William Torbitt Infant School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 01/02/2005 Inspector Name Karen Elizabeth Screen

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Landulph Under Fives Setting Address Landulph Memorial Hall Landulph Saltash Cornwall PL12 6NE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Landulph Under Fives

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Landulph Under Fives Address Landulph Memorial Hall Landulph Saltash Cornwall PL12 6NE

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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

Landulph Under Fives opened in l970. It operates from Landulph village hall, a rural location, approximately eight miles from Saltash. The group serves the local area and outlying villages. The facilities include an entrance hall, toilets, main hall, kitchen and enclosed outdoor play area. The group opens three days a week during school terms, between 09.30 and 15.00 on Monday and Thursday and from 09.30 to 12.00 on Tuesday. There are currently 21 children on roll. Funding is received for 11 3-year-olds and 5 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The group has charitable status and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA). The management committee employ three staff members of staff, who are supported by parent volunteers. Two members of staff jointly lead the group. One holds an National Vocational Qualification at Level 3, in Early Years Childcare and Education. The other has almost completed the same qualification. There is always one member of staff present, trained in first aid. The staff work with the Early Years and Childcare Service Foundation Stage Consultants and with the Area Special Educational Needs Coordinator. The setting supports children with special needs.

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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?

Landulph Under Fives, provide good quality education which helps children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. The curriculum provides broad, relevant and stimulating experiences to support all areas of the Foundation Stage. In a very short space of time, the newly formed team have begun to observe and assess children's learning. They use the information gained, to inform future planning, build on what the children already know and plan the next steps in learning. Staff promote self-confidence and a positive attitude in all children. Good support is given to children with special needs. Weaknesses exist in the organisation and management of some activities, such as during registration. Leadership and management is generally good. There is a strong team spirit and staff are very clear about their roles and responsibilities. They work well together to

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How effective is the nursery education?

promote good relationships between staff, parents and children. They recognise that self-evaluation is the key to continuous improvement and are using their assessments of children's progress to help monitor and improve their own practice and provision. Staff are less skilful in their approach to staff deployment and organisation of children during group activities. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are provided with good quality information about the provision and the curriculum being followed. Plans are clearly displayed and show the learning intentions behind the activities. Excellent relationships between children, staff and parents help the children to settle well. There are effective informal channels of communication, but opportunities for formal feedback on children's individual learning and progress are not sufficiently exploited.

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What is being done well?

• Relationships with children are excellent. Staff provide excellent role-models and have reasonable and realistic expectations of children's behaviour. they set and maintain clear, reasonable and consistent limits, using positive behaviour strategies. Children are beginning to understand the need for self discipline and consideration for others. • Children's progress and development is recorded and shared well between staff. Observations and assessments are used well to support different stages of children's individual development; and to inform discussions with parents and outside agencies. • Good support is given to children with special needs. Parents and professionals are involved at the earliest opportunity. In addition, staff are committed to undertaking any relevant training needed in order to support children's individual needs.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• grouping of children, to develop their listening skills according to their individual needs • improve communication and consultation with parents, paying particular attention to using a variety of ways to share information and to provide more formal feedback to parents about their children's individual learning and progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made in tackling the two key issues identified in the previous inspection report. These required the group to improve the repetitive recording of information in the assessment system and the information provided for parents and carers on the early learning goals. The new team have devised a useful format which enables staff to cross-reference and easily amend information recorded on planning, evaluations, observations and assessments. This saves time through a reduction in the number of documents produced and is easy for both staff and parents to use on a daily basis. Parents and carers are provided with valuable information about the curriculum their children are following and staff encourage parents to continue play and learning activities at home. This has a positive impact on children's development and learning.

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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's confidence and self-esteem are built by staff who are sensitive to their needs and know them well. Children show very high levels of involvement in activities and play for extended periods of time, such as spending 20 minutes bathing, drying and feeding their baby. Children are very aware of behavioural expectations and stop to listen when staff give whole-group instructions. Children take the initiative and manage developmentally appropriate tasks, such as sweeping the floor.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Staff use a variety of effective methods to support children's developing language and ability to communicate, such as the use of questions to extend children's thinking. They provide good opportunities for children to learn to recognise the initial sounds in words, but for some, the activity lasts too long to maintain their interest. Activities such as painting, are not sufficiently exploited to include writing for a purpose, such as encouraging children to add their names to their work.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children show a keen interest in numbers and counting. They are supported well by staff who pose practical problems for children to solve, such as counting the total number of children in their group, to find out how many cups are needed for snack time. Children benefit from good individual attention, such as receiving prompts and encouragement to help them complete difficult jigsaws. The potential to develop awareness of shape and size as children construct with blocks, is not fully exploited.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children enthusiastically construct with a purpose in mind, for example a garage made from wooden bricks, for their cars. Children have a good understanding of past, present, future and change over time. They remember making lambs from salt dough and baking them in the oven to make them hard. Opportunities to encourage children to find out more about the natural world, are not sufficiently exploited in the group's outdoor area.

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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: Generally Good Staff create good opportunities for children to learn about the importance of keeping healthy. Children show an awareness of space, themselves and others. They collaborate well in devising games which require each to play their part, for example three children making a moving human train. Children competently use a range of small and large equipment, but there are few chances for children to take part in energetic physical activities involving large-scale movement, such as running.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Staff help children to gain confidence in expressing themselves and bringing their own ideas to activities. Supportive staff plan and make good use of time and resources to extend child children's thinking through involvement in their play. Children enjoy combining different media and materials for example salt dough and pipe cleaners to make jointed figures. Children respond positively to what they see, hear, taste, touch and feel, such as the smell of lavender oil, added to the paints.

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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

• ensure children are grouped appropriately, to develop their listening skills according to their individual needs • continue to improve communication and consultation with parents, paying particular attention to using a variety of ways to share information and to provide more formal feedback to parents about their children's individual learning and progress.

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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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