Wembury Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/05/2004 Inspector Name Leoarna Mills - Allen

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Wembury Pre-School Setting Address Wembury Pre-School, All Sorts Building Wembury Primary School Knighton Road, Wembury Plymouth PL9 0EB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Playzone of Tewkesbury Limited 4218557

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Playzone of Tewkesbury Limited Address Croft Farm Bredons Hardwick Tewkesbury Gloucestershire GL20 7EE

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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

Wembury Pre-school has been registered for many years, having moved in 2003 from the village hall to new purpose built premises within the ground of the village primary school. The new building comprises an entrance hall, a large main room, separate toilets, kitchen, office and storage facilities. There is a secure outside area available for play. An after school club and holiday play scheme also operate from the building under a separate registration. The village is a short distance from both the city of Plymouth, rural and coastal areas. The group is open from 09:00 to 11:30 Monday to Friday, with further sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 until 15:00 for children preparing to attend school. A lunch club from 11:30 until 12:30 is available on these days. There are 55 children currently on roll, including 30 funded three-year-olds and 19 funded four-year-olds. Seven children with special educational needs attend.

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Information about the setting

Six part time staff are employed by the voluntary committee to work with the children. Two members of staff hold an NVQ 3, another holds an NVQ 2, and a fourth holds the Scottish Pre-school Play Assistant qualification. The group receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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?

Wembury Pre-school offers good quality nursery education. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals, with very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, physical development and creative development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Adults plan interesting and meaningful activities for children, and make good use of the stepping stones and early learning goals in both planning and teaching. On occasion, adults do not use opportunities presented to them to further challenge children, in particular, older and more able children. They do, however, make them selves very accessible to children, enabling children to make good use of the support they offer. Adults also know children's individual needs well, and use this knowledge to good effect when making observations and assessments of children's progress. Support for children with special educational needs is particularly strong. Although adults do not yet assess

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's progress in every part of the curriculum, they do evaluate their planning and teaching very regularly. The leadership and management of the group is generally good. The committee, supervisor and deputy all adopt a proactive attitude to the improvement of the group's work. They are able to recognise many of the challenges they face, and can identify some areas for improvement, though not all. They have worked hard to re-establish the group at the centre of their community. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive good quality information about the group and it's activities. They also receive appropriate levels of information about their child's progress, through the effective key working system. Parents are also offered a variety of ways in which to become involved in their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Adults plan and provide a broad and purposeful curriculum, using their clear knowledge of the curriculum to good effect. Planning and teaching for children with special educational needs allows these children to make very good progress. • Teaching of physical development and personal, social and emotional skills is particularly effective. • Children respond very well to adults who give them a great deal of focussed attention, and who know their individual needs well. • Adults work hard to build relationships with parents, exploring a variety of ways in which to share information and involve them in their child's learning.

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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 • The leadership team has a clear commitment to further improving the quality of what they do.

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What needs to be improved?

• adult's recognition and use of both planned and incidental opportunities to further learning throughout the session, particularly for older and more able children • the use of assessment tools to ensure that children's progress across all parts of the curriculum is carefully observed • the clarity with which observations of children's progress are used in further planning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Improvement since the last inspection is generally good. At the last inspection the group were asked to ensure that teaching in mathematical development for older children was set at an appropriate level; to ensure the programme for older children achieved a sensible balance between adult led and child led activities; and to increase children's access to multicultural artefacts during free play. Planning for mathematical development teaching is now set at a more appropriate level for the older children, with clear links to the curriculum. The ratio of adult led to child led activities during sessions for older children is also now more even, and there are a greater number of multicultural artefacts available during free play sessions for all children. As a result all children now enjoy a more balanced 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: Very Good Children enjoy their own achievements and are motivated to try new activities. They take part in adult directed activities with enthusiasm, such as sinking and floating experiments or story time. Children also have a clear sense of the community to which they belong, taking part in regular activities within the village, such as Harvest Festival. Children can also concentrate for significant periods of time on self-selected activities, such as drawing or using the doctor's surgery role-play area.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy books and stories, and make good independent use of the book corner. Many children are making clear progress in wiring their own names, using correctly formed letters, unaided. Older and more able children are not always challenged sufficiently when developing an understanding of sounds and letters, or the components of stories. However, all children are confident communicators, who are able to negotiate with others during co-operative play, and ask adults for help.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use numbers and counting spontaneously throughout the session. They take part in activities that promote their ability to solve simple problems, though adults do not use every opportunity to extend their understanding. However, children have an increasing knowledge of shapes, and are well able to recreate patterns and sequence objects, such as animals in the 'zoo'. Their knowledge of comparative language is growing through activities such as bead threading and tower building.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have a genuine curiosity about the world around them, enjoying visits from farmers, policemen and midwives, and taking part in simple science experiments. They have good opportunities to design and make items, accessing a good range of resources. Though they do not yet access information technology regularly, they are gaining a clear understanding of the different kinds of people around the world, remembering a good deal about a recent topic on Australia.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are showing increasing co-ordination in the use of bots balls, hoops and other outdoor equipment. Their control of small tools is also growing, with many children able to use pencils, scissors and rules successfully. They are confident movers who show an awareness of space; they negotiate obstacles well. Children are also developing an understanding of their own body's needs, pouring their own drinks when they are thirsty, and washing their hands after using the toilet.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use their imaginations to the full during free play, particularly when using the role-play and dressing up resources. They are creative in their use and exploration of materials to produce art in both two- and three-dimensions. Children are also increasingly able to make choices, express opinions and communicate their ideas both through conversation and in their art work, making 'mud' out of paint and talking about what they want to be when they grow up during 'jobs people do' week.

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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

• Through the use of incidental opportunities, increase the challenges for older and more able children throughout the session. • Ensure that children's progress across all parts of the curriculum is carefully assessed, and use this information to further plan for children more clearly.

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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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