Ashes Lane Playgroup

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff have created a home-from-home environment, where children feel safe and happy. Children are eager to enter this nurturing setting and cannot contain their excitement to play with their friends.

Staff have carefully planned the environment to suit the interests and needs of children. For example, they have created spacious play areas to allow children to play with large-scale equipment that supports their balance and coordination skills. In the main, staff provide children with a curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do.

For instance, they organise nature hunts to build on children's interests i...n living things. Children relish these experiences and are excited to learn about animal habitats.Staff support children to be creative from a young age.

Children explore gloop and paint. They showcase their artwork and are enthralled while making creative collages. Staff support children's emotional well-being incredibly well.

They spend time getting to know children and their families during the settling-in period. Children have a strong sense of belonging and settle well. Staff teach children how to manage their own emotions.

Children talk about what makes them happy and excited. They show positive attitudes towards their learning and behave well. Children develop good levels of independence.

Staff support children extremely well for their eventual move on to school. For instance, they talk to children about their new teachers. Children are excited to wear a school uniform and talk about meeting new people.

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

The setting uses self-evaluation effectively. For example, through reflection, the setting has redeveloped the outdoor area to promote children's large-muscle skills. Children show excellent physical dexterity while taking part in an assault course.

They use the slide with increasing skill and coordination. They learn how to ride bikes and play ring games. Children make good progress in their physical development.

Overall, staff plan an ambitious curriculum that keeps children interested and motivated to learn. However, the current programme of professional development for staff does not focus on helping them to develop a broader understanding of how children learn. This means that there are some gaps in the implementation of the curriculum.

For instance, some activities are not pitched at the right level and children sometimes lose interest in their learning.Staff support children's communication and language skills effectively. They listen carefully to children and ask them questions during their play.

Children are confident communicators, who use a wide range of vocabulary. They make good progress in their communication and language skills.In the main, staff teach children well about respect and acceptance.

Children express their individuality through singing and dancing. However, staff do not teach children about similarities and differences between different people and communities. This does not support children in gaining a broad understanding of what life is like in modern Britain.

Staff promote a love of reading. They read to children with animation and ask them questions about characters. Children share books with their friends and talk about their favourite stories.

Staff encourage children to visit the library with their families and provide books for them to take home.The setting gives staff's well-being high priority. It ensures that staff's workload is managed well.

Staff morale is high. They reported that working at the setting is like being part of 'their family'.Staff provide children with healthy and wholesome foods.

They teach children about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. However, on occasion, some staff do not teach children about the importance of following good hygiene practices. For example, they do not teach children about the importance of washing their hands after blowing their own noses.

Staff give children's personal, social and emotional development high priority. They spend time teaching children about mindfulness and well-being. Children relish taking part in yoga sessions.

They learn how to regulate their own behaviour. Children are kind towards others and are well-rounded individuals.Partnership working is strong.

Links with external professionals and other childcare settings are built on trust and respect. Parents and carers receive regular updates about their children's time at the setting. Parents commended staff for always going 'above and beyond' for their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: refine the programme of coaching, guidance and training for staff, to better support them in strengthening their understanding of how children learn nincrease staff's confidence in teaching children about similarities and differences between different people and communities teach children about the importance of washing their hands after blowing their own noses.