Hexham Community Centre Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and safe in this friendly and welcoming playgroup. Staff have a lovely and caring nature, and children form strong relationships with them. Overall, children are motivated and engaged learners.

Staff model positive relationships to children, who play well together. Children listen well to staff and each other. They play together happily and learn to share and take turns.

Staff value each child. For example, individual children have their own 'special day'. This gives them the opportunity to bring in their favourite toys and books from home, and share their experiences with their friends.

Sta...ff have high expectations for children and provide them with nurturing support to help them to make progress. Children are eager to learn and behave well.Staff offer children many opportunities to learn about the community around them.

For example, they go to the local pet shop and train station, meet with older people and engage in special events in the local community. Older children visit the 'wild side' in the local park and work out how to make bridges to get across the stream. They happily solve problems together, using stones, sticks and pebbles to help them to get to the other side.

Staff encourage children to take part in community initiatives. For instance, children used real tools to make pretend ducks and floated them down the river in the local 'duck race'. Children persevere during activities.

They complete jigsaw puzzles and build with construction materials, trying hard until they succeed. Staff encourage children to develop their mathematical understanding very well when they play. For example, they introduce counting and positional language.

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

Children access many activities that help them to develop their physical skills needed for later writing. They play with dough and push sticks into it, paint pictures and draw pictures of bridges. Staff offer children lots of opportunities to be creative and access art and craft materials.

Children imaginatively build with bricks and large crates.Overall, staff plan activities that meet children's individual needs. They assess what children know and can do, and plan for what they need to learn next.

However, younger children have less opportunities to explore and investigate when they play in order to enhance their natural curiosities.Children are offered fresh air and exercise each day. They enjoy nutritious snacks and drinks.

However, staff miss opportunities to encourage children to develop their independence. For example, they often put children's coats, wellington boots and outdoor clothing on them, without allowing them to have a go themselves first. Additionally, some resources are out of reach for the younger children, meaning that, at times, they can not easily choose what they would like to play with.

Staff promote children's early literacy skills well. Children regularly listen to stories and cuddle up with staff to read their favourite book. Staff listen carefully to children and ask them meaningful questions.

They encourage children to enhance their speech and language, and introduce new vocabulary as they play.The manager and staff work hard to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with a range of other professionals to put plans in place to support children to reach their full potential.

Staff have established very good links with other settings that children also attend. They frequently share information about children's care and development to provide consistency in their learning. Staff also meet with staff at the local school to moderate their assessments of children's development.

Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents receive information about their children's development and progress. For example, they have daily discussions with staff and access an online assessment system.

Parents speak highly of the setting and comment that they are very happy with the service provided. They remark that they choose to travel quite far to the playgroup because their children like it so much. Parents state that they wish their children never have to leave when the time comes for them to move on to the next stage of their education.

The manager is committed to providing focused training for staff. For example, training is planned for staff to lead forest-school activities. Staff receive regular support from the manager and are happy in their roles.

There are clear plans for the development of the playgroup. For instance, the manager has plans to enhance the opportunities children have to play and learn outdoors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. They understand the action to take if they have a concern about a child in their care. Staff complete thorough risk assessments of the premises to ensure that children are well protected.

They are vigilant about safety and put in place a range of procedures to help keep children safe. For example, staff make sure that children wear high-visibility jackets on outings and encourage children to hold onto a 'walking rope'.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend the opportunities that younger children have to explore and investigate when they play to help them to become fully engaged in their learning nencourage children to develop their independence and self-care skills further.