Pinewood Family Group

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/05/2004 Inspector Name Catherine Hill

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Pinewood Family Group Setting Address C/o Pinewood Infant School Pinewood Park Farnborough Hampshire GU14 9LE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of PINEWOOD FAMILY GROUP

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name PINEWOOD FAMILY GROUP Address AS BEFORE U/A

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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

Pinewood Family Group opened in 1983. It operates from a classroom, with an enclosed outside play area, in Pinewood Infant School. The school is set within a residential estate in Farnborough. Children who attend come mainly from the local area. There are currently 56 children from 2 years to 5 years on roll. This includes 23 funded 3-year- olds and 14 funded 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports 2 children with special educational needs and 1 child with English as an additional language. The group opens 5 days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 to 11:30 and 12:40 to 15:10. Eleven part-time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications with professional development ongoing.

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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?

Pinewood Family Group is an acceptable provision and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff use a range of teaching strategies effectively throughout sessions to develop children's knowledge and skills. They are alert to individual needs and extend learning by good use of questions to make children think. They have excellent relationships with children and act as positive role models with regard to behaviour. They have a calm but firm approach to which children respond well. Children are very well mannered and behaved throughout sessions. Detailed observation records are maintained so staff can track children's progress and new planning has been introduced, together with associated training, to enhance staff knowledge of the stepping stones and early learning goals. Staff plan and provide children with a good balance of activities. Children's work is valued and

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How effective is the nursery education?

attractively displayed. The new planning system is still evolving. At present there is insufficient detail within short-term plans to clearly link key learning objectives with focus activities and to show how activities will be adapted for differing abilities. Leadership and management is very good. Staff work well as a team providing support and encouragement for children. They are aware of their responsibilities and are efficient and professional at organising and maintaining a happy, stimulating environment for purposeful learning. Practice is continually assessed and improved upon. Partnership with parents is very good. They are provided with regular detailed information about the group and encouraged to support their child's learning. Parents are positive in their praise of the setting and the attention given to children's individual needs. There is no formal system, at present, for parents to provide

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How effective is the nursery education?

recorded input on their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is excellent. Children are happy, relaxed and eager to learn. They play co-operatively together showing care and consideration for others in the group. • Staff are skilled in the use of a range of teaching strategies and maintain detailed observation records to track children's progress. They work effectively together to provide a secure, stimulating learning environment for children across all areas of the curriculum. Practice is continually being assessed by leaders who are committed to improving the provision for children's education. • Children's physical development is excellent. They have good daily opportunities to reinforce and develop skills using a range of equipment.

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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 They enjoy physical activity and the challenges provided. • Children's mathematical skills are very well developed. They enjoy counting, are able to recognise numbers and shapes and are developing an understanding of mathematical vocabulary.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for parents to contribute to children's development records and future learning targets to strengthen the partnership between home and school • opportunities for children to develop their reading skills • short-term planning, to include evidence of how activities will be adapted to meet children's differing abilities and to include detail of daily focus activities which link with the key learning objectives for the session.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Improvement since the last inspection is very good. Staff use open ended questions effectively throughout sessions to stimulate thought and discussion. They are aware of children's differing abilities and use opportunities as they arise to extend learning. New resources have also been introduced to give children further opportunities to explore how things work and why things happen.

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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 very good relationships with each other and are sensitive to other children's needs. They play co-operatively together, share resources and patiently wait their turn, for example, when playing board games. They are very well-mannered and behaved. They understand what is right and wrong and respond positively to staff, who act as good role models. Children's independence skills are well developed. They actively occupy themselves throughout sessions and attend to personal needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident, articulate speakers who engage easily in conversation. They listen carefully to staff who use opportunities, as they arise, to extend vocabulary. They listen attentively to stories and staff use questions well to stimulate thought and maintain interest during storytime. Children's writing skills are developing. Some are able to independently write their name and simple words correctly using well formed letters. Opportunities are missed to daily develop reading skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident with numbers and counting. They count confidently to ten and many can count beyond. Children enjoy reinforcing their skills and independently count objects during play. Children are developing an understanding of calculation and learn that numbers decrease as objects are taken away. Planned activities, for example weighing plastic fish, introduce children to the concepts of light and heavy and they are taught comparative language whilst learning through play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's knowledge of their local environment and the wider world is well developed through planned topics, local walks and visitors to the group, such as the mobile farm. They have an understanding of the passage of time and are able to talk about events in their own lives. They carefully make models from construction sets and recycled materials and independently solve problems, for example, choosing appropriate pieces to precisely fit their designs.

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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 and safely throughout the setting. Outside they confidently use the climbing frame and swing bridge, and skilfully manoeuvre wheeled toys along paths and around others. Their hand-eye co-ordination is well developed, and some children are able to throw and catch small balls and complete puzzles of varying complexity. They have daily opportunities to develop their fine motor skills. For example, they handle scissors, glue sticks, brushes and pencils with increasing control.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy exploring different materials. Planned activities help children notice changes that occur in materials. For example, when making playdough, they notice the dry mixture becomes mushy when liquid is added, and that it becomes hard to stir. Children join in with singing songs and are able to match actions to the words. Staff encourage them to be aware of their senses and they have good daily opportunities to express themselves freely through a range of 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 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

• devise a system for parents to contribute to children's development records and future learning targets • increase opportunities throughout daily sessions for children to reinforce and extend their reading skills • improve short-term planning to show evidence of how activities will be adapted to meet children's differing abilities and to include detail of daily focus activities which will be used to meet key learning objectives.

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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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