Queen's Park Infant Academy

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/12/2004 Inspector Name Jane Rea

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Whiterock Pre-school Setting Address Freshwater Drive Paignton Devon TQ4 7SB

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Whiterock Pre School Address Hookhills Community Centre Freshwater Drive Paignton Devon TQ4 7SB

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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

Whiterock Pre-school is a well established pre-school that operates from Hookhills Community Centre. It has its own room and access to an outdoor area that is also used by community centre members. The pre-school is run by a committee. All of the full and part-time staff are qualified. The pre-school is registered for 23 children aged between three and five years of age. It is open between 09.15 and 15.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 09.15 and 11.45 on Tuesdays for 39 weeks per year. Children have the option of staying for lunch and a rising-threes' group is run on Tuesday afternoons. There are currently 27 funded three- and four-year-olds on roll. No children attending the pre-school require special educational needs support or have English as an additional language. The pre-school works closely with Whiterock Primary School and is supported by an adviser 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?

Whiterock Pre-school provides good quality nursery education. Children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and very good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Well structured planning covers all areas of learning and indicates clearly what children are expected to learn. Methods of teaching are effective. Staff work with small groups and with individual children to ensure they all receive the support and challenge they need to learn well. Children respond positively to the praise and encouragement they receive from staff. However, the organisation of the day and the use of time does not fully support children's independence and sustained purposeful learning. Staff make very good use of assessment information about what children have achieved when planning

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How effective is the nursery education?

future activities. The leadership and management of the pre-school are generally good. The supervisor manages the pre-school very well on a day-to-day basis and all staff are clear as to their roles and responsibilities. Staff work effectively as a team and are very committed to improvement. They evaluate their own performance and attend training to improve their skills. However, there are no formalised procedures in place to monitor and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the provision. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents hold the pre-school in high regard and are very supportive. They receive good quality information about the pre-school and of special events. They know what their children will be learning each half term and are encouraged to talk to them about it at home. Parents are well informed about their child's achievements and the progress they are making through their informal daily communication with staff and regular formal consultations.

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What is being done well?

• Planning for all areas of learning is good and assessment information is used well to ensure activities are supportive of children's learning. • Communication, language and literacy are very well supported and children make very good progress in learning about letters and the sounds they make, and in writing and reading. • Children make very good progress in their mathematical development. • Children have many opportunities to explore and investigate their world and to communicate their ideas and feelings. • The pre-school's partnership with parents is very productive and supportive of

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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 children's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the organisation of the day and establishment of clear routines to support children's increasing independence and purposeful learning • procedures to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision.

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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 to improve their knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and how to plan activities and assess children effectively. Parents are kept very well informed about their child's achievements and progress. Staff have responded very positively to the advice and training they have received. This has resulted in a marked improvement in their knowledge and understanding of all six areas of learning, their ability to plan effectively and the overall quality of teaching. Assessment procedures ensure staff are very clear about what children know and can do and what they need to learn next. This information is used well when planning future activities and is shared regularly with parents. Collectively these improvements have resulted in children making improved progress particularly in the area of knowledge and understanding of the world.

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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 develop positive relationships with staff and each other. They behave well and are keen to become involved in activities. They are well motivated and enthusiastic and play happily together. They develop a good awareness of other cultures and their own community and share and take turns. They are not always encouraged sufficiently to do things for themselves such as putting on their coats and their learning is less purposeful when activities are interrupted or go on for too long.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's language for communication and thinking develops very well because staff engage them in conversation and encourage them to discuss their ideas. In their play children use writing for different purposes such as party invitations and letters. They recognise some letter sounds and form letters with increasing accuracy. Children enjoy sharing stories and looking at information books. They can read some simple words that are familiar to them and retell stories they know well.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Very good use is made of practical activities to support children's understanding of numbers. For example, they use dice when playing number games, and count the number of bricks they use to build towers. When playing with toy animals children begin to compare numbers and understand simple calculation as they work hard to answer questions posed by staff. They use mathematical language with increasing confidence in their play. Through their creative work they learn to identify common shapes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities to use their senses to investigate and explore their world. They learn how to build models using a wide range of craft materials and construction kits. Children confidently use everyday technology including computers and battery operated toys in their play. Good use is made of the immediate locality to support children's awareness of the natural world. Visitors and a good variety of resources support children's growing awareness of other cultures very well.

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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 The outdoor area and local park are used very well to support children's increasing awareness of space and the control they have over their bodies. They are well co-ordinated and control large wheeled toys with confidence. Their control over small objects is good and they use tools safely. For example, they thread pasta onto strings to make Indian bracelets and use scissors with care. They know that they get warm as a result of exercise and that eating fruit helps to keep them healthy.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children eagerly explore colour, texture, shape and form through activities such as collage work and model making. They have the confidence to experiment with tools and materials and communicate their ideas and feelings through their work. They use their imagination well in role-play to act out stories such as visiting the grocery shop. Children enjoy singing and listen to a wide range of music. They are developing a good sense of rhythm and work hard to maintain a beat with tapping sticks.

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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

• improve the organisation of the day and establish routines that support children's increasing independence and their ability to sustain purposeful learning • improve procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the provision.

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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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