Martindale School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 19/02/2004 Inspector Name Annie Williams

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Abbey Pre-school Setting Address Christian Centre, St. Peter & St. Paul's Church,Minnis Lane, Dover Kent CT17 0RF

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Abbey Pre School 1054574

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Abbey Pre School Address Christian Centre, St Peter & St Paul's Minnis Lane Dover Kent CT17 0RF

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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

Abbey Pre-school opened in 1989. It operates from St Peter and St Paul's Christian Centre in Dover, Kent. The pre-school has access to two rooms, an office, toilets, a kitchen and an outside area. The pre-school serves the local area and surrounding towns. The pre-school is registered to provide thirty places for children aged two to five years. There are currently forty-seven children on roll. This includes eight funded four-year-olds and seventeen funded three-year-olds. Children attend a variety of sessions each week. The staff have experience of working with children who have special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school opens five days a week term time. Sessions last from 09:00 to 13:00 Mondays and Thursdays and 11:45 to 14:45 each Wednesday. Friday sessions begin at 08:45 to 11:15 and then re-open at 12:15 to 14:45. Parents provide a packed lunch for the longer sessions and supervise children over the Friday

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Information about the setting

lunchtime period. There are seven staff working with the children, of whom six have an early years qualification. The setting is accredited by the Pre-school Learning Alliance Development and receives support from the Early Years Partnership.

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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?

Abbey Pre-school provides a caring and welcoming environment for children. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff are committed and work well as a team. They have a secure knowledge of the early learning goals and effective planning is developing to help children make good progress. Staff know children well and are sensitive to their needs helping all children to feel valued. A strong emphasis is placed on play and meaningful experiences. Children are confident and happy in their 'free play'. The curriculum is generally well balanced, but aspects across the six areas are not systematically covered. Staff plan a range of table top activities that can be adapted to include all stages of development. However there are no systems in place to ensure that staff are aware of the intended learning objective of the planned activity and not all children participate without the small group times, consequently the

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How effective is the nursery education?

learning objective of these activities cannot be ensured. The system of assessment and record keeping provides staff with useful information to monitor children's learning. Staff are familiar with the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and appropriate monitoring systems are in place. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff are well supported in the care and education that they provide for young children. The supervisor and staff have worked hard to develop a strong team and are committed to providing opportunities for staff development. They meet regularly to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. Partnership with parents is very good, contributing to children's progress. The pre-school provides excellent information for parents about the curriculum and child's development. They receive opportunities to discuss their child's progress and

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How effective is the nursery education?

are welcomed into the group to play alongside their children.

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What is being done well?

• Partnership with parents is very good, contributing significantly to children's progress. The pre-school provides excellent information for parents about the curriculum and key worker folders about their child's development. • Develops and supports children's personal, social and emotional development. Children are happy, settled, and excited about what they do. Many positive relationships have developed at pre-school. Children learn to take turns and share fairly. • Staff plan and provide an environment that reflects the importance of language through notices, signs and books. Children speak clearly and confidently to their friends and adults.

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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 provide a varied and interesting programme to develop children's knowledge and understanding of the world. Staff make full use of the local and wider environment to stimulate children's interest and curiosity in the world about them.

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What needs to be improved?

• staffs knowledge and understanding of the learning of objectives • the use of assessment, the planning and the structure of some sessions

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Following the last inspection there were no significant weaknesses to report, but the setting were asked to consider the following points for development in the action plan: Provide more opportunities for children to have independent access to a range of equipment to support cutting, joining and the use of creative media. Provide more frequent opportunities for children to write their own names. The setting has been successful in implementing both these points consequently children receive more opportunities to develop their skills in these areas of learning.

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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: Generally Good Staff provide a secure, friendly and caring setting which builds children's confidence and self-esteem. Good relationships are established as children learn to share, take turns and work co-operatively. Children are happy, settled and generally, well behaved. They are learning to operate independently within the environment for example pouring their own drinks, washing hands and helping to tidy away. Children find out about different cultures through the topics, resources and role-play.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children communicate well with friends and adults. They are encouraged to talk and share ideas, but not all children listen and participate effectively in large group times. Children enjoying sharing books with an adult and are beginning to write their names. They are encouraged to write in purposeful ways such as during role-play to learn the reasons for writing. Letters of the alphabet are displayed but not all staff are secure as they help children make links between sounds and letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently and staff encourage them to use mathematical language. Children explore shape and size for example as they fill shopping baskets with food in 'the house', construct and complete puzzles. Some opportunities are provided for children to be aware of simple ideas of addition and subtraction, but opportunities are missed in the daily routine such as snack time. Numbers are not effectively displayed for children to recognise numbers as part of their play and routine.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Staff provide activities that encourage children to investigate a variety of materials and substances such as rice and sawdust. There are good opportunities for children to look closely at differences, patterns and change, for example changes to melting ice. Opportunities for exploring Information communication technology is limited. Children explore, investigate and identify features of the local and wider world through regular visits in the local community for example Kearnsey Abbey.

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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: Generally Good Fine manipulative skills are developed well as children display very good skills when cutting, painting, drawing and constructing. Opportunities to use large equipment ensure that children move around freely and safely. Children display a good awareness of themselves and others as they play. They learn about the importance of personal hygiene and healthy eating through discussion and regular hand washing. Opportunities for children to recognise changes that happen to their bodies are infrequent.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children clearly enjoy the opportunities provided in role-play, as they express their ideas. Past photographs show children using musical instruments to celebrate the Chinese New Year, but opportunities in 'free-play' to explore musical sounds are infrequent. Children eagerly play with the art activities staff provide and enjoy exploring painting techniques such as printing. Children receive good opportunities and support to enable them to use their imaginations in art and role-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 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

• improve the programme for creative development by providing more opportunities for children to recognise and explore how sounds can be changed using different instruments • develop staffs knowledge and understanding of the learning objective of the planned and provided activities • develop all sessions to include a small group time • continue to develop planning to include a broad range of practical activities linked to the stepping-stones within the aspects of the six areas of learning and include details of i) what children are expected to learn; ii) how staff will differentiate to develop individual children's progress based on what the children already know and what they need to learn next.

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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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