Chulmleigh Community College

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 15/03/2004 Inspector Name Jenny Stanger

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Happy Days Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address The Scout Hall The Street East Preston West Sussex BN16 1HU

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Happy Days Pre-School is a privately run pre-school, which has been operating for fourteen years, from the Scout Hut in East Preston. The pre-school have use of the large hall and a smaller room. There is a secure outdoor play area, adjacent to the hall. The pre-school serves East Preston village and the surrounding areas. The pre-school provides sessional care, which includes funded places for three and four year olds. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.00 am until 12.55 noon. The majority of the staff are experienced, qualified, and undertake further training. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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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 Happy Days Pre-School is acceptable and of good quality. The children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff create a warm and welcoming environment. Children are confident and happy. Staff have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage and plan a variety of interesting activities that match children's stages of development and help them to learn effectively. Children are encouraged to think, question and express their own ideas. The staff team have a consistent and coherent approach to managing behaviour consequently children share and behave well and consider one another's needs. Staff make some observations of children's learning to inform record keeping but there is no system in place to ensure all members of staff are involved in the process or that each child is observed regularly. Systems are in place to support children

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How effective is the nursery education?

with special educational needs. Leadership and management has significant weaknesses. The leadership is good. The owner encourages the staff to work as a team and ensures they have access to the training they need. She organises the daily routine so that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and encourages them to discuss children's development informally. However, there is no regular monitoring of the quality of teaching and the progress of children's learning. There are no staff induction or appraisal procedures to support new staff or to evaluate the practice of existing staff. Partnership with parents is very good. They have good information about the daily activities and are always welcome to discuss their child's progress. An information file and prospectus have details of the group but does not outline the Foundation Stage curriculum followed. Parents particularly enjoy the home/pre-school contact

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How effective is the nursery education?

book and praise the commitment of the staff team to the care and education of their children.

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What is being done well?

• Staff know the children and families well and create a warm, welcoming environment in which children feel confident and valued. They are interested and enthusiastic, they listen carefully to adults and one another and concentrate well. • Behaviour is very good. Children take turns and show care and consideration for the needs of others. • Children enjoy books, show that they understand how stories are made up as

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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 they re-tell their favourites, and use books for information. They are beginning to link sounds to letters and enjoy writing in role play as they take orders in the café. • Staff plan a variety of topics and activities that enable children to familiarise themselves with their own environment and show some understanding of the lives of children from other cultures. • Children move confidently and with co-ordination both indoors and out and use a range of resources such as constructional equipment, small world toys, creative materials and scissors efficiently. • Staff have created good relationships with parents and carers, ensuring that they are involved in their children's learning and feel part of the 'family' of the pre-school.

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What needs to be improved?

• the system for observation to ensure that the staff team plan regular observations for each child across the stepping stones in all six areas of learning; • management systems to ensure that staff have induction, appraisal and support systems in place and that the quality of teaching and progress of children's learning is monitored; • the content of the prospectus so that it includes details of the Foundation Stage.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The Pre-school has made very good progress since the last inspection. At the last inspection the setting agreed to use children's vocabulary when writing on their work and to ensure that staff improved their letter formation when doing so. Comments dictated by children are now written clearly on children's work and letter formation is of a consistently high standard.

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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 confident and enthusiastic. They relate well to one another and to adults. Staff encourage them to be independent, and they choose activities carefully, select and return resources and take care of their personal needs. Children behave well, take turns and consider the needs of others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Staff encourage children to listen to adults and each other, to offer ideas and contribute to discussions. Children understand the structure of books, can re-tell stories, make up their own and use books for information. Staff encourage children to write their names and use writing for different purposes in role play. They are able to link the sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can count and recognise numbers to ten. Staff encourage them to use numbers meaningfully as they count jumps in Hopscotch, recite number rhymes and build with pegs. Staff include mathematical language of comparison and position in structured and free play activities. Children are beginning to show a developing understanding of addition as they add one more but have few opportunities to combine groups of objects.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Through varied topic work children have opportunities to learn about the past and present, look at features of the natural world and consider similarities and differences in their own way of life and that of children from other cultures and beliefs. Children build and construct with a wide range of materials and enjoy opportunities to predict what will happen when they bring snow into a warm room or mix colours.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have good spatial awareness and move confidently both indoors and out. They have daily opportunities to practice their ball skills, use apparatus outside and build, construct and experience malleable materials. Staff ensure that children become aware of the effect that exercise has on their bodies and the importance of healthy eating and drinking.

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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 have many opportunities to explore paint and texture, draw and make models. Good role play resources, often following the topic, enable children to develop their imaginations and communicate their ideas. Children enjoy singing together, dancing and making music.

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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

• improve the system for observation of the children's learning to ensure that the staff team plan regular observations for each child across the stepping stones in the six areas of learning and use these observations to inform the developmental record forms; • establish procedures so that present staff are supported through regular appraisal and new staff through an induction programme; • establish a system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and the progress of children's learning to ensure it is consistent; • include details of the Foundation Stage in the prospectus given to parents. 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

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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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