Gorefield Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 28/02/2005 Inspector Name Lorraine Hunt

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Gorefield Playgroup Setting Address 69 High Road Gorefield Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE13 4NB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Gorefield Pre School 1021889

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Gorefield Pre School Address 69 High Road Gorefield Wisbech Cambridgeshire PE13 4NB

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Gorefield Pre-School opened in 1994. It operates in a mobile building within the grounds of the Gorefield Primary School, Gorefield, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. The building offers a large play room with entrance hall, toilets and a kitchen/store cupboard. There are designated fully enclosed areas for outside play on the school premises. The group is open each week day from 09:00 to 11:30 during term time. Afternoon sessions are offered according to demand. There are currently 24 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 16 children receive nursery education funding. Children come from the local catchment area and other villages close by. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs but none who have English as an additional language. The pre-school employ three staff and an extra support worker when required. Two staff hold a child care qualification to level three and two have a level 2 qualification.

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Information about the setting

Staff are working at gaining additional child care knowledge and awareness.

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Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

The provision for nursery education at Gorefield Playgroup is good. It enables children to make very good progress towards early learning goals in their communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development and generally good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a working knowledge of the Foundation Stage which enables them to plan and provide a range of activities that help children make progress in all areas of learning. However many adult led art/craft activities tend to focus on the end result and do not offer children sufficient challenges or encourage them to use their own ideas. Children form good relationships with adults and each other. Staff are caring towards the children, take time to listen to them and skilfully ask them questions which develop their confidence, language and thinking. The accessibility of resources

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How effective is the nursery education?

within the room also helps to promote children's independence. Staff's management of children and the routine within the session have a positive effect on children's behaviour. Effective systems are in place to support children with special needs. Leadership and management are generally good. Relationships within the small staff team are good. They work well together, sharing ideas, knowledge and delivering the curriculum. The new committee are supportive of the staff and are committed to the progression of the group. They are in the process of trying to secure funding for a new building. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents speak highly of the setting and the staff and feel comfortable to approach staff with any issues that arise. They receive regular newsletters that show how topics will be used to promote children's learning. Staff give verbal and written feedback on children's progress which identify

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident communicators. They initiate and join in conversations with adults and each other and ask questions about what they see and hear. Staff give clear, age-appropriate answers to children's questions and skilfully use open ended questioning themselves to develop children's language, thinking and confidence. • Children negotiate, take turns and share resources and equipment.They spontaneously thank the visiting guitarist at the end of the music session and are learning to consider the needs of others. They learn to show care for animals through handling the group's hamsters and being part of the "sponsor dog" scheme.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Children have good opportunities to move and to explore sounds in weekly music sessions led by a guitarist. They learn about rhythm as they play their instruments in time to the guitarists arm movements as she strums her guitar. They learn about personal space as they make room on the floor with a partner to sing "row, row your boat" and play ring games. • Children's self esteem and confidence is fostered well by staff's use of praise, encouragement and warm interaction with them. Staff listen to what children say and respond with interest, making children feel valued. Children are happy in the setting and have positive attitudes to learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the teaching strategies used to provide challenges for all children in adult led activities so that children have the opportunity to practise new or developing skills and express their own ideas

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made in addressing the key issues identified at the last inspection. Children now have daily opportunities to learn to recognise and match their names as they search for their names on the snack board and look for their named placemat. Some opportunities are provided for children to solve number problems through rhymes and games but staff miss problem solving opportunities within daily routines such as registration and snack time. There are now many good opportunities for children to experiment with writing and write for a purpose as they enjoy a range of role play scenarios such as taking the register, being builders, doctors and nurses etc. Children have daily opportunities to paint but art, craft and model making activities are still predominantly adult led and there are limited opportunities for children to initiate these themselves. The range of resources and activities which encourage children's awareness of a

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What has improved since the last inspection?

multi-cultural society has been extended. Topics are planned to include the celebration of festivals such as Chinese New Year and an understanding of other cultures, for example as they learn about other people's homes and buildings.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children form very good relationships with staff and interact well with each other; negotiating, co-operating, sharing resources and taking turns. They are confident to approach adults, ask questions and express their needs and views. They take pride in their achievements and are motivated to learn. They show independence in their self care and confidently self select resources. Children's behaviour is good; boundaries are set and consistently applied by staff.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's speaking and listening skills are developing well. They can sustain conversations with adults and their peers and speak confidently in a group. They listen attentively to stories and enjoy helping to tell familiar stories such as "We're going on a bear hunt". Most children recognise their own names and older/more able children can identify the initial letter and/ or sound in their name. Children have good opportunities to mark make in role play situations.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use number in their play and 3 and 4 year olds count reliably to 10. Staff effectively introduce children to number sequences to 10 as they count and play number games such as 10 little ducks, dressed in numbered tabards. However opportunities are missed to compare and combine numbers. More able children recognise and attempt to write numerals. Children learn about quantity size and shape in sand, water and construction and through topics and practical group games.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children find out about the natural world through handling the group's hamsters, discussing changes in the weather at group time and through an interesting range of topics that include learning about other cultures as well as their own. They develop a sense of time and place as they talk about events in their own lives and learn about the roles of visitors such as a dentist and ambulance crew. Children enjoy playing with natural materials but the range provided is somewhat limited.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move confidently during indoor and outdoor play, showing an awareness of space and demonstrating good co-ordination to avoid collision with others. They handle a range of tools and objects with increasing control and purpose and the sensitive support of staff. Staff use topics effectively to incorporate movement activities, for example making bodies into the shape of buildings such as a windmill with moving sails. Staff miss opportunities to reinforce health and bodily awareness.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy good opportunities for imaginary play in a range of role play scenarios and small world play where they are learning to communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings. They sing spontaneously, join in enthusiastically with a guitar led music session and explore sounds made by musical instruments. There are planned opportunities for children to explore texture, colour and form but many are adult led and do not offer sufficient challenge to children or encourage their creativity.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• ensure that adult led art/craft activities provide challenges for all children and enable them to practise new or developing skills and express their own ideas

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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