St Augustine's Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/05/2004 Inspector Name Linda Close

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Redhill Baptist Church Pre-School Setting Address Hatchlands Road Redhill Surrey RH1 6AE

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name RBC Family Foundations Address Baptist Church Hatchlands Road Redhill Surrey RH1 6AE

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Redhill Baptist Church Pre-School was registered as a Sessional Care Facility in March 1992. It is located in church premises in the town of Redhill in Surrey and welcomes children from all religious backgrounds. The pre-school serves families living locally or in the surrounding areas and it is open for thirty-three weeks per year during school term time only. Sessions for older children begin at 09:15 and end at 12:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and on Wednesday afternoons from 12:15 to 14:45. There are three afternoon sessions for younger children from 12:30 to 15:00 on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. The group has access to two halls, a group room, a kitchen and toilets. An enclosed garden area at the rear of the building is used for outdoor play. There are forty-six children on the roll at present. Ten four-year-olds and fourteen three-year-olds are in receipt of nursery funding. A small number of children have

p.2

Information about the setting

special educational needs. A few children hear other languages spoken at home. Fourteen part-time members of staff work with the children. Two staff are qualified teachers and five others hold appropriate qualifications in childcare and early years education. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-School Learning alliance and receives advisory visits from the local Early Years Childcare Service.

p.2

Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

The educational provision at Redhill Baptist Church Pre-school is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making very good progress in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, physical development and creative development. They are making generally good progress in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching standards are generally good. Staff have a generally good knowledge of the early learning goals. They have a very good approach to developing children's artistic skills. They are adept at extending children's mathematical understanding in relation to daily routines and discussions. Staff are not as secure in their teaching of aspects of learning relating to developing children knowledge and respect for other cultures. Children are grouped with care to ensure that activities are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Sessions run to a regular routine which ensures

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

good use of time and helps children to feel secure and confident. Surrey profile documents are used well overall to record children's achievements. Children with special educational needs are welcomed and given good practical support although some of their records are not up to date. Leadership and management is generally good. The supervisor and staff are all involved in useful appraisals of their work and they subsequently attend training courses to aid their professional development. Monitoring of the educational provision is generally good although gaps in multi-cultural work have not been fully recognised. The supervisor works well with parents and outside agencies to identify ways to assist children with special needs and in most respects her work is successful. Staff have established an effective partnership with parents and carers. Good quality information about the provision is available and their involvement is warmly

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

welcomed. Information about children's progress is shared.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children make good use of the well resourced mark making area. Boys and girls take a keen interest in drawing and making their first attempts at writing and their progress is very good. • Children eagerly take part in worthwhile counting and number recognition activities. They relate their learning to practical tasks in daily routines and planned activities using real objects. • Children's response to music is successfully encouraged. They move imaginatively and sing enthusiastically accompanied by a staff member playing the guitar.

p.3

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 become absorbed in their creative work. There is a strong emphasis on free exploration of materials and media in the pre-school. • Parents and carers are warmly welcomed into the pre-school. They support their children well through voluntary help in sessions and through providing items for the sounds table and for show and tell.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• record keeping in relation to observation notes for children with special educational needs • activities, resources and visual aids to promote children's knowledge, understanding and respect for different cultures.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made in addressing the three key issues for improvement that were identified at the last inspection. Staff agreed to improve teaching by organising sessions so that children would make more progress in developing their speaking and listening skills. They also agreed to provide more materials to encourage mark making. Grouping for some activities now ensures that children have better opportunities for speaking and listening and their progress in this area is very good. A well resourced graphics table attracts the interest of boys and girls equally and they are making good progress in mark making. Staff agreed to strengthen the programme for physical development through more direct adult intervention in activities using smaller apparatus. They now take a more active role in games and activities helping children to make very good progress in this aspect of their learning. An outdoor area has also been added to the provision

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

since the last inspection and this has enhanced children's opportunities to develop their skills. Staff were asked to improve the partnership with parents and carers. Parents are invited to share their own observations of their children at home. They can arrange to speak to their child's keyworker as often as they wish. The have good opportunities to take an active part in the pre-school by joining a rota of helpers and at the same time can gain an insight into the activities available for their children. Record keeping has improved and now shows a clearer picture of indivudual achievments in most aspects of learning.

p.4

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

p.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are content to leave their parents to join the group. They are keen to take part in adult-led activities. They are gaining personal independence and are able to select toys and activities for themselves. Children enjoy taking responsibility for small tasks such as ringing the bell. They are very helpful at tidy up time. They take turns with favourite toys such as the remote controlled car. Activities that teach children to understand and respect other cultures are limited.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are eager to talk with adults in small and large groups. They listen well at story time in age appropriate groups. They are learning new words such as calf and piglet. They exchange ideas eagerly in role play. Children are learning the sounds and shapes of letters systematically and well. They enjoy books, hold them correctly and turn the pages with care. They know that pictures as well as print have meaning. They enjoy making their first attempts at writing.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children recognise and use numbers up to ten and some can count accurately beyond ten. Older children are given more challenging tasks that involve them in problem solving in practical activities. Children know and use correct terms to describe size, position and quantity. Shape recognition is well planned and taught and the children recognise and name some shapes confidently.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good A good range of topic work involves the children in handling and exploring a wide range of materials and objects for example in work on floating and sinking. They are learning about animal life cycles from nature study in the garden and from visiting a farm. They design and build models well using construction toys and waste materials. They make good use of battery operated toys to support their learning. Limited resources and too few activities extend their knowledge of other cultures.

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Frequent use of scissors, writing materials and construction toys helps children to develop their good manipulative skills. They show a good sense of balance and use the climbing frame and slide confidently. They demonstrate a good awareness of space and obstacles when using wheeled toys in the small hall. They are developing their throwing and catching skills and ball control through indoor and outdoor games with help from adults.

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.5

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children handle and experiment with a good range of materials and media including clay, lentils toothpaste and shaving foam. They use their imagination in building large models which they later use to enrich their role play activities. Children explore rhythm and volume using percussion instruments. They sing enthusiastically and know many songs by heart. Resources and activities appeal to all of the children's senses over time.

p.6

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

p.6

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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• provide more activities, resources and visual aids to promote children's knowledge, understanding and respect for people from a wide range of cultures. • ensure that individual education plans for children with special educational needs have pertinent observations added to them on a more regular basis.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7