Unity College

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/02/2004 Inspector Name Susan Victoria May

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Hanney Playgroup Setting Address Elliot Building St James C of E School, The Causeway East Hanney, Wantage Oxfordshire OX12 0JN

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name The Management Committee Hanney Playgroup Address 3 The Medway East Hanney Wantage Oxfordshire OX12 0HY

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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

Hanney Playgroup is a Sessional Day Care group run by a parent management committee. It is located in a self-contained building in the grounds of the primary school and has its own enclosed outside play area. The building comprises of a large play room with a kitchen area, an entrance hall and toilets. The group operates in term time and offers four sessions for 3-5 year olds from 09:00 to 12:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; a session for 2-3 year olds from 09:00 to 11:30 on Wednesday and a session for Rising 5's from 12:30 to 3:00 on Wednesday. The setting is able to support children with special needs and for whom English is an additional language. There are currently 4 staff of whom 2 are suitably qualified. One member of staff is in the process of gaining a qualification. The group serves the local communities of East and West Hanney and other local villages with some children attending from Wantage and Grove.

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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?

East Hanney Pre-School provision is acceptable and of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is very good, children are confident, happy, secure and eager to participate in a wide range of learning opportunities provided for them. Children behave well in response to the high expectations and sensitive support of staff. Staffs knowledge of the early learning goals has a positive effect on children's learning. Staff are effective in their use of questioning to encourage children's thinking. Consistent teaching among staff provides each child with a balanced education to help children progress towards the early learning goals. Opportunities are provided for the four year olds to extend their learning through the four plus group held weekly. Older children also have the opportunity to take home books from the settings library to share with parents, however regular access to the library for three

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How effective is the nursery education?

year olds is limited. A thorough assessment system is used well to check and record children's progress towards the early learning goals. Systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Leadership and management is very good. A strong staff team is in place, providing a well planned stimulating environment where children learn through a wide range of activities. Partnership with parents and carers is good and contributes well to the children's learning. Parents are kept informed about the activities and routines. They share their observations about their child with the staff and regularly discuss the progress of their child.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident, curious and eager to learn from the wide range of learning opportunities provided for them. • Children's communication skills are good. They are confident in their interaction with staff and can express themselves well. • Staff provide good opportunities for the children to extend their knowledge of the environment through planned activities and events. • Partnership with parents and carers contributes well to the children's learning.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for 3 year olds to access the book library on a regular basis to offer a range of books they can enjoy with their parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

All actions have been addressed. There has been very good progress. Opportunities are provided for children to recognise and recreate math patterns through the use of resources in planned and daily activities. The range of activities to encourage children to ask questions, what is happening and why, has been extended through resources, the use of simple experiments and an interest table. Opportunities are provided for children to listen to music and to develop dance through the use of new resources and planned activities.

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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 Relationships are very good and children show consideration and support for others. The children are happy, secure and curious, eager to participate in activities. They are confident in their interaction with staff and can express themselves well. Children respond appropriately to the clear expectations for acceptable behaviour. Children are respectful and show sensitivity to others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children communicate and listen well. Very good activities are provided fostering language and literacy skills. Staff make very good use of questioning to encourage children's thinking. Most children are starting to recognise their own names and letter sounds. Four year olds have a weekly session providing suitable challenges to extend their learning Staff provide a broad range of suitable books, however the opportunity for three year olds to access the settings library is limited.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Most children are able to count confidently to ten. Staff extend mathematical language through planned and spontaneous activities. Opportunities are provided through planned and practical activities for the children to record numbers, shape and size. Children are able to describe and compare shapes and size using correct mathematical language.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Through planned topics staff develop children's confidence in exploring and investigating. Children use the technology effectively. Children have good opportunities to question why things happen and how things work. Opportunities are made for children to talk about past and present events in their own lives. Children can talk knowledgeably about their environment.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Staff knowledge, planning and provision of appropriate resources, ensures children's physical skills are well developed. Children's awareness of the space both around themselves and others, indoors and outside is evident in the confident way they move around. Children are knowledgeable about health and hygiene issues and are encouraged to follow good practice.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children participate enthusiastically in imaginative play and stories, and in adult-led songs and rhymes. They are encouraged to express their imagination through a range of activities including role play and music, they are confident exploring different materials, displays show evidence of the wide range of materials available.

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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 is no significant weakness to report but consideration should be given to improve the following • provide regular opportunities for 3 year olds to access the book library to extend the range of books they can enjoy with their parents.

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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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