Dragonflies Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 16/03/2005 Inspector Name Doreen Forsyth

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Dragonflies Pre-School Setting Address Collingbourne Ducis Village Hall Chicks Lane, Collingbourne Ducis Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 3DZ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Dragonflies Pre-school

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Dragonflies Pre-school Address 6 Johnson Way Ludgershall Andover Hampshire SP11 9TR

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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

Dragonflies Pre-school opened in 2004, after previously being known as Collingbourne Pre-school. The setting operates from a room in the village hall in the village of Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire. Children attend from Collingbourne Ducis and other surrounding villages. There are currently 22 children on roll, aged between 2 and 5 years, 15 of these are in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The setting welcomes children with special educational needs. The pre-school operates from Monday to Friday during school term times, and is opened from 09:00 until 15:30 each day. Four members of staff work with the children, two of whom have relevant early years qualifications to level three. One member of staff is currently working towards a level three qualification. The setting receives support from the local Early Years Partnership and is a member of the 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?

At Dragonflies Pre-School the provision is of good quality overall, children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Most staff are appropriately qualified and have a suitable understanding of the early learning goals. Children take part in a varied range of activities that help them to learn and progress, but staff do not plan sufficiently to ensure all aspects of the early learning goals are well promoted. They do not have any planned learning intentions for the focused activities they provide. Staff are recording children's progress, but these assessments are not kept up to date, and staff do not use them to plan for children's next steps in their learning. The daily sessions are well organised, children are able to use the large hall for more challenging physical activities. Children behave appropriately for their ages, staff praise and encourage good behaviour and reward children's achievements.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management of the pre-school is generally good. The chair and committee are very supportive and are regularly in the setting. They encourage staff development and have recently introduced staff appraisals. They value the pre-school's close links with the nearby primary school and the advice of the reception teacher and other professionals. The pre-school has recently started an outside accreditation scheme which is helping the setting begin to identify strengths and weaknesses. Staff and committee are very committed to improving the education provision they provide. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents are given a good information pack. They receive regular newsletters, including information about the themes and topics. Parents are kept informed about children's progress and are encouraged to be involved in their learning, but do not have any planned opportunities to share what they know about their children's learning with the

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What is being done well?

• Children have very good opportunities to express their imaginations through role and imaginative play. • Children enjoy being at pre-school, they enjoy each others' company and play well together. They are eager to learn and take part in the activities available. • The setting has good links with the nearby primary school. Children regularly visit the school and the reception teacher visits the pre-school and sits on the management committee. This helps to ensure a smooth transition when children move on through the foundation stage.

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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 • Children are very confident speakers. They interact well with each other and with the adults present. Staff are skilled at questioning the children and helping them to organise and explore their ideas and feelings in words.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning, so that it is firmly based on all aspects of the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, and shows what children should learn from adult led activities • the observations and assessments made on the children's progress. To ensure these are regularly updated, and that staff use the knowledge about children's progress gained from these observations to help plan for children's next steps in their learning • the parents' opportunities to share what they know about their children's learning at home with the setting.

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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 Children arrive at pre-school eagerly and ready to learn. They enjoy the activities provided and each other's company; they make firm friendships. They co-operate and play well together, for example, they work together to help tidy up. They are learning to consider the needs of others. They can share and take turns well. They behave appropriately and understand the rules and routines of the setting. Children have very limited opportunities for personal independence in their daily routines.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children speak and interact well with each other. They are very good at using language to organise and express their thoughts and ideas. They enjoy stories and listen well, they know to use books for information and enjoyment. Most children can recognise and write their own names, some can read other words. They are beginning to link sounds to words, often when completing worksheets with their keyworkers. They enjoy mark-making, but do not have many opportunities to write in their role-play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Staff encourage children to count in the daily routines, for example, counting the number of children present at registration. They count confidently and recognise numerals to 10 and beyond. They learn about number, shape and size within group activities. They are learning about the concept of addition and subtraction. Children solve simple problems, for example measuring ingredients for play dough or using construction toys, but they do not have many chances to make and recreate patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Through different topics and themes children learn about their environment and the natural world. They have looked at different weathers, for example, they made kites to fly in the wind. They planted sunflower seeds and are observing them grow. They have some opportunities to design, build and construct, but these are quite limited and adult directed. Children use the pre-school computer with confidence to support their learning. They are beginning to learn about their own and other's cultures.

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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 When using the large hall children have good opportunities to move with confidence, freedom and safety. During 'obstacle courses' they learn to travel through, over and under equipment with co-ordination. They cannot climb very much in their physical play. Children use a good range of tools and malleable materials that help them to learn to control their small muscle movements, such as play dough, sand, spades and scissors. Some children have very good control when using colouring pencils.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have very good opportunities to use their imaginations and express their ideas in role play. They co-operate to create their own scenarios in which they become engrossed for long periods. They have free access to some resources that allow them to explore colour and shape, but their access to collage materials is more limited. Children use a range of musical instruments, and have some opportunities to match music to movement. They sing songs from memory well.

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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 planning used by ensuring it is firmly based on all the aspects of the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, and shows what children should learn from focused activities • ensure the assessment and observation scheme is kept regularly updated, and staff use the information gleaned from these observations to plan for children's next step in their learning • provide parents with more opportunities to share with the setting what they know about their children's learning at home.

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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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