Ad Astra Infant School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 26/01/2005 Inspector Name Dorcas Elizabeth Forgan

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Melrose Pre-school Playgroup Setting Address Frank Moran Centre, Melrose Avenue Bletchley Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire MK3 6PA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Melrose Pre-school

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Melrose Pre-school Address C/o Lisa Rodriguez Bletchley, Milton Keynes Bucks MK3 7TB

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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

Melrose Pre-School opened in 1976. The present committee, which was registered in 2001, is responsible for two pre-schools. The pre-school operates from a room in the Frank Moran Centre. It is situated in West Bletchley, south of Milton Keynes. A maximum of 36 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09.15 to 11.45 and 13.00 to 15.30 term times only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 67 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these, 36 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The pre-school currently supports children with special educational needs, and also children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school employs 14 staff between the 2 pre-schools. The managers and 9 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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?

Melrose Pre-School provides good quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Senior staff have good knowledge of the areas of learning, other staff are not confident in observing and recording children’s development against the stepping stones. Plans show that all areas of learning are incorporated to promote the children's learning. Staff miss opportunities to extend the children’s counting skills and to link sounds to letters. Staff adapt activities for children with different abilities. The staff use good strategies to support children with special educational needs and to ensure that they are fully involved. The setting is light, bright, and inviting; the areas available are used well and activities are interesting and imaginative. Staff provide a good range of interesting activities to

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How effective is the nursery education?

increase children’s knowledge of the world and creative and physical development. Leadership and management are generally good. The supportive committee employ a manager to enable the smooth running of the two pre-schools to ensure they run effectively and that shared resources are adequate. The staff work in either setting but are based in one predominantly. Staff work very well as a team, they are flexible and good role models. Monitoring and evaluation are carried out regularly and changes are made as necessary, but this does not always fully identify whether learning intentions are met. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are given clear written information about the pre-school. They exchange verbal information daily. Staff have recently introduced a home school link book, but this does not always ensure that information is regularly shared. A parents evening has been planned for the future.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide a bright, warm welcoming environment. Children's self esteem is enhanced by their work being attractively displayed and clearly labelled. Staff encourage children's independence and provide support to enable children to take part in group routines. • Children have opportunities to use a wide range of materials to create their own artwork. Staff plan and resource the role-play area to represent different settings, such as a school with blackboard, exercise books, register and lunch boxes. • Children participate with enthusiasm in the physical activities provided. They have many opportunities to develop fine motor skills and hand/eye co-ordination; they use a wide variety of tools and equipment such as paintbrushes, chalks, knives, balls and beanbags.

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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 • Staff plan a wide variety of interesting topics to help children learn about the world around them. The children grow their own plants and 'potato heads', and they learn about people who help us such as the fire brigade. They carry out activities in the community and join in fundraising events.

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What needs to be improved?

• the confidence of all staff to record observations of children’s development and whether learning intentions have been met. • the opportunities offered to children to increase their awareness of phonics and to practise writing • the opportunities to extend the children’s counting skills during everyday activities • the systems to inform parents of their child's development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally, good progress has been made since the last inspection. The new pre-school committee and staff have made effective changes to the planning and evaluation of activities and to the way most activities are offered to the children. These were raised as issues at the last inspection. The planning now identifies learning intentions. Evaluations are made of the activities, but these do not always record whether learning intentions have been met. Assessments are made of the children to monitor their progress with regard to the stepping stones. Staff have a clearer idea of the learning that is intended and how to help children achieve this. Parents have opportunities to see their child’s assessment files in which observations are made of the child’s progress. Improvements have been made in the way mathematics is presented. There is a mathematics area where children have free access to various resources. Children

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What has improved since the last inspection?

benefit from good individual support to practise counting. This is not always extended in everyday activities. Opportunities are missed for children to learn the sounds letters make and to practise writing. Staff have introduced an interesting range off topics and activities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Children explore and investigate a wide range of media and living things, and they learn about their own culture and beliefs and those of other people. The role-play area has been completely reorganised and many new resources purchased to provide an inviting and interesting area for the children. The children play in the home corner daily and have a further area that is changed to reflect the topic. The children's imaginary play is extended well.

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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 enter the group eagerly and are keen to take part in the session; the staff make learning fun. Children's confidence and self-esteem are built by staff, who are sensitive to their needs and know them well. They relate well to each other and the adults, especially their key worker, and have a feeling of belonging; they are beginning to play co-operatively. Children gain independence through the daily routine and making choices. Children are gaining a sense of community.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children chat confidently with adults and peers, some need support to speak in front of the group. Staff encourage the children to express opinions at the cooking activity and to discuss what they are doing. Children enjoy books and story times; they become involved and like to anticipate what is about to happen. The staff extend the children's vocabulary. Children mark make in role-play situations; opportunities are missed for them to recognise and write their own names and to learn phonics.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children benefit from good individual support in the maths area to practise their skills of counting and understanding numerals; the more able count to 10 confidently. Staff do not extend the children’s counting skills during everyday activities. The children have free access to mathematical equipment such as rulers, dice and abacus. They are beginning to use mathematical language such as more and less than. They recognise shapes, and talk about cutting sandwiches into halves, and quarters.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing an increasing knowledge of the world around them through a broad range of interesting activities and topics. During a blow painting activity the children observed how the paints moved across the paper and how they mixed with other colours. They are developing their senses through first hand experiences such as preparing their own choice of fillings for sandwiches that they later made. The children are beginning to use the computer and other forms of technology.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The outside area is available most days for the children to use the wheeled vehicles. They are learning to control them and become spatially aware. Through planned activities, they practise throwing beanbags and hoops, taking turns and including others. They are becoming aware of their bodies and the need to eat healthy foods. Children show good control and dexterity whilst practising different skills such as grating cheese, chopping foods and spreading butter.

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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 are able to explore a wide range of materials and textures such as wet and dry sand, making their own play dough and creating collages. The children enthusiastically explore the sounds made by percussion instruments and can copy simple sound patterns. They participate well in the singing sessions. The well–resourced role-play areas are used extensively by the children to develop their imagination. Adult explanation and intervention extends the play and promotes good discussions.

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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

• develop the skills of all staff in observing and recording children’s development • increase the children's awareness of phonics and provide further opportunities for them to practise writing • increase opportunities for children to extend their counting skills during everyday activities.

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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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