Our Lady & St Huberts Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they are safe and secure. An effective key-person system supports children's emotional needs as they seek out staff for comfort when needed. The staff provide children with appropriate activities to meet their individual needs.

For example, children have the opportunity to develop their early writing skills as they make marks with chalk and water in the outdoor area. However, staff do not seek information from parents on what children know and can already do, which will ensure planning is effective from the start. Children are well behaved and follow instructions from staff members, particularly when l...ining up or gathering together on the carpet.

Staff create small groups for children to carry out focused activities, such as developing children's knowledge of numbers. Staff use different songs effectively, such as 'five little ducks', to ensure that children remember the new information. Staff give children appropriate choices.

However, children do not always have a chance to respond with their own ideas when they are asked a question. Children have meaningful exchanges with staff and other children. For instance, staff and children discuss the benefits of healthy lifestyles and drinking water.

Staff support children to carry out their own hygiene routines, such as washing their hands. Children become confident and more independent as they learn to put their own coats on. Leaders develop good links with local schools to ensure children are well supported as they move to the next stage of learning.

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

The manager monitors staff practice through regular supervision meetings. She understands the importance of staff training and how the implementation of new knowledge improves the outcomes for children. Staff say that they feel well supported and enjoy good opportunities for professional development.

Partnerships with parents are good. Parents have positive comments about the care that their children receive. They form close working relationships with their children's key person.

Staff keep parents informed about their children's progress. For instance, two-way communication is carried out through daily talks, regular parents' meetings and progress reports.The curriculum is carefully planned around the children who attend the playgroup.

Managers hold weekly meetings to support the needs of individual children and plan activities around a general theme. The staff encourage parents to take part in children's learning. For example, staff invite parents to go on a nature walk with their children to look for signs of autumn.

Staff set high expectations and have effective strategies in place to manage children's behaviour. All children receive regular praise and staff alter strategies based on each child's individual needs and interests. Children are proud of the awards they receive, such as stamps, charts and medals for good behaviour.

As a result, they are well behaved throughout the day.Staff understand the importance of promoting children's physical development. In the indoor environment, children have a chance to develop their small muscles.

They use tools and shape cutters with the play dough to help develop some of the skills needed for future writing. In the outdoors, children play on climbing apparatus or bicycles where they develop their large muscles.Staff organise the environment well so that children have opportunities to play with a wide range of toys and resources.

Activities indoors and outside successfully engage and motivate children to learn by promoting their curiosity. For instance, children independently connect pipes and gutters to make a ball run. Staff support children to count the balls as they drop them down.

The staff interact positively with children to support their learning. They use effective teaching strategies, including repeating words and modelling instructions, to ensure children have a clear understanding of what is required of them. However, when supporting children's play, staff do not develop their questioning to challenge children's thinking further.

Staff have a clear understanding of children's backgrounds and interests. However, they do not gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of children's starting points from parents, to help them plan most effectively for children's learning from the start.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive regular safeguarding training. Robust procedures are in place to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities to keep children safe and secure. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse.

Should the need arise, staff are fully aware of the procedures they must follow to act on any concerns they have about children's welfare. The management team follows effective recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that staff working with children are suitable to do so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen practitioners' knowledge of skilful questioning to extend children's critical thinking skills to the highest level strengthen procedures to obtain information from parents when children first start, to assess what children can already do in order to identify their starting points and stages of development more precisely.

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