing games such as picture bingo with their friends. Staff teach them how to share and take turns. Children become confident communicators. They kindly welcome visitors and invite them to join in with their play. Children ask staff and visitors what they would like for dinner and pretend to cook them a meal. Children develop their small-muscle skills. Staff teach them how to use tweezers to pick up plastic insects. Children enjoy participating in songs and try to copy the actions that staff make.

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

• Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills. They teach children the difference between ants, beetles, flies and spiders. Staff use a variety of songs, games and nursery rhymes to help children learn new words. Children show they understand the words they are being taught. When staff ask them when the moon comes out, children reply 'at bedtime'.
• Staff plan a range of interesting learning opportunities for children indoors. Children enjoy exploring the activities that staff provide and playing with their friends. For example, they enjoy using musical instruments such as a keyboard to make music as staff sing along. However, opportunities for children to learn outside are not as well planned. This does not support children who prefer to learn outdoors, and consequently, children are less engaged in their play.
• Children show they are becoming more independent with their self-care skills. They change their shoes and remove their coats when they arrive at the playgroup. Older children access the toilet independently. However, at times, staff are too quick to do things for children without letting them try for themselves. For example, at snack time, staff open lunchboxes for children, find their snacks and peel their oranges for them. This does not help them to become as independent as possible before starting school.
• Children develop a love of books. Staff read stories in an exciting and engaging way, using a range of different voices to imitate characters. Children show prior learning as they complete words from familiar phrases. Staff help children to develop their understanding of different stories. After reading books, staff encourage children to act out the story. Children laugh and giggle as they pretend to eat porridge from the 'Daddy bears' bowl.
• Staff support children with their early mathematical skills. Children learn to count as they post cars down a drainpipe. Older children learn to count backwards as they say three, two, one, 'blast off'. Staff help children begin to understand the concept of size. They describe a tower that children build and discuss whether it is taller or smaller than the children. Children learn to recognise different shapes as they complete a puzzle. Staff describe an oval, a rectangle and a hexagon.
• Leaders ensure that all staff keep their professional knowledge up to date. Staff attend a variety of training courses which help them to further support the children who attend the playgroup. Leaders identify gaps in staff's knowledge and seek training for them to help close these gaps.
• Parents speak highly of the playgroup. They describe the staff as friendly and say that their children enjoy attending. Parents receive regular communication from their child's key person and understand the developmental stage of their child. Staff also establish ways to share information with other settings that children attend.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the planning for the outdoor environment so that children who prefer to learn outside can do so
• help children to further develop their independence skills by offering them more opportunities to complete tasks for themselves.