Netherton Pre School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 29/04/2003 Inspector Name Wendy Taylor

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Netherton Pre-School Setting Address Chapel Street Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD4 7ES

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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

Netherton Pre School has been in existence for over twenty years, although there have been changes of site. It presently operates from one room, a church hall which is on an upper floor. The church is in the centre of Netherton village. The group has access to a kitchen area, toilets and an enclosed outdoor play space. The setting is open each weekday morning except Thursdays from 9.30am until 11.45am, and Wednesday afternoons from 12.45pm until 2.45pm. The group serves families mainly from the local village area. The group is registered to provide 24 places for children aged over two and a half years. There are currently 49 children on the register, children attending a variety of sessions. Of these there are 14 three year olds receiving funding. There are no children attending at present who have special educational needs or who have English as an additional language Normally three staff work with the children along with occasional parent helpers. At present two staff

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Information about the setting

are employed who are experienced and have attended some basic training. Two new staff have recently been appointed to job share and will commence employment in the near future. At least two staff plan to undertake a level 3 qualification from September 2003. The setting receives advisory teaching support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Netherton playgroup provides a friendly and welcoming environment. Staff do not yet have a secure understanding of the early learning goals and children's progress is limited by some significant weaknesses. Teaching shows weaknesses particularly as staff are not currently planning the curriculum or carrying out children's assessments. Records show staff have organised some written planning previously whilst receiving advisory teaching support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, and there are some observations in children's files, however these ceased some time ago. Activities are set out daily at random, which staff rotate to provide variety. There has been a key worker system but this has ceased since a third member of staff left the group over two months ago. There is no planning to challenge older or more able children and as there are no assessments and the staff are unable to measure the progress children are making or what

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How effective is the nursery education?

activities to provide to ensure progress. Children's behaviour can be challenging at times as children lose interest in some activities. Staff make an effort to manage the behaviour but this is not always effective. There are no funded children attending with special educational needs or who have English as an additional language. There is small committee of three people who are working to support the group, and there is some parental help on rota at sessions. The two members of staff are supportive of each other. There is no appraisal system, training programme or formal systems for assessing strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Systems for monitoring the effectiveness of the nursery education are poor. Relationships between staff and parents are good and parents speak positively of the group, however they are unaware of the key worker system, the early learning goals and their children's files. There is a regular newsletter but new parents do not receive

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What is being done well?

Staff are friendly and welcoming to parents and children Children access activities independently and make their own choices Children show interest and enjoy singing at group time Children's interest in books is reinforced when there is an adult present

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What needs to be improved?

staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals the planning, to ensure an effective curriculum that covers all areas of learning including outdoor play, and helps children to make progress children's assessments and how these are linked to the stepping stones and to use this information to inform the planning the challenges set for older and more able children the presentation and use of appropriate resources so that they stimulate and sustain the children's interest the systems for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and staff the systems for effectively monitoring and evaluating the provision for nursery education information to parents and ensuring they are fully aware of the key worker system, early learning goals, their children's assessment files, and how these are linked to help children make progress the systems to encourage parents to be involved in their child's learning

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group has made poor progress in the key issues raised on the last inspection in January 2001 Key Issue 1 was to develop more detailed curriculum plans to ensure good coverage of all six areas of learning and that staff are clear about grouping of children, the skills to be developed and how they are to be deployed. Make better use of the outdoor area particularly for physical play - Some planning was established between October and December 2002, but has since ceased. The outdoor area is used occasionally however there has been limited progress to show how this has been used effectively in developing children's skills other than for recreational play. Key Issue 2 to improve staff's knowledge of the early learning goals so that they more effectively question the children and challenge and extend the learning -Staff's knowledge is still not secure and so limits their ability to question and extend children effectively Key issue 3 to increase the opportunities for children

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What has improved since the last inspection?

to learn the sounds of the letters of the alphabet, develop their writing skills and widen their range of vocabulary and also develop their pattern making and problem solving skills in mathematics -There has been insufficient progress in all five areas Key Issue 4 to develop assessment procedures so children's progress can be measured and the information gained can be used to more effectively inform future planning and parents - Children's assessments commenced for a short time but have currently ceased. KEY ISSUE Key Issue 5 to give opportunities for children to learn about different cultures, the natural world and develop skills in information technology - There has been limited progress in all three areas.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress is limited by some significant weaknesses. They are eager to come to playgroup and many are confident, show independence when selecting activities and sit quietly at singing time. However children's behaviour is sometimes inappropriate and at times challenging especially when they lose interest in the activities. There are insufficient opportunities for children to develop a sense of community or understand and respect different views, cultures and beliefs

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Poor Children's progress is poor. They respond well when looking at books with an adult, but do not have regular opportunities to become familiar with stories, use books for information but do know that print carries meaning. Some children use language to organise play but their vocabulary is not sufficiently extended. There are no letters or labels in the environment and children's writing skills and name recognition is limited. Children are not linking sounds to letters

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress is limited by some significant weaknesses. Some children can count reliably up to five and some beyond and some can recognise and name basic shapes. Children can compare biggest and smallest, fit pieces of train track and jigsaws and make patterns when threading or using play dough. There are insufficient opportunities to use numbers in everyday practical activities, extend mathematical language, combine and take away objects and learn about measure and quantity.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Poor Children's progress is poor. They build and construct especially with adult support and learn about English customs but not other cultures. Children do not explore, investigate, ask how and why, or look at patterns of change. Children's use of tools and techniques to fasten and join materials together is limited. There are insufficient opportunities for children to learn about information and communication technology, and identify features in the natural world and their environment

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress is limited by some significant weaknessess.They use their bodies in a variety of ways, but do not always move around the room safely.They use a range of large and small equipment and tools confidently. Children play outdoors but there are missed opportunities to develop their physical skills further. There are limited opportunities to recognise the importance of keeping healthy, and their bodily changes when active. Children's access to some activities is restricted by space

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Poor Children's progress is poor. Children enjoy painting and gluing but some materials offered lack of challenge and stimulation and there are insufficient opportunities for three dimensional work. Opportunities for children to develop their imagination in art, music, role play and stories is limited and lacks creativity, stimulation and challenge. There are insufficient opportunities for children to express and communicate their ideas and feelings and respond through their senses

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: N

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is unacceptable. Children are making poor progress towards the early learning goals.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

Improve staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals to ensure that all learning areas are covered including outdoor play and helps children to make progress Resume children's assessments linking observations to the stepping stones and use the information gained to inform the planning Improve the challenges set for older and more able children Review the presentation and use of appropriate resources so that they stimulate and sustain the children's interest Develop systems for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and staff and for monitoring the effectiveness of the nursery education Review the information provided to parents ensuring they are fully informed of the key worker system, the early learning goals, their children's assessment files and how these are linked to ensure children make progress Improve the opportunities for parent's to be involved in their child's learning

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