Earlybirds Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children receive a warm welcome from sensitive staff. Parents share news about the summer holidays, and relationships are being built with new families. Staff offer responsive reassurance to children to help them settle.

Children learn about 'happy breathing'. They learn to use their breath to calm themselves and to help cope with big feelings and emotions. These interactions help children to feel confident and secure.

Curriculum planning is tailored around the observations staff make on children to help meet their next steps in learning, including their interests. Staff then extend and develop that learning. It is cur...rently focused on children beginning to build relationships and develop their social skills.

Staff also focus their curriculum on developing children's understanding and attention, learning to listen to instructions and talking. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They provide visual aids such as pictures to help children understand daily routines.

Additionally, staff use sign language and use single words to support their understanding of English.Staff provide children with creative experiences both indoors and outdoors, where they can use a wide range of materials found in the natural world. As children play outdoors it begins to drizzle.

Staff use this opportunity to talk to children about how the rain feels on their skin, helping to expand their language skills and explore the sensation. Staff know children very well. They develop children's knowledge and understanding as they play.

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

Staff role model positive relationships, so children behave well. They use a range of strategies to help children learn to get along with others. For example, they talk with children about how to share resources, such as a favourite container in the water tray.

Staff provide quiet, calming spaces so that children can have a positive place to relax and talk about how they are feeling.All children receive strong support from staff. They work closely with parents and other professionals, where they arrange regular reviews and gather in-depth information to provide targeted support to help children progress from their starting points.

All children are making good progress.The provider ensures staff well-being at all times, including managing their workload. They utilise staff strengths and roles and responsibilities are carefully delegated.

Staff have regular meetings to discuss the new timetable to review and adapt practice quickly to meet children's needs. Supervision processes support staff to reflect on their own practice and to develop their knowledge further to benefit children. For example, recent training in communication and language helps support children to develop confidence in speaking.

Children are learning to make choices and show growing independence. Children pour their own drinks, choose their snack and wash up their crockery. They show dexterity as they independently spread their own crackers with a knife.

Children build self-confidence in their own abilities and develop their physical and concentration skills well.Staff are actively involved in children's learning and build on what they are doing. They know repetition is important and provide challenge to extend children's thinking.

For example, children use glue at the table and discover how it moves around the paper and how it is sticky. Staff support their investigation and ask questions about how much they need and what the glue does to the paper. Occasionally, staff do not encourage quieter children to participate to support their ongoing problem-solving skills.

Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents feel staff listen to them as they share their children's preferences, interests and skills. Staff provide daily updates about children's welfare and progress.

Good relationships with parents mean two-way communication is strong, and staff and parents work together in an inclusive environment.Children hear staff use mathematical language throughout the day. They talk about numbers, shapes and measures and encourage children to explore these through indoor and outdoor play.

For example, children enjoy counting toy sausages that 'pop' and 'bang' in songs. Staff and children regularly count together. Staff use specific vocabulary such as 'more', 'less', 'big' and 'bigger' to extend learning and support children's thinking.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nencourage more quieter children to participate during activities to enhance and extend their problem-solving skills.