Samuel Laycock School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/02/2005 Inspector Name Janet Armstrong

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Widecombe Pre-school Setting Address Church House Widecombe-in-the-Moor Newton Abbot Devon TQ13 7TB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Widecombe Pre-school

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Widecombe Pre-school Address Church House Widecombe-in-the-Moor Newton Abbot Devon TQ13 7TB

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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

Widecombe Pre-school has been established for over 30 years and is situated in the centre of the rural village of Widecombe in the Moor located in the heart of Dartmoor. The pre-school is run by a committee of parent volunteers and is registered to provide care for up to 18 children under the age of 5 years. The pre-school is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, term time only from 09.15 until 11.45. They serve the local community and places are offered to children who come from a range of different backgrounds. They can cater for children with special educational needs and English as an additional language, although none currently attend. The pre-school is in receipt of the government funding for three- and four-year-olds. There are currently 26 children on the register, of whom 15 are funded. The pre-school operates from the Church House, which is a listed National Trust building. The group use the first floor hall for its main accommodation with the

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Information about the setting

ground floor hall used for physical activities. Toilet and kitchen facilities are available. Included in the registration is a fully enclosed outdoor play area, laid mainly to grass. The pre-school employs a qualified play leader who holds the N.N.E.B certificate and three members of staff, of whom one is qualified. Support and curriculum advice is sought from the Advisory Teacher and 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?

Widecombe Pre-school provides good quality nursery education with children making generally good progress towards the early learning goals, especially, personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy where progress is very good. Teaching is generally good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the early learning goals. Planning shows a good range of activities that cover the six areas of learning. However, there is no system in place to show whether a broad and balanced curriculum is provided over a period of time, nor do the activities link to the steps within the early learning goals or the children's individual learning needs. Staff are effectively deployed throughout the session and support the children well in their choices. They interact positively and develop the children's personal and social skills and language and literacy skills very well. However, they do not sufficiently promote

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How effective is the nursery education?

the children's learning in some areas of mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative development. Staff manage the children's behaviour very well. The co-ordinator for children with special educational needs is clear on her role. The children's records of assessment are supported by some good examples of the children's work. However, they do not effectively show how and whether children are progressing through the six areas of learning. Nor is this information used to guide planning. Leadership and management is generally good. There are clearly defined roles within management that support the staff well, with regular meetings and appraisals to monitor their effectiveness. However, less formal systems to oversee the nursery education provided do not effectively monitor the impact on the children's learning. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents value the positive systems in place

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How effective is the nursery education?

for sharing information with them, involving them in their children's learning and how their children are progressing.

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What is being done well?

• Children are well-behaved, polite and show consideration for others. They recognise the need for codes of expected behaviour and share, negotiate and take turns, working together. • Children have good opportunities to use mark making tools and materials regularly and are developing confident pre-writing skills. They have good pencil control to draw clear pictures and some are able to write their own names and form recognisable letters. • Children use their language well to communicate and negotiate with others. They speak clearly and with confidence to share their thoughts and ideas and make a positive contribution to conversations.

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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 positive introduction to their local environment and the natural world in which they live. Positive themes, activities and trips around the village, Dartmoor and wider community gives them a strong sense of identity and belonging. • Children use ride on toys with skill and precision as they race around the 'track' at speed using the pedals to propel themselves, showing good control and co-ordination avoiding obstacles and others around them. • There are valuable systems in place for liaising with parents. Very strong links have been formed with parents that keep them up to date on themes, activities, their children's progress and how they can encourage and support their children's learning at home, that is identified as part of the planning process.

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What needs to be improved?

• the assessment systems to give an accurate picture of children's progress and development through the six areas of learning and how their individual learning needs are met and used to guide planning • the systems to show that children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum over a period of a year that covers the six areas of learning and steps within and is guided by individual children's learning • the opportunities for children to solve simple number problems, explore and investigate and have access to modern day technology and creative resources to initiate their own art and design and express themselves on a regular basis.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made in addressing the four key issues raised at the last inspection. At that inspection the provider agreed to ensure that planning is guided by the children's individual learning and covers the six areas of learning over a period of time, to use the children's records of assessment to identify individual needs and show how they are being met, to ensure that staff are aware of the Code of Practice and put in place a system to follow should they identify any concerns regarding the children's learning. They also agreed to improve systems for sharing the children's records of assessment with parents and encouraging them to contribute towards such records. Short term plans now detail the aim of each main daily activity with links to the area of learning it covers. However, there is still no system in place to identify whether and how children will be introduced to a broad and balanced curriculum over the

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What has improved since the last inspection?

period of a year. Nor is there any evidence to suggest that planning is guided by the children's individual learning needs. A basic assessment system is in place to monitor the children's progress that uses a colour and dated code to show their attainment. However, this does not successfully

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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 show the children's progress through the steps within the six areas of learning or how this information is used to guide planning. There is now clear, written information and policies in place to sufficiently inform the co-ordinator, staff and parents of appropriate systems to follow with regard to children with special educational needs to ensure needs are correctly identified and supported. Parents are now clearly informed in their introduction pack about the records of assessment completed on their children and how they will be shared with parents at regular termly events. Parents are able to record any comments and make a contribution to these throughout the year.

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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 good levels of confidence and self-esteem. They join in and initiate their own activities in large and small groups, moving around the hall making their own choices, sharing their ideas with others, staff and visitors. They have formed positive relationships with those around them, showing care and consideration towards each other. They have good personal independence as they learn to take care of some of their own needs, such as using the toilet and washing their hands.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use their language well to clearly communicate and negotiate with others, extending and making a positive contribution to discussions. They understand the structure of books as they correct staff when she tries to read a book upside down and back to front. They listen carefully and answer relevant questions to the story. Children enjoy regular opportunities to access resources to draw, colour and write. Some write recognisable letters that are formed correctly to write their own names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently up to ten and some beyond. They use these skills to identify how many children are present. However, they do not receive sufficient support from staff to build on these skills to compare and solve simple number problems in activities and regular, daily routines. Planning shows that children are regularly introduced to shape, position, size and quantity through planned activities, such as growing, measuring and creating patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children build and design from a good range of construction materials, such as play dough, duplo, puzzles and train tracks, which they piece together independently. They have a very good introduction to the natural world, local environment in which they live and their own and other cultures through an interesting range of themes and outings. There is limited evidence to show that children have sufficient opportunities to explore and investigate and use modern day technology on a regular basis.

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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: Generally Good Children use the indoor space safely showing good spatial awareness as they involve themselves in a range of activities, manoeuvring around furniture and others at play. They show good control and co-ordination on three-wheeled trikes, scooters and small climbing frame to pedal at speed, jump and climb. Children have good hand-eye co-ordination and small muscle skills to cut, sew, and mould. There is limited evidence to show how children's physical development and individual needs are supported.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore colour, texture and form through a good range of adult-initiated and structured creative activities, such as collage using an interesting range of resources and many different painting techniques. There are limited opportunities for them to access resources to initiate their own art and design and express themselves. Children use their imagination well to act out familiar and imagined situations through role play and small world play that are supported by a good range of props.

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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 assessment systems to give an accurate picture of children's progress and development through the six areas of learning and show how their individual learning needs are met and used to guide planning • develop the systems to show that children have access to a broad and balanced curriculum over a period of a year that covers the six areas of learning and steps within and is guided by individual children's learning • extend the opportunities for children to solve simple number problems, explore and investigate and have access to modern day technology and creative resources to initiate their own art and design and express themselves on a regular basis.

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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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