Learn And Play Childcare Limited

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are confident and motivated to learn. Relationships between parents, staff and children are strong, which supports children to feel safe and secure.

Children behave well and are very friendly. Staff are good role models. They regularly encourage children to talk about their feelings.

This helps children to understand and manage their different emotions. Staff use additional funding thoughtfully and draw upon resources in the local community to provide children with exciting learning experiences outside of the setting, such as visits from the local police and walks to the local shops to buy ingredients for a Ch...ristmas chocolate log. This helps children gain opportunities to learn about their local community and develop the skills they need for school.

Staff observe what children can do and, overall, provide a broad range of challenging learning experiences which motivate and engage children to learn. For instance, staff use a range of simple signs and words in different languages to make a positive impact on babies' and children's communication and language development. Staff encourage older children to cut out circles and straight lines they have drawn, and then extend learning by supporting children to wrap up boxes with Christmas wrapping paper, using scissors and sellotape, to help them strengthen their small muscles in readiness for early writing.

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

Staff gain relevant information from parents about what their children know and understand and what they can already do. They use this information, along with their observations of children, to provide age-appropriate activities that motivate children to learn and make good progress. Staff guide children as they play and help them know how to use resources safely.

For instance, older children handle scissors and sellotape carefully as they wrap boxes with Christmas wrapping paper.Staff use age-appropriate strategies to support children's mathematical development. For instance, staff encourage younger children to consider the difference between 'small' and 'big' when making dinosaurs from red dough.

Staff introduce number names as older children shop for ingredients and prepare their Christmas chocolate yule log. However, they do not routinely challenge children's understanding of more complex mathematical problems, such as calculation, quantity and measure.Older children are kind, well behaved and show consideration to each other and the staff.

Babies and young children benefit from staff being positive role models and being consistent in their management of children's behaviour.Staff introduce daily routines to children and help them adopt healthy living. For example, children wash their hands before eating and show high levels of independence as they use forks and spoons safely, serve themselves at mealtimes, scrape the food off and wash up their own plates.

Staff work well with parents and share information with them about their children's learning and development. Parents know how to support their children's learning and confirm that children achieve well. They appreciate the good support their children receive from the friendly and approachable staff team.

Staff support children well to develop their speech and language. For instance, they always ensure they have eye contact when they talk to babies and younger children. Staff model language clearly and ask children questions as they add each ingredient in their chocolate log.

Older children use words such as 'hard', 'soft' and 'powdery' when sifting flour. However, on occasions, staff's questions do not extend children's thinking skills to help them work out problems on their own.The manager establishes strong links with relevant agencies to help ensure that children receive the specialist support they need to help them improve.

Staff work well with providers when the time comes for the children to move on.The manager supervises staff and gives them specific targets and feedback to help them further develop the quality of their practice. Staff attend courses to strengthen their skills.

They state that the manager helps them reduce their workload and supports their well-being effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager conducts the required vetting checks on all staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding practice, including the reporting procedures. Managers share the policies and procedures with staff during their induction training to help them be clear about the expectations.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider ways to challenge older children's understanding of more complex mathematical problems, such as calculation, quantity and measure, during everyday play nextend the range of questions staff ask older children, to help them think and work out problems on their own and extend their learning to the highest level.