Anlaby Park Methodist Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 20/09/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Anlaby Park Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Methodist Church Hall Hull Road Anlaby Common East Riding of Yorkshire HU4 7RR

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Anlaby Park Pre-School Playgroup

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Anlaby Park Pre-School Playgroup Address Methodist Church Hall Hull Road Anlaby Common East Riding of Yorkshire HU4 7RR

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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

Anlaby Park Pre-School Playgroup is a well established setting that originally opened in 1970, and provides sessional care for the local community. It is situated in Anlaby Common, on the outskirts of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The setting is managed by a committee, and on a day-to-day basis by the pre-school manager. Care takes place in the Methodist Church Hall building. The pre-school children have access to a large hall, and an adjoining small room, sometimes referred to as the 'library room'. Children have the opportunity to spend some of their time in additional rooms in the building, such as for joint registration times, and for organised group story times. They have access to suitable toilet facilites, and an enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school has 44 children currently on roll, consisting of 22 three-year-olds in receipt of funding. Staff are experienced at working with children who have been

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Information about the setting

identified as having special educational needs, and who are learning English as an additional language. The pre-school is open for five morning sessions from Monday to Friday during local school term times. Morning sessions start at 09.15 and finish at 11.45.. There are six members of staff who work with the funded children. Most of these staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education. Staff receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. They have formed close partnership links with staff who work at two of the local primary schools. The pre-school staff are members 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 Anlaby Park Pre-School Playgroup provision is of high quality and children who are three-years-old are making very good progress overall towards the achievement of the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff use an appropriate range of methods to help all children to progress, including children who have identified special educational needs, and children who are learning English as an additional language, with an emphasis on 'learning through play'. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals, help to foster children's good behaviour, and ensure that resources are accessible to encourage children to work independently. Leadership and management is very good. The setting is able to assess on a regular basis its current strengths and weaknesses, as shown in a recent self-evaluation. There is a commitment by the committee and staff to make improvements, such as

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How effective is the nursery education?

purchasing good quality learning resources, including books that show positive images of others who have different cultural and religious backgrounds, and staff appraisals are completed to help identify individual training needs. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are provided with good quality helpful information about the pre-school and its provision, featured well in a detailed prospectus, and in an accessible photograph album organised according to the six areas of learning. Parents are informed about their child's achievements and progress through an effective key worker system, can share what they know about their child, and are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Staff use an appropriate range of methods to help all children to progress, including children who have identified special educational needs, and children who are learning English as an additional language, with an emphasis on 'learning through play'. • The ability of the setting to assess on a regular basis its current strengths and weaknesses, as shown in a recent self-evaluation. • Staff promote children's aptitude to form good relationships with each other and the staff well, including children who have recently started to attend the pre-school, often referring to individual staff as 'aunty'. • Children's speaking and listening skills are good. This is illustrated well when they take turns to talk about the toys they have brought from home, and when responding with enjoyment to stories, such as during organised group story times with their key worker.

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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 have a good ability to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, and their understanding of simple addition, shown well during daily routines, including the register routine, when all of the children help to count out how many have arrived at pre-school altogether, adding 'one more' if a child arrives late. • The parent's level of access to good quality helpful information about the pre-school and its provision, featured well in a detailed prospectus, and in an accessible photograph album organised according to the six areas of learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the staff appraisal system, ensuring that all aspects are fully implemented • the introduction of more ways to encourage all children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Anlaby Park Pre-School Playgroup staff have made very good progress since the last inspection, and this has had a positive impact on the overall provision for nursery education, and on all children's learning. There are three main improvements derived from the previous report, and the two identified key issues: There are now more opportunities for children to write their own names correctly, to develop their climbing skills, and to use technology items to help support their 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 Children have an aptitude to form good relationships with each other and the staff, including children who have recently started to attend the pre-school, often referring to individual staff as 'aunty'. They are confident to try new and novel activities and motivated to learn, such as looking through a magnifying glass at their finger and thumb prints, comparing these and deciding which are the biggest and smallest, and are able to work independently due to the accessibility of many resources.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their speaking and listening skills, illustrated well when they take turns to talk about the toys they have brought from home, and when responding with enjoyment to stories, such as during organised group story times with their key worker. They are able to use speech when exploring real and imaginery experiences, are developing their early reading skills, often when spending some of their time in the well resourced 'library room', and are able to write their own names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their ability to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, and their understanding of simple addition, shown well during daily routines, including the register routine, when all of the children help to count out how many have arrived at pre-school altogether, adding 'one more' if a child arrives late. They are able to use mathematical language to describe and compare size, also to recognise simple patterns, featured well during art activities, such as hand printing.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to celebrate many kinds of festivals around the world, such as the Chinese New Year, including festivals celebrated by all of the children who attend the pre-school. They are skilful at exploring and investigating, sometimes by questioning why objects sink or float when placed into a container of water, can design and make when using everyday materials, and are developing a firm sense of place, such as when talking about the jobs people do to help us in the local community.

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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: Very Good Children are skilful at using a wide range of large equipment, especially wheeled toys during vigorous indoor activities in the large hall, including operating vehicles and pedal bikes. They are able to work on challenging climbing and balancing equipment, can handle a varied selection of accessible tools, objects, construction and malleable materials, and are able to show a sense of space, such as through enjoyable dance, music and movement activities, including using ribbons as 'fish tails'.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to use their imagination through role play activities, especially in the well resourced main role play area, and enjoy making up their own stories. They can explore sound through handling different kinds of musical instruments, are skilful at exploring colour, often as part of art and craft activities, and can respond in a variety of ways using all of their senses, such as their sense of smell and taste, including tasting many kinds of food during a planned 'food theme'.

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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 weaknessess to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following; • ensure that all aspects of the staff appraisal system are fully implemented • introduce more ways to encourage all children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

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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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