Egerton & Walmsley Playgroup/Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 15/03/2005 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Egerton and Walmsley Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Hideaway Scout Hut Blackburn Road Egerton, Bolton Lancashire BL7 9SA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Egerton and Walmsley Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Egerton and Walmsley Pre-School Address Hideaway Scout Hut Blackburn Road Egerton, Bolton Lancashire BL7 9SA

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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

The Egerton and Walmsley pre-school playgroup is managed by voluntary committee. It opened in 1967 and operates from two buildings in the Egerton area of Bolton. The setting uses the scout hut for the pre-school and the parish hall for the playgroup. Children have access to the secure outdoor play area behind the parish hall. The setting opens from 09.15 to 11.45 and from 12.45 to 15.15 Monday to Friday during school term time only. It is registered to care for 40 children. There are currently 73 children aged between 2 and 5 years on roll and they attend for a variety of sessions. Of these, 45 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting has supported a few children identified as having special educational needs in past. All children speak English as their first language. The setting employs 12 staff, all of whom work with the children. Of these, 3 staff have a recognised early years qualification and 5 staff are working towards an NVQ

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Information about the setting

Level 3 in early years education. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare partnership.

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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?

The provision for nursery education at Egerton and Walmsley Pre-school Playgroup is of good quality. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development and physical and creative development and generally good progress in the other three areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff create a very positive atmosphere in the setting in which each child is made to feel welcome and their contributions valued. They have a very good understanding of how children learn because they employ methods which allow them to play and learn at the same time. Resources are also used very well to stimulate children's desire to learn. Both these things combine to help staff manage the children's behaviour very well because children are fully occupied. Both the story time reading of 'The Owl Babies' and the parachute session were very well led. Annual topics are planned well as are the everyday

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How effective is the nursery education?

activities laid out for children. The use of assessment is generally good but relies too heavily on the key workers' knowledge of individual children's progress. Each week staff attempt to assess twelve statements from the stepping stones. This is too many for them to remember and accurately measure the children's responses. The leadership and management of the day nursery are generally good. The staff are a strong and experienced team. They are keen to improve their knowledge of early years education. The management does not have a clear picture of the strengths and areas for development of the setting. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are very pleased with the care and education their child receives. Many of them have selected the setting after giving consideration to other places. Staff and parents frequently share information about the children though this is mostly informal.

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What is being done well?

• The children are very happy in the setting. They know that the staff will keep them safe and play alongside them. They are growing in confidence all the time. • Staff employ very good teaching methods which encourage children to learn through play. • Children listen attentively to well told stories. They remember significant details, like the names of the baby birds and join in with the refrain. • Staff plan the activities which are laid for the children at the start of the session very well. They comprehensively cover and extend children's learning in all six areas of learning.

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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 are learning to handle small things and tools with greater accuracy because they have extended practice every day. • Children play well with the cars, dinosaurs and in the hat shop. Their language is extended by good interventions by staff. • Parents hold the setting in high regard. They are well informed about what their child will be studying and help them at home.

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What needs to be improved?

• activities in which children hear rhyming and alliteration • practical situations when children can use the terms more than and less than • the assessment system and the use of data to plan the next stage of children's learning because it is too informal • the systems to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning to share the high quality practice in the setting.

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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 have a highly developed sense of independence because of the teaching methods used. They move freely from one activity to another but concentrate well when playing. Children leave their parents confidently. They appear to feel safe and know that they will be well cared for by staff. They behave well all the time because they are stimulated. Children take care of their own needs most ably and are beginning to share. They are proud of their work want to share it with their parents.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are very confident speakers. They communicate their thoughts and needs well using phrases and sentences. They speak about recent past events and are confident to answer questions in front of the whole group. Children listen intently to books and remember significant details from them but they do not recognise rhyme and alliteration sufficiently well. They draw and paint every day and talk about their pictures. Many children are starting to 'make marks' which approximate writing.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have a good understanding of numbers. They use them often in their play, e.g. 'That hat costs £25!'. Most of them 'touch' count accurately to ten. Children sort beads by colour prior to threading them and use sponges to print in patterns. They don't know and use the language of more and less then in pratical situations. They do use the language of size well when playing and they know the names of the flat shapes and recognise them in the setting.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children know about wild life because they observe birds and squirrels feeding at the bird table. They know about events and stories from Christian and other cultures from their topics and celebration of festivals. Children talk freely about events from the recent past, like birthday parties and holidays. They sometimes walk to the local church and its grounds but know little about the wider locality because they don't go out very often. Children know how to operate many technology toys.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's fine motor skills are developing well. They thread beads accurately, pour their own milk with little spillage and pick up and place small pieces of felt to make a picture. They also hold writing and paint tools effectively. Children enjoy working with the parachute, moving it to create different sorts of waves. They are not afraid to run underneath it to change places or let it briefly cover them. Children climb on, through and over the climbing frame and balance on the planks well.

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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: Very Good Children act out shopping in the hat shop, including asking high prices for their hats! They also enjoy using the mobile phones and often call their mums for a chat. Children enjoy painting and drawing and frequently choose it. The older children draw pictures which have some shape rather than just scribble. They ask for coloured pencils by name and enjoy feeling the textures of different materials and papers. Children sing a good selection of traditional songs.

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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

• revise the assessment system and make more use of the data to plan the next stage of children's learning • implement a system to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning • provide actvities in which children hear and use rhyming and alliteration. 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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