Escrick Pre-School Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 13/10/2004 Inspector Name Jenny Taylor

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Escrick Pre School Setting Address Village Hall Main Street, Escrick York North Yorkshire YO19 6RG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Escrick Pre School Playgroup 103456 SC133

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Escrick Pre School Playgroup Address Village Hall Main Street, Escrick York North Yorkshire YO19 6RG

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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

Escrick Pre-school opened in 1972 and is a voluntary organisation. The group are registered for 24 children from two and a half to five years and offer sessional and full day care. They operate from the village hall in Escrick, near Selby and serve the needs of the local community and surrounding villages. The group has access to a large hall, small side room, kitchen, toilets, storage and a fully enclosed outdoor play area. They currently have 32 children on roll, of which 24 children are in receipt of nursery education funding. The pre-school opens for 39 weeks per year during school term times, from Monday to Friday from 09:00 –11:45 and on Monday and Wednesdays from 12:15 – 15:00. The setting supports 1 child with special educational needs and 1 child who speaks English as an additional language. Four full-time and three part-time staff work with the children, of whom three hold early years qualifications. Two staff are currently receiving training for the Diploma in

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Information about the setting

Pre-School Practice. The setting receives support from a local authority early years consultant.

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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?

Escrick Pre-School provides good quality education overall, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Provision for communication, language & literacy and creative development are particularly well planned and they make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff manage children very well and have very good relationships with them. They understand how children learn, know when to intervene with challenging questioning to extend children's thinking and how to give clear explanations. Staff plan imaginative, enjoyable cross-curricular activities. However, some plans don't show clearly enough what is intended to be learned There is insufficient planning to meet individual needs, particularly for the older and more able children, which means they aren't sufficiently challenged, particularly in mathematics. Although children learn about some mathematics through play there

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How effective is the nursery education?

aren't enough planned activities so all aspects are learned. Some staff are unclear about objectives in teaching physical development. The pre-school doesn't provide sufficient activities to encourage children to learn about other cultures and beliefs. Staff make very imaginative use of the indoor and outdoor areas, which provide a stimulating learning environment. Staff assess children's learning based on close observations. However assessments aren't well-organized or systematic and don't sufficiently inform plans, so the next step in children's learning is clear. Leadership and management is generally good. The Supervisor has a committed, enthusiastic team and provides strong leadership and is keen to develop the facility. Systems to monitor teaching are not effective. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents and staff share information regularly. Children's files showing progress are available. However, the prospectus

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How effective is the nursery education?

given to parents does not include details of the early learning goals.

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What is being done well?

• A wide range of imaginative activities are provided to stimulate children and engage their interest for sustained periods. • Staff are friendly, helpful and sensitive to children's emotional needs. • Staff have established good links with local schools, which help with children's progress in the next stage of their learning. • Children are very imaginative, especially during role-play and art and craft. • Children are able to use spoken language very well for a wide variety of purposes.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• emphasis on mathematics during a week's activities • planning needs to be more linked to individual children's progress and achievements •• the staff's organization of the assessment system • the teaching of physical development, mathematics and learning about the cultures and beliefs of others • the information given to parents and their contribution to assessments

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made limited progress on the key issues since the last inspection. The new staff and committee have not consulted the action plan or addressed the key issues because these were not made available to them. However, in communication, language and literacy they are teaching children that writing can be for many purposes, such as letter writing. However, in children's physical development they do not give children enough opportunities to talk about changes happening to their bodies when active in physical development and about healthy practices. This will continue to be part of the key issues they must address before the next inspection.

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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: Generally Good Children are curious and highly motivated to learn, they concentrate very well and are very sociable with each other and adults. Their behaviour is excellent; they respond very well to adult requests, directions, and reasoning. All children are learning to use their initiative to choose activities and resources and can lead the direction of activities. They show good independence in self-help. They have too few opportunities to learn about different cultures, beliefs and others special needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good When children talk they use language for a wide variety of purposes, such as predicting. They learn about letter sounds and can recognize rhythm in words. They are very enthusiastic about stories and are very aware of story elements. Children listen with concentration and can tell stories from pictures, using props to extend enjoyment. They know books and print are for information. Children can recognize their own and each other's names. They know writing is for many purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can count objects, sort according to different criteria, match objects to numbers, and order numbers to 5 and some beyond. The older and more able children aren't sufficiently challenged to learn simple addition and subtraction in practical activities They can identify and name simple shapes, use size language appropriately and understand concepts such as heavier and lighter. They have very good opportunities to solve problems. They have insufficient chances to learn about patterns'

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have very good opportunities to investigate, solve problems, predict outcomes, make comparisons and notice change while observing objects and the natural world. They show curiosity about, and comment on, their local area and the roles of people in the community. Children are very good at constructing for a purpose, e.g. making a rocket. They have a strong interest in using the computer and other technology. They do not learn enough about the cultures and beliefs of other people.

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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 and with good control while respecting others' space. They move their body in different ways. While manipulating small objects and materials they are learning good hand and eye coordination. The older children, in particular, are not challenged enough through some staff's lack of knowledge of teaching appropriate skills and through lack of appropriate climbing and balancing equipment. Children do not learn enough about the effects of healthy practices and exercise.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good With very good imagination children explore colour and produce very lively paintings, choose collage materials for a purpose, such as for aliens, and make 3d models. They make very good use of their knowledge of stories in imaginative play and engage in role-play based on first-hand experiences. They can create movements and match them to rhythms in response to music and have a very good repertoire of rhymes and songs. Children learn through their senses, for example tasting different foods.

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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

• provide more details of the early learning goals and stepping stones for parents and invite parents to contribute to assessments • show what is to be learned more clearly in short-term plans and include more mathematical activities in the week's timetable • plan for individual children's learning needs, especially the older and more able children • review the assessments of children's progress and achievements so they are more comprehensive and staff are better able to link these to planning, so the next steps in children's learning are clear • organize training for staff on children's physical development, including teaching about a range of healthy practices and the effects of exercise on the body, and on how children learn about the cultures and beliefs of others.

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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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