Jarrow School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 03/03/2004 Inspector Name Ann Taylor

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name GROVELANDS PARK PRE-SCHOOL Setting Address SCHOOL LANE GROVE WANTAGE Oxfordshire OX12 7LB

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name GROVELANDS PARK PRE-SCHOOL Address SCHOOL LANE GROVE WANTAGE OXON OX12 7LB

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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

Grovelands Park Pre-school , a registered charity, has been registered since 1990. It is located in its own building in the grounds of Grovelands School, Old Mill Close, at the end of School Lane in the village of Grove, near Wantage. The Pre-school is a voluntary group managed by parents. Opening hours are 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Monday to Friday during term times. The pre-school serves families in the Grove/Wantage area and surrounding villages. There are four paid staff who are either qualified or in training and these are supported by parent helpers. Fifteen three year olds and nine four year olds are currently receiving funding. The Pre-school is supported by the Early Years development Partnership and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 nursery education at Grovelands Park pre-school is generally good. The children make generally good progress in most areas of learning although there are significant weaknesses in Communication, Language and Literacy, Mathematical development, and Creative development. The overall quality of teaching is generally good. Staff are good role models providing a warm and calm atmosphere, and children receive a good level of care and support; and are secure in the staff's company and familiar with routines set. Documentary evidence shows that staff take advantage of unplanned stimuli (e.g. snow) to capture children's interests and encourage them in investigations. However they miss opportunities to challenge and extend activities in all areas of learning, and there is little evidence of planned extension activities for the more able, or of the use of evaluation after sessions which could be used to plan future activities.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is generally good. The staff are well supported by the management and work well together as a team. Management encourages staff to attend training relevant to the provision, and staff are enthusiastic about extending their knowledge in all areas. But there are weaknesses in the staff's experience and knowledge of procedures for special needs and equal opportunities, which the group plan to address as soon as possible. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents are greeted warmly at the beginning and end of the session. They speak positively about the setting, and are well informed about routines and the range of activities. But channels of communication are mostly informal, and are not as well focused on children's learning and progress as the parents would like.

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What is being done well?

• Children mix well with their peers and are comfortable with adults. • Staff are good role models providing a warm and calm atmosphere. Children are secure and receive a good level of care and support. • Management support staff well and encourage them to attend training relevant to the provision.

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What needs to be improved?

• organisation of story times to ensure sufficient interest and challenge for all children; • labelling on all wall displays, including labelling by the children would encourage them to see that their work and ideas are valued, and would

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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 introduce the idea of reading with a purpose; • staff to take opportunities to talk to the children mathematically as they play or take part in normal daily activities; • staff's use of written evaluations after each session to plan future activities for all children, and extension tasks for the more able.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Small groups make regular visits to the wildlife pond in the school grounds. They have collected frog spawn, and caterpillars, and watched them change and grow. They have used books from the local library to help this study. Creative activities are now available in all sessions; using various mediums including paint, clay, crayons and play-do. The key workers plan an individual learning programme for each child, using the observations they make on a regular basis.

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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 arrive happily and settle quickly. They mix well with their peers, and are comfortable with adults. The children are confident to organise their own activities within the session. But poor deployment of staff within some activities results in the children within the group becoming distracted and causing disturbance.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children speak confidently in both small and large groups, and can make themselves understood. The staff support children's role play well. This helps them to learn to negotiate, to talk through their imaginative ideas, and to learn about the environment. Resources are available for children to attempt writing within role play situations, although staff miss opportunities to encourage this. Story times are poorly organised, resulting in children's interest not being captured or sustained.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children recognise numbers in everyday situations and can count to 5 (three year olds) and to 10 and beyond (four year olds) confidently. There are missed opportunities by the staff to help the children talk mathematically as children play or take part in normal daily activities. Children have opportunities to take part in a range of practical mathematical activities which allow them to solve simple problems, but have insufficient adult input to ensure they always understand the processes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are given a range of different media to explore within the weekly programme, and have opportunities to observe and discuss similarities, differences, and change. There are opportunities (within the planning) to help children become aware of different cultures and belief. At present there are limited opportunities for children to investigate and learn about the wider world by use of IT.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are provided with a good variety of tools and equipment to develop their manipulative skills, and hand/eye co-ordination. They handle tools safely and with increasing control. There are daily opportunities to use large and small climbing equipment. Space is made inside when the weather is unsuitable for outside play. The children are learning about good hygiene practises and healthy eating.

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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: Significant Weaknesses Children are provided with opportunities to express and communicate ideas in role play. They sing action songs enthusiastically and join in with the actions. Activities are well planned and effectively resourced, but they are also generally pre-formed and staff led. Wall displays are not well labelled. Good labelling, including labels written by children, would encourage children to see that their work and ideas are valued, and would introduce the idea of reading with a purpose.

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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

• Organise story times to ensure sufficient interest and challenge for all children; • Label all wall displays, including labelling by the children, to encourage them to see that their work and ideas are valued, and introduce the idea of reading with a purpose; • Staff to take opportunities to talk to the children mathematically as they play or take part in normal daily activities; • Use of written evaluations by staff after each session to plan future activities for all children, and extension tasks for the more able.

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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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