Pepper Hill School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 31/01/2005 Inspector Name Olive Sumner

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Bushy Tails Pre-School Committee Setting Address Springwood Avenue Waterlooville Hampshire PO7 8ED

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Bushy Tails Pre-School 1067576

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Bushy Tails Pre-School Address Stakes Hill Infant School Springwood Avenue Waterlooville Hampshire PO7 8ED

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Bushy Tails Pre-school opened in 1997 and operates from rooms within Stakes Hill Infant School in Waterlooville and has a secure outside play area. The pre-school is organised by a voluntary management committee and the supervisor has responsibility for the day to day running of the session. The pre-school serves the local area and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently sixty-two children from two to five years on roll and of these fifty-nine are in receipt of nursery education funding. The pre-school is able to support children identified with special educational needs and children for whom English is an additional language. The pre-school is open five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 11.30 and 12:15 until 14:45 There are seven members of staff working with the children and of these three have relevant early years qualifications including NVQ 3 in Childcare and Education. Four

p.2

Information about the setting

members of staff are currently on NVQ training programmes. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYCDP) and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA). It is working towards PLA accreditation.

p.2

Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

Bushy Tails Pre-school provides high quality nursery education overall. Children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. Children learn effectively when activities have clear learning objectives which relate to the stepping stones of the early learning goals and when staff know what children are expected to learn from their play and practical activities. Relationships and behaviour are very good overall and children respond to the consistent expectations of the staff. Staff are caring and supportive and involved in what the children do. They question effectively and children extend their learning. They know the children well and meet their individual needs. Children confidently learn to recognise their names and numbers. They attempt their own writing and learn to count reliably. They have very good opportunities to investigate and explore, develop their imagination and extend their creative and physical skills.

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

On occasion some opportunities are missed to enhance and extend children's learning and children do not freely access the creative resources which are available for them. Planning and assessment both relate well to the stepping stones of the early learning goals. They are used as effective tools to ensure the curriculum is well covered and that children's progress is well tracked and children build on what they know. Effective systems are in place to support children identified with special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language. Leadership and management are very good. The supervisor ensures high quality in a very well organised and attractive learning environment. She is well placed to build on the strengths of the setting and is well supported by her deputy and the staff team. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents value the quality provision and the commitment of the staff. They have opportunities to know about and be involved in

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children are well motivated to learn in a well organised and attractive learning environment. Relationships and behaviour are very good overall and children respond to the consistent expectations of the staff who manage children very well. • Children interact and talk about what they do and use speech to organise their play. They enjoy sharing books with adults and have very good opportunities to extend their vocabulary. They learn to recognise their name and develop confidence attempting their own mark making and writing. • They develop mathematical understanding from games and puzzles and practical activities in the sand and with playdough and from number rhymes

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and stories and they learn to count reliably. • Children have very good opportunities to explore colour and texture and to develop their imagination in role play and imaginative games and to respond to their senses as when using musical instruments. • Staff are caring and involved in what the children do and know their children well. Planning and assessment relate clearly to the stepping stones of the early learning goals and both are used effectively and have a positive impact on children's learning. • The supervisor has clear aims and objectives and the ability to assess the provision and build on what she has already achieved. She is very committed to the care and education of all children and in this she is very well supported by the deputy, the staff team and the management committee. Parents

p.3

What is being done well?

appreciate the well organised provision and approachable staff and feel their children make very good progress.

p.4

What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to extend their imagination using large toys in purposeful play • encouragement for children to access the very good range of creative resources available so that children make choices and develop their own ideas.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been very good progress in children's learning since the last inspection. The setting was asked to develop staff's understanding and knowledge of the early learning goals. Since the last inspection all staff have participated in training opportunities to increase their understanding of the early learning goals and this has had a very positive impact on the quality of the provision. Staff understand and know what children are expected to learn through their play and planned practical activities. The setting was also asked to improve opportunities for children to ask questions about how things work and why things happen and to extend the curriculum to include opportunities to find out about cultures other than their own. Children now have many more opportunities to find out about how things work for example using binoculars or a hole punch and to question why things happen investigating the very

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

good range of resources available which stimulate children's curiosity. Staff are very involved with what the children do and encourage them appropriately to ask questions and extend their learning. There are now very good planned opportunities for children to grow aware of their own culture and the culture of others. Finally the setting was asked to ensure the programme for mathematical development offers challenge. Children now have very good opportunities to

p.4

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 consistently develop mathematical vocabulary, language and understanding from a very good range of practical activities and in everyday activities.

p.4

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

p.5

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident and interested in what they do. They develop awareness of their own feelings and the feelings of others and begin to respect their own culture and that of others. Relationships and behaviour are very good overall and children are well managed. They learn what is right and wrong, to be considerate to one another and to take turns and share. They develop skills of personal independence and can access their own resources and can work in small groups or on their own.

p.6

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children interact and talk about what they do and use speech to organise their play and have very good opportunities to extend their vocabulary. They respond very well to stories and rhyme and enjoy sharing books with an adult. They have consistent fun opportunities to link sounds to letters and can recognise their name and begin to understand print carries meaning. They develop confidence attempting their own mark making and writing in role play and at the writing table.

p.6

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children consistently use numbers in familiar situations and have very good opportunities to count reliably and to recognise numbers from a range of practical activities, puzzles and games. Number stories and number rhymes are used very well to develop children's vocabulary and understanding of addition and subtraction. They learn to describe and compare shape, size, position and quantity from a very good range of practical activities.

p.6

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate and explore and observe the features of living things and the environment. They are encouraged to ask questions about how things work and why things happen and they build and construct and learn to join and assemble using a wide range of objects, tools and materials. They learn about past and present in their own lives, the local area and begin to know their own culture and those of others. Some opportunities are missed to support learning using a computer.

p.6

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

p.6

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move very confidently in the indoor and outdoor environment and have consistent opportunities to develop their physical skills using a very good range of small and large equipment. They learn to climb and balance and become aware of their own space and that of others. They learn to be aware of the importance of being healthy and to use a wide range of small tools, construction and malleable materials with increasing skill. Opportunities are missed to use large toys in purposeful play.

p.7

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore media and materials and they enjoy participating in musical activities. They can accompany familiar songs and rhymes with musical instruments and can recognise changes in sounds. They develop their imagination in well planned role play activities and in imaginative games. Opportunities for children to make their own choices using creative resources are missed and to enhance children's opportunities to develop their imagination and respond to their senses in outdoor play.

p.7

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

p.7

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

p.8

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to improving the following: • encouraging children to self select resources to develop their own ideas in creative activities and extend opportunities in the outdoor environment for children to use their imagination in purposeful play and to respond to their senses, explore and investigate.

p.8

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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.

p.8

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.8