St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Beckenham

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/07/2004 Inspector Name Glenda Sinclair

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Corse & Staunton Playgroup (School Site) Setting Address Staunton & Corse School Staunton Gloucestershire GL19 3RA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Corse & Staunton Playgroup (School Site)

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Corse & Staunton Playgroup (School Site) Address Staunton & Corse School Staunton Glos GL19 3RA

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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

Corse and Staunton Playgroup is located in the village hall from where it operates on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 09:30 to 12:00. It also offers a pre-school group which meets on Tuesday mornings in Corse and Staunton Primary School hall. The playgroup is attended by children from surrounding villages. The playgroup are registered to provide sessional day care for 24 children aged from two years to five years of age. The children have access to the main hall, the side room and the toilets but must remain under direct supervision at all times. The children are cared for by four regular staff members, one of whom holds a level two childcare qualification. Staff are assisted by parents who undertake rota duties. There are no children attending at present for whom English is an additional language or who have special educational 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?

Corse and Staunton Playgroup offers provision which is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Teaching staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and provide an interesting range of activities, both enjoyable and stimulating, to help children make progress towards the early learning goals. Activities are well resourced. Children are given the opportunity to experiment with arts and craft, but also with simple science such as magnets and coloured lenses. Staff ask open ended questions to extend children's learning. They also foster good relationships with the children and between the children. Insufficient opportunities are provided for children to develop physically by crawling under and over, balancing and climbing. Sessions are well evaluated but assessments of individual children are

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How effective is the nursery education?

not being linked to the planning, to show how children can be offered support or extension, if necessary. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff know their own roles and responsibilities and are well deployed so that the majority of their time is spent working directly with the children. Staff are not currently doing any form of self appraisal and are, therefore, failing to pick up on slight weaknesses in the teaching. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents are aware that they can approach staff if they have a problem and they are given very good information, initially, about the group and activities. However, they do not receive regular updates on their child's progress and few know anything about the Foundation Stage and stepping stones.

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What is being done well?

• Children form good relationships with each other and with the staff. They are confident to try new activities and to talk in the group, as well as to adults. • Many children are able to write their own name, using well formed recognisable letters, They enjoy books and sit, engrossed, at story time. • Children are counting very well and using number meaningfully. They are also beginning to make number comparisons. • Children have many interesting opportunities to make simple scientific experiments and are encouraged to persevere when their designs need adaptation.

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • the planning to include more opportunities for children to balance, climb and crawl over and under • the links between assessment and planning need to be made to show how individual children can be offered support or extension • the regularity of information given to parents about their children's progress through the stepping stones.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Improvement since the last inspection is generally good. Staff were asked to provide more opportunities for children to be aware of number operations and record numbers in practical activities. Staff have responded well to this and have evolved various strategies for encouraging counting and number comparisons. For example, staff leave a space for one activity. They suggest three possibilities and help the children to count how many children choose each one. The activity chosen by the majority is put out. Staff were also asked to develop an effective system of recording children's attainment across all six areas of learning and to monitor records to identify areas of need and provide opportunities for parents and carers to contribute to the records. Children's attainment is being recorded but the records are not being monitored to guide planning. Parents contribute to the records initially.

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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 very confident. They have formed good relationships within the group and with the staff. They separate well from their parent or carer. They play co-operatively and respond well to responsibility. Staff allocate areas to tidy-up at snack time and children get on with the task willingly. They are confident to try new activities such as topping and tailing fruit and are happy to talk in the group and chatter to visiting adults. They are showing awareness of right and wrong.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk about their experiences 'When we went in the Forest I saw a stream' They use descriptive language such as 'milk shaky pink.' They enjoy simple repetitive rhymes and sit engrossed when an adult reads a story. Many children write their first names, using recognisable letters. Some children can also write their surname. The staff provide many opportunities for children to 'write', such as the railway ticket office with tickets and diaries.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count well and readily use counting in their play. They make number comparisons, such as how many bean bags did each child throw into a hoop. The staff leave one activity vacant and the children vote for which activity they want. Adults help them to count the votes and compare them. They make patterns in their art work. They are not using much shape and size language in their play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy experimenting with colour and mixing paint. Staff plan many interesting simple experiments with magnets, making soap, floating and sinking, for example. The children also get the opportunity to do some design, such as designing, making and testing boats and then going back to improve their designs. They use basic everyday technology and also learn about the local area by going for walks. Topic work covers some aspects of other countries.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are using small tools such as paint brushes, pencils and scissors competently. Most children were able to use knives to cut up fruit. They move about confidently in a confined space and are able to start and stop well when running 'races'. Most are able to throw bean bags into a hoop. They are showing awareness of their own body, 'The dentist said I mustn't eat biscuits'. Children are aware of the need for good hygiene. Staff are not providing enough opportunity to climb and balance.

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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 make models with re-cycled materials, paint and play with dough, clay, sand and water. One child spent a very long time making a 'picture' with dribbled glue. Staff show great sensitivity and allow these activities to run their course. Children enjoy singing simple rhymes and making music. They also use their imagination in role play and art. 'That's smoke coming out of the funnel' and a row of chairs became a train, when three children 'went to the sea-side'.

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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

• Link assessment to the planning, so that planning shows how the needs of individual children, requiring extension or support, can be met. • Ensure that parents receive regular information about their children's progress through the stepping stones.

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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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