Little Learners Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and their families feel welcome at this inclusive setting. Children who speak English as an additional language benefit from opportunities to engage in activities that reflect their home languages, cultures and traditions. Children's interests and choices are valued.

The manager has high expectations for all children. She guides staff well to plan stimulating and challenging experiences for individual children. Children who have younger siblings are interested in exploring activities such as washing baby dolls, and staff skilfully plan role-play experiences that help to meet their needs.

Young children settle ...well. They form friendships and engage in a common theme of play with other children, such as wheeling play trucks around in the garden. Older children learn to describe emotions.

They watch eagerly as staff show them how to draw a smiley face. Staff teach children to care for their personal safety, for instance how to sit safely on a chair. Children use their imagination to make a 'hedgehog' with natural resources, such as a pumpkin and twigs.

Children are happy, confident and motivated to explore. Children behave well and share and take turns during play. Staff miss some opportunities to clarify information when they introduce children to new concepts.

They continue to consider ways to provide consistent opportunities for children to build on their self-help skills.

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

Self-evaluation is effective. The manager has improved the arrangements for staff induction and training.

She ensures that all staff are trained on safeguarding matters. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities, for instance to complete progress checks for children aged two years.The manager supports staff well to help them manage their work effectively.

The team works well together, to plan an ambitious curriculum for the children, and to achieve good standards in the quality of children's learning and care.Staff plan well to encourage children's engagement and responses to stories and songs. Children choose what they would like to sing or read and all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are encouraged to join in the actions and words.

Children build on their vocabulary. All children, including those from different groups, make good progress from their starting points.Older children learn to count, for instance, as they measure ingredients to make play dough.

Parents are informed of their children's learning experiences and the resources staff use, such as a clock, to help children learn to identify numbers. This helps parents to continue children's learning at home.Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about different occupations.

Children replay their observations of the real world, for instance, as they pretend to be shopkeepers and customers and buy food from the play shop. Children build on their understanding of people and communities.Staff support children well to help them build a consistent understanding of the rules and behavioural expectations at the setting.

Staff work closely with parents to share ideas and agree strategies that help to manage children's behaviour positively.Staff provide opportunities for children to build on their physical skills. They teach children how to hold tools and mark-making equipment effectively.

Children learn to coordinate their movements, for instance, as they sweep the leaves in the garden.The manager establishes close partnerships with schools. She invites teachers to observe children at the playgroup.

She shares information effectively with staff to help support a smooth transition for children.At times, staff do not provide clear information to help children understand new concepts. For instance, they tell children that oil is 'thicker' than water but do not provide sufficient time and opportunity for children to deepen their understanding of what is being said.

Some routines are not organised well enough to fully support children's self-help skills. For instance, children's coats are left in a pile in a basket, and children depend on staff to find their coats for them when they prepare to go outdoors. Staff do not always allow enough time for children to learn to get their coats on by themselves.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of the signs and symptoms that cause concern for children's welfare and the procedures to follow to safeguard children. They have up-to-date knowledge of the 'Prevent' duty guidance.

The manager completes specific risk assessments as necessary and ensures that children are safe as they learn to take appropriate risks. Staff maintain records of accidents and incidents, as required, and share the information with parents.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to strengthen opportunities for children to build consistently on their self-help skills strengthen staff skills so they consistently provide clear information to children, particularly when introducing new concepts, to help enhance children's understanding further.