Mill Lane Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/02/2005 Inspector Name Lorna Lorraine Hall

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name St Johns Pre-school Setting Address 64 Larcom St London SE17 1NQ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of St Johns Playgroup (Southwark) 1044546

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St Johns Playgroup (Southwark) Address 118 Pilton Place London SE17 1DR

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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

St Johns Playgroup is a well established voluntary run group. It operates from the first floor of a community centre in Walworth. The group has use of a hall and a smaller room. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09:15 to 15:00 term time only. It serves the local community. There are currently 26 children from 2-5 years, on roll. This includes seventeen three year olds and five four year olds who are in receipt of funding. The pre-school currently supports a number of children who have special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school employs five members of staff who work directly with the children, additional staff are employed to supervise lunch times. Staff working with the children hold a variety of child care qualification. The setting receives support form the Southwark Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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?

St Johns pre school provides generally good -quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They make very good progress in five of the six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff manage the children very well and have good relationships with them. Most staff are secure in their knowledge of the early learning goals and provide a calm harmonious environment that facilitates learning for funded children. Resources are of high quality and sufficient in quantity. Staff use visual observations to identify gaps in learning and plan a range of stimulating activities. However, the programme for maths does not provide sufficient challenge for all the children. Written records on the children contains little or no information to share with parents about their children's progress. There is good support for children who have special needs and staff work closely with outside

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How effective is the nursery education?

agencies and parents to implement individual education plans. Group activities are well presented and interactive, and provide opportunities to further enhance the programme for language and communication. However, written plans do not show the learning experiences staff will provide to move children on to the next step of learning. The management initiate planning meetings and through interaction with staff and children they ensure children are making progress. The manager's relax approach to managing staff means that written information on the children is limited. There are no planned times to meet with staff on a individual basis. The pre-school do not seek advice and support from the Early Years Development Childcare Partnership. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents are welcomed into the nursery. They receive verbal information about their children's progress. There are no planned times to meet with parents.

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What is being done well?

• The development of children's confidence is fostered by staff's interest in them, and children are well behaved interested and motivated to learn. They sit quietly and concentrate when appropriate and show respect for the teachers and each other. • The programme for communication, language and literacy enable children to interpret print in many ways. • Staff work closely with outside agencies and parents to ensure children who have special needs are well supported to access the curriculum. • Good links are made with the community prior to starting school, children make regular visits in preparation.

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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 • Music and movement are regular features of the pre-school and music playing in the back ground has a calming effect on the children. • Staff know the children well and use visual observation to plan suitable and appropriate learning experiences.

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What needs to be improved?

• the programme for mathematical development to enable children to explore subtraction and addition during practical activities. • the recording of children's progress to show stage of learning and achievements over the six areas. • the information parents receive about the early learning goals. • the arrangements for parents to discuss their children's progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the pre-school were asked to address three key issues. Two of key issues related to how staff use written information to inform planning and share with parents. Limited progress has been made in addressing these issues. The other key issue related to the programme for maths to provide opportunities for children to problem solve. Much thought has gone into meeting this key issue and the programme for maths now provides good opportunities for children to use their maths knowledge to problem solve.

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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 motivated to learn they self select resources independently. They form good relationships with staff and each other and are well behaved. Children engage in co-operative play and are confident to speak in a familiar group. They show consideration towards each other. The celebration of festivals from around the world forms an integral part of the curriculum.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use language to negotiate and express their thoughts and feelings with confidence. There are many opportunities for them to learn that print carries meaning through labels and captions. Well resourced writing area enables children to use their emergent writing skills for a variety of purpose. Children listen enthusiastically to stories and use art to retell favourite stories.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children make good use of the many opportunities to help them count up to fifteen and recognise numbers up to ten. Their understanding of numbers is reinforced as they use their knowledge to problem solve during the daily routines. There are limited opportunities for them to compare numbers and explore addition and subtraction. Children use appropriate language to describe positions. They use different size and shaped pegs and board to recreate patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children explore the life cycles of plants and animals. Visits to a farm enable them to closely examine and learn about animal life. Children use a wide variety of materials to make complex models. They join materials using glue and different sticking tapes. Resources to promote technology is good and older children are able to complete simple programmes. Good links are made with the wider community.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Daily use of climbing frame provides good opportunities for children to move imaginatively in and out of small spaces and over and through. Children show awareness to space and others. The ability to skilfully handle a range of large and small equipment is fully established and children use scissors to cut around shapes. They make good use of the many opportunities to handle and manipulate malleable materials to make recognisable objects.

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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 mix and apply paint on a variety of materials. They explore large textured collage that provide opportunity for them to use their senses to describe their feelings. Music is a regular feature of the pre-school and children move imaginatively during music and movement. Children have free access to musical instruments and can tap out favourite rhymes. Well resourced and planned role play provide opportunities for them to re-enact real life experiences.

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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

• provide opportunities to meet with parents to discuss their children's progress. • develop the arrangements to support staff to complete children's profile covering the six areas of learning. • develop the programme for mathematical development to enable children to explore addition and subtraction during practical activities.

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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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