Sunnydays Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/11/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Sunny Days Playgroup Setting Address St Thomas Church Hall St Thomas Church Gardens Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD2 1SL

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Sunny Days Playgroup

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Sunny Days Playgroup Address St Thomas Church Hall St Thomas Church Gardens Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD2 1SL

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Sunny Days Playgroup opened in 2001, and provides sessional care for the local community. It is situated in Bradley, on the outskirts of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire. The setting is managed by a voluntary committee. Care takes place in the St Thomas Church Hall building. Children have access to a spacious hall, suitable toilet facilities, and secure outdoor play area. The playgroup helps to provide 'wrap around care' through working in close partnership with the nursery staff from Bradley Primary School. The playgroup has 29 children currently on roll, consisting of 9 children in receipt of funding. None of the funded children have been identified as having special educational needs, or are learning English as an additional language. The setting is open for five morning sessions each week during local school term times. Morning sessions are 09.00 to 11.30 The playgroup provides extended sessions for children who attend the nursery at Bradley Primary School. Extended

p.2

Information about the setting

sessions start at 11.30 and finish at 13.00 There are six members of staff who work with the funded children. Staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education, or are working towards these. They receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including visits from an advisory teacher. The playgroup are members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

p.2

Information about the setting

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

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

At Sunny Days Playgroup provision is of good quality overall, and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. Generally good progress is made in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, and physical development. Limited progress is made in mathematical development. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff use a range of methods to help all children to progress, including an emphasis on learning through play, having fun, practical and sensory activities. They assemble a wide variety of learning resources in each of the activity areas, enabling children to work independently, and use a suitable and manageable system to record children's achievements and progress. Staff's curriculum planning and the strategies used to help promote children's good

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

behaviour are limited. Leadership and management is generally good. The manager, committee members and staff, are committed to make some improvements in the care and education for all children, such as through working in close partnership with the nursery staff from the local primary school. Staff appraisals are completed to help monitor the quality of teaching, especially through the identification of individual training needs. The ability of the setting to regularly assess and document its current strengths and weaknesses is not effective. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning, such through a well established parent helper rota system, and are able to visit the playgroup at any time. Parents are well informed about their child's achievements and progress through a suitable key worker system, and receive a range of helpful information about the setting. The level of

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

encouragement for parents to share what they know about their child is limited.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Staff's use of a range of methods to help all children to progress, including an emphasis on learning through play, having fun, practical and sensory activities. • The level of commitment, through the leadership and management of the manager, committee members and playgroup staff, to make some improvements in the care and education for all children, such as through working in close partnership with the nursery staff from the local primary school. • Children's ability to select resources for themselves and to work independently, illustrated well when choosing from the wide variety of

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 accessible resources featured in each of the organised activity areas. • Children's speaking and listening skills, and their ability to respond with enjoyment to stories and songs, fostered well during whole group gatherings when children sit on the carpet in the 'book area'. • Children's ability to use mathematical language to describe and compare shapes, promoted well through practical and sensory activities, including making 'circle patterns' in a quantity of foam. • Parent's level of involvement in their child's learning, such through a well established parent helper rota system, and are able to visit the playgroup at any time.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• the development of children's ability to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, skill at counting reliably up to 10 everyday objects, understanding of simple addition through combining two groups of objects, and their ability to work on challenging balancing equipment • the staff's curriculum planning, and the consistent use of a range of strategies to help promote children's good behaviour, for example by fostering children's understanding of what is right and wrong and why • the ability of the setting to regularly assess and document its current strengths and weaknesses • the level of encouragement for parents to share what they know about their child, for example through recording some of their own observations and comments in their child's achievements and progress folder.

p.4

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

p.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to select resources for themselves and to work independently, illustrated well when choosing from the wide variety of accessible resources featured in each of the organised activity areas. They are excited and motivated to learn, keen to try new activities, such as making 'happy Diwali' cards, and have an aptitude to form good relationships with each other and staff during small group work activities. Children's understanding of what is right and wrong and why is limited.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their speaking and listening skills, and their ability to respond with enjoyment to stories and songs, fostered well during whole group gatherings when children sit on the carpet in the 'book area'. They can use speech to organise and explore real and imagined experiences, such as through role play activities, and are able to show an understanding of the elements of stories. There are limited opportunities for children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children are able to use mathematical language to describe and compare shapes, promoted well through practical and sensory activities, including making 'circle patterns' in a quantity of foam. They show an understanding of simple subtraction through singing favourite songs, such as 'five fat sausages sizzling in a pan' when one is taken away at a time. There are limited opportunities for children to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, and to develop an understanding of simple addition.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their designing and making skills, such as when cutting, joining and building using a wide variety of accessible everyday materials. They can explore and investigate, often when looking closely at natural objects, such as autumn leaves, cones, acorns and conkers, all featured on the 'autumn table', are able to celebrate many festivals around the world, including the Diwali festival of lights, and are developing a sense of place through supervised walks in the locality.

p.5

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

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are skilful at handling one handed tools to help with the development of their hand and eye co-ordination, including mark-making and writing implements, art and craft tools, and blunt needles when threading small beads onto a piece of wool. They can show an awareness of space, such as during indoor activities in the spacious hall, and are skilful at operating large equipment, including scooters. There are limited opportunities for children to work on challenging balancing equipment.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to explore colour and texture when involved in various art and craft techniques, including 'conker rolling' and collage activities. They can respond in a variety of ways using their five senses, such as their sense of smell and taste, including describing what a lemon, onion, banana and orange smell and taste like, are skilful at using their imagination through role play activities, can make up their own stories, and are able to explore sound when handling musical instruments.

p.6

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

p.6

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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• further develop staff's curriculum planning, ensure a wider range of strategies are consistently used to help promote children's good behaviour • complete regular assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall playgroup provision • provide more opportunities for children to develop their ability to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, skill at counting reliably up to 10 everyday objects, understanding of simple addition through combining two groups of objects, and their ability to work on challenging balancing equipment • heighten the level of encouragement for parents to share what they know about their child.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7