Yorkley Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the playgroup. Staff plan challenging and exciting activities that motivate and engage children superbly. Children are extremely independent. They choose from a wide variety of toys and resources and play well with others. All children are actively learning. Some choose to play and dress the baby dolls. They dress the dolls, asking staff for help to get the doll's arms into the 'cardigan', then proudly show how they can fasten the buttons.

Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, outdoors, children take part in the 'daily mile'. They walk around the playground doing different exercises and talk about how keeping fit makes them stronger. Some children join in a board game and match healthy foods with healthy teeth. Children recall that to keep teeth healthy, they need to eat food with only small amounts of sugar, brush their teeth regularly and visit the dentist.

Children have excellent opportunities to learn about their community, themselves and others. The manager organises outings for the children to build on their understanding of the wider world. For example, at Christmas, children went on a 'Santa safari' to see animals and meet with Santa. Staff have planned an upcoming outing to allow children to ride on a train through the local forest. In addition, the manager also arranges parent, children and staff 'get togethers' locally. Children learn about similarities and differences between them and their friends. They gain a good understanding of what makes them unique.

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

• The inspirational manager works brilliantly with her staff team to meticulously plan the curriculum to meet children's needs. Staff know children extremely well. They plan experiences and activities that continually build on what children know and can do. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning to speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress and are well prepared for future learning.
• Children concentrate for extended periods of time as they fully engage in the activities on offer. Staff note what children are doing and present challenges to extend learning, either through getting children to solve problems, recalling past learning or encouraging them to attempt something new. Children thrive on the attention and praise and eagerly keep trying.
• Staff support and encourage children's mathematical understanding superbly. Children work together to build a 'bridge' with pretend bricks. They walk across the bricks, balancing well. When the structure breaks apart, staff encourage children to rebuild it. They pose challenges, such as asking the children to make a square shape. Children talk about whether the sides need to be the same length, recalling the differences between a rectangle and a square. Staff help the children count how many more bricks they might need. Staff naturally extend children's learning, building on what children know and can do.
• Staff build strong relationships with parents and children. They share information about children's learning with parents to help them continue to build on skills at home. For example, children take home books to share with parents. Staff include cards with questions parents can ask or suggestions for activities they can do with their children linked to the story. Children are gaining a love of stories, developing a wider vocabulary and becoming confident talkers.
• Staff provide clear messages for children about what they need to do and when. At the start of the day, children come together to say 'hello'. They recall the 'rules' for group time, telling staff they are doing 'good sitting, good listening and good looking'. When it is tidy-up time, staff give children a five-minute warning and set the sand timer. Children eagerly let staff know when the sand has run out. Staff do not rush this time but ensure that all children are joining in. They take time to continue extending learning. For example, they help children match items they are putting away to the right box. They encourage children, asking, 'can you help each other?' Children show care and consideration for their play spaces and take pride in knowing where the toys need to go.
• The manager and staff reflect constantly on their practice. They listen to parent feedback and regularly review the learning environments to make positive changes. For example, outdoors, they have added a climbing frame that is the same as one at the local park, to support children's physical skills and provide parents with reassurance about children's safety.