Kingsbury Episcopi Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 02/11/2004 Inspector Name Elaine Douglas

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Kingsbury Episcopi Pre-School Setting Address Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School Stembridge Martock Somerset TA12 6BP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Kingsbury Episcopi Pre-School 1023586

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Kingsbury Episcopi Pre-School Address The Gable Silver Street, Kingsbury Episcopi Martock Somerset TA12 6AX

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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

Kingsbury Episcopi Pre-School was established in 1990. It re-registered in 2004 at its new premises and now operates from a classroom within Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School. It is situated in the rural village of Stembridge close to the town of Martock. The pre-school serves the local area. There are currently eighteen children from two to five years on roll. Of these thirteen receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09.00 until 12.00. Children may stay for the lunch session until 13.00. Four staff work with the children. One has an early years qualification. Three staff are currently on training programmes. The group receive support from the early years mentor/teacher (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?

Kingsbury Episcopi Pre-school is providing good quality nursery education overall, where children are making generally good progress, towards the early learning goals. Planning for communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, physical and creative development is more effective and children are making very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff provide good opportunities for children to initiate and carry out activities for themselves in an effective and inviting environment. Staff work directly with the children providing very good effective interaction, giving clear explanations and increasing their vocabulary and confidence. Staff plan interesting, varied activities which motivate children to learn, and make good use of daily routines to teach. Staff make regular assessments of children's achievements and use them to plan their next stage of development.

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How effective is the nursery education?

However, these are not currently linked sufficiently to the early learning goals to show accurate progression and staff do not plan sufficiently to challenge the older and more able children in adult-led activities in some areas of learning. Some staff manage children's behaviour effectively. However, this is not always consistent and does not provide clear messages for children. The leadership and management are generally good. Managers recognise individual strengths and the committee provides good support. Managers have already identified some of the weaknesses raised and set actions for improvements. However, the system for evaluating the quality of teaching is not as effective. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are provided with regular good quality information on the curriculum and how their children learn. Parents have good opportunities to meet with key workers, see their child's records and discuss

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How effective is the nursery education?

their progress. Parents are kept involved in their child's learning and have good opportunities to attend sessions.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide good resources to support children's learning in role-play. For example they develop their imagination when using one item as another, such as using cardboard boxes as space rockets. Also, they develop their writing skills and understanding of the purpose of writing when using pads, forms and diaries to write lists, take messages and make appointments. • Staff extend children's knowledge and vocabulary through effective interaction. They introduce new words and concepts, and let children explain what they understand, they then give them clear explanations. • Staff make good use of the whole premises both inside and outside to promote children's development. Good organisation of the premises allows

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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 to select appropriate resources to enable them to become independent learners. • Children's mathematical development is very good due to staff making good use of daily activities and routines, such as counting the plates at snack time or the number of children present. Staff regularly ask children mathematical questions in their play. For example, how many do you have now? and which one is the longest?

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What needs to be improved?

• the system for recording children's achievements to ensure they are linked to the early learning goals and show accurate progression • the system for planning to ensure children have opportunities to progress equally in all areas of personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world, and adult led activities challenge the children appropriately • the system for monitoring the quality of teaching to ensure staff are consistent in handling behaviour management and giving children clear messages about expectations.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. New methods have been put in place to improve the assessment system which was raised as a key issue at the previous inspection. The system for recording children's achievements has been improved to ensure they are manageable for staff. They include good examples of children's work and photographic evidence of achievements. Tick charts are used along with some good observational evidence and termly reports are followed by play plans for development. However, there is no system to ensure all areas are covered and the tick charts are not sufficiently linked to the early learning goals to accurately show progress.

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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 confidently initiate interaction with other children and adults. They enjoy self-chosen activities and demonstrate pride in their achievements. Children regularly select resources and activities for themselves and are confident to express their own needs. However, older and more able children do not always display an awareness of behavioural expectations due to some inconsistency in staff's management of this.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently engage in conversation in their play and in whole group situations. They ask questions and listen to the response. Children regularly link sounds to letters, and the older and more able children know some words and other children's names, by the sounds of letters. Children regularly ascribe meaning to their marks in their role-play and they are beginning to understand that writing has a purpose. For example children pretend to take telephone messages and write prescriptions.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count objects reliably up to ten, older and more able children can also count backwards from ten. Children regularly enjoy number games, take part in number rhymes and recognise numerals up to five. Children measure, weigh and order by size during daily routines and activities. For example children playing with playdough sort the shapes into sizes. One child manipulate the dough to make the lengths the same size and comments on one snake being a 'tiny bit bigger' than the other.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children show an interest in why things happen and how things work. They notice changes and differences. For example one child notices that another is using her left hand to write. Children regularly investigate construction materials and use a range of tools and techniques appropriately for a purpose. Children show an interest in where they live when they make regular visits and get involved in local events. However, the older and more able children are not developing an understanding of I.C.T.

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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 negotiate space successfully both inside and outside. They stop, start and avoid obstacles when using bikes and scooters. They balance competently when using equipment such as stilts, and take part in egg and spoon races. Children use tools such as scissors, safely and confidently, and when they access a wide range of equipment and well planned activities. For example, children use trowels and spirit levels when building a brick wall.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children regularly explore texture and colour when taking part in well organised activities with a wide variety of resources, such as making two and three dimensional fireworks. Children are developing very good imagination in their role-play and art. They make good use of the available props and develop their own ideas by using one item to represent another. For example, cardboard boxes are provided as space rockets but one child hides inside and uses it as a Jack in a Box.

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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 system for planning to ensure children have opportunities to progress towards all the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world and to ensure adult led activities meet the needs of all the children • devise a system to monitor consistency amongst staff in the management of behaviour to ensure children develop an understanding of behavioural expectations • improve the system for recording children's achievements to accurately show progression

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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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