The Springboard Project

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 05/03/2003 Inspector Name Doreen Forsyth

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Ludgershall Pre-school Playgroup Setting Address Ludgershall Castle Primary School ANDOVER Hampshire SP11 9RB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Ludgershall Pre-school Playgroup

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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

Ludgershall Pre-school Playgroup is situated in a mobile building in the grounds of Castle Primary School in the heart of the village of Ludgershall, Wiltshire. Ludgershall is a large village at the edge of Salisbury Plain. The community the pre-school serves is diverse, and includes children from military families and from rural areas. The pre-school has been established for a number of years, and has occupied the mobile classroom since 1991. It is a community group with a management committee of mostly parents. The setting is registered to accept up to 32 children, at present there are 69 children, aged between three and five on the register. Of these, 25 are funded three olds, and 18 funded four year olds. Children with English as a second language, and children with special educational needs attend the setting. The pre-school is open term time weekdays, with a morning session from 9.00am until 11.30am, and an afternoon session from 12.15pm until

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Information about the setting

2.45pm. Ten members of staff, working at different sessions, work with the funded children. The play leader is in the process of obtaining childcare qualifications, four other members of staff have relevant qualifications. The pre-school receives support from an early years teacher who is part of Wiltshire Early Years team, they also receive support from the Pre-School Learning Alliance. Ludgershall Pre-school Playgroup has very close links with Castle Primary School, especially with the reception classes. The children visit the school and often take part in their activities.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The children at Ludgershall Pre-school Playgroup are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals, the provision is of good quality overall. In mathematical and creative development the children are making very good progress. The quality of the teaching in the pre-school is generally good. The staff communicate very well with the children, they question them skilfully, and encourage them to think. The staff engaged the children well in the daily, planned, adult led activities, and all the six areas of learning are well promoted. The setting provides well for children with special needs, and for children who have English as an additional language. The children are learning well about different cultures and festivals. The pre-school has very good resources, and the staff use these resources well. They use a variety of different teaching methods, and group the children appropriately for different activities. Occasionally, when the children are in large

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How effective is the nursery education?

groups, the staff do not supervise the children sufficiently to prevent them from being inattentive. The leader plans the curriculum well, but the staff do not know the foundation stage of learning well enough to be able link planned activities to the stepping stones. The leadership and management of the pre-school is very good. Both the play leader and the chairperson provide strong leadership. The setting assesses its own strengths and weaknesses appropriately, and seeks support from outside agencies when necessary. They are very committed to improving the care and education they offer to the children. There is a good partnership with parents. Parents have clear information about the pre-school, and are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning. Parents are able to share with the setting what they know about their children, especially, when children first start at the pre-school. The children are confident and happy learners.

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What is being done well?

Children's progress in mathematics is very good, the staff plan mathematical learning in many practical ways in the children's daily activities. The staff communicate well with the children, they question them skilfully, and encourage them to think why things happen and how things work. Staff create a good range of opportunities for children to use their imagination, and take part in role play. The children's creativity is encouraged well, they are offered a wide range of media to explore texture, colour, shape and form. Resources are arranged well, enabling children to choose their activities , and work independently.

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What needs to be improved?

Children's opportunities to link sounds to letters, to name letters and to sound letters of the alphabet. Staff's understanding of the foundation stage of learning, so that the planned, adult-led activities are linked to the stepping stones.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made generally good progress since the last inspection. The children now have lots of opportunities in the daily session to recognise and write their own names. Some children are skilled at writing their name, and they are beginning to recognise other words. The planning is now good, and adult deployment and the grouping of children is included in the daily plans. Consideration is given to how the work the children do can be adapted for all abilities, including any children with special needs.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's learning in this area is generally good, the children are very independent, the staff create many different opportunities, such as encouraging the children to help at snack time, and preparing their own snacks to develop independence. They are able to choose their own activities, they concentrate, and play well together, they are able to share and take turns, and they understand about right and wrong.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good The children's progress in this area is generally good. The children can recognise their own names, and some can write their names. The children see words and labelling throughout the pre-school and they are given many opportunities for mark making, as when they make shopping lists. There is an attractive book corner which the children enjoy. The staff are skilled at extending the children's vocabulary. However, children are not linking sounds to letters, or naming and sounding letters

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children's progress in maths is very good. The staff encourage the children's understanding very well. They use planned and unplanned opportunities to count, solve problems and to do simple adding and subtraction. For example, the children count the number of children present, the number of cups needed at snack time, and discuss the sizes of boxes in the shop. The staff use number language continuously. Displays and resources are used to compare and sort numbers, position, size and shape.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is generally good. They are learning about the natural world, they are observing the life cycle of frogs, they know about hibernating hedgehogs and are observing the weather. The staff encourage the children to question why things happen, and how things work. They are given opportunities to build and construct. There are good resources available, the children are able to name magnifying glasses and explain what they are used for.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The children's physical development is generally good. The children use large play equipment both inside, and out in the garden. The can move with confidence and control, and have a good sense of space. Staff ensure the children play outside, or do ring games or movement on a daily basis. The children are provided with a range of tools to use, which they can control well, and enjoy different malleable materials.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Creative development is also of a high quality, and the children are making very good progress. The staff encourage role and imaginative play, dressing up clothes are readily available, and staff plan appropriate, imaginative situations such as the shop, or the hibernating hedgehog. The children are offered a range of different media, so that they can explore and enjoy colour, texture, shape and form. They also use music, song and movement on a regular basis

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

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

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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

include linking sounds to letters, and naming and sounding letters of the alphabet in the daily planning of the programme for communication, language and literacy. increase staff's understanding of the foundation stage of learning, so that they can link the planned, adult- led activities to the stepping stones.

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