Long Crendon Pre-School and Out of School Club

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 15/11/2004 Inspector Name Susan Victoria May

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Long Crendon Pre-School Setting Address C/o Long Crendon School Chilton Road, Long Crendon Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP18 9BZ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Long Crendon Pre School 1031403

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Long Crendon Pre School Address Long Crendon Combined School Chilton Road, Long Crendon Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP18 9BZ

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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

Long Crendon Pre-School opened in 1968 and operates from a self contained classroom within Long Crendon School close to Thame. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 08.50 to 11.45 and 12.00 to 15.20 during school term times. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 51 children aged from 2 to 5 years on roll. Of these, 30 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from the village and surrounding area. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs twelve staff . Seven of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are four staff working towards a qualification.

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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?

Long Crendon Pre- School provides high quality nursery education which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The quality of teaching is very good. Staff provide a wide range of learning opportunities, children are confident, happy and eager to participate in. Daily activities promote children's personal independence and staff build children's self esteem by giving them appropriate responsibilities. Children are caring towards each other and younger children are developing an understanding of behaviour expectations of staff. Staff are very effective in their use of questioning to encourage and extend children's thinking. Staff provide ample opportunities for mark making and children have access to books on a daily basis, staff foster children’s imagination through art, design, stories and music. Staff plan opportunities for children to develop their physical skills but older children have few opportunities to climb and extend their skills. Staff plan realistically in all areas and have an effective evaluation system promoting children's learning towards the early learning goals.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Staff have a system for recording children's daily achievements. Systems are in place to support children with special educational needs. Procedures are in place to support children for whom English is an additional language.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management are very good. A strong staff team is in place, which are committed to providing a rich, caring, well planned stimulating environment where children learn through a wide range of activities.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Partnership with parents and carers is very good and contributes well to the children's learning. Staff keep parents informed about the activities and routines through verbal exchanges and regular correspondence. They share their observations about their child and the staff help parents understand how they can support the children's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident, happy and eager to participate in activities. They are articulate and interact well with staff and each other, expressing personal preferences and making independent choices. Staff work hard to build children's confidence and develop their self-esteem. • Children demonstrate a very good understanding of the elements of stories, such as sequence of events, and main character. They have good recall and can confidently re-tell stories. Children use pencils with growing co-coordination and can correctly form recognisable letters. Staff offer the older/more able children opportunities to extend their knowledge of the

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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 written word, for example by using phonics for spelling and writing simple captions. • Staff provide opportunities for children to extend their mathematical knowledge of sequencing, matching and number recognition on a daily basis through everyday events and activities. Children make many of the posters and displays, throughout the setting, which help to reinforce and promote children's learning. • The senior management value and appreciate the staff's hard work and dedication. The manager and the staff are committed to improving the care and education for all the children. Training and staff development is encouraged and valued. The provision is able to identify the settings strengths and weaknesses, contributing to continually maintaining and raising standards.

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What needs to be improved?

• the continuing implementation of behaviour strategies to help younger children develop an understanding of the consequences of their actions • opportunities for older children to climb and develop their physical skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. There were no key issues raised at the last inspection. Measures to address the point for consideration are practised effectively, this has been achieved through adapting daily group tasks to meet the needs of the more able child, further staff training and in depth planning to ensure differentiation between the ages and abilities of the children. A revised record keeping system has been introduced to accurately record children's progress. Children make very good progress in all areas of 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 Relationships between staff and children are very good and children show consideration, sensitivity and support for others. The children are happy and secure, eager to participate in activities. Daily activities provide opportunities for personal independence for example children self-select resources. Children are confident in their interaction with staff and express themselves well. Most children are developing appropriate responses to the clear expectations for acceptable behaviour.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident and articulate speakers who engage easily in conversation. Staff provide very good activities fostering language and literacy skills and many opportunities are provided for writing for a variety of purposes. Staff's excellent use of questioning encourages children's thinking. Many children write their names and recognise letter sounds. Children treat books with respect and have a good range to choose from, reference books are available and used with topics.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident with numbers and counting, many children are able to recognise written numbers to nine. They can count up to ten with many being able to count up to twenty and beyond. Children are developing an understanding of addition and subtraction through songs, rhymes and everyday activities. Children are able to use comparative and positional language and recognise shapes. A good use of posters and displays throughout the setting promotes and reinforce the children's learning.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Through planned topics, simple experiments, and daily activities staff develop children's confidence in exploring and investigating. Children have good opportunities to question why things happen and how things work through interest tables and individual and group work. Staff make opportunities for children to talk about past and present events in their own lives. Children talk knowledgeably about their environment and show respect and understanding of the wider world.

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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 Staff encourage children to follow good hygiene practices and demonstrate a clear understanding of their bodies, the importance of remaining healthy and preventing themselves from harm. Continuing development and planned use of appropriate resources indoors and outdoors extends and consolidates most children's physical skills, in a way they enjoy, on a daily basis. Children demonstrate increasing control and co-ordination in the way they move around the indoor and outdoor areas.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children participate enthusiastically in adult led songs and rhymes. They are encouraged to express their imagination through a range of planned activities including role play and music. Children have the opportunity to learn new techniques and staff demonstrate and explain activities making sure children know what is expected of them. There are opportunities provided for children to explore and develop individual ideas in art and design using a variety of materials and tools of their choice.

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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 the following: •• the continuing implementation of behaviour strategies to help younger children develop an understanding of the consequences of their actions • opportunities for older children to climb and develop their physical skills. 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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