Minster Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are confident and feel safe as they happily come into the playgroup to meet with friends. They are eager to engage with the many activities on offer.

For instance, children investigate the real resources in the home corner. Older children carefully cut up the carrots so that they fit into the bowls. They stir the teabags in the teapots and watch as the water changes colour.

Children are inquisitive and enjoy developing their skills as they carefully pour the water into china teacups. Children are developing the skills they need in readiness for the next stage in their learning.Staff support children to take ma...naged risks within their environment and ensure they have daily opportunities to exercise.

For example, children learn how to climb and balance on tyres and walk along wooden beams as they develop their physical skills. Children enjoy going on walks with staff to learn about the nature around them and explore their local community. Children's behaviour is good and appropriate to their age.

They are kind to their friends, and older children are eager to help. For instance, they assist younger children to find their coats so that they can go outside. Children are learning how to comfort others.

For example, children stop their play to ask friends if they would like to join in. They are beginning to understand the feelings of others and how to adjust their behaviour to different situations.

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

Staff make focused use of activities to support children to develop their language skills.

They use repetition and commentary to introduce new words into children's play. For example, staff encourage children to listen to the sound they make as they 'squelch' in the mud with their wellington boots.Partnerships with parents are good.

Staff keep parents informed about their children's achievements regularly. They share information through online applications, social media, and face-to-face meetings. Parents state they appreciate being able to access information online to support them with home learning.

The manager has made good use of additional funding to help children learn about emotions and develop their social and language skills. For instance, they purchased a range of games to support children's interactions will others. Children are keen to play the games.

They quickly learn the rules and excitedly wait to see who will make the pirate pop out of the barrel. Staff also run regular focused groups to boost children's speech and communication. These help children to develop their self-esteem and confidence.

The special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents, staff and other professionals. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language have tailored support to help them make good progress. For instance, staff make good use of picture cards to help them effectively communicate with children.

Staff are positive role models and provide children with warm praise for their achievements. They have high expectations for children's behaviour and put in place strategies to support children to manage their own play. For example, they provide sand timers to help children with taking turns and learning how to share.

The manager is dedicated to continually improving the playgroup. They work closely with the playgroup committee to help develop the setting. The manager understands the importance of supporting staff through regular training opportunities as well as monitoring their well-being.

For instance, staff meet with colleagues at the other playgroup to share ideas and skills.Children are eager to trial new ideas and talk to staff about what they will need to make a kite. Staff encourage children to decorate their kites before helping them to attach the strings.

Staff talk to the children about how they need the wind to make the kite fly and demonstrate how to hold the kite string. However, opportunities to introduce mathematical concepts, such as size and shape, are not always effectively utilised by staff to further extend children's learning.Staff have a secure understanding of the intent for learning and plan activities that encourage children to explore the environment.

For instance, children have train tracks and large blocks to explore construction and building. Staff talk to children about the texture of sand as they build, looking at differences between dry and wet sand. However, staff do not consistently provide a higher level of challenge to the most-able children to help extend their knowledge and skills even further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a good understanding of child protection. They undertake regular safeguarding training and know what to do if they are concerned about a child.

This includes wider child protection concerns, such as being alert to extreme views and beliefs. Staff understand the procedures to follow should an allegation be made against another staff member. The manager has robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure that all adults working with children are suitable.

They ensure that staff receive suitable information as part of their induction procedure. The manager makes sure that Ofsted is notified of changes to the committee and that appropriate suitability checks are carried out for committee members.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop their mathematical skills review and improve the learning environment to provide older children with more opportunities to be challenged in their play.