Overton Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Young children who are very new to the setting make outstanding progress. Children rapidly form positive relationships with adults and each other. The strengths of these relationships mean children settle exceptionally quickly and are highly confident to communicate with others.

Children and adults share books with wonder. For example, children discover new books and eagerly point out the different characters. They use gesture, facial expression and their developing language to share the excitement of the story with adults.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are able to share and cooperate with each other. ...They participate in small-group activities with maturity, waiting patiently for their turn, attentive to what others have to say.

They attend vibrant circle time activities for extended periods, eager to participate in the action. Children navigate outside play equipment with great skill. Staff closely observe as children use coordinated movements to grip handlebars and clamber up steep steps leading to a large slide.

They show stability and confidence that is advanced for their age. Children support each other to fully engage in activities. They use chalk to draw around the shape of adults on the ground, allowing each other to take the lead or working together to complete a chalked outline.

Children offer encouragement with words and laughter that motivates them to keep trying. They stand back and admire their efforts with glee.

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

All staff have very high aspirations for what children can achieve.

They make regular and accurate observations of children, which are especially targeted if progress falters. Where gaps or delays are identified, staff coordinate quickly to gather evidence that comprehensively assesses any issues. This evidence is used in a timely manner to make the most out of specialist support.

Staff involve children in reading as soon as they start at the setting. There are regular trips to the local library, where children develop a love of books. Children self-register by finding their printed name on a paper hand.

This helps children begin to recognise the letters that make up their name from a very young age.Adults expertly support children to understand how writing conveys meaning and this has a significant positive impact. For instance, children in the role play kitchen think of recipes that they want to cook while an adult writes down their suggestions.

Children make their own attempts to write by drawing curvy lines and spirals in approximations of the adult's handwriting. Children then proudly 'read' their list of meals that need to be made.High-quality teaching enables children to apply their existing knowledge to the learning.

During a colour-sorting activity, the room leader encouraged children to discuss the objects being sorted by exploring their uses outside of the playgroup. This meant that children were able to link their own personal experiences to the objects they sorted, while using new and emerging language.Children with speech and language difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language are extremely well supported.

The highly experienced special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) excels in coordinating support for these children by developing effective interventions that build on keen observations made by all staff. During a one-to-one activity with the SENCo, children who need additional speech and language support demonstrate progress by describing a 'yellow car'. This is a direct result of previous interventions that helped them develop their use of descriptive language.

The manager and room leader are inspirational practitioners. They provide purposeful feedback to staff to enable them to improve their practice. Their expert knowledge of age-related development allows them to continually build on secured learning outcomes and ensure children are very well equipped to transition to pre-school.

For instance, a focus on communication and emotions supports children to self-regulate their behaviour. This helps improve their ability to remain focused on increasingly longer and more complex tasks without becoming frustrated. Children develop age-appropriate social skills that are fully embedded by the time they leave the setting.

Parent partnerships are outstanding. For example, parent questionnaires are sent home every half term with learning journals that celebrate the achievements of the children. These celebratory, child-friendly portfolios also contain information from the progress checks that are completed at two years of age that describe the next relevant steps of attainment.

Well-sequenced planning is responsive to children's progress and enriches their learning opportunities. For example, staff observe and recognise that children are highly interested in learning about 3D shapes, and so plan an additional trip to find 3D shapes at the local church. This allows children to consolidate then extend their learning in a range of real-life contexts.

Leaders offer excellent professional development. Staff have undergone Makaton training and use this regularly to aid language learning. Children use sign language themselves to communicate in circle time when singing familiar songs.

A combination of song, sign and speech allows all children to flourish in whole-group activities and ensures all children are included.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leadership and management employ safer recruitment practices when employing new staff.

Staff understand their obligations to keep children safe. They know how to report any concerns that they might have in a range of safeguarding situations. Staff have easy access to safeguarding information, including who to contact if concerns arise.

Details of conversations about any safeguarding concerns are recorded. Staff provide effective supervision of children on outdoor activities. This means children are safe to challenge themselves during physical play.