St Philip And St James Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The managers and staff have created an outstanding stimulating environment. Children benefit significantly from a wealth of challenging learning activities and demonstrate exceptional levels of confidence. They arrive in high spirits, build very strong friendships and are extremely motivated to learn.

For example, children move furniture, safely negotiating space around them. They work highly effectively as a team to create different scenes, such as an airport. They use descriptive language to recall events at home and share what they know.

Children excel in their creative play and are keen to express their own ...thoughts and ideas. They show an understanding of how to use maps, which supports their reading skills highly effectively. Some children pretend to travel on a train and discuss where they are going.

They demonstrate an exceptional knowledge of the world and remind visitors that they need to have a ticket, stamping travel tickets with great enthusiasm. Staff are particularly strong at building on each child's existing skills. For example, children eagerly accept challenges provided by staff and show high levels of perseverance hunting for hidden objects.

They show an excellent understanding of positional language and eagerly explore what lies underneath equipment. This captures their curiosity and encourages them to think about risk as they carefully move objects and investigate what they find.

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

The managers provide staff with excellent professional development opportunities, which rapidly improves outcomes for children.

For example, recent speech and language training has helped staff target even further support to ensure children receive that extra challenge they require. The detailed intervention plans, close monitoring and highly effective multi-agency working helps to ensure that all children make excellent progress and gaps in learning swiftly close. Parents comment that all staff have an excellent understanding of their children's individual needs and capabilities.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are compassionate and show high levels of respect for others. For example, during the inspection they discussed community events they had attended and shared their experience with others that could not attend, such as through their drawings and discussion.

As a result, all children were able to express their feelings and felt valued and included. Children receive consistent praise. They develop an extremely strong sense of belonging and show secure emotional attachments with staff.

The managers show excellent drive and commitment to achieving the highest possible standards. They seek the views of staff and actively engage in developing highly effective development plans to improve learning outcomes for children. For example, they have introduced learning experiences to help build on children's knowledge of how to protect their natural environment.

At lunchtime, children actively recycle their rubbish and put their packaging in the correct-coloured bin without prompting. They show an excellent understanding of how to care for their planet.Partnerships with parents are excellent and play an extremely strong part in successfully meeting children's individual needs.

Staff involve parents in their children's learning, such as talking to parents about sharing books and using local libraries. They work closely with other settings that children attend or to which they will transfer. This helps to achieve the highest levels of consistency in children's care and learning and has an extremely positive impact on children's on-going development.

Children love to be physically active. They explore a significant range of activities where they develop their skills, such as climbing and balancing. Staff use interesting and exciting ways to teach children about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

Children are learning to eat healthily and grow a range of vegetables, which they use in the pre-school. Children manage simple tasks for themselves. For example, they help prepare tables for their snack.

Staff speak to them reassuringly and make suggestions to support their independence and help them to succeed. Their belief in their own abilities is strong as they persevere to complete their tasks.Children learn to regulate their own behaviour and to negotiate with others.

For example, they immerse themselves in imaginary play and listen to the ideas of their peers as they act out stories of their favourite films. Staff observe children and question them skilfully, extending their speaking skills highly effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The managers and staff give safeguarding the utmost priority. They show an excellent knowledge of a wide range of child protection issues. Staff are extremely vigilant and have a thorough understanding of the processes to follow if they are concerned about a child.

Highly comprehensive policies and procedures support them in taking swift action effectively. The managers and staff routinely follow up any unexplained absences and ensure their knowledge of child protection is extremely thorough. There are exemplary procedures in place for staff recruitment and induction to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.