Over Puddleducks Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 29/01/2003 Inspector Name Betty George

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Over Puddleducks Pre-School Setting Address The Doles Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4 5NW

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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

Puddleducks Pre School is registered to provide Sessional Day Care for 26 children aged 2 - 5 years. The Pre School is based in a Community Centre in Over and is managed by a committee of parents with a PLA Constitution. The setting has two adjacent play rooms, one of which was purpose built for pre school children. The group are open five mornings and two afternoons each week during term time only. In addition parents can choose to take advantage of a lunch time session where children remain at the group until 12.45 pm. The Play Leader has a PLA Diploma in Pre-school Practice qualification. There are five other members of staff, three of whom hold, or are working towards an appropriate qualification. The remaining two members of staff plan to start a training course in the near future. The setting currently has 15 three year olds and 7 four year olds attending of whom 8, three year olds and all four year olds receive funding. No child attending this group has special

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How effective is the nursery education?

Puddleducks Pre-school offers good quality provision that helps children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals,with very good progress in all areas of learning. Teaching is generally good with some very good aspects.The staff's clear knowledge of the foundation stage,their understanding of how children learn,and effective planning of an interesting range of practical activities,helps children learn. There is a good range of equipment which supports children's progress and promote independent learning.Children's positive behaviour is in response to high expectations and sensitive support of the staff.Activities are well-managed and adapted to provide challenges for older or more able children in the group,although planning for the 'Rising 5's' session is not yet fully developed. Use of the assessment system is not effective. Regular observations are used to check and record children's progress,though individual children's records do not

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How effective is the nursery education?

show the next steps for learning and are not yet used to inform planning.There are currently no children with special educational needs, nor any children who do not use English as their first language,although effective systems are in place to provide good support. Leadership and management is generally good.The pre-school benefits from the strong leadership of the management committee and the supervisor.The team work together well,recognising each other's areas of expertise and are committed to developing their practice through ongoing training.The systems for reviewing the group's policies are not fully effective. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good and contributes to children's progress.Parents are well informed about their children's activities and routines and they have opportunities to record their observations of children's progress outside pre-school.However, these observations are not included in children's progress

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How effective is the nursery education?

records or used to inform planning for individual needs.

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What is being done well?

Children are making very good progress in all areas of learning.They are confident,independent learners, able to choose and initiate their own activities and explore new experiences. Behaviour is very good; children work well together in groups, showing respect for each others views and needs. Leadership and management by the committee of parent volunteers steers the team and delegates areas of responsibility, providing a firm structure for leadership. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage, with a very good knowledge of how young children learn. They plan a wide range of child centred activities to enable children to make very good progress in all areas.

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What needs to be improved?

The format and use of the assessment system and the consistency in the way in which information is recorded by staff. Planning for the new 'Rising 5's' sessions so that they include learning objectives from the Foundations Stage Curriculum stepping stones. The system for reviewing policies to ensure that changes in legislation and practice within the setting are reflected in written statements.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Planning for the main group sessions now reflect the six areas of learning in the Foundation Stage Curriculum and use stepping stones to provide appropriate progression. All staff now access regular training workshops to enable them to provide appropriate learning opportunities for all areas of the curriculum, including knowledge and understanding of the world. Induction procedures and formal appraisals of staff have been introduced and are used to provide opportunities to monitor and evaluate practice within the setting.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. They are interested and motivated to learn. They are confident to try new activities, take initiative and show high levels of concentration. Children develop good relationships, showing respect for each other's needs. They are independent learners, selecting activities and resources for themselves and extending the activities provided to pursue their own interests.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's development in communication, language and literacy is very good. Children interact with each other and with adults, speaking clearly and confidently. They are able to identify initial sounds in spoken words and they use writing for a purpose. Some children are able to write their names accurately. They show an interest in books and understand that print carries meaning, following the text and using books correctly. They recall favourite tales using story language with understanding.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's mathematical development is very good. They are competent users of the language of mathematics, and discuss shape, size and quantity. They recreate simple patterns and sequences in their play. They use their increasing knowledge of size and capacity to solve practical problems such as putting away toys and equipment. They count confidently and accurately and are beginning to show an understanding of addition and subtraction and use the language associated with it.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's knowledge and understanding of the word is very good. They look closely at their environment, make models of their houses and maps of the village. They question how things work and discuss the natural world with understanding. They talk about their families and past events in their lives and learn about a range of cultures and beliefs through 'Autumn Festivals' and similar topics. They use everyday technology such as telephones and calculators in their play.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's physical development is very good. They move confidently and imaginatively, indoors and out. They show good co-ordination and are able to balance and climb in safety. They use a wide range of small and large equipment and handle tools and objects of all sizes with control and purpose, picking up individual strands of shredded paper to add to their art-work. They show increasing awareness of their bodies, noticing that they get "tired" after activity such as music and movement.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's creative development is very good. They explore colour, shape and texture through a variety of practical activities such as making 'tickly' pictures.They respond to a range of experiences and express their creativity through music and art. They show an interest in making sounds and explore how they can be changed and repeated as they experiment with the computer or listen to the sound of the 'sea' in the shell at circle time. They explore real and imagined events in role play.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: Y

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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

1. Continue to develop the process for recording and assessing children's achievements and planning the 'next steps' for children's individual needs, including older children attending the 'Rising 5's' sessions.

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