St Keverne Pre-School Playgroup

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/09/2004 Inspector Name Nicola Jayne Pascoe

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name St Keverne Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address St. Keverne CP School School Hill, St. Keverne Helston Cornwall TR12 6NQ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name St Keverne Pre-school Playgroup 1049894

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St Keverne Pre-school Playgroup Address St. Keverne CP School School Hill, St. Keverne Helston Cornwall TR12 6NQ

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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.Keverne Pre-School was registered originally approximately 25 years ago. It has been newly registered to provide day care in 2004, due to a change of committee. It is situated in St.Keverne village, near to the town of Helston. It operates from a classroom in St.Keverne county primary school, children have sole use of classroom and toilet facilities and shared use of the outdoor play area and school hall. St.Keverne pre-school serves the local and surrounding areas. There are currently 19 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 12 funded 3 year olds and 2 funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs. They are not currently supporting children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 11:45. Two part-time and two full-time staff work with the children. Half the staff have early

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Information about the setting

years qualifications to NVQ 3. There is one member of staff currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receive support from an advisory teacher from the Cornwall Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP)..

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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?

Nursery education at St.Keverne Pre-school is acceptable and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. Progress in creative development is very good. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff demonstrate confidence in their knowledge of the stepping stones and are using them effectively in order to plan specific activities. A broad and balanced range of age appropriate, interesting and stimulating activities are provided. Staff interact well to support and encourage children to learn. They are good role models. However, staff do not identify children's individual learning objectives, which can be used to influence future planning, in order to provide suitable and sufficiently challenging opportunities for children to

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How effective is the nursery education?

make progress. Large group activities are not successful due to inadequate levels of staff support and organisation. Daily routine activities are not used effectively to extend children's learning. The leadership and management of the pre-school is generally good. There is a new and supportive committee in place. Staff and committee are working closely to further develop the planning and delivery of nursery education. Advice and support from external agencies has been actively sought and acted upon. New policies and procedures have been developed and implemented and there are now effective procedures for staff induction. However, staff appraisal systems have yet to be fully developed and implemented. Partnership with parents is generally good. Staff share appropriate levels of information with parents verbally each day and provide additional written information. However, there are no systems in place to obtain information regarding children's

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How effective is the nursery education?

abilities on entry to the setting or for sharing records of children's progress formally.

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What is being done well?

• Recent improvements have been made to the entrance and classroom environment, to enable children to develop their personal independence and confidence. Children can hang their coats and bags on a peg labelled with their name, they are able to freely access the range of resources set out and are assisted in finding favourite toys from the open storage trolleys. Newly improved toilet facilities enable children to use independently. Children are happy and confident, they have formed strong and trusting relationships with staff and other children. • Staff interact well to support children's play, they are skilful in their techniques to encourage children to explore and investigate with confidence, in particular in the provision of life experience and craft resources, with which children are

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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 able to develop their imagination and express their individuality. Children with special needs are provided with appropriate levels of adult interaction. Staff work closely with parents and professionals to identify methods with which to enable children with special needs to be included and supported within the pre-school environment. • The newly formed committee are supportive and enthusiastic. The nominated person has extensive knowledge of the foundation stage and works closely with staff to develop and implement planning. Staff and committee have reviewed all policies and procedures and have initiated new induction procedures and have identified areas for future development. Advice and support from external agencies is actively sought.

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What needs to be improved?

• the systems used to establish children's individual abilities, on entry to the setting and following on-going assessments, in order that individual learning intents can be identified and linked to future planned activities. Also the provision of opportunities to share these systems of recording children's achievements and progress, formally and regularly with parents. • the use of daily routine activities, to fully support children's learning and development. Include regular use of information technology and opportunities to explore letter sounds, problem solving and the passing of time and to effectively plan, prepare and organise daily activities, to ensure that children are grouped and supervised appropriately. • the staff appraisal systems, in order to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision of nursery education.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Progress since the last inspection has been generally good. Staff are now suitably qualified. Improvements have been made to provide daily opportunities for children to make marks and scribe with purpose. Staff have developed and implemented new systems for planning, which directly link to the stepping stones, this now includes effective use of outdoor play. Children are provided with sufficient opportunities to explore and investigate, using their local environment and a range of natural materials in the classroom. However, children's individual written assessments do not identify specific areas for progress, therefore future planned activities are not directed at children's individual abilities. Planned and free play activities do not provide sufficient opportunities for children to link letters to sounds. There is improved use of information technology, but this is restricted to planned activities and is not available for free use during daily

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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 are confident to leave their parent and have developed strong and trusting relationships with adults and other children. They demonstrate high levels of independence and are respectful and caring to one another. They are able to negotiate successfully and cooperate well, sharing and taking turns. However, some children are disruptive at group times and children are not able to prepare and clear away at snack-time, although they are keen and eager to do so.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children communicate and negotiate well during role play. They enjoy story time and most listen well. They make good use of books for both personal enjoyment and for reference. Children are beginning to use writing purposefully during free play activities to make lists and write messages to others. However, children do not benefit from the visual support of an alphabet and do not receive sufficient opportunities to link letters to the associated sounds.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently when identifying the number of children present at the pre-school. They are able to associate this number to objects when counting out the required number of cups at snack time. They use mathematical language during planned maths activities and use positional language regularly during free play. They discuss and compare whose name is longer or shorter. However, children do not have regular opportunities to use calculation and problem solving in daily activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are curious and excited when cooking and fully explore the process of change. They are enthusiastic to investigate the range of materials and are confident to select and use tools purposefully and with considerable skill. They experience regular opportunities to celebrate their own and different cultures and have developed an understanding of people with disabilities. However, there is restricted use of technological equipment and of opportunities to recognise the passing of time.

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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 Children participate in regular planned PE sessions in which they can balance, climb and jump. They are confident and skilful in their use of large and small equipment and tools. They have developed good levels of coordination, moving safely and purposefully both indoors and out. However, daily outdoor play sessions are not always organised effectively to provide sufficiently challenging physical play opportunities for children of differing abilities.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children eagerly participate in a wide range of creative play activities. They enjoy regular free play and planned opportunities to explore a variety of interesting mediums such as sand, dough, paint, collage and cooking. They are skilful in their imaginative role play and initiate and act out many different scenarios. Newly introduced workshops are successful in further developing children's enjoyment of music. Children are enthusiastic to participate in music and movement sessions.

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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

• implement systems to establish children's individual abilities, on entry to the setting and following on-going assessments, in order that individual learning intents can be identified and linked to future planned activities. Also provide opportunities to share these systems of recording children's achievements and progress, formally and regularly with parents. • make effective use of daily routine activities to fully support children's learning and development. Include regular use of information technology and opportunities to explore letter sounds, problem solving and the passing of time. Also plan, prepare and organise daily activities, to ensure that children are grouped and supervised appropriately. • make effective use of the staff appraisal systems, in order to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision of nursery education.

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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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