Worth Valley Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/01/2005 Inspector Name Olive Sumner

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Parade Community Pre-School Setting Address Kipling Road Hilsea Portsmouth Hampshire PO2 9NJ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Parade Community Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Parade Community Pre-School Address Parade Community Pre-School Kipling Road Portsmouth Hampshire PO2 9NJ

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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

Parade Community Pre-school opened in 2000 and is situated in mobile premises with an enclosed outdoor play area in the grounds of Northern Parade Primary School, in the Hilsea area of Portsmouth. It is a registered charity and is organised by a voluntary management committee. The manager is responsible for the day to day management and organisation of the pre-school. It serves children from the local area and children attend for a variety of sessions. Parade Community Pre-school is open Monday to Friday during term time only and provides pre-school sessions from 09:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 15:30. A breakfast and lunch club and summer play scheme are also available. There are currently seventy-two children on roll and this includes sixty-five three and four year olds in receipt of nursery education funding. The pre-school provides support for children identified with special educational needs and for children who speak English

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Information about the setting

as an additional language. There are 9 staff working with the children and all have relevant early years qualifications and experience including NVQ 3 in Childcare and Education and 2 staff members are studying for a Foundation Degree in Early Years. The pre-school receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and is an accredited member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA).

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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 Parade Community Pre-school provides high quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. Teaching is very effective because staff know what children are expected to learn from their play and practical activities. Staff are enthusiastic, caring and supportive. They interact and use questions very effectively and are involved in children's learning. Relationships and behaviour are very good and children respond very well to the consistent expectations of the staff who manage children very well. Planning ensures very good coverage of the six areas of the curriculum over time from a range well resourced, interesting and stimulating activities. Children very confidently use the very good range of resources available to explore, investigate and develop their imagination. Assessment is very thorough

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How effective is the nursery education?

and children's progress is very well tracked and staff know what children can do. On occasion some opportunities are missed to develop children's learning consistently. Effective systems are in place to support children identified with special educational needs and for children for whom English is an additional language. Leadership and management are very good. The manager ensures a very well organised, high quality learning environment and has a clear overview of what she is aiming to achieve. She is very well supported by her capable deputy and together they are very well placed to build on the strengths of the setting. In this they are supported by the strong staff team and the well organised management committee. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents value the quality provision and the commitment of the staff. They appreciate the very good relationships they have with the staff, feel very well informed and contribute to their child's learning at home.

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How effective is the nursery education?

They have very good opportunities to be informed of children's progress and the curriculum.

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What is being done well?

• Children are very confident and motivated to learn and show enthusiasm in what they do. They have very good opportunities to access resources and make choices and they work very well as part of a group or on their own. Relationships and behaviour are very good and children learn to show consideration and respect for the needs and feelings of others. Individual needs are valued and staff use praise very well. • Children use speech very well to organise their play and have very good opportunities to extend their vocabulary through planned topics. They respond with enjoyment to stories songs and rhymes and show confidence and pleasure using books for enjoyment and information. They learn to count reliably and recognise numbers from a very good range of practical resources, puzzles and games and are very well supported by staff. 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 and staff enthusiastically investigate and explore, respond to their senses and develop their imagination as when simulating a snow storm with shaving foam. • Staff support children very well and are actively involved in their learning. The range of planned activities and the quality resources has a very positive impact on provision. There is a very good balance of adult led and child initiated activities. • The manager of the setting is very committed. She has high expectations and standards for herself, the staff and for the children. She is very well supported by her enthusiastic and knowledgeable deputy and by the supportive chair of the voluntary management committee. There is a very good training programme for staff and for committee members. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and are a committed team working to improve care and

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What is being done well?

education for all children. • Parents appreciate the well organised learning environment and the approachable staff. They feel they are well informed and are pleased their children are happy, settled and make progress.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to access their own resources for creative activities including writing • evaluation of planning so that activities consistently relate to aspects of the early learning goals and the stepping stones • opportunities for children to consistently develop physical skills when access to the outside area is restricted.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been very good improvement since the last inspection. The setting was asked to improve provision for children for whom English is an additional language and to improve staff's understanding of the DfES Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. The setting values all children as individuals and ensures individual needs are met and provides appropriate support as necessary. It is committed to all children and their families having equal opportunity and access to all aspects of the pre-school provision and it is the policy of the pre-school to celebrate cultural diversity. All staff now have understanding of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. There is a trained Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and two other staff members have also attended SENCO training. Children for whom English is an additional language and children identified with special educational needs make very good progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting was also asked to enhance resources for children to use large equipment especially for climbing and to display books attractively to encourage children to use them. The pre-school now has very good quality outdoor apparatus

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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 which provides children with very good opportunities to develop their climbing and balancing skills. The book corner is now an attractive and very popular choice with the children and is very well used. Children very confidently choose to use books from a very good range for enjoyment and for information either on their own or with a friend and they delight in sharing books with an adult.

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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 are very enthusiastic and motivated and are very confident making choices and selecting activities. They concentrate and work well as part of a group or on their own. They respond to significant experiences and become aware of the needs and feelings of others as when discussing the book 'Special'. They develop respect for their own culture and those of others. Children behave very well and learn to be considerate, take turns and share. They develop skills of independence.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk confidently about what they do and use speech to organise their play and discuss their ideas and feelings. They respond very well to stories, rhymes and songs and confidently use and enjoy books on their own or with an adult. They have some very good opportunities to link sounds to letters and to recognise their name and some very good adult initiated opportunities to attempt their own writing for purpose. On occasion children are not encouraged to attempt writing their own name.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show confidence and enjoyment saying and using numbers, counting reliably and ordering and recognising numbers. They develop mathematical vocabulary and ideas from a very good range of practical activities, including games and puzzles and they learn to describe and compare shape, position, size and quantity. Children are very well supported in mathematical activities, but some opportunities are missed to consistently develop understanding of addition and subtraction using number rhymes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently explore and investigate across a very good range of resources. They identify the features of living things and observe similarities, differences and change. They ask questions about how things happen and why things work and confidently discuss shadows and why the sun is no longer shining in their eyes. They build and construct and use technology to support learning. Children find out about the local area and begin to know their own culture and those of others.

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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 have very good opportunities to develop physical skills in the outdoor area and they move imaginatively and safely indoors with control and co-ordination showing awareness of their own space and that of others. There are very good opportunities in topics such as 'Healthy Week' to learn about the importance of being healthy. They use small tools, construction and malleable materials with increasing skill. Opportunities are missed to develop physical skills indoors during bad weather.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore colour and texture using paint, chalk and collage materials. They enjoy singing songs from memory and explore how sounds can be changed. They develop their imagination in role play and through imaginative games. They respond to their senses in creative activities as when making snow splatter pictures and shaving foam snow storms and are very well supported by adults. Opportunities are missed for children to access their own resources for creative activities.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to improving the following: • opportunities for children to access their own resources for creative activities including writing and to extend their physical skills in the indoor space • continue to monitor and evaluate provision and ensure all planned activities across the curriculum clearly and consistently relate to the stepping stones of the aspects of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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