Allsorts Pre School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 27/01/2005 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Allsorts Pre-school Playgroup Setting Address St John's School Grimshaw Lane Bollington, Macclesfield SK10 5LY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Allsorts Pre-School Playgroup 1048665

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Allsorts Pre-School Playgroup Address St. Johns C of E Primary School Grimshaw Lane, Bollington Macclesfield Cheshire SK10 5LY

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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

Allsorts Pre-School Playgroup has been registered since 1990 and is a committee run group held in a spare classroom in St Johns Primary School in Bollington. The playgroup is run by a committee. The playgroup provides care for a maximum of 16 children up to five mornings a week from 09:00 to 12.00 noon during term time only. The playgroup is independent of the school and children may attend from any area and do not have to attend St Johns school. The playgroup is registered to receive funding for three and four year olds. At present there are 17 funded children. They have access to both indoor and outdoor play facilities. Policies and procedures are available for both staff and parents information. There are no pets on the premises. A no smoking policy is in operation.

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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?

Allsorts Pre-school Playgroup offers good quality education where children make generally good progress overall towards the early learning goals. Chilren make very good progress in all areas of learning except communication, language and literacy and mathematics where progress is generally good. The quality of teaching is generally good and children learn effectively as a result of detailed planning which is linked to assessment. However, some children are not sufficiently extended to use their knowledge of letters and sounds to build on. Staff do interact very well with all children. They consistently challenge them to think and express their ideas by skilful questioning and use of imaginative resources. There are no raised voices and there is a calm and happy atmosphere. As aresult children are very well behaved. Children are constantly encouraged and praised by staff who are kind and sensitive to their needs.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is generally good. Staff share a strong committment to the constant development of quality care and education. They have a clear understanding of where progress is necessary and how to build on what they do well. The staff team have the ability to extend and challenge those older and more able children but lack confidence. Partnerships with parents is sgenerally good. It is an effective partnership overall but there is insufficient information given to parents about the Foundation stage and possible ways of involvement in their children's learning. However, there is a constant dialogue between home and pre-school and a relaxed and approachable environment which parents appreciate

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What is being done well?

• Children are very happy, secure and confident in the setting.They communicate well by initiating conversations and by listening attentively. • Staff are kind, caring and sensitive to the needs of all children.They provide good role models in a calm and happy environment. • Directed teaching and the quality of interaction and questioning leads to effective learning. • Staff recognise that children learn by first hand experiences and endeavour to provide interesting and sensory experiences for them to initiate their own learning. • Staff value parents and are approachable and welcoming. They strive to ensure there is a true partnership between home and pre-school.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for older and more able children to use their knowledge of letters and sounds • information to parents on the Foundation Stage, the Stepping Stones to the Early Learning Goals, and how parents can be involved in supporting their children's learning towards these goals

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The setting was required to provide more opportunities to develop children's knowledge of letters and the sounds they make. Through daily exposure to phonetic sounds and through detailed planning and assessment, records show that children are more confident identifying letters and their sounds. Staff were also required to provide more opportunities for children to use technology in their learning. Whilst the pre-school has only just acquired a computer, other resources, such as a radio, and tape recorder, are regularly in use by the children. Finally, the setting was to amend records of assessment and update information to reflect changes in the early years curriculum. Through involvement with the early years partnership and support from advisory teachers the pre-school has adopted methods of planning linked to assessment and updated information accordingly.

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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 very happy, confident, sociable, interested and keen to learn. They concentrate well and are active listeners during teaching or story telling sessions. The children are able to form good relationships and are kind, respectful and very well behaved. They are able to take turns, share and recognise the needs of others. Children have good personal independence. They can select resources appropriate to their needs and when engaged in an activity they stay on task and complete it.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are clear, confident speakers who initiate conversations using a wide and varied vocabulary. They listen well to stories and retell familiar tales to each other. Children can all recognise their own names and most can write them. They also practise making marks in their role play at the 'doctors' where they 'write' prescriptions and appointments. Older and more able children can hear and say initial sounds but are not extended to use these alphabetical skills further. They enjoy books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can recognise and count to ten and further. They can sort and classify by colour, type, shape and size and are beginning to solve simple problems although do not relate subtraction to taking away. Children recognise patterns of spots on dominoes or ladybirds. They use and understand mathematical language when applied to addition. They also describe and compare shape, position, size and quantity. Children explore volume, capacity and time by practical activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children make good use of their local environment to monitor animals, the seasons and features of living things. They handle and explore a range of interesting objects and question how things work and why. Children use a range of construction equipment to design and build for a purpose and use technology to support their learning. They talk about and look at photographs to recall past events and are learning about their own and other cultures in meaningful ways.

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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: Very Good Children move confidently about the setting with a good awareness of space, themselves and others. Indoors they use large equipment to climb up and down. Outdoors they explore more challenging multi task equipment to climb over, under, across and through. They use a range of equipment to throw, catch and ride with confidence. Many children are aware of the changes in their bodies following vigorous exercise.They handle tools and small equipment to cut, roll, pinch and mould malleable materials

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children express their own creative ideas and feelings by exploring colour, texture and shape using a wide range of materials and techniques. They recognise how sounds and rythmns can change, and sing many simple songs from memory matching movements to music.Children enjoy using their imaginations through well planned role play. They are responsive to what they see, touch, hear, taste and smell. Children react positively to listening to many styles of music including jazz and classical pieces.

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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

• provide more challenging opportunities for older and more able children to use their knowledge of letters and sounds • provide information for parents on the Foundation Stage, stepping stones and early learning goals, with particular emphasis on showing how parents can be involved in supporting their children's learning towards these goals

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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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