Tebay Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 16/03/2004 Inspector Name Patricia Joan Latham

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Stoke Goldington Pre-school Playgroup Setting Address Village Hall Stoke Goldington Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire MK16 8NP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Stoke Goldington Pre-School 1026756

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Stoke Goldington Pre-School Address Village Hall Stoke Goldington Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire MK16 8NP

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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

Stoke Goldington Pre-School Playgroup has been registered since 1977 and is based in the village hall in the village of Stoke Goldington on the outskirts of Milton Keynes. The Pre-school caters for children from the village and surrounding areas. There are currently 20 children on roll. This includes 12 funded three-year-olds and 4 funded four-year- olds. The group support children with special educational needs and are able to support children who speak English as an additional language. The Pre-School is open term time, Monday to Friday, from 09:15 until 12:15. The group is managed by a voluntary parents committee who employ five members of staff. This includes the play leader who is teacher trained. The Pre-School is a member of Milton Keynes Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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?

Stoke Goldington Pre-school Playgroup provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics and physical development. They make generally good progress in other areas. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a good knowledge of early learning goals and plan the curriculum to cover all areas of learning. Interesting topics and practical activities are used to maximise children's learning and have clear learning intentions. Staff adapt activities for differing abilities and question more able children to extend knowledge and skills. Creative activities are often adult directed which limits children's freedom to express their own ideas and imagination. Staff offer good support to children with individual needs and manage all children's behaviour well.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Resources are adequate although children have limited regular access to technological equipment. Informal observations are made regarding children's learning and a record of achievement given when children leave. Recordings are not made regularly to identify children's progress or highlight individual needs. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff hold regular planning meetings and have a clear daily routine to follow. They are deployed effectively and update training when able. There is no formal assessment or evaluation of the overall provision to ensure that the curriculum is effective in all areas. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are involved in children's learning, encouraging them to bring items from home for the interest table. Parents can access their child’s records and staff are always available to discuss children's progress. Good information is given regarding activities provided.

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What is being done well?

• Children are encouraged to develop and practise literacy skills through daily activities. These include a letter of the week which is practised at each session to re-enforce children's learning. • Staff encourage children to develop good relationships and children display a high level of caring for each other, sharing resources and respecting each other's views. •• Children are able to develop and practise mathematical concepts on a daily basis and staff challenge more able children to extend their skills further. • Staff extend children's knowledge of other cultures through activities linked to interesting topics. During Chinese New Year children learn about traditional Chinese costume and taste Chinese food.

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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 with special educational needs are supported well. Additional staffing is available and children are included in all activities. Staff liaise closely with parents and other professionals to ensure individual needs are met.

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What needs to be improved?

• regular access to technological equipment to support children's learning and play • opportunities for children to freely express their own ideas and imagination through art and to explore differing malleable materials • regular updating of children's observation records to indicate progress through the stepping stones and identify individual needs. •• regular assessment and evaluation of activities provided, as well as the overall provision, to ensure the curriculum is effective and activities are managed well.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been generally good progress on key issues raised. Staff have undertaken further training to update knowledge of the early learning goals and regular observations of children are undertaken. These are not recorded effectively to enable staff to identify progress and this is an ongoing issue. Children now take part in regular activities to enable them to explore natural and man made objects and plans are linked into the six areas of learning and indicate learning intentions.

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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 are motivated to learn and confident to try new activities. They are eager to share their news, they sit quietly at circle time and listen to others. They are gaining personal independence and developing concentration, working hard at making cards for Mothering Sunday. Children form good relationships with each other and behave well. They show respect and concern for others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children communicate confidently with each other and are extending their vocabulary. They are using language to convey ideas and feelings. The children enjoy reading and listening to a range of stories and are able to recognise their own name. They are gaining skills in recognising the sound and shape of letters, which they practise regularly, and are beginning to write their own name.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are becoming confident with counting and recognising numbers. They are gaining skills in calculation and problem solving and are able to record their findings. They are extending their mathematical language and recognise shapes and recreate pattern. Through practical activities such as cooking, they practise weighing and measuring objects and the more able have focused work to practise skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are gaining a knowledge of their own world and that of others through well planned and interesting topics. They are able to explore how things happen and why, making ice and examining it as it melts, but have limited access to technology to support learning. They recreate and design using various methods and materials and find out about themselves and their environment, making a map of where they live. Children are extending their understanding of other cultures as well as their own.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use a wide range of small and large equipment to develop body control and awareness of space, such as a climbing frame, bikes and balls. They enthusiastically take part in musical movement and action songs. They use a good selection of tools such as scissors and building equipment with safety and growing skill. Through planned activities children are finding out about their bodies and gaining an understanding of how to keep healthy.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use differing mediums to explore colour and texture although are limited by the opportunity to fully explore the feel and touch of the materials available. They enjoy taking part in song and musical movement and using their imagination through music and role play. There is, however, limited opportunity for children to freely express their own ideas and feelings through art or design. Children explore and develop their senses, for example tasting food and listening to sounds.

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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

• establish a means of regularly evaluating the activities and the overall provision to ensure the curriculum is effective in all areas and children have greater access to technological equipment. •• provide more opportunities for children to fully explore a wider range of malleable materials and to be able to freely express their ideas and imagination through art and creative design • extend the present recording of children's observations to indicate progress through the stepping stones, enabling staff to identify individual needs.

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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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