Burrington Church of England Controlled Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/06/2004 Inspector Name Felicity Gaff

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Beeding and Bramber Pre-School Playgroup Setting Address Memorial Village Hall High Street Upper Beeding West Sussex BN44 3RE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Beeding & Bramber Pre-School Playgroup Committee

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Beeding & Bramber Pre-School Playgroup Committee Address 29 Truleigh Road Upper Beeding Steyning West Sussex BN44 3JR

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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

Beeding and Bramber Pre-school Playgroup has been running for over 40 years. It is a committee-run group held in a village hall in Upper Beeding. It has a fully enclosed area for outdoor play which is part grassed and part safety surfaced. The playgroup serves families from the local residential and rural area. It provides full day care on Mondays to Fridays during term times and is registered for 36 children aged over 2 and under 5 years. There are 56 children on roll including 28 funded four-year-olds, and 21 funded three-year-olds. Five children speak English as an additional language and five children have special educational needs. There are 9 members of staff, 4 of whom have childcare qualifications, while 2 more are in training. The playgroup receives regular support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and are undertaking the West Sussex Kitemark quality assurance scheme. All staff attend first aid and child protection training, they also

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Information about the setting

attend further professional training to enhance their knowledge and awareness.

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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?

Beeding and Bramber Pre-school Playgroup offers a secure, stimulating environment where children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a very good understanding of the foundation stage and provide a rich learning environment. They make detailed observations and assessments of what children do, in order to plan what they need to do next. They identify clearly how planned play will support learning in different areas, for example how a collage activity can be used to extend language by encouraging children to express their opinions and preferences. Staff support children with special educational needs very well and use a variety of methods effectively to help them learn. They organise resources to enable children to develop independence and make decisions for themselves. Leadership and management are very good. The manager provides a clear vision of a child centred playgroup where children learn to a high standard through play. She

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How effective is the nursery education?

is committed to the development of high quality care and education to meet the needs of each individual child. She has built a stable and committed team who work well together. She ensures staff are supported and receive appropriate training and professional development. She works closely with parents and the village school to enhance continuity for the children. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive good quality information about the setting before a child starts and regular updates on what their child is doing at playgroup. There are regular informal opportunities to exchange information on children's progress as well as a formal annual parents' evening. There are effective systems to exchange information about how children learn and make progress. Parents are encouraged to take home 'Story Sacks' to read and play with their child to support the progress they make in playgroup. Parents feel welcome

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What is being done well?

• The outdoor area is very well used to enhance children's learning in all areas. It has been improved by the provision of a safety surface. Staff involve children and parents in planning and constructing the garden as well as in growing plants. • Resources are organised very well to promote independence. Staff provide low storage units on which materials are invitingly displayed to encourage children to choose and use materials independently. • Staff provide many imaginative opportunities for children to explore, experiment and find out about the world from direct, first hand experience. For example, children develop a sense of wonder by closely observing the natural world.

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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 a stimulating range of creative role play settings. They involve children in choosing and producing the equipment needed. For example, children decided to make and display their own name cards in the 'School'. They ensure role play areas incorporate real reasons for children to practise using reading and writing. • Staff provide very good role models to the children and teach them how to behave well. Children learn good manners and courteous social conventions from adults and practise them spontaneously in their play. Children contributed their own suggestions of suitable 'Preschool Rules'. • Parents are kept well informed of their children's progress. Staff provide resources for parents to borrow to help their child learn at home.

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What needs to be improved?

• the timing of the introduction of letter formation • the emphasis of the 'Preschool Rules'.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to develop opportunities for parents and carers to contribute to assessments by sharing observations of their children's learning at home. There are now many ways in which parents are actively involved in their children's learning. The provider has developed several ways of linking activities at playgroup and at home. Parents have access to activity packs such as Story Sacks and Jolly Phonics folders to take home. They are able to meet formally and informally with staff to discuss their children's progress, share records, and to add their observations of the activities carried out at home. Staff are prepared to extend the arrangements for liaison with parents, for example by home visits, if parents require it.

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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 are confident, friendly and well motivated to learn. They express themselves fluently and use social conventions such as 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me', spontaneously to adults and to their peers. They learn to make decisions and to choose and use play resources independently. The written playgroup 'rules' do not accurately reflect the positive ethos and techniques used by the staff to help children learn how to behave.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children have many well planned opportunities to predict and explain during well-planned, absorbing play. They use role play areas very well to practise reading and writing. They engage in many play activities to develop their fine motor skills. Staff relate the sounds in words to written symbols using a multisensory approach. Some work sheets are introduced before children have acquired sufficient coordination. This can lead to the development of some inaccurate letter formations.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good There are many interesting planned and informal opportunities to develop children's mathematical understanding. Children recognise numbers and use them confidently and accurately in their play. Staff use everyday situations well to help children solve problems. Children participate enthusiastically in imaginative play activities to explore shape, weight and capacity.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children develop skills of observation from watching, describing and responding to a wide variety of interesting stimuli in their immediate environment. They investigate different materials and substances and learn to care for and respect living things. Plans show how they make progress in developing design and making skills and how they learn about technology and how things work. They use the computer confidently, helping each other solve problems.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities for active play; they climb, jump, run, balance, pedal scoot, push and pull. They move enthusiastically alone or as part of group, sharing the available space well. They use a wide range of resources for vigorous physical activity which encourage them to cooperate well together. They develop fine motor skills well in a rich range of self chosen planned play opportunities, learning to handle different tools and materials safely and confidently.

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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 experiment with many different media and materials, alone and in groups, on large and small scales. Plans show how they learn to explore the sounds of different instruments. They express themselves through well planned absorbing role play. Staff identify clear learning objectives and guide play effectively to help children develop their ideas. Children have many opportunities to respond to new smells, tastes and textures

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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: • the timing of the introduction of letter formation to ensure children have sufficient physical coordination • the emphasis of the 'Preschool Rules' to reflect the positive behaviour management techniques used in the setting.

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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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