Youlgrave Playschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 18/09/2003 Inspector Name Judith Allbutt

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Youlgrave Playschool Setting Address Youlgrave Scout and Community Hall Alport Lane, Youlgrave Bakewell Derbyshire DE45 1WN

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Youlgrave Pre-School Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Youlgrave Pre-School Playgroup Address Alport Lane Youlgrave Bakewell Derbyshire DE45 1WN

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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

Youlgrave Pre-School Playgroup operates from the Scout and Community Hall in Youlgrave. The playgroup serves the village of Youlgrave and the local rural community. There are currently 11 children on register, which includes five funded 3-year-olds and one funded 4-year-old. Children attend a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with special educational needs. The group opens three days a week during school term time only. Sessions are from 09:15 until 11:45. There are three part-time staff who work with the children of which one is currently undertaking a National Vocational Qualification training course in Childcare and Education at level three. The setting receives support from a Derbyshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership development worker.

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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?

Youlgrave Pre-School Playgroup provides acceptable pre-school education but has significant areas for improvement. Children's progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses. Teaching has significant weaknesses. Staff are building good relationships with the children, however they do not always provide appropriate challenges for them. Planning is in place related to the stepping stones and includes learning objectives, however these are not fully implemented. Staff do not yet have a secure understanding of the early learning goals which impacts on the children's learning in all areas. They do not provide explanations or questions appropriate to children's age and stage of development. Routines are established and time is well managed. Methods are generally appropriate although the balance of adult directed activities prevents children from making choices. Support for children with special educational

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How effective is the nursery education?

needs is provided by a support worker but staff do not follow the current code of practice to meet all individual needs. Behaviour management is not yet consistently applied. Leadership and management has significant weaknesses. The staff group are not sufficiently involved in the planning process. Plans do include staff deployment, but this is not consistently followed which leads to learning opportunities being missed. The activity evaluations are ineffective in practice. The provision has evaluated some of its own practises and has many worthy new initiatives. Working in partnership with parents and carers has significant weaknesses. Parents are provided with written information about the setting and are able to regularly discuss information about their child's care and welfare. However, parents receive no information about the early learning goals or their child's progress towards these and no system has been devised to enable parents to contribute to their child's

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What is being done well?

• Support given to new and young children at the group, enabling them to be settled and secure within the clearly established routines of the sessions. • The strong links forged with parents and the local community. • Opportunities made for children to improvise with play equipment and sing songs regularly. • Management of time and organisation of the session.

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • the planning, methods and questions used by staff to take account of children's level of understanding and development needs. To ensure all children have opportunities to make progress towards the full range of early learning goals and that their existing knowledge is embedded and built upon • staff's knowledge of the early learning goals and their understanding of the learning objectives for the activities to ensure that each situation is used to its maximum potential • the records of children's progress in relation to the early learning goals and the effectiveness of the evaluation of the activities to directly influence planning, teaching and to more fully inform parents and carers • the effective management of children's behaviour, which is appropriate to children' stage of development and individual needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for children to use and develop their own chosen resources to work in 2 and 3 D and respond to music in a creative way.

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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: Significant Weaknesses Children are developing secure relationships with staff. They play well alongside each other and are beginning to interact with adults and peers. They are developing independence skills but older children are not using these to their potential. They generally enjoy the activities provided but not all children are confident to try new ones. Their concentration is limited when activities fail to engage them. Children are accepting of people's difference but are not always aware of their needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Some children are beginning to use language as they play alongside each other. They can follow simple instructions, but do not always respond to questions. All children enjoy singing familiar songs, but many children have yet to gain confidence to contribute to group discussion. They are developing their emerging writing skills when opportunities are provided to practice this. Books are freely available and stories are read at group time, but these sessions do not retain all children's interest.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children are sometimes using mathematical language related to shape and size through practical activities, but not all are able to describe the difference. They are developing confidence in counting up to 10 and in using number names. However, they are not yet secure in their understanding of the quantity of number. Songs and rhymes are sung and these sometimes increase children's knowledge of simple calculation. Many mathematical ideas have yet to be consolidated.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children use a variety of construction equipment but they are not able to select their own resources for designing. They use some technology equipment skilfullly, but opportunities to use a range of technology are limited. Children have a good understanding of their own family and how they fit into them but many have not grasped a sense of past. They learn about cultures and beliefs through related activities. Children enjoy investigating but are not yet able to offer explanations of their own.

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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: Significant Weaknesses Children have access to a climbing frame and are beginning to negotiate this safely and with control. They show an awareness of space and can move around obstacles. They are learning about health and bodily awareness through routine tasks. Children have regular access to malleable materials but have few opportunities to use a wide range of tools. Older children are not challenged to their physical potential. Activities do not successfully build on what children can already do.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children have good access to craft activities but often these have adult pre-determined finished expectations. This limits children's opportunities to be creative and explore their own ideas and different medias. Most are able to play imaginatively and some enjoy improvising with play equipment available to them. However they rarely explore their own thoughts and feelings or respond to stimuli using all their senses.

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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 but has some significant areas for improvement. Children progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses. The next inspection will take place in one to two years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• increase staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and the stepping stones to ensure activities are used to their maximum potential and that questions and explanations and methods are appropriate for the age and development of the children • routinely undertake assessments of the children's progress and evaluation of activities, so that they can inform planning and delivery of the learning objectives and also more fully acquaint parents with their child's development • improve staff's knowledge of behaviour management to ensure that it is implemented effectively to support children's individual needs • increase the children's opportunities to use their imagination and develop their own chosen resources through their use of creative activities.

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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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