Little Badgers Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Older children arrive with excitement and joy to this welcoming playgroup as they greet staff by name and shout out to their friends to come and play.

Staff are friendly and kind towards children. When children are unsettled, staff provide them with reassurance and cuddles. This support helps children to form secure attachments with staff.

Although there is a curriculum in place, this is not consistently implemented for younger children or some children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teaching is sometimes inconsistent. Not all staff understand how to promote and extend all aspects of younge...r children's learning or those younger children with SEND.

Despite these gaps, children explore the activities available to them and have fun as they learn. Older children play well together, and staff help them learn to share and take turns. For example, when children want the same toy, sand timers are used to help them learn when it is their turn.

Children watch with anticipation as the sand falls through the timer, immediately showing this to staff when the sand has all fallen through. Children learn to behave appropriately in the playgroup through positive role modelling from staff and the implantation of 'golden rules'. Staff remind children of these every morning during circle time and again at pertinent times, such as tidy-up time.

As a result, children behave well and listen and follow instructions from staff.

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

Overall, staff know the children well and plan a curriculum to reflect what it is they want children to learn next. However, not all staff know how to deliver this effectively, particularly for younger children and those younger children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

During some activities, staff are unsure how to support children's next steps or extend their learning, which results in children lacking focus and attention.The manager generally supports her staff team by offering regular team meetings, supervision and some training to continue professional development. Staff speak highly of her and feel they are well supported.

However, the manager does not identify when teaching is inconsistent. She does not monitor and evaluate staff practice well enough, which means that not all children are supported fully in their learning. Consequently, younger children and younger children with SEND are not always well supported to make consistently good progress.

Staff promote children's physical skills well, and children spend lots of time outside in the fresh air. Children develop their small- and large-muscle skills.Younger children enjoy using spoons and cups to pour water into jugs, and the older children begin to handle pencils and crayons as they make marks on paper.

All children show good balancing skills as they move along beams in the outside area and use control on wheeled toys.Children learn new words as staff join in with their play. For example, when children play with a large truck, staff use words such as 'gigantic' to enable them to use other descriptive words when describing size.

However, sometimes, staff do not spend enough time talking to younger children to help them build on their growing vocabulary.Staff share information with parents about what their children like to do at playgroup and what they have learned. They send 'all about me' sheets out each term to ensure parents share any changes in children's care needs and interests from home.

However, staff do not always discuss with parents how they can further support their children in all areas of their development at home. That said, parents speak positively about the experiences their children receive and how much they appreciate the level of care and attention given to their children.Where teaching is implemented well children respond positively and actively engage in their learning.

For instance, during a story session, children listen well and use their imagination as they use props to 'stomp' in the mud, 'swirl' through the pretend snowstorm, and 'splash' through the water. They squeal with delight as they hide from the 'bear' under a bed sheet.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interest 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 ensure staff implement the curriculum to meet the individual learning needs of all children, in particular the younger children and those younger children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) 24/10/2024 ensure effective monitoring of staff is implemented to ensure that any gaps in teaching are identified and supported to build on teaching practice.24/10/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to learn how to best support younger children to develop on their speaking skills nenhance communication with parents to help them further support their child's development at home.