Gedney Church End Primary Academy

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 23/03/2005 Inspector Name Christine Cutts

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care, Out of School Day Care Setting Name Ickford Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Ickford School Ickford Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP18 9HY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Ickford Pre-School Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Ickford Pre-School Playgroup Address Barnacre House 49 Worminghall Road,Ickford Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP18 9JB

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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

Ickford Pre-School has been open for over 30 years, and the After School Club has been open since 2002. Both operate from Ickford School, which is sited in the centre of the rural village of Ickford close to Thame. The premises comprise the school hall, three classrooms, the library, kitchen and toilets. The children have access to the school playing field and playground. There are currently a total of 20 children who attend the pre-school of whom 10 are funded three year olds and 6 are funded four year olds. There are 28 children on the roll for the after school club. The setting is currently supporting one child who speaks English as an additional language. None of the children have designated special needs. Ickford Pre-school runs a single session for children, on Tuesday and Friday morning's from 09:00 to 11:45, term time only. This is in addition to a separate registration for three sessions held at the village hall on Monday, Wednesday and

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Information about the setting

Thursdays from 09:15 to 11:45. The after school club is open five days a week during school term time. The club is open from 15:15 until 18:00. The club also expects to run a holiday scheme during the summer break. There are five staff who work with the children. The leader and deputy have relevant early years qualifications at level three. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA) and receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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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?

The Ickford Pre-School provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The pre-school offers children a welcoming and stimulating environment, combining two sites, in which good use is made of the accommodation and resources to promote children's learning. The out-side play area is used well to promote children's physical development and support other areas of learning. Children's behaviour is generally good with staff supporting children to develop an understanding of right and wrong and the rules of the pre-school. The quality of teaching is generally good with staff having a secure knowledge of the individual children and their progress on the stepping stones. Identification and evaluation of learning outcomes for focused activities lacks detail. Children are very well supported in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and

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How effective is the nursery education?

understanding of the world. A very good range of practical activities is provided for the children to explore and investigate. However opportunities for children to use their imagination to create freely are less well promoted. Staff praise, encourage and support children's learning and provide good quality activities for children to play with confidence. Staff support children's spontaneous play well, building on children's own interests and experiences. Management and leadership is very good with staff working well together, the staff team are committed to building good staff relationships. A shared commitment to early years is clearly visible and management and staff are committed to extending their understanding in early years education. Partnership with parents and carers is very good and parents are actively involved in the life of the nursery. Parents are supportive of staff and contribute to topics.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Comments received show that most parents appreciate the information exchanged on their children's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident, respect others and behave well, following the example and guidelines set down by staff. • Staff encourage, praise and support children's learning, giving the children the opportunity to persevere and complete tasks. • Highly motivated staff with good teaching skills ensure that children are given the freedom and time to explore and develop imagination, building on the children's own interests and experiences well. • Staff's secure knowledge of stepping stones and early learning goals enables them to ensure the accommodation and resources are well used to provide

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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 fun activities that promotes learning for all children.

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What needs to be improved?

• Opportunities for children to express themselves freely in creative activities. • The planning to identify and evaluate learning outcomes for focused activities, to enable staff to maximise learning opportunities for children from those activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made generally good progress since the last inspection of the key issues raised. Children now have more opportunities to express their own creative and imaginative ideas in artwork, with free painting and drawing readily available. However, planned creative activities are mostly adult initiated and adult lead. The pre-school now provides children with a wide range of opportunities for children to make independent choices. They are able to freely choose from the range of activities laid out, choose to play in-side or out during part of the session, choose which colours to use making their models and even choose how to answer the register.

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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 are active in their learning, are well behaved, show confidence and are developing good independence skills. Staff give children the opportunity to talk about themselves and their experiences individually or in group situations, building children's self-esteem. The children work well together and co-operate to achieve tasks, they share and take turns and understand the rules of the pre-school.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk confidently and use language very effectively to negotiate and make their feelings understood, building their competence with language through social interactions. Children show an enjoyment of books choosing to 'read' to adults and others, The pre-school provides a very good range of opportunities for children to make marks and practise emergent writing for a variety of purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use mathematical language with confidence, they enjoy counting and freely count up to 10, recognise numbers, name shapes and use mathematical language. Children enjoy the good practical activities provided by staff to develop mathematical concepts. Opportunities to use calculation and problem solving in everyday situations are well supported. The children very much enjoy finding items in the school room to weigh, finding out what is heavy and what is light.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Staff encourage children to investigate, observe and explore using their senses through an excellent range of activities and challenge and question children to develop their knowledge. Children learn about growth and change in the natural world with planned topics. Children's use of technology related equipment is well supported. The pre-school supports children's understanding of other cultures and beliefs through celebrating festivals and events.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's physical development is progressing well through participation in a range of activities. Planning does not include all elements of physical development, such as ball skills and health and bodily awareness. Children use tools and are developing good pencil control. Children use large apparatus, such as climbing frames and balance equipment and enjoy activities in movement to music.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good There are good opportunities for children to express themselves though a variety of media. Staff allow children the freedom and space to develop involved and imaginative play. Children express their ideas, thoughts and feelings using two and three dimensions, explore music and make sounds, use colour and texture with craft, free painting and drawing, use sand and water play. Planned activities are often adult initiated and adult lead.

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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

• Continue to explore opportunities for children to express themselves freely in creative activities. • Continue to develop planning to identify and evaluate learning outcomes for focused activities, to enable staff to maximise learning opportunities for children from those activities.

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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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