Culford School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/02/2005 Inspector Name Denys Rasmussen

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name ASSC Playgroup Setting Address 118-146 Morland Road Addiscombe Croydon Surrey CR0 6NE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of ASSC/Addiscombe Sports & Social Club

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name ASSC/Addiscombe Sports & Social Club Address 118-146 Morland Road Addiscombe Croydon Surrey CR0 6NE

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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

Addiscombe Sports and Social Club Pre-School opened in 1972, and is a committee run pre school. It operates from a large hall within a Sports and Social Club in Addiscombe, Croydon. The group serves the local community. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09:20 to 11:50 term time only. There are currently 28 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 14 children receive funding for nursery education. Four full time staff work with the children. One member of staff holds an NVQ level 3. One member of staff is currently working towards a NVQ level 3.

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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?

ASSC Pre-School provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for their physical development and communication, language and literacy is particularly well planned and they make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff manage the children well, interact skilfully and foster good relationships. Activities are planned and link well to most areas of learning, however mathematical learning opportunities are not fully exploited as part of the everyday routine and there are insufficient opportunities for children to explore malleable materials. Activities are well managed and good organisation helps children to increase their independence and self help skills. There is limited use of natural resources for children to investigate and explore. Children are given good opportunities to develop their language and imagination and are well

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How effective is the nursery education?

developed in this area. Leadership and management is generally good. The setting gain support from outside agencies when appropriate. There is a commitment to staff development and staff have access to guidance, support and relevant training. The quality of the provision is reviewed and identified weaknesses are addressed, however the system for reviewing is not sufficiently sound, to ensure that all areas that need further development are identified. The established staff team work well together, and are aware of their roles and responsibilities. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are given good information about the pre-school, and the foundation stage. They are encouraged to be involved with their child's learning. There is an open door policy for parents, however there is no formal sharing of information about children's progress except for the transfer report when the child leaves.

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What is being done well?

• Staff use excellent strategies to promote good behaviour and consideration for others. They give children clear and consistent boundaries. Their calm and polite manner sets a very good example for children. They are skilled at settling children into the group and pay excellent attention to children's emotional well being. • Children's communication, language and literacy skills are promoted well within the day to day routine and by effective practical activities provided. Children's skills that focus on their imagination are encouraged. • The organisation of resources encourages children's independence and self control. They move from activity to activity independently and use the snack

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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 bar when feeling thirsty or hungry.

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What needs to be improved?

• the programme for mathematics • the planning; to include the use of natural resources and living things to promote understanding of the natural world, and for children to have more opportunities to explore malleable materials. • the system for sharing children's progress with parents.

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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 have good relationships with each other and are happy to approach adults for support. Children respond well to the familiar routines and behave well, and they are busy and motivated. Independence is encouraged, helping children to be confident and have good self help skills e.g. using the toilet, washing hands, putting on aprons and helping themselves at the snack bar. Children talk freely about their families and home. Children are well settled.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak confidently, initiate conversations and use language to explore real and imagined experiences. There are effective routine activities in place, for children to recognise their own name. They show a love of books and often choose a book to share with a friend. The children are encouraged to use writing for a variety of purposes and are encouraged to think about the sounds of words with the help of a 'sound' table.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk about and compare shapes, sizes and pattern through effective, practical activities on offer. They are also using size language to describe and compare. Children are introduced to addition and subtraction through number songs and most children know what comes after a given number up to 3. Numerals are not used effectively as labels, and the daily routine is not exploited to encourage counting and number recognition.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have independent access to a range of materials to cut, glue and build. They are introduced to simple technology and are confident users. Children are developing their sense of time, they understand past and present and happily discuss their own lives and experiences. Children are introduced to people in the community through role play, and visitors to the group. There are limited opportunities for children to find out about, and investigate living things and natural materials.

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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 move freely with confidence and pleasure. They negotiate the pre school space successfully, they climb, slide, hop, jump and crawl. They enjoy using their body during music and movement and in response to rhyme. Children are able to use tools effectively e.g. scissors, pencils, glue sticks, jugs, which they use with skill and control. Children have bodily awareness, they use the toilet, wash their hands and use the snack bar when they feel thirsty or hungry.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can differentiate colour and experiment at the easel. Children use their imagination well when engaged in role play and the staff encourage the children to develop their play by extending their role play into other activities. They enjoy nursery rhymes, and confidently create movement in response to words. There are insufficient opportunities to explore malleable materials.

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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

• review the planning system to ensure that a) children have sufficient opportunities to explore malleable materials and b) children have opportunities to find out about, and investigate living things and natural objects. • improve the programme for mathematic development by effective use of labels and by exploiting the mathematic opportunities during the day to day routine, to help children count, and recognise numerals. • improve the system for sharing children's progress with parents. 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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