Trinity Methodist Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children feel safe, secure and happy at the playgroup. Staff have high expectations for children's well-being, behaviour and development. They support children's emotional well-being exceptionally well.

For example, they attentively address the needs of younger children and those who are new to the setting. They make sure their comfort items are available. Older children receive constant encouragement and praise when they attempt to do things for themselves.

Children behave well because they know what is expected of them. Furthermore, children have great relationships with all staff. They have particularly close attach...ments to their key person.

Children seek out their key person to share experiences with and to gain reassurance when needed.The manager and staff have made improvements since their last inspection. They are a close team who work very well together.

The manager uses the strengths of team members to help improve children's learning and development. For example, she has introduced a planning coordinator who is responsible for looking at the environment, activities and planning for children. The planning coordinator attends training and professional development in this area to help her build on her knowledge and skills.

This new role is helping to ensure children make good progress. However, staff understand that they still need to embed the new planning approach fully to continue to improve outcomes for children.

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

All staff monitor children's progress well.

They identify and target any gaps that children have in their learning. When gaps arise, staff work together to close these quickly.Children enjoy taking part in activities and engaging with people in the community.

For instance, children happily sing songs and learn all about the harvest festival as they join in with a service with members of the church club. This supports their sense of belonging and builds their self-esteem.Staff interact well with children and introduce new vocabulary.

For example, they introduce the words 'push' and 'squeeze' to children as they demonstrate how to put play dough into a pipe. Furthermore, staff incorporate the teaching of mathematics into everyday activities. They count with children, help them to recognise shapes, and use the language of mathematics, such as 'is the pipe full now?' and 'one more'.

Staff work hard to form positive relationships with parents. They gather in-depth knowledge about children before they start and use this to build on children's prior learning and experiences. Parents speak very highly of the playgroup and the relationship they have with their child's key person.

Children develop positive attitudes towards one another. Staff provide a range of opportunities to enable children to experience the awe and wonder of the wider world. Children learn about different religions and festivals.

Parents share their own knowledge and bring in items to further support children's understanding. For example, they bring in candles to support children's learning about Diwali. Children are kind, caring and respectful of themselves and each other.

The new approach to planning is helping staff to plan a curriculum that is diverse and supports all areas of learning. However, staff need to continue to embed this to enable them to further challenge all children.Staff provide healthy snacks and help children to learn about and recognise a range of vegetables.

During the harvest festival service, children learn about different types of vegetables. Staff talk about eating vegetables in different ways, and children try vegetable soup at snack time. These activities help children to develop a positive attitude to leading a healthy lifestyle.

Staff use daily routines particularly well to prepare children for their eventual move to school. For example, during snack time, children develop an understanding of the importance of washing their hands before eating. They sit in small groups with their key person.

Younger children learn to socialise and to share fruit with others. They develop good independence skills as they learn to pour their own drinks and to put toys away.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well.

Staff offer a warm welcome to children and parents. They exchange relevant information effectively. Staff establish strong links with relevant agencies to help ensure that children receive the specialist support they need to help them improve.

Although staff receive lots of support, coaching and guidance, these are not yet fully effective in raising the quality of teaching to an even higher level.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Despite the playgroup using a shared building, staff ensure children are safe and secure.

They implement effective risk assessments. For example, all outside doors are locked and all visitors must report to reception first. Staff attend relevant child protection training and have a secure understanding of what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare.

They know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a member of staff. The manager has robust procedures in place to ensure the safe recruitment of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed systems in place for planning to further challenge children's learning strengthen supervision arrangements to further support staff to raise the quality of their teaching to the highest levels.