Progress Schools - Wolverhampton

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/10/2004 Inspector Name Catherine Hill

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Chapel Lane Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Spencers Wood Pavilion Clares Green Road,Spencers Wood Reading Berkshire RG7 1DY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Chapel Lane Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Chapel Lane Playgroup Address 1 Clares Green Road Spencers Wood, Spencers Wood Reading Berkshire RG7 1DY

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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

Chapel Lane Pre-school Playgroup opened in 1978. It meets in the Spencers Wood Pavilion adjacent to a recreation ground in the semi-rural village of Spencers Wood, close to the town of Reading. The playgroup uses two adjoining rooms, the passage way and the kitchen for supervised activities. There is also access to an outdoor area and fixed play equipment area. The group serves the local area. There are currently 40 children from 2 years to 5 years on roll. This includes 22 funded 3-year-olds and 14 funded 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs and, although there are none attending at present, with English as an additional language. The group opens 5 days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09.30 to 12.00 Monday to Friday and 12.30 to 14.55 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. The playgroup is run by a committee, who employ six staff members. Four have

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Information about the setting

early years qualifications. The playgroup receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and the Pre-School Learning Alliance. It has close links with Lambs Lane School and liaises with other schools as required.

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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?

Chapel Lane Pre-school Playgroup is an acceptable provision and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals with very good progress in creative, physical and personal, social and emotional development. Teaching is generally good. Staff have excellent relationships with children and skilfully use a range of teaching strategies to promote children's learning. They organise a stimulating, learning environment with an excellent range of activities and resources set out daily to allow for development in all areas. However, not all resources are used effectively to challenge and further progress skills. Some activities lack clear guidance and challenge. Staff have high expectations with regard to behaviour and act as calm, positive role models. Children, as a result, behave well and have excellent manners. Support for children with special needs is good. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff work very well as a team to

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How effective is the nursery education?

provide a positive, friendly and relaxed setting where both children and parents are made to feel welcome. The group regularly evaluate practice and supporting documentation. The supervisor is aware of areas for development and implements new systems to continually improve practice with new planning records introduced this term. However, there are no formal systems currently in place to monitor staff performance or to ensure continuing professional development. Partnership with parents is generally good. They receive regular detailed newsletters and have access to a very good range of displayed information about group practice. They are encouraged to support their child's learning and some visit the group on a rota basis to gain a first hand insight into practice. They are positive in their praise of the setting and particularly like the friendly, caring attitudes of staff. There is no formal system, however, for parents to contribute to their child's future learning

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What is being done well?

• Children's physical development is very good. They have regular opportunities to reinforce and develop both gross and fine motor skills using a range of equipment both indoors and out. For example, they use wheeled toys, the climbing frame and do floor exercises. • Children have a sound understanding of numbers to ten and beyond. Staff use number rhymes well to develop children's understanding of calculation. • Children's creative and imaginative skills are excellent. They make models using a range of different construction materials, act out parts in the role play areas, paint abstract and observational pictures and enjoy practising their

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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 repertoire of different songs daily. • Staff are enthusiastic and dedicated and have excellent relationships with children. They provide sensitive support during sessions and, as a result, children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children are confident and motivated to learn working well both independently and co-operatively with others.

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What needs to be improved?

• planning and assessment records need to be developed to ensure: activity learning objectives are clearly identified in relation to individual children; extension activities are consistently recorded and future learning targets are set for children to ensure stepping stone progression in all areas of development • staff knowledge of assessment and record keeping so they can help plan children's future learning targets and provide positive challenging experiences to extend learning • opportunities for parents to formally contribute to children's future learning targets • opportunities for children to explore a range of non-fiction books for enjoyment and to locate information.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Progress since the last inspection is generally good. There were two key issues at the last inspection which were to provide greater challenge for more able children and to improve the creative development provision in relation to music and movement. Children have access to musical instruments and enjoy daily singing sessions which reinforce their awareness of rhythm and high and low sounds. They listen to different music during movement sessions and march in time to the music. Staff use their knowledge of individual children to help extend their learning and children have access to a wide range of resources to develop learning in all areas. However, there are no individual learning targets recorded for children and not all resources and activities are used to effectively challenge more able children.

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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 excellent relationships with each other. They share resources and patiently wait their turn, for example, to use the slide. They are eager to learn and absorb themselves in exploring the range of activities on offer. They concentrate well to complete puzzles and are aware of daily routines. They behave well, have excellent manners and show care and consideration for others. Their independence skills are good. They pour drinks, tidy away resources and attend to personal hygiene.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident, articulate speakers who engage easily in conversation. They organise their thoughts well, for example, when telling others about personal news. Their phonic skills are being well developed with daily opportunities to reinforce skills. They enjoy writing and making marks on paper. Some are able to write their names with recognisable, even sized letters. They enjoy books and listening to stories although have access to a limited range of non-fiction books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are very confident with numbers and counting. Most can count to ten with some counting comfortably beyond 20. They are developing a good understanding of calculation through the daily singing of number songs, such as 'Five Little Leaves'. They recognise basic shapes and show an understanding of comparative and positional language. Children, however, lose interest in some activities where they have no clear challenge or focus for learning.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunities to develop their explorative and investigative skills. They delight in discovering the change in cornflour when water is added and looking at the difference in leaves. They notice changes in the weather, know the sequence of days of the week and understand the change in nature with the seasons. They show skill in using the computer to aid learning. Some activities, however, lack clear direction and challenge.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently, safely and freely throughout the setting. They skilfully negotiate ladders on the climbing frame, manoeuvre wheeled toys around a set path and walk along balance beams. Their fine motor skills are good. They have daily opportunities to reinforce skills. They competently use scissors, pencils, crayons, brushes, glue sticks and build with small scale construction.

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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's imaginative skills are excellent. They enthusiastically engage in role play pretending to be doctors and patients, make snowflakes from playdough and cameras using duplo. They enjoy daily singing sessions and matching actions to the words. They independently paint both abstract and observational pictures. They use their senses well to respond to experiences, for example, they notice leaves can feel soft and crispy and cornflour feels soft on their hands.

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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

• develop planning and assessment records to ensure: activity learning objectives are clearly identified in relation to individual children; extension activities are consistently recorded and future learning targets are set for children to ensure stepping stone progression in all areas of development • develop staff knowledge of assessment and record keeping so they can help plan children's future learning targets and provide positive challenging experiences to extend learning • provide parents with opportunities to formally contribute to their child's future learning targets • provide daily opportunities for children to explore a range of non-fiction books for enjoyment and to locate information.

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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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