St Paul’s Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and develop good knowledge and skills in readiness for starting school. They are starting to understand mathematical concepts such as number, shape and size. During play they recognise familiar shapes such as a 'green square' and 'red triangle'.

Children who have recently started at the playgroup display a strong attachment to their key person. This helps them to feel safe and secure in their new surroundings. Children are happy and make new friendships.

They show kindness to one another and are beginning to share. Children with special educational needs and/or ...disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported. Staff know exactly where children are in their learning and what they need to plan next to help them progress further.

They use additional funding well to provide children with extra support. Staff work in partnership with outside agencies and other professionals to swiftly secure the help children need to achieve the best possible progress.Overall, teaching is strong and staff have high expectations of children's capabilities.

They get to know the children and their families well. Staff understand what knowledge, skills and experiences children need to be successful learners. Children who speak English as an additional language swiftly learn new vocabulary.

Staff promote children's communication skills through the use of visual cues and signing.

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

Staff provide children with unique experiences that they have not experienced elsewhere. They learn about the world beyond their local community, through stories, role play and by finding out about different cultures.

Staff are enthusiastic and committed to providing children with high-quality and interesting activities. They interact well with children and differentiate their teaching to meet individual abilities. Children enjoy listening to stories and make connections about what they already know and understand.

For example, children point to pictures of the billy goats and compare their 'bushy eyebrows' with their own. They excitedly join in the story as they anticipate what they think will happen next.Children display good levels of personal development.

They learn the importance of washing their hands before eating and sitting down to have their snack. Staff encourage children to try new foods and teach them about the benefits of eating a healthy diet. Children use cutlery skilfully and safely.

They slice and chop their fruit with a knife to eat for snack.Overall, children behave well. They listen to and follow instructions, for example, when they are asked to wash their plates after snack.

Staff help children who need extra help to manage their behaviour and remind them about the possible consequences their actions could have on others. However, staff do not always maximise opportunities to reinforce children's understanding of taking turns during activities.Partnerships with parents are well established.

Staff take time to speak with parents daily and provide them with ideas on how to enhance children's learning at home. Parents comment on the warm welcome they get and how their children really enjoy attending the playgroup.Children develop physical strength in their small and large muscles through a variety of activities.

Staff encourage children to use a range of mark-making materials to support their finer movements and hand control. Children thoroughly enjoy being creative and making marks. They draw familiar shapes, such as circles and tell staff they look like eyes.

Children get excited as they dance during group music sessions. However, staff do not always organise these as effectively as they could, to help maintain children's focus and enhance their enjoyment.Staff are extremely passionate about improving outcomes for all children.

They work well together and regularly reflect on their practice. This helps them to identify how they can continually improve. Staff access training to help develop specific areas of their knowledge and skills.

This has had a positive impact on helping them to develop new initiatives to help support children's speech and communication development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse.

They know how to recognise concerns about the welfare of a child in their care and how to report these. The supervisor understands her responsibility as the designated safeguarding lead. She is knowledgeable about how to manage any risks and how to refer these to the appropriate agency.

Staff access regular training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Ofsted has been provided with the required information to confirm the suitability of all members of the management committee.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to maximise opportunities to strengthen children's understanding of taking turns during activities review and organise focused physical activities more effectively to help maintain children's attention and increase their engagement.