Sunbeams Playgroup Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are settled, happy and respond very positively to the friendly, welcoming staff. Children are keen to participate in the wide variety of activities provided and become absorbed in their play. For example, younger children begin to use their imaginations well.

They move the small-world figures around a doll's house or use play food to make a picnic and start to act out different experiences. Older children concentrate well as they fill and empty buckets with sand. They follow their ideas and add water to the sand and say, 'We are making a sandcastle with a princess in.'

Children broaden their experiences and u...nderstanding of nature, and animals that visitors bring to the playgroup. They stroke a guinea pig and feel the comb, wings and feet of a cockerel. Children like going with staff to the nearby postbox to post invitations they have made for their parents to come to their Christmas party.

Children interact extremely positively with their friends. They show great delight when a friend arrives and go to give them a hug. Older children are quick to see when a younger friend is waiting at the painting easel and they readily move aside to let them have a turn.

Children show curiosity in their environment and ask about shadows. Staff extend this interest well and help children to look for shadows around them. The manager and staff have clear aims to continually promote children's care and learning needs.

Parents speak very highly of staff, saying that they are supportive and skilled at helping their children be prepared for their move to school.

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

The manager supports her staff effectively and they form a strong team. Staff continue to update their knowledge and skills.

For example, they have completed behaviour management training, and this has helped them implement significantly effective and consistent strategies to promote children's excellent behaviour.Children gain confidence and positive self-esteem. Staff encourage children to develop independence skills and take responsibility within daily routines.

For example, children wash their plates up after their snack. They concentrate well and succeed at taking off and putting on their shoes and wellington boots before going outdoors.Staff monitor children's achievements regularly in liaison with their parents.

They share ideas to help build on children's existing skills and interests, and support their ongoing good progress. Staff provide exciting, motivating activities that engage children's participation very well, and help them enjoy learning through their play. Staff identify children's next steps of learning from their observations of their play.

However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to promote these as well as possible, for example, to reinforce children's understanding of shapes, and recognition of written numerals and how these match to quantity, to support children's mathematical awareness more consistently.Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff provide a very calm, reassuring approach and are highly skilled at helping children understand and manage their emotions exceptionally well.

Children feel safe and valued within the playgroup. They are very kind to their friends and talk nicely to them. They learn to resolve problems easily together, such as with sharing a toy, and smile as they say, 'We have another one here, so we can both have one.'

Staff promote children's communication and language effectively. They clearly recognise the importance of listening to children and giving them time to think and respond to questions or situations. Children develop their vocabulary quickly and learn new words, such as 'muscles' or 'crunchy', when exploring textures within creative activities.

Children have a great enjoyment of stories. They listen attentively as staff read a favourite story about a bear. They enthusiastically join in with the repeated refrains, such as 'swishy, swashy grass' and 'squelchy mud'.

Children then like to look through books in a quiet area and tell a friend the story. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to provide resources such as books or simple technological toys in the outdoor areas, to support the spontaneous interests and learning of those children who learn best outdoors more effectively.The manager and staff continually reflect on the effectiveness of their practice and identify how they can make changes to improve.

They have changed the layout of the playroom to provide more space for children to move around in and for staff to be able to supervise them more effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff are clear about their responsibilities to protect children's welfare.

They update their understanding of safeguarding issues and know the procedures to follow should any concerns about children's well-being arise. Staff assess the premises for possible risks and put suitable prevention in place to minimise accidents. The manager continues to assess staff suitability, through ongoing supervision, and supports them well to develop their knowledge and understanding.

For example, all staff continue to complete first-aid and safeguarding training. The manager forms clear policies and procedures, and shares these with parents to keep them fully informed of the playgroup's aims and values.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make more use of opportunities to support children's next steps within their play, with particular regard to promoting their early mathematical awareness build further on the play opportunities provided in the outdoor areas, to fully support children's interests and consistently support all aspects of their individual learning.