The Serendipity School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/10/2004 Inspector Name Olive Sumner

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Sholing Community Centre Pre-School Setting Address Butts Road Southampton Hampshire SO19 1BN

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Sholing Community Centre Pre-school was established in 1969. The setting operates from 2 rooms in the Community Centre in Sholing, Southampton and serves the local area. It offers sessional care 5 days a week and children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school has charity status and is organised by a voluntary management committee. The day to day running of the setting is the responsibility of the supervisor The setting is registered for 26 children per session aged between 2-5 years and offers 9 sessions a week. It is open 5 days a week for morning and afternoon sessions apart from Tuesday afternoons. Sessions are from 9.15 - 11.45 and from 12.30 - 15.00. There are currently 44 children from 2 years 9 months to 5 years on roll and this includes 35 children in receipt of nursery education funding. At present there are no children who have been identified as having special educational needs.

p.2

Information about the setting

The setting support children for whom English is an additional language. There are 6 members of staff working with the children and early years qualifications include the Diploma in Pre-school Practice and NVQ 2. Staff regularly attend training courses to update their practice. The setting is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and is registered with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and values their support.

p.2

Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

Sholing Community Pre-school provides good quality nursery education overall and children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff are supportive and caring and children are happy and settled in the well resourced and organised environment. They manage children very well and relationships are very good. Teaching is effective when practical activities are well planned and staff have clear learning objectives but sometimes opportunities are missed to extend and develop children's learning, particularly in some aspects of communication language and literacy and mathematical development. There are some very good opportunities for children to investigate and to learn about the environment and living things. Staff encourage

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

children's independence in creative activities and enable them to express their ideas and develop imagination in musical activities and role play and extend their physical skills indoors and outside. Staff plan a variety of practical activities and understand what children learn from them. They assess children's learning against the stepping stones of the early learning goals and keep careful records of children's progress. Staff value each child's individuality and can support children with special educational needs and children for whom English is an additional language. Leadership and management are generally good. The leader has been effective in developing a quality environment and is able to take on board new ideas and advice. She is supported by a capable deputy and committed staff team. Administration is well managed. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents value the supportive staff. They

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

are well informed of children's progress but do not contribute to children's learning sufficiently.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children are eager to learn in the supportive environment. They are happy and settled and benefit from a good range of quality resources. They make very good progress learning to take turns and share and have very good opportunities to show personal independence as when serving themselves at the snack bar. Relationships and behaviour are very good and children respond very well to the staff who are very good role models. • Children are friendly and confident and like to talk about what they are doing. They respond with enjoyment to stories, rhymes and musical activities. They learn to recognise their names and attempt their own writing and drawing in

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 the well resourced writing area. They learn to count reliably and to recognise numbers. They enthusiastically learn about the environment and features of living things observing spider's webs and collecting leaves, conkers and acorns and investigate and explore and develop mathematical concepts and language in practical activities such as making play dough, cutting their buttered toast. • They explore colour and media and can make choices and express ideas and they develop their imagination in role play and imaginative games. They move confidently in the indoor and outdoor space and develop a growing awareness of space. They use small tools with increasing skill. Staff are caring and supportive and value the individual child. Children learn effectively when well planned practical activities have clear learning objectives.

p.3

What is being done well?

• The leader is committed to providing a quality provision and the indoor learning environment is attractive and stimulating. She is supported by a capable deputy who has effective teaching skills and by a hardworking and committed staff team who give of their best. Parents value the committed staff and learning environment and know that their children are happy and learning.

