Hunsworth Community Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 19/10/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Hunsworth Community Playgroup Setting Address Hunsworth Community Centre Green Lane, Hunsworth Cleckheaton West Yorkshire BD19 4DZ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Hunsworth Community Playgroup 1031882

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Hunsworth Community Playgroup Address Hunsworth Community Centre Green Lane Hunsworth, Cleckheaton West Yorkshire BD19 4DZ

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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

Hunsworth Community Playgroup is a well established setting that opened in 1981, is a non-profit making registered charity, and provides sessional care for the local community. It is situated in Hunsworth, on the outskirts of Cleckheaton, in West Yorkshire. The setting is managed by a voluntary committee. Care takes place in the Hunsworth Community Centre building. The playgroup children have access to a spacious open plan room, suitable toilet facilities, and a safe and secure outdoor play area. The playgroup has 25 children currently on roll, consisting of 10 three-year-olds and 4 four-year-olds in receipt of funding. Staff are experienced at supporting children who have been identified as having special educational needs. None of the children are learning English as an additional language. The playgroup is open for four morning sessions each week, also one afternoon session, during local school term times. Morning sessions take place every Monday,

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Information about the setting

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 09.30 to 12.00. The afternoon session is Monday, 13:00 to 15:30. There are three main members of staff, also a relief worker and parent helpers, who work with the funded children. All of the staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education. Staff receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including visits from an advisory teacher and are working towards their Quality Assurance Award. The playgroup staff are members 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?

At Hunsworth Community Playgroup provision is of good quality overall, and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and creative development. Generally good progress is made in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical development. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff assemble a wide variety of good quality learning resources in each of the organised activity areas, enabling children to work independently. They use suitable methods to help all children to progress, including an emphasis on learning through play, and are experienced at supporting children who have identified special educational needs, particularly through the use of individual education plans. The range of strategies used by the staff to help foster

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's good behaviour is limited. Leadership and management is generally good. The voluntary committee and playgroup staff are committed to make some improvements in the care and education for all children, including further developing the outdoor play area. There is an ability by the setting to assess its own current strengths and weaknesses, as reflected in a recent self-evaluation. The completion of regular staff appraisals to help monitor the quality of teaching, especially through the identification of individual training needs, is limited. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's learning, including helping during the sessions as part of a well established parent rota system. Parents are well informed about their child's achievements and progress through a key worker system, receive a good range of helpful information about the setting, such as a 'welcome brochure', and are

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How effective is the nursery education?

able to share what they know about their child, including sharing their own observations.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's way of assembling a wide variety of good quality learning resources in each of the organised activity areas, enabling children to work independently. • The level of commitment, through the leadership and management of the voluntary committee and playgroup staff, to make some improvements in the care and education for all children, including further developing the outdoor play area. • Children's ability to select resources for themselves and to work independently, illustrated well when designing and making by handling accessible craft and construction materials.

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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's speaking and listening skills, fostered well during 'circle times', and when responding with enjoyment to stories and songs. • Children's ability to use mathematical language to describe and compare size and position, promoted well through practical measuring activities, also favourite stories and songs, including measuring their height. • Parent's level of involvement in their child's learning, including helping during the sessions as part of a well established parent rota system.

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What needs to be improved?

• children's skills when using large equipment • more able children's developing skills in recording their observations, for example weather changes • the range of strategies used by the staff to help foster all children's good behaviour for example, the development of children's understanding of what is right and wrong and why • the use of a suitable staff appraisal system to help identify individual staff training needs.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Hunsworth Community Playgroup staff have made very good progress since the last inspection, and this has had a positive impact on the overall provision for nursery education, and on all children's learning. Staff's planning has been further developed, now including suitably adapted activities to help challenge the older and more able children. The system used to record children's achievements and progress has been improved, incorporating detailed observations from both staff and parents. Resources are now more accessible, especially craft and construction materials, thereby helping children to work more independently.

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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 are able to select resources for themselves and to work independently, illustrated well when designing and making by handling accessible craft and construction materials. They are developing their self-confidence, are keen to try new and novel activities, and are able to show sensitivity to others, such as those who have disabilities, and those who have different cultural and religious backgrounds. The development of their understanding of what is right and wrong and why is limited.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their speaking and listening skills, fostered well during 'circle times', and when responding with enjoyment to stories and songs. They can use speech to explore real and imaginary experiences, such as when children talk about their personal experiences, are developing their early reading skills, often by handling books in the inviting and comfortable 'story corner' area, and are able to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, including making 'doctor's appointments'.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to use mathematical language to describe and compare size and position, promoted well through practical measuring activities, also favourite stories and songs, including measuring their height. They can show an understanding of simple addition and subtraction, often during practical sorting and counting activities, are skilful at counting 'one more' and 'one less', and are able to recognise numerals 1-9, such as numerals featured on displays and attached to the back of chairs.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their designing and making skills, such as when making models by handling a wide range of accessible everyday materials, including a model of a 'birthday cake' and a 'house'. They can use a variety of technology items to help support their learning, particularly in the role play areas, and are developing a firm sense of place, such as through visitors who talk about their special jobs. There are limited opportunities for children to record some of their observations.

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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 are skilful at handling and using one handed tools to help with the development of their hand and eye co-ordination, such as mark-making and writing implements, art and craft tools, and cutters and rollers during playdough modelling activities. They can show an awareness of space, of themselves, and of others during the sessions, and are able to work skilfully and safely on an indoor challenging climbing frame. There are limited opportunities for children to use large equipment.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to use their imagination through role play activities, and when making up stories, especially in the well resourced and organised role play areas, such as in the playgroup's 'doctor's surgery'. They can explore sound through the use of musical instruments, are skilful at exploring colour during many art and craft activities, including colour mixing opportunities, and can respond in a variety of ways using their senses, such as their sense of sight when looking in a mirror.

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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

• increase, where appropriate, opportunities for children to record features of their observations and investigations • present more opportunities and challenges for children to develop their skills in using large equipment • extend the range of strategies used by the staff to help foster all children's good behaviour • introduce and fully implement a suitable staff appraisal system to help identify individual staff training needs.

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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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