Devizes & District Opportunity Centre

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/06/2004 Inspector Name Charlotte Jenkin

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Devizes & District Opportunity Centre Setting Address Opportunity Centre Bellevue Road Devizes Wiltshire SN10 2AJ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Devizes And District Opportunity Centre 1011774

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Devizes And District Opportunity Centre Address Belle Vue Opportunity Centre Bellevue Road Devizes Wiltshire SN10 2AJ

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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

The Devizes and District Opportunity Centre is run by a voluntary committee and offers care and education to children who have a range of individual special needs. The group was established in 1978, and has its own purpose built building with various rooms for specific activities and a fully enclosed garden. The centre also has the use of an adjoining field and play area. The children attend with their parents or carer when they are very young, and then start to attend on their own at about the age of three. Parents are welcomed into the group at all times and there is a specific area for them. Families are referred to the centre from a wide area of Kennet, some travel in from the Devizes area, some from villages a number of miles away. The group is registered for up to 22 children, because of the children's specific needs, the adult to child ratio is very high. There are currently 30 children on role

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Information about the setting

and the centre takes funded three and four year olds. There are currently four funded three-year-olds and four funded four-year-olds on roll. There are eight members of staff or regular volunteers, who work with the children, most have early years child care qualifications and others are currently working towards qualifications. The centre uses a number of teaching methods that are specifically for children with special needs, such as Makaton and the Derbyshire Language scheme.

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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?

At Devizes and District Opportunity Centre children make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning, taking into account each child's individual learning potential. Teaching is very good. Staff have a very good knowledge of the early learning goals and this is reflected in their interaction with the children, and planning of appropriate activities, that are clearly linked to individual children's needs and challenge children well. Teaching methods are tailored to individual children's abilities. Staff respond well to children's interests and allow them to initiate their own play and learning, and staff support children fully during both structured and free play activities. Staff are excellent role models for children, treat one another and the children with respect and are calm and consistent in their approach. Leadership and management is very good. The committee supports both the

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How effective is the nursery education?

manager and staff team enabling them to work closely as a team and to access good training and development opportunities. Appraisals effectively enable staff to develop the confidence to identify strengths and weaknesses, and planning is successfully monitored to ensure all areas of learning are covered. Staff regularly meet to discuss areas for development and put clear actions in place to develop these areas, for example, developing children's emergent writing. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are provided with excellent information regarding the centre, and have home visits, which are an invaluable link to accessing the provision and support systems in place. Staff and parents have regular exchanges of information regarding their child's progress. Parents are kept up to date with the current theme of learning and receive suggestions and ideas to re-enforce their child's learning at home. They are able to borrow specialised

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How effective is the nursery education?

equipment and activities to support their child's development.

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What is being done well?

• Staff have an in-depth knowledge of where children are at in their learning, and assessments of children's progress are excellent. They use various methods to assess and record children's progress and achievements and these are linked closely to systems other professionals working with the children use, and to the stepping stones. Children's progress is regularly monitored and reviewed, and the inclusive and multi-agency approach supports their development fully. • Parents are fully consulted and involved in decisions about their child's future development. They attend formal multi-agency meetings to discuss in detail their child's achievements and contribute to their future targets for development.

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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 • Staff demonstrate a keen commitment to improving the educational provision. They regularly attend in-house and external training sessions, cascade information to all staff and implement new ideas into the centre for future development. Training is regularly re-visited and updated according to the needs of the children attending, for example Makaton and the Derbyshire language scheme. • Children have many fun and exciting opportunities to explore a good variety of textures, paints and materials. They experiment with these to produce creations of their own ideas, and further explore experiences using a range of senses. • Staff plan a good range of experiences for children outdoors. They have good opportunities to develop their small and large muscle skills, as well as further experiences in other curriculum areas.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to develop their emergent writing through spontaneous play.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Devizes and District Opportunity Centre has made very good progress since the last inspection. At the last inspection the centre agreed to provide a greater balance of activities for children with open ended outcomes, enabling children to explore materials and their learning with less need for adult intervention. Children now have regular opportunities to make choices in their play, having free play sessions where they are able to initiate their own play and learning. Due to the specific needs of the children attending, staff support the children, but allow them to explore textures and materials fully, intervening to sustain their interests and support their development where appropriate.

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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 enter the pre-school with confidence. They demonstrate a sense of trust with the staff and link up with them for support, relating well to them and sharing experiences with them. Children show increasing confidence in selecting activities of their choice, and more able children complete chosen tasks and are keen to try out the activities on offer. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging in the group and pride in their achievements, talking to staff about what they have done.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use gestures, actions and sign language to communicate, and more able children use talk to communicate their ideas and past experiences confidently. Children develop a real interest in books, independently select them and turn the pages, talking about the pictures, and request their favourite books for story time. Children listen to stories with enjoyment and anticipate key events. They use one handed tools, draw circles and lines and attempt to write their names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show interest in number and count in their play and when singing. More able children count objects with confidence and begin to recognise numerals. Children enjoy singing number rhymes with props. They observe and use language to describe position, size and quantity. They match shapes and sort objects according to similarities. More able children begin to use their developing mathematical awareness to solve simple problems in their play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate a good range of materials and show interest in how things work, for example water pumps. They examine living things and observe and comment on change, for example, when adding sand to water. Children show interest in construction materials and have opportunities to select from various resources and join them together. Children show interest in ICT and request playing computer programmes, and develop confidence in operating these. Children remember and talk about past events.

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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 in a range of ways with confidence and develop balancing skills. They jump off objects and land appropriately, with support where needed. They negotiate pathways, developing independence and confidence when walking and using mobility aids. Children engage in a vast range of activities that develop their hand/eye co-ordination and show increasing control using writing implements and various tools. Children enjoy joining in action songs and move their bodies in response to music.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have regular opportunities to explore experiences using a range of senses, and begin to respond to what they see, feel, hear, smell and touch. They express themselves through art and craft, explore various painting techniques and use various resources and materials to experiment and create texture. Children engage in regular music sessions, during which they express themselves well, respond to music and enjoy joining in singing and dancing. Children imitate what adults do in their play.

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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, however consideration should be given to improving the following: • continue to increase opportunities for children to develop their emergent writing through spontaneous play, by enabling them to access writing implements and paper in other curriculum areas, for example role play areas.

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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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