The Queen's CofE Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 16/02/2004 Inspector Name Annie Williams

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Blean Pre-School Setting Address Blean Parish Hall School Lane,Blean Canterbury Kent CT2 9JA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Blean Pre-school Committee

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Blean Pre-school Committee Address Blean Parish Hall School Lane, ,Blean Canterbury Kent CT2 9JA

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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

Blean Pre-school is a management committee run group that opened in 1994. It operates from the village hall in Blean, near to the city of Canterbury in the county of Kent. The pre-school has access to two rooms, toilets, a kitchen and an outside area. The pre-school serves the local area and surrounding towns. Children attend a variety of sessions each week. Staff have experience of working with children who have special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school opens five days a week throughout the year. Sessions last from 09:30 to 12:00. There are six staff working with the children of whom four have early years qualifications and all attend short courses. The pre-school is accredited and receives support from a Pre-school Learning Alliance Development worker and a teacher from the Early Years Partnership.

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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?

Blean Pre-school provides a caring and welcoming environment for children. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff are committed and work well as a team. They have a secure knowledge of the early learning goals and effective planning is developing to help children make good progress towards these. Staff know children well and are sensitive to their needs helping all children to feel valued. They show excitement in children's achievements, consequently children are eager and motivated to learn. The curriculum is generally well balanced, but aspects across the six areas are not systematically covered. Questioning techniques are used effectively to help children to think for themselves. Group work is organised and staff make sure that activities can be adapted to include all stages of development. A strong emphasis is placed on play, language and meaningful experiences. The system of assessment and

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How effective is the nursery education?

record keeping is evolving and provides staff with useful information to monitor children's learning. Staff are familiar with the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and appropriate monitoring systems are in place. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff are well supported in the care and education that they provide for young children. The supervisor and staff have worked hard to develop a strong team and are committed to providing opportunities for staff development. They meet regularly to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. Partnership with parents is very good, contributing significantly to children's progress. The pre-school provides excellent information for parents about the curriculum and contact books containing details of their child's development, with supporting photographs. They receive opportunities to discuss their child's progress

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How effective is the nursery education?

and are welcomed into the group to play alongside their children.

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What is being done well?

• Develops and supports children's personal, social and emotional development. Children are happy, settled, well behaved, eager to learn and excited about what they do. Many positive relationships have developed at pre-school. Children are kind to each other and learn to take turns and share fairly. • Promotes very good relationships with parents and carers, contributing effectively to children's progress in learning. Staff provide an excellent key worker book that provides written details and photographs of their child at work and play within the setting. Parents are well informed of their child's achievements

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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 • Staff plan and provide an environment that reflects the importance of language through notices, signs and books. Children speak clearly and confidently to their friends and adults. There are regular opportunities for children to develop an understanding of linking sounds to letters and staff place emphasis on developing writing through experiences that are meaningful to children. • Children count confidently and receive daily opportunities to recognise numbers. Children learn about space through relevant practical experiences. Staff encourage children to use and understand mathematical language throughout the play session. • Staff provide a varied and interesting programme to develop children's knowledge and understanding of the world. Children receive regular opportunity to use the computer. Staff make use of the local and wider

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What is being done well?

environment to stimulate children's interest and curiosity in the world about them.

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What needs to be improved?

• the system of planning • the programme for physical development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Following the last inspection there were no significant weaknesses to report, but the setting was asked to consider the following in the action plan: Enhance the programme for personal and social development by providing children with greater opportunities to develop sensitivity towards people from different cultures. The setting has developed multi-cultural resources, made use of people in the local community to share cultures and included festivals in their planning. This has had a positive impact on children enabling them to develop an understanding of other cultures. Improve the pre-school's environment by providing displays of alphabet and number charts, and children's own work, in order to reinforce their learning. The setting has addressed this issue successfully and now makes use of displays, consequently re-enforcing children's learning.

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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 Staff provide a secure, friendly and caring setting which builds children's confidence and self-esteem, helping them to make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are happy, settled, well behaved, eager to learn and excited about what they do. Staff present activities attractively and show excitement at children's achievements, which has a positive impact on their motivation. Children find out about different cultures through the topics, resources and visitors.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Staff provide an environment that reflects the importance of language. Children receive regular opportunities to link sounds to letters and speak clearly and confidently as they engage friends in conversation. Writing is developing well through imaginative play activities, such as the 'post-office' when children explore letter writing and the 'shop' when children write shopping lists. Children are well supported by staff as they develop good skills in handling books and story telling.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently and staff encourage them to use mathematical language. Children explore shape and size for example as they fill bags with parcels in the 'post office', construct and complete puzzles. Staff provide some opportunities for children to be aware of simple ideas of addition and subtraction for example through board games and singing. Numbers are displayed and staff provide regular opportunities for children to recognise numbers as part of their play and routine.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Staff provide activities that encourage children to investigate a variety of materials and substances. There are good opportunities for children to look closely at differences, patterns and change, for example changes to mixtures when cooking. They clearly enjoy using the computer and are developing an ability to use the mouse control. Children explore, investigate and identify features of the local and wider world through regular visits in the local community for example nature trails.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Fine manipulative skills are developed well as children display very good skills when cutting, painting, drawing and constructing. Opportunities to use large equipment ensure that children move around freely and safely, but these are infrequent. However children display a good awareness of themselves and others. Children learn about the importance of personal hygiene and healthy eating through discussion and regular hand washing.

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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: Generally Good Children clearly enjoy the opportunities provided in role-play, as they express and communicate their ideas. Past photographs show visitors in the group sharing musical instruments, but planned opportunities in 'free-play' to explore musical sounds are infrequent. Children eagerly play with the art activities staff provide and enjoy exploring painting techniques such as footprints. Staff provide good opportunities and support to enable children to use their imaginations in art and role-play.

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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 programme for physical development by providing more opportunities for children to travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment • continue to develop planning to include a broad range of practical activities linked to the stepping-stones within the aspects of the six areas of learning and include details of i) what children are expected to learn; ii) staff deployment; iii) how staff will differentiate to develop individual children's progress based on what the children already know and what they need to learn next.

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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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