Abberley Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/01/2005 Inspector Name Jane Elizabeth Roberts

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Abberley Playgroup Setting Address Abberley Village Hall Abberley Worcester Worcestershire WR6 6AY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Abberley Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Abberley Playgroup Address Abberley Village Hall Abberley Worcestershire

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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

Abberley Playgroup opened in 1992. It operates from the village hall in Abberley, Worcestershire and serves the local area. A maximum of 24 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. The setting is open each weekday from 09.00 until 15.00 on Mondays and from 09.00 to 12.00 on Wednesdays and Fridays during term time only. There are currently 26 children from two years to five years on roll. This includes 11 funded 3-year-olds and 10 funded 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The playgroup can support a number of children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The playgroup employs five staff. Two of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications and two staff are working towards an appropriate qualification. The setting receives support from a development officer from Early Years Development and Childcare 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?

Abberley Playgroup provides generally good nursery education. The children are making generally good progress in mathematics and very good progress in all other learning areas. Teaching is generally good. Staff have a clear understanding of the Foundation Stage stepping-stones and early learning goals. Staff plan creatively, however written short term planning does not include enough detail of individual needs, extending children's learning and the groupings of children. Children's development is assessed well, but not always used effectively in the written short term plans. There is little scope for children to see numbers in everyday play or activities. Staff know the children well and all children behave well in response to the sensitive interaction with staff. Children with special educational needs and English as an additional language are supported very well by experienced staff. Resources, including positive images of other cultures and social diversity are organised and

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How effective is the nursery education?

attractively displayed, enabling children to easily access them. Leadership and management are generally good. There is effective teamwork and the management committee provide good role models and hands on support. This ensures good communication and contributes to the smooth running of the playgroup and children's learning. However, written information provided by the management for parents relating to the Foundation Stage stepping-stones and early learning goals is limited. Staff contribute to the curriculum planning. Both committee and staff are dedicated to on-going improvement of the playgroup. Partnership with parents is very good. Staff work closely with parents, especially when children are settling in. There are regular opportunities to discuss their children's progress and parents are welcome to help any time. There is a useful range of information provided for parents about the setting and the daily routine.

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What is being done well?

• There is a well-organised routine which focuses on play, this helps children settle into the playgroup and promotes their independence. Activities and resources are easily accessed by the children, they self-select and initiate play, for example children like to dress-up into characters and serve customers in their fruit shop which has real fruit. • Staff provide a wide range of writing tools and play props within free play; enabling children to concentrate very well when writing down their phone messages and talking on the phone. • Planned projects enable children to observe how plants grow and they take care of them after they have planted the seeds.

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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 • The library van regularly visits and children are proud of choosing books for the playgroup. Staff and children take walks to the local shop and confidently purchase items. • The painting easel is always available for the children who frequently use it as a means of expressing their thought and ideas very well, such as painting pictures of the family or enjoying mixing and experimenting with colour. Children are able to extend their ideas from one imaginative play area to another for example, they buy fruit in the shop and take it home and make a meal.

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What needs to be improved?

• the visual number displays and play props to promote simple mathematical concepts in everyday activities • the weekly planning to include children's individual needs, the differentiation in development, the groupings of the children and activities to extend and challenge children's learning • the information for parents about the daily activities and the Foundation Stage stepping stones and early learning goals.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Not applicable, this is the first funded inspection.

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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 Younger children are supported very well when separating from their family. Children are developing confidence and are interested and motivated to learn. Staff encourage children to increase independence and to take care of their personal needs such as toileting and washing their hands. Within free play friendships are formed and self-control is developing. Children enjoy helping with daily tasks. They behave well, are able to share and take turns, know the routine and have a sense of belonging.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy books and listen to stories well and join in the stories when appropriate. Most children are starting to demonstrate a good understanding of a wide vocabulary and use language to communicate, such as when using the office children make marks as messages and more able children are starting to write their own name. Most children link sounds to letters and can recognise their name on their place mats. Children are showing increasing control when painting and using pencils.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to learn about numbers through a range of activities. Most children confidently use and understand numbers up to ten and above. They show interest and use numbers and mathematical concepts in games and activities - such as using money in the fruit shop and weighing care bears with scales. However, there are few visual displays of numbers throughout the room or opportunities to recognise numbers in everyday activities. Children enjoy and confidently sing number songs.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are becoming aware of time. They identify future events, can recall the past well and have strong links with the local community and school. Children are proud of the library van visiting. They grow plants and record their observations. Within everyday activities children show increasing confidence when building and constructing three-dimensional objects. Simple technology is used imaginatively within role-play, for example telephones and cash registers, with calculators to add up.

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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 enjoy many opportunities, both indoors and outdoors, to practice their physical skills. They confidently move in different directions and negotiate obstacles with increasing awareness of space and regard for others. Children enjoy organised activities to promote their large muscle coordination. Staff encourage children to follow a healthy life style and diet. All children are developing increasing skills when using small tools, for example when making fruit shapes from salt dough.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can be seen playing imaginatively in a wide range of role play situations - selling real fruit in their shop and taking it home to make a meal. They join together to sing their favourite songs and staff use puppets to extend younger children's concentration in a large group. Children continuously make good use of the painting easel to express their ideas and they explore a wide range of creative materials such as play dough and junk modelling.

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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 visual number displays and play props to promote simple mathematical concepts in everyday activities • develop the weekly planning to include children's individual needs, the differentiation in development, the groupings of the children and activities to extend and challenge children's learning • develop the information for parents about the daily activities and the Foundation Stage stepping stones and early learning goals.

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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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