Great Torrington Community School and Sports College

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 03/11/2004 Inspector Name Anne Munro

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Happy Hours Pre-School Setting Address The Community Centre Broadfield Barton Crawley West Sussex RH11 9BA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Happy Hours Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Happy Hours Pre-School Address The Community Centre Broadfield Barton Crawley West Sussex RH11 9BA

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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

Happy Hours Pre-school opened in 1976, moving to its present premises in 2001. It operates in a hall in Broadfield Community Centre, in Crawley, with direct access to a kitchen and toilets and shared use of an outside play area. The facility mostly serves the local area. There are currently 43 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 24 funded three-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting welcomes children with special needs, and currently supports a number who speak English as an additional language. The group opens term times. There are morning sessions from 09:15 until 11:45 Monday to Friday. Afternoon sessions are held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 13:00 until 15:30. There are six full and part-time staff who work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. One member of staff is working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a

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Information about the setting

teacher and mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and is a member of the Preschool Learning Alliance.

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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?

The provision of nursery education at Happy Hours Preschool is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Their knowledge and understanding of the world, their mathematical, physical and creative development are very good. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have sound knowledge of the early learning goals and all contribute to planning a balanced curriculum of activities, although more support is needed in addressing children's cultural needs and developing their language abilities. An effective keyworker system ensures that staff have good understanding of children's progress, and activity plans are differentiated to meet individual needs. Staff make good use of space and use appropriate teaching methods, asking questions to stimulate learning. They are particularly good at including counting and number work in daily routines, and at encouraging

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's independence. They use praise and encouragement to promote good behaviour and liaise with other professionals to ensure that special needs are addressed. Leadership and management is generally good. A committee of parents provides support to the staff, taking responsibility for employment and finance, but has little input in evaluating and developing provision. Although there is no formal staff appraisal, training is discussed in staff meetings and the committee supports staff in accessing available courses. Ideas gained from training are used in developing the group. The supervisor provides strong leadership, ensuring that staff are deployed effectively and aware of their roles and responsibilities. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents receive good information about the group and its activities and are invited to take part, accompanying outings and helping in sessions, but involvement is limited. Parents discuss their children's

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How effective is the nursery education?

progress with keyworkers and have regular access to their children's written records.

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What is being done well?

• Children's mathematical development is very good. Staff make counting an integral part of daily activities, for example counting bricks in a tower, conkers on the interest table and children in a circle. They take opportunities to include simple calculation, such as deciding how many there will be if you make one more playdough shape or what can be done to make both brick towers the same height. Children learn to recognise numerals, pegging cards on a line in the right order, spotting when one is in the wrong place or upside down. They use numerals in jigsaws and in card games and use the language of size, shape and position when playing with construction toys. • Staff encourage children to be independent. Children are able to use the toilets on their own and wash their hands, to fetch aprons and dress

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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 themselves. They pour their own drinks and choose when they want to have their snacks. They are able to choose from a wide range of activities and to find their own resources in accessible storage units. • Children enjoy choosing and looking at books in a comfortable book corner, sometimes on their own, with friends or with a member of staff. They learn to handle books, look at pictures and are able to retell familiar stories. • Staff make good use of the local environment to teach children about the natural world. Children are taken on walks to collect fallen leaves and fruits in autumn and to watch new life emerging in spring. They use magnifying glasses to study the objects brought back for the interest table and record their findings with drawings and art work. A photograph album on the table

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What is being done well?

enables them to remember and talk about their experiences.

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What needs to be improved?

• Opportunities for children to speak and be listened to. • Support for children with English as a second language. • Opportunities for children to learn about the links between sounds and letters. • Opportunities for children to learn about their own and other cultures • The involvement of parents in activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Improvement since the last inspection is very good. The setting was required to "improve the programme for creative development by increasing the provision for children to use musical instruments and to move to a range of music". Both are now regularly included in planning. The group was also asked to "enhance the partnership with parents and carers by increasing opportunities for them to talk to staff about their children's progress and contribute what they know about their children's learning at home". Parents receive verbal feedback daily and are welcome to stay and talk to staff. They complete an initial profile in discussion with staff and are invited in to discuss records termly.

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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 come confidently into preschool and settle quickly. They sit quietly and listen attentively and can concentrate for long periods. They show very good levels of independence in their personal care and in choosing activities and resources. They relate well to adults and generally play well alongside other children, learning to take turns and to share, but have limited chances to learn about their cultural differences. Staff use praise and encouragement to reinforce good behaviour.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy books and listening to stories. They join in with familiar refrains and sing songs with enthusiasm. They learn to recognise their written names but are not distinguishing sounds or learning about the links between sounds and letters. They develop good pencil control, use emergent writing skills in role play and attempt to write their names. Staff constantly engage children in conversation but some lack confidence in speaking, particularly those whose first language is not English.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Three year olds count confidently to five and many to ten and beyond, as staff make counting an integral part of daily routines. Children recognise numerals and use them in various activities. Staff take opportunities to include simple calculation in daily activities. Children use a good range of resources to learn about shape and size, to sort, match and recreate patterns. Staff encourage them to use mathematical language, for instance when playing with playdough and construction toys.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Staff plan a good variety of topics to stimulate children's interest in the world around them. Children learn about their environment on local walks, noting seasonal changes and bringing back natural objects to study. They plant and watch things grow, and see the changes that occur when they mix and cook. They enjoy looking at photos and recalling previous experiences. They design and build with construction toys and with recycled materials, and use simple technology to support their learning.

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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 develop awareness of space and of others, pushing buggies and manoeuvring ride-on toys around other activities, moving to music and joining in circle games. They develop control and co-ordination using a range of large apparatus such as climbing frame, trampoline, tunnel and balancing beams. They practise new skills with small equipment including balls, beanbags, hoops and quoits, and develop good manipulative skills with a wide range of tools and materials.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore colour texture and shape using a variety of techniques and media, such as painting, printing, modelling and collage. They use percussion instruments to learn about sound and rhythm, and join in songs with enthusiasm. They use imagination and act out experiences in the home corner, in role play situations and with small world toys.

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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

• Provide more opportunities for children to develop confidence in speaking and listening, to talk about their families and significant events in their lives, and to learn about their own and other cultures. • Enable children to distinguish between sounds, to recognise initial sounds in words and understand rhyme, and to learn about the links between sounds and letters.

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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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