High Cross Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff know children who attend the playgroup well. They take time to find out about children's interests, home lives and stages of development when children first start.

This helps them to support children to settle well. There is a strong key-person system in place with an emphasis on children's well-being and personal development. Children are extremely happy in the playgroup.

They thrive and have lovely attachments with staff, due to their warm, sensitive and caring interactions. Children's behaviour is good. Staff have clear expectations, which they share with children at the start of each session.

Childre...n confidently recall that they need to share, take turns, listen and use good manners. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in the playgroup, with all children playing very amicably together.Staff are dedicated to ensuring that all children make the best possible progress.

They deliver a thoughtfully planned curriculum that considers children's next steps in learning and interests. Staff place a strong focus on enhancing children's communication, language and social skills. Staff adapt their approach to support children who speak English as an additional language.

For example, they use visual aids and learn key words and phrases in children's home languages to aid their language development and communication.

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

Managers and staff collaborate with parents and external professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use strategies such as regular progress reviews, to address gaps in children's learning.

This tailored and responsive approach ensures that each child receives the necessary support and promotes positive outcomes from children's starting points in development.Staff provide parents and carers with plenty of information to support their children's development, ensuring they receive daily feedback during pick up times. They also invite parents to participate in events, such as cultural days, to celebrate diversity.

These activities help children to develop a strong sense of identity and foster respect for those who are different from them.Parents greatly appreciate the support staff provide for their children. They mention that their children eagerly look forward to attending the playgroup.

Parents also value the guidance that staff offer, such as suggesting ways to further support their children's learning at home.Overall, managers offer support to staff. Staff greatly value and appreciate the personal and professional assistance they receive from managers.

Managers ensure that staff have access to training opportunities to enhance their practice, such as courses on supporting children who speak English as an additional language.There is an open and positive culture surrounding safeguarding, but the managers have not ensured that staff remain up to date with mandatory training, such as paediatric first-aid training. Although staff have completed parts of the training and demonstrate an appropriate knowledge to ensure children's safety, they are scheduled to finish the remaining paediatric first-aid training in the upcoming week.

The impact of this is minimal in terms of keeping children safe.Staff generally interact well with children, exploring books together and introducing a broad range of vocabulary, such as 'starfish'. They also narrate children's play and actively engage with their learning.

However, at times, staff give more attention to the most confident children during group activities. This can result in quieter and less-confident children being less engaged in their learning.Staff teach mathematical concepts by engaging children in activities, such as number recognition, counting and sorting by size.

They encourage children to identify and explore shapes during 'shape hunts', while encouraging older children to describe properties, like sides and corners. This approach helps to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts and their application in the environment.Staff generally support children's independence well, such as encouraging them to dress in role-play clothes and manage self-care tasks.

However, during mealtimes, staff serve packed lunches for children, which limits their independence. Additionally, at snack time, as children do not sit down at a table, they struggle with holding bowls while drinking water, often needing assistance.Staff promote children's healthy eating by offering nutritious snacks and collaborating with parents to ensure that they provide healthy lunches.

They teach children about oral health and dental hygiene, such as by using props and encouraging regular visits to the dentist. This approach supports children's overall well-being and healthy habits.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date make sure that there are staff available on the premises who hold a full and valid paediatric first-aid certificate at all times.21/02/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to strengthen their interactions with children during activities, to make sure that quieter and less-confident children are fully engaged in their learning review the organisation for mealtimes to allow children opportunities to develop their independence further.