Manor Farm Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/01/2005 Inspector Name Judith, Mary Butler

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Manor Farm Pre-School Setting Address Rose Avenue Hazlemere High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP15 7PH

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Manor Farm Pre-School/Nursery 1026943

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Manor Farm Pre-School/Nursery Address Rose Avenue Hazlemere High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP15 7PH

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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

Manor Farm Pre-School first opened in 1976. It operates from two rooms, within Manor Farm Community Infant School, in Hazlemere on the outskirts of High Wycombe. A maximum of 60 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09.00 until 11.45 and from 12.30 until 15.00 during school term times only. All children share access to a fully enclosed outside play area. There are currently 81 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these, 51 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from the local surrounding area. the nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and also supports a number of children with English as an additional language. The pre-school employs 10 staff. Of these 7 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. A further staff member is working towards a qualification.

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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?

Manor Farm Pre-School offers acceptable nursery provision and is of high quality overall. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is very good. Staff show a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage and use this to plan an interesting and stimulating curriculum for the children. All staff are involved with the planning process, with the manager taking the responsibility of putting the final product together. Long, medium and short term planning is in place. This records the expected learning outcomes, staff deployment, resources required, support and extension activities. Staff evaluate the activities at the end of each session and use this to inform future planning. Staff miss opportunities within everyday activities to encourage the children to mark make and use simple calculation. A key worker system is in place and staff undertake daily observations on the children; these are used to update the developmental records. Children with

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How effective is the nursery education?

special educational needs and those with English as an additional language receive a high level of support. Staff treat the children with kindness and respect. Leadership and management are very good. Staff work well together as a team and are aware of their individual roles and responsibilities. Staff hold meetings and use these to discuss individual children's progress, staff training, evaluation and future planning. An annual appraisal system is in place when staff identify their strengths, weaknesses and training needs. The management actively encourage staff to attend training to further develop their early years knowledge. Partnership with parents is very good. Staff and parents verbally share information about the child at each end of the session. Parents may discuss their child's progress with staff at any time or attend the formal meetings held each term. Parents receive good information about the pre-school through the prospectus, newsletters

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide children with opportunities to consider the feelings of others through fun story telling with the large puppets. Children respond enthusiastically to these stories and are able to communicate their thoughts and feelings and consider the moral of the story through the eyes of other people. • Children are confident in their physical skills. Staff provide children with opportunities to practise and develop these skills through a wide and interesting range of resources and activities. Children use a good range of tools safely and with control. Children's gross motor skills are developed through a range of large apparatus in the garden and use of the school hall each week.

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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 • The staff plan an interesting and fun curriculum for the children. They plan activities to meet the needs of the individual children. Extension and support activities are included within the planning documents. Individual staff work with children at well planned key worker times. Staff make observations and these are used to update the children's developmental records.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to practise their emergent writing and mark making skills within everyday practical activities • calculation, to ensure children have further opportunities to use simple addition and subtraction within the everyday practical activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The pre-school now has the use of an additional classsroom during the morning session. This enables children to work effectively during key worker times without distraction form other children playing. Older more able children who attend pre-school in the aftenoons are taken to a smaller room for key worker sessions with a staff member. Planning now ensures key worker group activities allow enough time for the activity planned. Activities are planned to meet the needs of the individual children attending. Staff evaluate the activities at the end of each session. This enables them to make any changes for the following day to ensure that the learning objective has been met.

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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 happy and settled, they leave their main carer with ease and enter the setting confidently. Children are able to choose the toys and resources they wish to use and many children are able to work independently at a number of tasks. They are enthusiastic and eager to learn. Staff treat the children with kindness and respect and act as good role models. Children are well behaved, they are able to share the toys and resources and many show co-operation with their peers in their play.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children communicate well to adults and each other; they take turns in talking and listening in large group situations. They enjoy books and stories, especially the story with the large puppets. Children have opportunities to take books home through the weekly pre-school library. Staff provide children with opportunities to recognise their names and see familiar words in writing. Staff miss opportunities to encourage the children to mark make and practise their emergent writing.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Many children are able to count up to 10 and older children are beginning to recognise numerals from 0 to 9. Staff use their initiative in everyday situations and encourage the children to count and use numbers, for example when building with the Duplo. There are missed opportunities for children to use simple calculation, for example at register time. Children use mathematical language in their everyday play such as bigger and smaller. They have a good awareness of shape and size.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Staff provide children with a good range of activities to learn through first hand experiences and aid them in using their senses, for example tasting the yogurt. Children relate events that have happened in their personal lives with confidence and are becoming aware of other cultures and traditions. Children are confident in their design and making skills. They further develop these through a range of resources, for example construction, malleable and recycled 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 show good co-ordination and spatial awareness. They move around all areas of the pre-school confidently and are able to negotiate both fixed and moving objects. Children are confident in their independence skills and are aware of personal hygiene. Children use a range of tools including scissors, pens, brushes and hammers; many use these safely and with control. Children have opportunities to develop their gross motor skills through the use of large equipment in the outside play area.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have opportunities to freely express themselves through music, role-play, small world toys and art activities. Staff demonstrate skills and explain activities ensuring that children have all the information they need to enjoy the range on offer. Children enjoy singing, especially the shape song at the end of the session. Staff provide children with many opportunities to develop their senses, for example tasting yogurt and guessing what is in the present.

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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 make marks and practise their emergent writing within everyday practical activities • opportunities for children to use simple addition and subtraction within the daily routines of the pre-school.

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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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