Chuckles Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/02/2005 Inspector Name Sharon Dickinson

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Chuckles Playgroup Setting Address Keldholme Lane Community Centre Gillamoor Court, Alvaston Derby Derbyshire DE24 0RU

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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

Chuckles Playgroup opened in 1986 and operates from a community centre in Alvaston, Derby. A maximum of 26 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. The playgroup is open each weekday from 09.15 to 15.00 term time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 46 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 21 children receive funding for nursery education. Most children attending come from the local area. The playgroup currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and is able to support children who speak English as an additional language. The playgroup employs seven staff. Six of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from a teacher 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?

Chuckles Playgroup provides a supportive environment where children's progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses in the provision. Though they make generally good progress in personal, social and emotional development and physical development. The quality of teaching has some significant weaknesses. Staff work well as a team, and offer a good level of support in children's play, but they have a limited knowledge of the foundation stage and consequently lack skills and confidence in extending activities through appropriate questioning. The children have access to good quality resources that are generally well presented to engage children in purposeful play. An inclusive environment is provided for children with special educational needs. Planning systems have been developed but do not sufficiently cover all aspects of learning or provide differentiation for children's individual

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How effective is the nursery education?

abilities. This results in a lack of challenge for more able children. Staff observe and record children's development although the current system is not effective in showing children's progress towards the early learning goals and does not influence future planning. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents receive written information about the pre-school provision, the foundation stage and planned topics. There is a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with regular opportunities for them to talk to staff informally about children's routines and activities. There are ineffective systems in place to share children's progress with parents and they are not encouraged to contribute to progress records. Leadership and management has some significant weaknesses. The setting is committed to staff development and training and regular staff meetings and liaison with other professionals ensures a consistent approach. Due to an informal

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How effective is the nursery education?

management style, there are no systems to monitor and evaluate the provision for nursery education.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident and enthusiastic in their play. They initiate interaction with adults and play co-operatively with peers, negotiating turns on popular equipment such as bikes. • The staff team work well together, they engage in children's play and conversation offering praise and support developing children's self-esteem. • Children access a range of physical activities and resources and demonstrate good control and co-ordination on pedal bikes, the trampoline and using 'senses' balls.

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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 express themselves using a broad vocabulary, they freely talk about their home-life and past experiences. Staff regularly introduce new words through focussed activities.

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What needs to be improved?

• staff knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum and their skills in using effective questioning to extend children's thinking and challenge for more able children • planning to cover all aspects of learning, revisiting them sufficiently to consolidate children's skills, and to reflect learning intentions for child-led as well as focus activities. Also to show how activities can be extended for older or more able children, or where additional support may be required • systems of observing and recording children's development, identifying where children are at in their learning, and use of these to inform future planning and develop children's learning on an individual level • the partnership with parents by providing ways parents can access and contribute to their child's assessments •• leadership and management in relation to on-going monitoring and evaluation of the provision for nursery education, the effectiveness of teaching and the

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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: Generally Good Children are confident, sociable and have formed effective relationships with each other and staff. They are enthusiastic and purposeful in their play, working together co-operatively by sharing equipment and taking turns. Children make their own decisions about what they wish to do, but older children's independence skills are not fully extended within daily routines for example at snack time. Poor staff deployment and organisation of physical play at times results in unwanted behaviour.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses The children communicate well both in large and small groups, they talk freely about their home-life and past experiences. They enjoy mark making but have limited opportunities to experiment with writing in role-play and directed activities. Some older children form recognisable letters when writing their name. Children enjoy a range of books through story time and access a welcoming book area. There are few planned opportunities for children to link sounds and letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children count freely during their play, older children can count beyond ten, younger children are supported by staff. They are introduced to mathematical concepts such as shape and pattern via practical activities such as jigsaws and threading beads. Children join in number rhymes developing a basic understanding of subtraction, and simple mathematical language is introduced via focus activities, for example 'big' and 'little'. There are few opportunities to develop problem solving skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children have good opportunities to explore and investigate materials using their senses for example 'clean' mud, sand and salt. Their design and making skills are well developed through a wide range of construction activities. Information technology resources are available such as phones, keyboards and a computer, but children do not have regular access to them. There are few opportunities for children to learn about other cultures and beliefs.

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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 The children have access to a range of equipment like climbing frames, parachute and balls to develop control and co-ordination. They demonstrate spatial awareness when using cars and bikes, moving safely avoiding obstacles. Children are developing their fine manipulative skills through a variety of activities for example using crayons, pencils, threading beads. There are limited opportunities for children to learn about health and body awareness and to regularly access the outdoor area.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's imagination is developing effectively through use of small world resources. They enjoy role-play but this is not always available. Children enthusiastically join in action songs and number rhymes and have regular opportunities to access different styles of music, use instruments and take part in movement sessions. They have opportunities to draw, chalk and paint though adult-led crafts restrict children's ability to direct their own work and express their imagination and creativity.

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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's 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

• Improve staffs knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage curriculum. •• Develop planning to effectively cover all aspects of learning, sufficiently revisiting them to consolidate children's learning. Ensure plans reflect learning intentions for child-led as well as focused activities and include differentiation for varying abilities of children attending. • Improve the system for monitoring children's progress so that records are clearly linked to the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, identifying where children are at in their learning and ensure this information is used to inform planning. • Develop systems to share information with parents about their child's progress providing opportunities for them to contribute to their child's development records.

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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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