Gayton Pre School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/03/2005 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Gayton Pre-School Setting Address Gayton Primary School Gayton Road, Heswall Wirral Merseyside CH60 8PZ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Gayton Pre School Management Committee

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Gayton Pre School Management Committee Address Gayton Primary School Gayton Road, Heswall Wirral Merseyside CH60 8PZ

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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

Gayton Pre-school is a charity run by a committee of volunteers. It opened in 1991 and operates from a mobile classroom in the grounds of a local primary school. All children have access to a secure outdoor play area. It is situated in Gayton, Heswall on the west side of the Wirral peninsular. The setting opens from 08.55 until 11.30 Monday to Friday. It operates during school term time only. It is registered to care for thirty children. There are currently thirty three children aged between three and four years on roll and they attend for a variety of sessions. Twenty seven children receive funding for nursery education. The setting currently has no children identified as having special educational needs and all children speak English as their first language. The setting would be pleased to consider applications from parents of such children in the future on an individual basis. The Pre-school employs twelve staff all of whom work with the children. All the

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Information about the setting

leaders have a recognised early years qualification. Other staff have a qualification from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and extensive experience of working with young children. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Wirral Sure Start 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 provision for nursery education at Gayton Pre-school is good with many very good features. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematical and creative development and generally good progress in physical development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff work hard to create a very happy setting in which children can feel safe and valued. Topic planning is very detailed and has strong links to the Stepping Stones. The use of assessment is very good because the results are used to plan the next stages of children's learning. Tasks frequently challenge children's understanding and skills. Staff manage children's behaviour very well. They are consistent in encouraging friendship and sharing. Music sessions are very well prepared and expertly led. The provision for pupils with

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How effective is the nursery education?

special educational needs is very well thought through. Children learn through play in most situations but the two outdoor sessions seen did not follow this method. The registration routine takes too long and taxes the concentration of younger children. High quality displays stimulate children's interest in activities and resources are used well to keep children 'active learners'. The leadership and management of the pre-school are generally good. The setting is very well organised and staff are an experienced team. There is a very strong commitment to improvement, though there is no formal development plan. Management does not gather first hand evidence on provision to clearly identify areas of strengths and those needing some development. The partnership with parents is very good. The induction procedures allow each child the time they need to settle. Parents get information on topics and contribute to

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How effective is the nursery education?

their child's education. They also get ample feedback on their child's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children enjoy coming to the setting because staff have created a very warm, friendly and stimulating atmosphere. They like playing with their friends and working with the staff. • Staff grasp every opportunitiy to encourage children to hear the initial sound of key words and link them with what they already know. • Through frequent practice the children have a comprehensive understanding of 'touch' counting. • Children know a considerable amount about their own culture through celebrating the main Christian festivals and events like Bonfire Night and Mother's Day. They also appreciate other cultures and their faiths having learned about Divali and Chinese New Year.

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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 sing well as a group and some of them sing confidently in front of the group. They learn about music and are starting to use musical words, like pulse. They play with good control and can stop playing when signaled to do so. • Parents are absolutely delighted with the setting and the great start it gives their children. They also like the close liaison with the host school and the way that the children's transfer is made as easy as possible by the group visiting the school and the reception teacher coming to the setting. • Links with the host school are very strong and mutually beneficial. They help ease the transfer of children from the setting to the school. Expertise and resouces are shared particuarly well.

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What needs to be improved?

• the teaching of physical development in the outdoor sessions because it is poorly structured and over-directed. It limits children's ability to make choices and direct their own play • the monitoring and evaluation of provision so that management has a clearer picture of the quality of teaching and learning

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress on the first key issues from the last inspection. They were asked to put in place a record system as outlined on the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice to support these children's learning. They now have comprehensive policies and procedures which cover this. Various observation sheets are available to staff and the special educational needs coordinator has extensive expertise having attended many courses. The second issue asked the setting to use the information from assessment to set individual targets for progress within knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. This issue is no longer relevant to the children's education programme.

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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 happy to leave their parents in the mornings and look forward to playing with their friends. They choose between the activities on offer and frequently concentrate for lengthy periods. Children behave well in most situations and demonstrate good manners, for instance at snack time, although some find it difficult to concentrate for the whole of registration time. They are learning to share resources with others and work together. Children take care of their personal needs well.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children communciate freely using speech. They have a very wide vocabulary of naming words but words to describe things are not quite so good. They listen attentively to staff, though sometimes less well to each other. Children listen carefully to stories and recall detail from them. They handle books well and know that print carries meaning. Most children identify their name. They are starting to hear initial letter sounds. Children 'mark make' well and some are already writing legible letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use mathematical language in their play extensively,e.g. describing bears as big, medium and small. They identify the basic colours and sort things, like pegs and beads, using colour as a criteria. The vast majority of children touch count to at least 10 accurately, with more able children going way beyond this. Children compare the size of flowers and their feet by measuring them with mulit-link cubes. They recognise and name the basic flat shapes in the classroom.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children like using the computer and have good control of the mouse. They are curious and are encouraged to ask questions based on what they have seen, felt, heard and smelt, e.g. they look carefully at the flowers through the magnifying glass and comment on the effect. Children have a good understanding of their own culture and other cultures and faiths through the celebration of a wide range of festivals. They have good idea of the past and talk in detail about events in their own recent past.

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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 Children handle tools and writing implements with good accuracy. They thread laces carefully, join multi-link to measure their flower and one child manipulated the arm on a digger to move sand expertly. Children move rhythmically to ballet music. They move tricycles using the pedals and walk and run well, but few can skip. Children benefit from using the school hall and equipment occasionally. They do not move or throw as well as they could because the sessions seen were over directed.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children play very well in the home corner, creating roles for each other and acting out events they are familiar with, like cooking a meal or going shopping. Children sing confidently and well. They know how to play percussion instruments, beat a pulse and they stop playing when required. Children draw and paint frequently and show that they have good control over brushes and crayons. They experiment with colour and use different textures for effect in their pictures.

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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

• implement a system to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning • provide more opportunities for children to move freely between activities during outdoor play.

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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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