Thurnby Mead Primary Academy

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 18/10/2004 Inspector Name Janet Armstrong

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Misterton Pre-School Setting Address Misterton Village Hall Unity Lane Misterton, Crewkerne Somerset TA18 8NY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Misterton Pre School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Misterton Pre School Address Misterton Village Hall Unity Lane, Misterton Crewkerne Somerset TA18 8NX

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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

Misterton Pre-school has been established for approximately 13 years and operates from Misterton village hall, set in the rural village of Misterton near to Crewkerne. The pre-school is run by a committee of parent volunteers and is registered to provide full day care for 34 children aged two to under five years of age. The pre-school is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, term time only from 09.00 until 13.00. An afternoon session is also provided on a Wednesday until 15.45. They serve the local community and places are offered to children who come from a range of different backgrounds. They cater for children with special educational needs. No children currently attending have English as an additional language. The pre-school is in receipt of government funding for three and four-year-olds. There are currently 46 children on the register, of whom 25 three year-olds receive funding. The accommodation consists of a spacious entrance hall, a large hall, which is used

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Information about the setting

as the main accommodation for children aged three and above. There is a smaller separate play room off the hall for children aged under three years. The premises have toilet facilities, a kitchen, disabled toilet and store rooms available to the pre-school. There is a well-secured, newly built play park outside the hall available for outdoor physical play. The pre-school employs a qualified play leader who holds NVQ level III in child care and education. A further seven members of staff are employed of whom five hold a recognised child care qualification and one who is working towards a child care certificate. Support and curriculum advice is sought from the Advisory Teacher and Early Years Partnership.

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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?

Misterton Preschool provides good nursery education with children making generally good progress in all areas of learning, especially personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and physical development where progress is very good. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a secure understanding of the early learning goals and steps within them and support the range of activities provided well. Planning is new and still being developed. Short term plans clearly identify the aims of the activities. However, long term plans do not show how the early learning goals will be covered over a period of time. This means that some areas of learning have not been sufficiently covered, such as children's introduction to other cultures. Staff have a positive approach and provide children with good support in their social and language skills and physical development. However, staff do not always provide

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How effective is the nursery education?

sufficient support for children's learning in aspects of creative and mathematical development. Children with special educational needs are supported well in the group. Current systems for recording children's progress are not effective. They do not show what stage of development each child is at, nor do they link to the six areas of learning or the planning. Leadership and management is generally good. There are clear defined roles for management that support staff well. Informal systems for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the setting are satisfactory. Evaluation of the activities provided is effective, clearly showing how, why and whether the aims were achieved. Partnership with parents is generally good. There are beneficial systems that encourage parents to become involved in their child's learning, such as staying to settle their child at the start of each session, parent rota and contribution to activities.

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How effective is the nursery education?

However, systems for sharing children's records of development with parents are not effective.

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What is being done well?

• Children have good personal independence. They are able to take care of some of their own needs, such as toileting, hand washing, blowing their noses and pouring their own drinks. • Children are confident speakers in a range of situations and use their language well to communicate with others. • Children have good large and small motor skills through regular opportunities and well thought out physical activities. • Children enjoy music in a range of situations. They have a good understanding of rhythm and movement and use a range of instruments to explore and create sound and move their bodies to taped music.

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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 with special educational needs are supported well in the group. The co-ordinator is clear on her role and provides good support to children and parents.

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What needs to be improved?

• the systems to ensure that all areas of learning are covered over a period of time, especially children's introduction to other cultures and development in modern day technology • the assessment systems to show; what stage of development each child is at, links to the early learning goals and stepping stones and how they will be shared with parents on a regular basis • opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills, particularly solving simple number problems and using positional language and their access to creative resources to initiate their own art and design and express themselves.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Poor progress has been made in addressing the key issue raised at the last inspection. At that inspection the provider agreed to include children's progression via the stepping stones in planning and assessment. This has not been addressed. The new play leader took over approximately six weeks ago and recognises that there are still weaknesses in the current assessment systems and intends to seek support and advice from the Advisory Teacher to address this matter. Children's records of assessment do not link to the early learning goals or steps within them and are not used when planning activities to support individual children's progress.

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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 have good self-confidence, they leave their carer with ease and settle comfortably to an activity of their choice. They move around the large hall independently selecting activities and seeking others. They have formed good relationships with each other and with staff. Children are well behaved and are learning what is right from wrong and why. They have good personal independence and play an active role in taking care of their own needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are good communicators and use their language confidently to share their ideas and thoughts with others. Their understanding of the speaker is developing to listen and respond appropriately to extend conversations. Children enjoy books throughout the session and understand the structure of stories, and are able to answer questions relating to the story. They have good access to mark making resources and tools. Some children are able to form recognisable letters to write their own names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have an appropriate introduction to numbers and counting and are learning to use this to identify the number of children present and the correct number when playing dice games. They are learning to create simple patterns and recognise colours and shapes. However, children are not sufficiently introduced to simple number problem solving, comparisons or positional language on a regular basis.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore and investigate using their senses to identify change, texture, motion and form. They have some access to modern day technology although this is not sufficient to fully promote learning. Children are appropriately introduced to the local environment and natural world in which they live and their own culture through a range of structured activities, such as local walks and topics. However, they are not appropriately introduced to other cultures.

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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: Very Good Children move with control and co-ordination, avoiding furniture and others at play, making good use of the space, especially in music and movement. They have regular opportunities to develop their large and small motor skills through very good use of resources and planned activities. They competently and confidently use large and small equipment to pedal, jump and exercise. Children have good hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills to thread, cut and mould through regular use of resources.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy music. Resources are used well to allow the children to explore sound and movement through musical instruments and dance as well as singing. They have many opportunities to explore texture, colour and shape through a range of structured/adult led creative activities, such as, gloop, collage, different painting techniques and cooking. However, they do not have sufficient access to resources to initiate their own art and design and express themselves.

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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

• develop systems to ensure that all areas of learning are covered over a period of time, especially children's introduction to other cultures and development in modern day technology • improve the assessment systems to show what stage of development each child is at, links to the early learning goals and stepping stones and how they will be shared with parents on a regular basis • provide more opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills, particularly solving simple number problems and using positional language, and further access to creative resources to initiate their own art and design and express themselves.

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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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