p.4

What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to hear and say and link sounds to letters in fun practical activities • opportunities for children to be encouraged by staff to use, enjoy and share books with each other and with adults in the attractive book area and to learn to use the writing resources available in role play for purpose • opportunities to extend and develop mathematical language and ideas across the curriculum and the use of the very good mathematical resources in focused practical activities which have clear learning objectives so that children can extend their learning and build on what they already know • opportunities for parents to contribute to children's learning and to be informed about the stepping stones of the early learning goals.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been generally good progress in children's learning since the last inspection. At the last inspection the setting was asked to strengthen language and literacy and creative development by ensuring all children listen to stories and respond to music imaginatively. There is now a daily story session in which all children participate and respond with enjoyment and interest. There are also opportunities to listen to well told stories when the library van visits or on occasion from visitors to the group. There are also regular musical activities to which the children respond with enthusiasm and with

p.4

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 imagination. Overall generally good progress has been made on this key issue. The setting was also asked to provide more information for parents and to encourage them to be informed of children's progress and achievements. There is now a good range of information available for parents to access. There is an informative prospectus and the setting sends out regular newsletters. In addition the weekly planning is displayed on the parent's noticeboard. Parents have good informal and formal opportunities to talk to keyworkers and be informed of children's progress and achievement. There is an opportunity to join a parent's rota on a weekly basis. Progress in this key issue has been generally good. The third key issue asked the setting to improve record keeping by including informative comments for parents. Since the last inspection the setting has reviewed

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

the assessment system and now uses a system which relates to the stepping stones of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. Record keeping is supported by informative comments on children's learning and this can be enhanced by providing more opportunities for parents to contribute to children's learning and to be informed about the stepping stones of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. Progress in this key issue has been generally good.

p.5

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

p.5

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are interested, motivated and happy and are well settled in the supportive environment. They are confident to try new activities and make good progress learning to sit and concentrate at a range of activities. Relationships and behaviour are very good and children learn to take turns and share. They are confidently acquiring skills of personal independence and can make choices and select resources. They learn to be aware and respect their own needs and feelings and those of others.

p.6

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy interacting with one another and with adults and can listen well. They enjoy listening to well told stories and learn to recognise their name. They confidently draw and attempt writing in the writing area. Children have insufficient fun opportunities to hear, say and link sounds to letters and staff miss opportunities to encourage children to enjoy and share books with adults in the book corner or to learn to write for purpose using the available writing resources in role play.

p.6

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children say and use numbers and learn to count reliably and recognise numbers. They sing number rhymes and begin to develop understanding of addition and subtraction. There is a good range of mathematical resources and staff encourage children to develop some mathematical language and ideas across the curriculum. However sometimes opportunities are missed to extend learning for more able children and resources are not always used effectively to enable children build on what they already know.

p.6

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children find out about the features of living things as they investigate spider's webs, leaves, conkers. They notice and ask questions about change when making play dough and when observing the weather. They have good opportunities to build and construct and learn about past and present talking about events in their own lives. They learn about their own culture and those of others. They have opportunities to learn about everyday technology and this would be enhanced by access to a computer.

p.6

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

p.6

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move confidently with increasing control and co-ordination. They are aware of their own space and that of others using wheeled toys and extend their physical skills on the climbing frame and using the caterpillar tunnel or when using small equipment. They handle a range of small tools, construction and malleable materials with increasing skill. On occasion the outside space is not used to advantage to encourage purposeful play or to develop activities that extend physical skills.

p.7

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently explore colour, texture, shape and form as when making their own models or when painting and drawing. They are able to develop their own ideas and respond to what they hear, see, touch and feel. They can make choices and select materials from an available range of resources and are well supported by staff. They participate in a very good range of musical activities and develop their imagination in role play and in imaginative games.

p.7

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

p.7

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.

p.8

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• develop fun opportunities for children to hear, say and link sounds to letters and encourage children to regularly use, share and enjoy books with each other and with adults in the attractive book area. Make use of the available writing resources in role play to encourage children to understand writing for purpose • create more opportunities for children to develop mathematical language and ideas through planned practical activities that have clear learning objectives and which make good use of the available resources so that children extend their learning and build on what they already know • continue to develop the partnership with parents and provide parents with more opportunities to contribute to learning and be informed about the stepping stones of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage.

p.8

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.

p.8

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

p.8