The Ashbeach Ladybirds Pre-school

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/09/2003 Inspector Name Denise May Smith

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Ashbeach Playgroup & Toddlers Setting Address Ashbeach School, Ashbeach Drove Ramsey St. Marys, Ramsey Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE26 2TG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of The Committee of Ashbeach Playgroup And Toddlers

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name The Committee of Ashbeach Playgroup And Toddlers Address Ashbeach Playgroup Community Room,Ashbeach Primary School,Ashbeach Drove Ramsey St Mary CAMBRIDGESHIRE PE17 1SZ

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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

Ashbeach Playgroup and Toddlers group opened in 1996. It operates from a small room within the Ashbeach Primary School, Ramsey St Mary. The group serves the local, rural community. There are currently 19 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 6 funded 3 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group opens eight sessions per week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 to 11:30 each morning and 12:40 - 15:10 Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Three staff work with the children and an additional member of staff has recently been appointed. Half of the staff have or are working towards, early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. The setting receives support from a mentor from the 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?

Ashbeach Playgroup and Toddlers offers good quality provision, which helps children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. The small number of children and high staff ratio ensure individual attention is given to the children. They are happy, confident and enthusiastic to learn. Adults and children enjoy good relationships; staff are caring and interested in what children say. The range of activities, including information technology, offers many learning experiences; these are well supported by staff. Opportunities to encourage calculation are not always taken. Children have limited access to play such as 'free' art, sand and water on a regular basis. Strategies are in place, which foster good behaviour and children respond well. Adults are sensitive to the needs of children who have special educational needs; an effective system is in place to provide good support.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is generally good. Relationships within the staff team are good. Adults are supportive of each other, they work well together sharing knowledge and ideas. All staff contribute to planning, which is generally effective. However, plans do not indicate how activities can be extended for the more able or made accessible to the less able children. Planning is not directly linked with the assessed 'next steps' for the children. Adults are committed to training and the updating of knowledge. Staff do not regularly evaluate their practice to progress and further develop what is already an effective provision. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are well informed about the setting's activities and share information via a daily home diary. Parents receive written reports on the children's general progress, however these do not identify progress towards the early learning goals or the 'next steps' for children. The good

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How effective is the nursery education?

relationships shared with parents reflect the happy children in the setting.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident and form good relationships with each other and adults. They behave well and show respect for each other's needs. They communicate clearly and have good listening skills, sitting quietly when appropriate. Pre-writing and reading skills are suitably nurtured. • Children's understanding of mathematics is developing well in most areas. Staff are skilled at introducing concepts of patterns, positional language, number recognition and use of mathematical terms across all activities. • The effective use of role-play activities supports children across many areas of learning. • Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are encouraged to support and participate in the learning opportunities offered to the children.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• planning, linked to the identified next steps for children, which indicates how activities can be extended to offer challenge for the more able, or made accessible for the less able children. • the taking of opportunities during activities to develop children's calculation skills, for example at snack time, register time etc • children's access to sand, water play and 'free' art activities, indoors, during the winter when it is not practical to use outdoors. • the system for informing parents of children's progress towards the different areas of learning and the 'next steps' for children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This is the first inspection of nursery education provision.

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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: Generally Good Children respond positively to the staff and their behaviour is good. Children are confident, happy and secure in the setting, being motivated to learn and to try new experiences. They work well in small and large groups, co-operate and respect each others needs and views.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's language, reading and writing skills are developing well. They can express feelings and imagined ideas and practice writing skills through a range of role-play situations. The children are attentive listeners, responding to familiar stories with great pleasure They can recognise familiar words and understand that print carries meaning. Children are linking sounds to letters. Effective labelling is used throughout the setting.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use number in everyday situations and can count reliably up to 10. They are able to recognise numerals and shapes. They have a good understanding of mathematical words and terms. Adults reinforce these concepts throughout the planned daily activities. Children have limited opportunities to practice calculation.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have a good sense of time and place and have a strong sense of identity and community. Children use a variety of construction equipment, tools and materials to cut, join and build in two and three dimensions. They explore and investigate objects and have experienced special events such as 'watching' and 'listening' to a duck hatch from its shell. The range of information technology equipment is well used and is appropriately supported by staff.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are offered a wide range of age appropriate, small and large equipment to use both indoors and outside. Activities are planned to allow children to develop an awareness of themselves and others, to handle tools and objects effectively and with safety. They move with increasing confidence during balancing and climbing activities.

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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 Children develop their creativity and imagination through role play and make up stories about imagined experiences. Children enjoy listening to music and moving in time to the rhythm. Art and craft activities form a part of the regular programme but access to 'free' painting, sand, and water indoors is limited.

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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

• ensure that planning is linked to the identified 'next steps' for children and indicate how activities can be extended to offer challenge for the more able, or made accessible for the less able children. • take advantage of opportunities during activities to develop children's calculation skills. • improve children's access to sand, water play and 'free' art activities indoors. • further develop communication with parents and carers by including in the written parent's report the progress children are making towards the different areas of learning and share the identified 'next steps' for children's learning.

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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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