Homestead Road Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/11/2004 Inspector Name Anne Walker

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Homestead Road Playgroup Setting Address Miners Welfare, Homestead Road Thringstone Coalville Leicestershire LE67 8LL

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Homestead Road Playgroup Address Miners Welfare, Homestead Road Thringston Coalville Leicesteshire LE67 8LL

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

Homestead Road Playgroup is a committee run group which opened in 1980. It operates from the main hall of a single storey football club premise, in the village of Thringstone, Leicestershire,serving the local community and surrounding villages. A maximum of 24 children may attend the playgroup at any one time. The setting is open 4 days a week during term time. Sessions are from 09:30 until 12:00 Monday to Thursday and 13:00 until 15:30 on a Monday. The children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 22 children on roll. Of these 12 receive funding for nursery education. Children attend a variety of sessions. The playgroup currently employs 4 staff who work with the children across the course of the week. Two of the staff hold an NVQ level 3 in childcare and education whilst another holds an NVQ level 2 in childcare and education. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from

p.2

Information about the setting

the Leicestershire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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?

Homestead Playgroup provides good quality nursery education, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff deliver learning experiences through practical play opportunities, using good resources. Children take part with confidence and enjoyment. Effective questioning techniques used by the adults, help children think and explain ideas. However staff do not plan activities outdoors and in the local environment to help children explore the natural world and objects and materials. Staff work effectively as a team to foster good behaviour and are good role models for children. The clear routines ensure children feel secure and ready to learn. Systems are in place to support children with special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language. Staff regularly observe and record children's development and use the information to plan children's next steps in learning. Their

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

planning identifies children who need additional support or more practice to establish a skill but rarely differentiates to extend activities for the older or more able child. The leadership and management of the playgroup is generally good. Both supervisors have a clear understanding of their role and foster a team approach where all staff plan and deliver the curriculum. They act on advice to develop their practice and have a willingness to move forwards. Staff are supported by a committee but due to regular changes in personnel, they have not established effective joint systems to monitor and evaluate the nursery education. The partnership with parents is generally good. There is good written information about the curriculum and current plans are displayed. Staff spend time talking informally to parents about their children but do not use information parents share, to plan future learning. Parents have opportunities to influence the running of the group

p.3

What is being done well?

• Staff build good relationships with the children. They are good role models and set consistent expectations about acceptable behaviour. Consequently children are settled, secure and able to learn. • The children are imaginative in their role play and make full use of the resources. Older children play cooperatively, taking on roles, such as the patient or doctor at the "clinic", and are beginning to negotiate ideas to develop their play. • All staff use effective questioning techniques to promote children's language and thinking skills.

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 • Children enjoy counting and can count to ten. In addition older children can recognise numbers to this value and have a developing awareness of the mathematical concepts of "more than" and "less than".

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• planning so that activities consistently offer appropriate challenges to four-year-old children, with particular regard to knowledge and understanding of the world • the use of the outdoors and local community to help children investigate the natural world, objects and materials, and their own local environment • the partnership with parents so that they can contribute to assessments of their child's development and be more involved in their child's learning • regularity of opportunities for children to use media to express their own creative ideas.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. The staff have improved their planning to include daily, focused activities. These clearly show the learning intention and are evaluated at the end of the session. They have established systems to ensure the six areas of learning are covered over time and these generally work effectively. Staff use the information gained from previous observations and evaluations to plan activities appropriately. The planning shows which children may especially benefit from a particular focused activity, in order to develop or consolidate their skills, however they do not yet differentiate in the planning to ensure the older or more able children are fully challenged. Staff continue to talk to and share information with parents on a regular basis. They have not yet improved this in order to establish effective systems where parents contribute their own observations on their child's learning, to influence the

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

assessments and staff's planning for future learning.

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.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The children are confident, separating easily from their parents to play. They have good relationships with the staff and their peers, with evidence of emerging friendships. Children are well behaved most of the time. All issues are suitably managed by staff, however, on occasions they do not proactively manage boisterous behaviour. Older children show sensitivity to the younger ones. They are developing good independence skills through daily routines such as, hand washing and tidying away.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's language is developing well and staff introduce new words as they work with them. Older children use talk to communicate their thoughts. They enjoy mark making and readily turn to these activities. Four-year-olds form letters correctly to write their name but they are not routinely encouraged to use these skills in a practical way, for example to label their work. Children listen attentively to group stories but do not access the book corner independently.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can count to ten and recognise some of these numbers, especially significant ones, like their age. Staff use routines, such as counting the numbers of biscuits needed at snack time, to help older children develop concepts of more and less. A child knew that one more biscuit was needed as there was eleven on the plate and twelve children. They name familiar shapes and understand concepts of size. Planning for four-year-olds does not always set challenges that build on what they know.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses They have awareness of time through talking with staff about events in their own lives and learn about days of the week and months of the year. They talk about the weather, and recognise changes that the seasons bring through planned topics, but do not often have access to the outdoors to experience these. Children are not regularly given opportunities to explore and investigate objects, materials and the natural world. Activities often do not provide adequate challenges for older children.

p.5

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.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use apparatus such as the climbing frame with agility and confidence. They climb using alternate feet and experiment, sliding forwards and backwards, on the slide. Their fine motor control skills are good and children can hold crayons effectively, use brushes and pincer movements with fingers to put small amounts of glitter on their pictures. They do not have regular opportunities to experience physical play outdoors. Children are developing a good awareness of health and hygiene.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The children are imaginative, especially in their role play and older children talk together to develop their ideas. Although they can use a range of creative media, such as paint and collage well, they do not always have enough opportunities to freely express their own creative ideas. They have a good repertoire of songs and sing enthusiastically. Through planned activities children are encouraged to respond to music and rhymes with body movement.

p.6

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.6

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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• improve the planning so that activities consistently offer appropriate challenges to four-year-old children, with particular regard to knowledge and understanding of the world • make greater use of the outdoors to help children investigate the natural world, objects and materials, and their own local environment • develop the partnership with parents so that they can contribute to assessments of their child's development and be more involved in their child's learning.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7