Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/06/2004 Inspector Name Caroline Bishop

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Findon Village Pre-School Setting Address Youth Club High Street, Findon Village Nr Worthing West Sussex BN14 0TA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Findon Village Pre School 1029483

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Findon Village Pre School Address Youth Club, High Street Findon Worthing West Sussex BN14 0TA

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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

Findon Village Pre-School is situated in a building shared with the youth club behind the village hall in Findon, near the coastal town of Worthing in West Sussex. It opened in September 1989 and serves the local rural community. The group have access to an outside area. It is open five mornings a week from 09.15 am to 12.00 during term time. The playgroup takes up to 24 children between the ages of two-and-a-half and five years old. Six four-year-olds and fourteen three-year-olds currently receive funding. Four members of staff work with the children at each session.

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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?

Findon Village Pre-school provides good-quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are making very good progress in communication, language and literacy and creative development but their progress in mathematical development is limited by some significant areas for improvement.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff plan a good range of practical activities. Good organisation of space allows children to make their own choices and encourages them to explore and use their imagination. Some staff lack sufficient knowledge of the early learning goals. Aims for children's learning are not transferred into daily plans and staff do not always use activities effectively to help children learn. Children behave well most of the time and have good relationships with staff, but they are not always fully motivated to learn. Some activities provide more challenge for older children, especially in communication, language and literacy, but staff are less confident in helping children learn about mathematics. The assessment system is systematic, informative and shows children's progress in all areas of learning.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management are generally good. The new supervisor has made some significant improvements during her five weeks in post and has appropriate aims for children's learning. Staff are building good relationships and beginning to work well as a team, but some staff lack confidence and have had little opportunity for staff development and relevant training to update their skills and help them improve teaching. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents receive useful information on policies, routines and activities, but have limited information on the Foundation Stage curriculum. Parents feel welcome, are building good relationships, share information informally with staff and continue children's learning with some activities at home.

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What is being done well?

• Children develop good communication, language and literacy skills, they express their ideas and feelings confidently, enjoy using books, develop an awareness of letter sounds and shapes and use writing materials with increasing confidence and control. • Children make choices confidently and are developing good independent skills.

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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 show good imaginative skills, they make up their own stories and are motivated by interesting well planned activities, materials and role-play. • Children take part in a range of practical activities which encourage them to explore and find things out for themselves.

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What needs to be improved?

• detail in short term plans to ensure all staff know what children are intended to learn from activities, how children will be grouped, how staff will be deployed and how activities can be adapted for children at different stages of development. • children's awareness of mathematics and use of mathematical vocabulary throughout sessions, to ensure children explore a range of aspects and become confident in solving problems. • the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and opportunities for staff development, to help improve teaching.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. At the last inspection the pre-school was asked to improve the teaching of language and literacy by drawing children's attention to writing and ensuring that children use writing materials appropriately to develop early writing skills; to improve the planning and assessment records and give more detail about what children are expected to learn; and to improve the information for parents on the curriculum. The programme for language and literacy has improved and is now a strength. Children have developing awareness of the different purposes of writing, enjoy using writing materials and are developing good early writing skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Plans and assessments have been revised and are more detailed. Assessments now clearly show children's progress towards the early learning goals, and medium-term plans show what children are intended to learn. However, short-term plans still lack information on what children are expected to learn and does not provide enough detail to guide staff in helping children to make progress. Parents are better informed about what children do, but they still have limited information on the curriculum.

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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 learn to work together, sharing equipment when using dough and mixing paint, and learning to take turns and listen to each other in large group discussions. They show developing confidence and self-esteem showing objects brought from home to the rest of the group, and are polite. Children choose activities confidently and are developing good personal independence. However, staff do not always support activities effectively to attract children's interest and motivate them to learn.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children have good language skills; they talk confidently to staff, use language well to re-tell stories, express their feelings and talk about their own experiences. Children show developing awareness of letter shapes and sounds when writing their names. They enjoy books and stories, and use books for different purposes. Three- and four-year-olds use writing materials confidently, and write for a variety of purposes in role-play, writing letters and taking bookings in the 'travel agent'.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children use mathematical language in some activities, when discussing shape and size and when sorting and matching objects. They are building confidence in counting at registration, use numbers in rhymes and show developing awareness of simple addition and subtraction when they act out number songs. However, there is limited emphasis on mathematics in daily activities and routines, and no system to ensure that all children regularly practise a range of skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children use their senses to investigate a collection of objects from the beach, and have explored changes during cooking. They experiment with construction equipment, and design their own models. Children show developing awareness of the local environment and community, and have increasing awareness of different foods and clothes from around the world. However, children are not always encouraged to extend their learning with clear explanations or effective questions.

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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 move confidently inside and out and negotiate space well. They show increasing control and co-ordination steering wheeled toys to avoid obstacles, use a climbing frame, and enjoy balancing on wooden beams. However, there is no system to ensure that all children use equipment. Children handle tools well with dough and use writing materials confidently, but are not always expected to do things for themselves. Children are aware of personal hygiene and the importance of healthy eating.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children talk about and compare colour when making paints and show a developing awareness of which colours are needed to make others. They explore texture using different collage materials, and feel different objects collected from the beach. Children join in confidently when singing and explore sound using a range of percussion instruments. They express their own ideas using paint, show good imaginative skills in role play and talk about their likes and dislikes when discussing food.

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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 short term plans to ensure that staff are confident about what children are intended to learn, how they will be grouped, how staff are to be deployed and how activities can be adapted to suit children at different stages of development. • develop a balanced programme for mathematics where all children increase their awareness of mathematics in practical activities, and regularly use mathematical vocabulary to explore, solve problems and make progress in learning. • introduce a system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, and ensure all staff have access to suitable training and development, to improve teaching and give children more challenges in their learning.

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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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