Whitelee PlaygroupOfsted inspection, 1 Feb 2003

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 01/02/2003 Inspector Name Tracy Ward

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name White Lee Playgroup Setting Address White Lee Playgroup Heckmondwike, W. Yorks. West Yorkshire WF16 9BB

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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

White Lee Playgroup has been established since 1995 and is located within Leeside Junior, Infant and Nursery school. The playgroup area consists of two linked classrooms that can be used simultaneously or closed off for smaller group work if required. The playgroup have access to the outdoor play area and share space with main schools Year One. The group serves families in the local residential area. The playgroup is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. There are 18 children on roll between two and a half to five years. Five of these children receive funding, all of whom are three years old. The group does not have funded four year old children as they are admitted immediately to the school nursery. There are no children with special educational needs and no children with English as an additional language. There are four members of staff of whom two have appropriate childcare qualifications. The playgroup receives regular support from the teacher advisor for

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Information about the setting

the Pre school learning alliance and from the local Early Years Childcare Partnership.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The playgroup provides a welcoming atmosphere where children settle well and are making generally good progress towards the learning goals overall. Children make generally good progress in most areas of learning and satisfactory progress in creative development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a good basic understanding of the early learning goals and are continuing to attend training. Staff do provide generally good, purposeful activities for children, however, in some areas more able children lack challenges and opportunities to progress to the next stepping stone. The accommodation is used to support learning, the room is laid out well with a range of easily accessible experiences. The relationships staff have with children are good and this affects children's learning in a positive way. Planning and children's assessments are now linked and are continuing to be developed, however, evaluation of provision is not yet a part of this process. There are no

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How effective is the nursery education?

children with special educational needs or English as an additional language receiving funding but effective systems are in place to provide support. Leadership and management is satisfactory. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities and the day to day running of the group. Leadership encourage relationships with early years partnerships and the pre school learning alliance and receives input and support from a qualified teacher. However, there are not yet procedures in place to monitor and evaluate staff performance and development, nor the effectiveness of the provision for nursery education. The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents are provided with information about the playgroup but insufficient information regarding the curriculum and how it links to the progress their children are making towards the early learning goals. Staff encourage parents to share what they know about their children and to help as a rota parent during session

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What is being done well?

Staff make good use of community visits and visitors to widen the children's learning experiences. Children's personal, social and emotional development is good. The children are interested, confident and able to work on their own. Behaviour is generally good. Children are developing good counting skills and an understanding of size and shape through spontaneous and planned activities Staff provide a good range of physical activities and resources which ensure that three year old children are making good progress in physical development. Children are making good progress in communication and early literacy. They have a good range of tools, materials and books in an environment that is rich in text.

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What needs to be improved?

Planning for the medium and short term, to show how resources, activities and staff deployment meets the different learning needs of all children. The quality of information given to parents about the curriculum and how it links to the progress their children are making towards the early learning goals, ensuring that it is accessible. Evaluation of provision to ensure more challenging activities for more able children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made generally good improvements since the last inspection. The teaching of communication, language and literacy has been given greater priority and children are making generally good progress in this area of learning. Planning and assessment has improved and links between these and the early learning goals are now evident, although there is some lack of consistency in evaluating how activities can be adapted to extend children who learn more quickly. Opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world have improved and they have access to first hand experiences of nature, people who help us and the environment to arouse their curiosity. Information parents receive about the setting has improved, however there is insufficient information given to parents about the educational provision and how it links to the progress their children are making.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress. Children settle quickly in the welcoming atmosphere and are motivated to learn. They show increasing independence in selecting and carrying out activities. Children seek out others to share their experiences and confidently seek support from staff. They show an increasing sense of community and tidy up after themselves, celebrate birthdays and events from around the world. The children are usually well behaved and do respond positively to adults.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good The children make generally good progress in communication, language and literacy. They talk willingly to adults and each other and use language well to express real and imagined experiences. Children show enjoyment of books especially in small groups and are developing skills for describing illustrations, recalling stories and predicting what happens next. They can access a good range of books, tools and materials for writing and sending messages in an environment rich in text.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Three year old children make generally good progress in mathematical development. They are counting reliably to five and more able children to ten. Children use language such as 'one more' during everyday activities however more able children lack challenges to extend their understanding of comparing groups of objects through practical activities. Children show an awareness of size, shape and position and demonstrate an understanding of pattern through peg boards and threading games.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children's development is good overall. They operate simple equipment such as telephones and calculators with increasing skill. Children are beginning to know about their own and other cultures through planned activities and have a developing understanding of linking significant events to the past and present. Children learn about the environment and people in it through well planned visits and visitors, but lack challenges to explore and investigate objects and find out why and how things work.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The children make good progress overall. Children move with good co-ordination and body control. They have a good awareness of space and safety of others and can negotiate obstacles successfully. Most children can balance and move in different ways. They have access to a good range of large and small equipment to practice skills and can handle tools with increasing control when playing imaginatively and mark making. Children are developing an awareness of basic hygiene practices.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children make satisfactory progress in creative development. They create things in two and three dimensions in planned activities, although more able children lack sufficient challenges to develop skills of combining materials and media for their own purpose. They express themselves imaginatively in role, home and small world play but have limited opportunities to do so with music and sound. Children engage in first hand experiences to use their senses and make positive responses.

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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

Ensure that teaching opportunities are developed to provide more challenge especially for older and more able children Improve access to clear information for parents about the educational provision and how it links to the progress their children are making towards the early learning goals. Review the medium and short term planning so that it provides clear details and evaluation of how resources, activities and staff deployment meets the different learning needs of all children.

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