Whalley Pre School Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 01/03/2005 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Whalley Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Whalley Adult Education Centre Station Road Whalley Clitheroe BB7 9RH

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Whalley Pre-School Playgroup 1024628

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Whalley Pre-School Playgroup Address Whalley Adult Education Centre Station Road Whalley Clitheroe BB7 9RH

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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

Whalley Pre-School Playgroup has been registered since 1993. The group operates from the Whalley Adult Education Centre on Station Road close to the town centre of Whalley, near Clitheroe in Lancashire. Children have access to a main hall area and suitable toilet facilities. There is no access to outdoor play, however, children are taken on outings in the local community. The playgroup provides sessional care for 25 children, aged from two to five years of age. Sessions are offered term time only from 09:15 to 11:45, Monday to Friday for children aged three and four years of age. Afternoon sessions are offered on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 13:00 to 15:00 for children aged two to three years of age. The setting currently supports children with special needs, children in receipt of early years funding, and there is support from the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Services. The group is managed by a committee and there are eight staff employed

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Information about the setting

altogether. The manager has an NVQ 3 in early years, another staff member is training towards NVQ 3, and other staff have completed the diploma in pre-school practice.

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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?

Whalley Pre-School Playgroup offers high quality nursery education. Children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a secure understanding of the areas of learning. They have clearly spent much time and effort planning the provided activities to ensure they match the children's learning needs. They cheerfully work hard as a team to set out each day an array of stimulating activities. Their interactions with the children are effective, their warm, caring relationships promoting well the children's confidence, independence and social skills. They have high expectations of children's behaviour, using praise and encouragement effectively, even on the rare occasions where children have behavioural difficulties. Assessments of children's progress are completed regularly. The leadership and management are very good. Staff are aware of their roles and

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How effective is the nursery education?

responsibilities, resulting in the smooth, relaxed, engaging sessions. Annual appraisals are held and staff are encouraged to access training opportunities. Regular committee meetings and internal staff meetings are held where views and suggestions are noted. That said the monitoring and evaluation of the playgroup is informal, although all involved with the playgroup are open to change and fully committed to the ongoing improvement in the education of the funded children. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents have a positive view of the playgroup. They are fully informed about the routines, practices, curriculum and activities. Staff provide a welcoming atmosphere and are willing to exchange information with parents about their child's progress, informally or in more detail via an appointment system.

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What is being done well?

• Staff work well together as a team. They know the children well and effectively listen, support, question and encourage the children's eagerness to learn, while managing well the children's behaviour through praise and encouragement. • Children are confident, secure, interested and enthusiastic. They want to learn, find and explore, for example they delight in planting seeds, anticipating what might grow. Many showed great fascination when observing and feeling a hyacinth plant as an inspiration for their colourful paintings and collages. • Lots of provided number activities develop well the children's counting skills and their ability to solve simple problems. • Children love stories, maintaining well their attention, concentrating and sitting quietly. Following the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' they were totally

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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 captivated by the 'magic' pretend beanstalk, which was growing rapidly each day in the corner of the playgroup. Further interest was raised when children eagerly wore character masks to imaginatively enact the story of the 'Enormous Turnip'. • Children have a wide-ranging repertoire of songs and rhymes. All energetically join in with words and actions; the more confident children naming additional songs to sing. This activity was enhanced by the excellent use of the piano and the children's gleeful use of musical instruments.

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What needs to be improved?

• more opportunities for children to develop their climbing and balancing skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made in response to the five key issues identified in the last inspection in 2002. The first key issue asked the playgroup to develop plans to improve its provision for communication, language and literacy. Much has now been initiated to enhance provision. Staff are now proactive in developing the children's listening and speaking skills sharing stories, talking, questioning and listening to the children. The environment is word rich, name cards are used for self registration and at snack time, and mark making is a strong feature of ongoing activities, particularly during role play. The second key issue to improve mathematical development has resulted in number counting, numeral recognition, problem solving, and the use of mathematical language, hence raising the children's knowledge and understanding. Overall, much progress has been made. The next issue focused on the need to review the deployment of staff and use the

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What has improved since the last inspection?

accommodation to improve the quality of teaching. Since the last inspection there has been very good progress. The key worker system has been embedded. Staff have clear roles and work hard to arrange the room using screens appropriately to provide areas for quiet activities such as group story time. Much progress has been made regarding the fourth key issue to improve and develop the playgroup's partnership with parents and carers. Regular newsletters are provided, alongside an information notice board and an appointment system for parents to discuss their child's progress. The final key issue focused on developing the leadership and management of the playgroup. As an outcome of the very good progress made, staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities, an appraisal system is in place, staff development opportunities are encouraged, and a team ethos has been established.

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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 developing in confidence and happily engage in activities, many concentrating for sustained periods of time. Their independence is developing well, they tidy up and serve their own food and drinks at snack time. They are forming good relationships with staff, respect each other, negotiate, share and take turns. Children's behaviour is good; they recognise the boundaries and respond well to guidance.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children happily express their needs, talk about themselves and listen to others. They enjoy and are totally captured during story time, responding enthusiastically when invited to enact the story. They like books and know print carries meaning. They recognise their own names and some letters by shape and sound. All enjoy mark making, while some older children are starting to write their name and some recognisable letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently count in sequence up to five, while many older children comfortably count to ten and beyond, and constantly use these skills in everyday situations. They attempt to solve simple problems, for example, by estimating the number present in the group and then checking their estimation. Older children are beginning to understand the concept of adding on and taking away. Most children are starting to make good use of mathematical language to describe position, shape and size.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy many well-planned activities that stimulate their natural curiosity and interest in their environment such as the ever-changing weather patterns. They enjoy planting seeds and speculating whether they will grow. All show an understanding of past and present events, while some look forward with anticipation to future events and celebrations. They enjoy designing and making using construction kits, use technological toys imaginatively in role play and delight in using the computer.

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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 use the tools and materials with increasing dexterity. They show a growing sense of spatial awareness during activities, and during more energetic activities they are aware of the effects of exercise on their bodies. Some enjoy balancing, though they have no access to climbing equipment to develop their skills further. They move spontaneously displaying pleasure and confidence as they participate in action songs and rhymes, and when curling as a seed and then stretching into a flower.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy exploring colour, texture and shape as they express their ideas using a range of media. They know their colours, gleefully mixing them when painting. Many delight in tactile experiences when creating collages, manipulating play dough and during sand and water play. They enjoy role play drawing on their imagination and own experiences to act out situations. Children have a good repertoire of songs and rhymes and join in gleefully with words, actions and musical instruments.

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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 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.

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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 providing more opportunities for children to develop their climbing and balancing skills.

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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.

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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

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