Clifton Playgroup Limited

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily and settle in quickly to play with their friends.

They have developed close relationships with staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure in the playgroup. Children confidently explore the range of resources available and select what interests them. They happily engage in play with their peers and chat about what they are building.

For example, they each design and build their towers with small connecting blocks. Children focus and use their time to explore resources together and with staff. They are keen to share the facts they remember about various subjects, including outer space, rocket...s, small woodland animals and insects.

Children behave very well. Staff model respectful behaviours with each other and with children. This helps children to understand the behaviours that are expected of them.

Children respond well to staff's gentle reminders to be kind to one another and to take their turn. Children readily use good manners, saying 'thank you' when items are given to them. Children have fun and enjoy learning.

For example, during physical play outdoors, they giggle with their peers during a hopping race as they reach the end of the garden. Children make very good progress in their development, which helps them to be prepared for the next stages in learning and the eventual move on to school.

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

Managers have designed an ambitious curriculum for what children can learn during their time in the playgroup.

Staff make effective use of the information they gather from parents when children first start. This information helps staff to decide and make plans to build on children's learning from the outset.Activities and experiences are carefully considered to enable children to fully engage, lead their own learning in their chosen play and build further on their knowledge and skills.

That said, there are times when routine adult-led activities mean that children are sitting to wait for lengths of time. Occasionally, children become restless and disengaged. This means children have less time to explore and lead their own play and learning.

Staff place high emphasis on children's development of communication and language. They ensure that children have regular opportunities to think and talk about their own thoughts and ideas. Staff use additional support programmes to guide their focus on learning for each child, including individual time spent with staff.

As a result, children become confident talkers, using a well-developed vocabulary to express themselves.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need to make significant progress from their starting points. The manager and staff liaise effectively with parents and other professionals to ensure these children are included and receive the play and learning opportunities they need, alongside their peers.

Children enjoy being physical outdoors. They enjoy following instructions to run, hop and walk backwards together. They also develop their coordination and skills using a range of equipment, such as various wheeled toys, balls and hoops.

They laugh with their friends and set each other challenges to see who can rotate the hoop and keep it on their waist for the longest time. Others practise rolling the hoop in a straight line, following the guidance given by staff.Managers ensure that staff complete the mandatory training they need to fulfil their duties and responsibilities.

However, there is scope to support staff to further strengthen their knowledge to increase their confidence and keep this knowledge current. That said, the guidance that staff receive to help them develop their quality of teaching and interactions with children is exemplary.Children learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others in their communities.

They explore utensils, fabrics and other items from different cultures to help them understand these differences. This helps children to learn about the wider world and build tolerance and acceptance of others outside their own experiences.Parents speak very highly about the playgroup, the manager and staff.

They say that staff are friendly and approachable and that they know their children are well cared for. Parents say their children are happy and look forward to attending. They remark on the rate that children make progress in their learning.

Parents value the regular information they receive about their child's learning and the ideas for how to continue with this learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff understand their responsibilities to ensure that children are protected from harm.

They hold a secure knowledge of a range of child protection matters, including concerns about extremist views and county lines. Staff hold sufficient knowledge of the local procedures to report their concerns and hold sufficient knowledge of how to escalate their concerns if they are required to do so. Recruitment procedures are robust.

This includes the background checks that are carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work in the playgroup. Routine checks are made in the environment to make sure that it is safe for children to attend.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review daily routines to increase the time and the opportunities that children have to explore and lead their own play and learning with a range of resources build on the already good support provided to staff to further strengthen their knowledge gained from training and increase their confidence to help to keep this knowledge current.

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