Brookside Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 16/09/2004 Inspector Name Teresa Ann Clark

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Brookside Pre-School Setting Address 1st Gatley St. James Scout Hut Gatley Hill Gatley Cheshire SK8 1EY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Brookside Pre-School has been established for 30 years. It operates from Scout premises in the Gatley area of Stockport. The group have access to a large hall, kitchen and toilet facilities. There is a secure outdoor area for children to play. The Pre-School serves the local community. Children attend from the Stockport and Manchester area. There are 27 children from 2 to 3 years on roll. This includes 10 funded 3 year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group opens Monday to Friday during school term time. Sessions are from 09:15 until 12:00. Extended care is provided for children from 12:00 until 13:00 who are either collected or escorted to Gatley Primary School. There are four staff working with the children. One member of staff is a qualified teacher and two have an early years qualification to NVQ level 3. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development Childcare Partnership (EYDCP)

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Information about the setting

and is a member of the Stockport Pre-School Providers and Pre-School Network.

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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?

Brookside Pre-School provides high quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff are conscientious and committed to their work. They have a clear understanding of how children learn. They are warm, caring and sensitive towards the children and as a result very good relationships are formed. Staff have high levels of involvement in children's activities which encourages children to persevere and interact well with each other. Effective questioning techniques are used to challenge children's learning. Resources are well organised which results in children being active, independent learners. Planning and children's assessments are linked to the areas of learning, but it is not always clear the progress children are making towards the early learning goals. Staff have high

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How effective is the nursery education?

expectations of children's behaviour. They help children understand what is expected of them. The leadership and management of the pre-school are very good. Effective teamwork is a strength of the setting. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities this results in the effective running of the setting. Staff are committed to the improvement of care and education for all children. The staff team value the support and advice they receive from the Early Years Advisory Teacher. A system for monitoring the education provision has recently been introduced. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are fully informed about the pre-school routines, practices and curriculum. Although parents and staff share information about the children informally on a daily basis, parents do not have opportunities to contribute towards children's assessments, planning for the next steps in their learning or to link learning to home. Parents receive a report at the end

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How effective is the nursery education?

of the year and a portfolio of children's work.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is a strength of the setting. Children are happy, confident and independent. They have a positive and lively attitude to learning. They clearly enjoy the activities provided and form good relationships with each other and adults. Their behaviour is very good. • Children display a love of books. They listen well to stories. They enjoy sharing books with adults and each other. Children are able to retell stories in their own words using pictures as prompts. A child retells the story 'It's Mine' she remembers it's about sharing.

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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 enjoy creative activities. They confidently and freely express themselves through songs, music and painting. Children show great delight when playing musical instruments and participate with enthusiasm as they explore different sounds. • Staff provide good role models for children. They are warm, caring and show respect for children. They constantly engage children in conversation and the frequent use of praise and encouragement fosters children's self-esteem and confidence.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning and assessments • the opportunities for parents to contribute towards children's assessments, future learning and to link learning with home.

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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 positive relationships with staff which builds their confidence and self-esteem. Children's independence skills are fostered well as they select activities and take turns in giving out the snacks. Children form friendships and play well together. They are well behaved. They are learning to care for the environment and each other as they tidy away toys and negotiate with each other during play. Children participate enthusiastically in activities and are proud of their achievements.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills. During circle time children take turns to recall familiar events and during activities are encouraged to talk about their work. Children listen carefully to stories and are active participants in songs and rhymes. They use books carefully and understand how they work. Children recognise their own names and are beginning to link sounds to letters. More able children write their names using well formed letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use numbers in their play as they count bricks and portions of playdough. They practice counting during daily routines such as singing and snack time. Children talk about 'full' and 'empty' in the sand and 'bigger' and 'smaller' when rolling the playdough. Children sort by shape and colour as they complete puzzles and construct models. Children create their own patterns using paint and threading beads. They are able to name simple shapes such as circle, square and rectangle.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children talk freely and confidently about significant things that happen such as holidays and going to school. They are beginning to differentiate between the past and present. Children learn about change as they observe the seasons and through the life cycle of frogs and butterflies. Children regularly use a good range of construction equipment designing and making their own models. Children benefit form visitors such as the nurse, police and fire services.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their fine motor skills as they select and use tools and equipment such as paintbrushes, pencils, scissors and cutters. They are able to attend to their own personal needs such as taking themselves to the toilet, putting on aprons and coats and using tissues to wipe their nose. Children move with confidence and good control of their bodies as they pretend to be elephants, cats and marching soldiers during the music session. They jump hop and skip.

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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 show pleasure and excitement as they join in rhymes, songs and move their bodies to music. Children know the names of some musical instruments and how they are played. Children enjoy painting and mixing colours. They describe what they have painted; 'It's a crocodile'. Children use their faces to express feelings such as 'happy', 'sad', 'cross' and 'golly gosh'. Children enjoy dressing up and looking at themselves in the mirror.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to improving the following; • develop the planning and assessments to show more clearly the progress children are making towards the early learning goals • provide opportunities for parents to contribute their ideas to children's future progress and link learning to home.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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