Mayday Playschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children of all abilities are settled, confident and happy at the playgroup. Staff have a good understanding of their curriculum and how they implement it effectively to ensure it is ambitious for every child. All children are keen to participate in motivating activities.

For example, they explore water in different ways, such as washing the 'babies', and staff teach them how to blow bubbles. Staff support children to have an interest in, and learn about, the natural world. For instance, they carry out bug hunts and learn about the life cycle of a caterpillar.

Children learn to express their own ideas and be creative. ...This is demonstrated as staff encourage them to explore different ways to make patterns. This includes children using their hands and paint to make their own unique art.

All staff are positive role models. Children are polite and behave well. They are kind and caring.

For example, they offer hugs of comfort and words of encouragement as they happily play team games together. Children develop good physical skills. For example, they confidently and safely use a wide range of equipment.

Children develop good hand-eye coordination. This is demonstrated when they take turns throwing balls into buckets with accuracy and success.

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

Staff establish secure and trusting relationships with all children.

They get to know children well, including what makes them unique and their individual needs and abilities. Children enjoy the company of staff and each other. They are keen for staff to join in with their running games and laugh happily as they play together.

All children have a positive attitude towards their learning. Staff support children to make good progress. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

For example, staff implement strategies that support children effectively. For instance, they use visual prompts, such as simple signing and picture cards. This helps staff to communicate effectively with all children.

The manager and staff establish positive partnerships with parents. They keep them fully informed about their children's learning, next steps and achievements. Staff regularly provide information about the activities children have enjoyed.

They share ideas to help parents extend children's learning at home. For example, staff give guidance about how children's oral health can be promoted.Overall, the manager monitors the good quality of education and care that staff provide children.

She routinely observes staff interacting with children and shares her constructive feedback. However, some staff are less confident than others about their full roles and responsibilities. Therefore, staff supervision and monitoring do not fully identify all areas where staff would benefit from additional support and mentoring, to ensure teaching is consistently of the highest standard.

Generally, all children are motivated by their learning experiences. During chosen activities or small-group activities, they remain focused and interested to learn. However, at times, staff are not quick to identify when children would benefit from better organisation of large-group activities and a choice of an alternative activity.

For instance, some children become uninterested during a large-group story, and they become a little distracting to those children who are engaged.All staff attend beneficial training. They have recently learned about the different ways to communicate effectively with children.

This has helped them to make singing and rhyme time purposeful, to build on children's developing language skills. Staff support children to communicate their ideas with confidence. For example, they now allow children time to think before they share their answers when they ask them a thought-provoking question.

This allows children to have more time to process information appropriately.The manager and staff ensure the playgroup is inclusive and diverse. They help children develop a good understanding of other people from around the world, including their traditions.

For example, children learn about Diwali as they talk about the festival of light. Children learn to respect others. For instance, they talk about different skin tones and family structures.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of all safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. They fully understand the signs and symptoms of abuse to be vigilant for, and they know how to raise and follow up any issues.

Staff know who to contact to seek advice regarding any potential concerns. This includes knowing how to manage any allegations against staff. Staff complete thorough risk assessments to help minimise hazards and keep children safe.

Staff teach children how to keep themselves and each other safe. For example, children are confident to talk about the rules of crossing the road during regular walks in the community.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the monitoring of staff practice to make it more effective in raising the quality of teaching nimprove the organisation of large-group activities to make sure all children remain fully engaged and benefit from purposeful learning experiences.