Chalk Hill Pre-school and Toddler Group

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 27/04/2004 Inspector Name Stacey Sangster

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Chalk Hill Pre-School Setting Address St Mary's Church Hall Church Street,Willingdon Eastbourne East Sussex BN20 9HP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Chalk Hill Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Chalk Hill Pre-School Address St Mary's Church Hall Church Street Willingdon, Eastbourne East Suusex BN20 9HP

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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

Chalk Hill Pre-School opened in 1985. It operates from two rooms in a church hall on the outskirts of Eastbourne. The pre-school serves the local area. The pre-school is registered for up to 30 children aged from 2 to 4 years although it only takes children aged from 30 months. This includes funded three and four year olds. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the pre-school only has access to one of the rooms so the numbers of children are restricted according to the space available. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Currently the setting has 46 children on roll, of whom 8 are funded 4 year olds and 24 are funded 3 year olds.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.30am until 12.00pm, with a 'lunch club being offered from 12 -1pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Nine part time and full time staff work with the children including volunteers who also help in the group. Four staff have relevant childcare qualifications and two members of staff are currently on a relevant training programme. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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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 offered by Chalk Hill Preschool is acceptable and of good quality. Overall children make generally good progress in most areas of learning with very good progress in both creative development and personal, social and emotional development.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The quality of teaching is very good. Staff are skilled at devising activities that help children make progress in all areas of the curriculum; as a result children have access to a wide variety of resources imaginatively used and organized to support each child's individual style and speed of learning. The grouping of children is not always effective when delivering information to a large number of children. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage. Plans are linked appropriately to the stepping stones. The programme is well balanced and varied. The assessment of children's progress is good and links appropriately to the stepping stones although is not tracked effectively to demonstrate that all aspects of learning are covered equitably. Staff observe what children do to support assessment. Leadership and Mangement is very good. Staff feel supported, valued and have opportunities to undertake training on a regular basis. Regular staff meetings are

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How effective is the nursery education?

held and all staff are invited to contribute. The systems to monitor and improve the educational provision is effective. The partnership with parents is generally good. All parents are provided with a range of good quality information intended to keep them informed of their child's progress. Better strategies need to be employed to ensure that information can be obtained from parents to assist in the formal assessment of children's progress in all areas of learning

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What is being done well?

• Children are encouraged to be kind, courteous and to understand the consequences of their actions. As a result children are very well behaved and demonstrate good levels of self control; • Children are developing positive dispositions to learning, they are inquisitive and show an interest in answering questions and exploring their ideas with staff. Children are not afraid to make mistakes and as such take part fully in the activities being offered. • Creatively children have very good opportunities to use their imaginations in a variety of different ways. They express themselves well and enjoy imaginative role play - re-enacting scenes from their own experiences or

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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 those from familiar stories.

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What needs to be improved?

• The tracking of the observations staff use to support children's written assessments to ensure that there is balance in what is being recorded. • The tracking and recording of which aspects under each of the six areas of learning are being covered. • The grouping of children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The plans are now clearer, with activities listed under the six areas of learning; Children have good opportunities to compare, sort and match, which helps their progress in maths.

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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 forming positive relationships within the setting. They demonstrate care and kindness toward each other. They are flexible and adapt their behaviour to suit different activities, being quiet during story time but more boisterous during role play. They feel safe to take risks and explore ideas with staff. Children show developing awareness for the boundaries behavioural expectations of the setting. They are developing positive attitudes and dispositions toward learning.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are becoming good negotiators and most are confident speakers who will talk to each other and staff about their wants and interests. Children are beginning to link sounds to letters and use their phonic knowledge to read and write simple words. The children enjoy story time, but do not make good use of the book corner. Some children's progress has been limited by a concentration of literacy activities on days when not all children attend.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Most children are confident to count from 1 to 10 and some beyond. Some match a number of items to a corresponding written numeral correctly. Children are beginning to recognise the number of a group of items without needing to count them. They are developing the skills needed to find the total number of two groups and are learning appropriate language to identify shapes, size and quantity. Restriction of the more focused maths activities to one day a week limits the progress of some children.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Most children know how to operate simple equipment such as the tape recorder although the lack of ICT resources limits children's progress to a degree. Children notice and comment on pattern and change. They talk about what they see and what is happening. The children show curiosity and describe simple features of objects and events. Children are developing a very basic knowledge of cultures different to their own. The children show interest care and concern for living things.

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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 move confidently, imaginatively and with an awareness of others, for example when playing outside. They are developing an awareness of how their bodies change when active although have limited opportunities to look at issues relating to keeping healthy. Children use a range of small and large equipment with increasing control. The children persevere at tasks and are developing the skills needed to cope independently with fastening on clothing.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore what happens when colours mix and experiment to create different textures. They enjoy music and demonstrate a widening repertoire of songs. The children play imaginatively together using a variety of items to represent others during role play. They enjoy using all their senses during activities smelling, touching and tasting for example the fruits.

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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

• Establish a system to track that observations to support assessment are being recorded for all areas of learning and that staff identify what areas need to be observed and plan this. • Establish a system to track which aspects are being covered in each area of learning by the planned activities - t ensure that the balance of the curriculum is equitable throughout the week and sessions.

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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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