Rainbow Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 31/01/2005 Inspector Name Margaret Moffat

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Rainbow Pre-School Setting Address The Lair, Duffield Lane Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire SL2 4AL

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Rainbow Pre-school Address Walter Davies Scouting Centre Duffiled Lane Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire SL2 4AL

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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

Rainbow Pre-school opened in1968 and is run by a parent committee. It operates from a scout building in Stoke Poges Village. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09.15 until 11.45 and from 12.15 until 14.45 during school term time. Children have access to a secured enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 53 children aged from 2 years to under 5 years on roll. Of these 31 children, receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The pre-school currently supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school employs six staff. Three of the staff including the manager holds appropriate early years qualifications. One other member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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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?

Rainbow pre-school is acceptable and of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress in creative development and very good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff manage the children very well and have good relationships with them. They plan a variety of activities and understand what children learn from them. They organise indoor and outdoor space imaginatively to create an interesting learning environment. Staff miss opportunities to allow children to express themselves freely in some art and craft activities. They develop children's language and communication skills by maintaining a dialogue with them and asking questions which encourage them to think and talk about what they are doing. There are effective systems in place to support children with special educational needs and who speak English as an additional language. A planning

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How effective is the nursery education?

and assessment system is in place. Staff assess children's learning against the stepping stones and early learning goals, however, the observations made and evaluations of activities are not used effectively to identify children's next stage of learning. Leadership and management is very good. Staff work well together and are deployed effectively to maintain a stimulating environment for the children. Staff are encouraged to be involved in the planning of the curriculum and attend training to further develop their early years knowledge. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents spend time talking informally to staff about their children and have opportunities to become involved in their children's learning through helping out in the provision. Meetings are arranged where parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress with their key worker.

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What is being done well?

• Children show good concentration skills and excitement in activities on offer. They develop good relationships with their peers and adults. They are able to work independently and in co-operation with others. • Children are good communicators, they speak confidently and listen well. They are confident in naming and sounding letters of the alphabet. • Children experience a range of activities to learn from first hand experiences. They are developing a positive awareness of diversity in the wider world and local community. • Staff show interest in the children and involve themselves in their play. They excel in their use of effective explanation and questioning to encourage children's thinking. Children are well behaved and polite.

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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?

• opportunities for children to be independently creative in planned art and craft activities • the use of the planning and assessment system to ensure observations on children and evaluations of activities are used to identify what children need to do next.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. Staff have attended training on planning and assessment and now included the learning intentions of the activities on the planning sheets. Activities are continued throughout the week to ensure all children benefit from full range of curriculum. There is an effective system in place to support children with special educational needs and this includes individual learning plans. Observations completed on children and entries into their records are now dated. Children have access to a wide range of media and tools and are encouraged to express their own ideas in art and craft activities. Staff provide many opportunities throughout the session for children to recognise letters and letter sounds.

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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 show good concentration skills and express their ideas confidently to adults and peers. Children develop good relationships. They work well together and independently. They share resources and behave well. Staff have developed good relationships with the children and have high expectations for behaviour. Children are developing good independence skills. They learn about diversity in the pre-school and wider community through practical activities and visitors.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are good communicators and are developing good listening skills. Staff's interaction with the children ensures their communication and language skills are developing well. Children have opportunities to recognise and write their own names. They enjoy stories and songs and join in enthusiastically. Children have encouragement by staff to put forward their ideas and observations during group activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count with confidence up to ten and some are able to count beyond this, many children are beginning to recognise numerals between one and nine. Children have opportunities to learn about shape, measure and size through planned and daily activities, for example singing shape song. Staff provide good opportunities for children to compare numbers and make simple calculations within daily routines.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children experience a good range of activities to learn from first hand experiences. They talk about events in their own lives and have a growing awareness of other cultures, traditions and people in the community through practical activities. Children are able to access technology equipment and are developing an awareness of its purpose. Children build and construct using a range of toys and resources for example brio train set and tacto walk way.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can access a range of tools and construction materials to help develop their hand eye co-ordination skills. They show good co-ordination and spatial awareness. They have opportunities to use small and large equipment within daily routines. Children are confident and capable when undertaking routine activities and show a good awareness of personal hygiene. Children use a wide range of tools confidently and many have good scissor and pencil control.

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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 enjoy and participate enthusiastically in group singing and are confident in communicating their ideas. They express their imagination through a variety of role play situations. There are some missed opportunities for children to express themselves freely in planned art and craft activities. Children have opportunities to respond to what they see, smell, taste, touch and feel through themes and activities such as sandwich making and looking at different fruits.

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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

• Further, develop planning and assessment system in place, to identify children's next stage of 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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