Nursery Education Inspection Report

NUTLEY PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP

Inspection Number: 1131688

 

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INSPECTION OF NURSERY EDUCATION
INSPECTION REPORT

Name of setting: Nutley Pre-School Playgroup
Setting number: 511435
Address: Nutley War Memorial Hall
  High Street
  Nutley
  East Sussex
   
Postcode: TN22 3LJ
Person responsible for the day-to-day management of the setting: Mrs Niki Adam
Position: Supervisor
Name of Inspector: Ivy Elsey
RgNI's Registration number: 28729
Date(s) of inspection: 12/07/99 & 13/07/99
Inspection number: 1131688

The inspection took place as part of a national programme of inspection of the educational provision for four year olds. It was commissioned by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), a department of central government.


NURSERY EDUCATION INSPECTION REPORT

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of the inspection is to identify strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the Desirable Outcomes for children's learning on entering compulsory education, (ie by the age of five). It is also to ensure parents and the public that nursery education funded by the state is of an acceptable quality. The 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.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SETTING

 

Nutley Pre-School Playgroup, which opened in the 1970s, is based in the Memorial Hall in the village of Nutley in East Sussex. The playgroup, which is affiliated to the Pre-School Learning Alliance, is run by a committee. It meets for four days a week from 9.15 am to 12.oo noon for 35 weeks in the year. There are 24 children on the roll aged from two-and-a-half years to four years of age. At present, there are eleven children who are four years of age, six of these are funded. The majority of the children come from the village and surrounding rural area. There are no children attending who have special educational needs and none for whom English is not their first language. There are four members of staff all of whom have some relevant qualification. There have been no changes to staffing or accommodation since the previous inspection of the playgroup held in April 1997.

1.MAIN FINDINGS OF THE INSPECTION

The strengths and weaknesses of the educational provision provided

A very good range of activities is offered by the Nutley Pre-School Playgroup. The children are likely to achieve the desirable learning outcomes in all six areas of learning by the time they reach five years of age, with only minor weaknesses in the provision for personal and social development and mathematics. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

The personal and social development of the children is generally good with minor weaknesses in the provision for other cultures and beliefs. Opportunities are offered for the children to learn to work together in a variety of groups and to choose and control their own learning activities. Staff promote appropriate behaviour, and children respond very well.

The programme for language and literacy is good overall. There are good opportunities for children to improve their skills in speaking and listening, they enjoy books and stories, and are beginning to understand writing. Children are familiar with letters and sounds, and they are achieving well.

Mathematics is well taught in most aspects. Adequate provision is given to this area of learning. Children are aware of mathematical language and count well. However, they have insufficient opportunities to solve mathematical problems.

Knowledge and understanding of the world is good. Staff extend children's exploration and understanding of the natural world and the community around them. Good resources for information technology are available including a computer.

The programme for physical development is good and enhanced by wide range of good resources and equipment. Children's skills with the use of small tools and equipment such as pencils and scissors are well promoted.

Creative development is good. Children respond well to opportunities to express themselves through painting, drawing, model making, singing, music and dance.

The detailed planning includes all the desirable learning outcomes and promotes these overall. The planning gives priority to the key areas of personal and social development, language and literacy and mathematics. Consideration is given in the plans to the individual children's learning.

Teaching in the pre-school group is good. Staff relate well to the children, they organise their programme well, and provide a good balance between teacher-led and child-initiated activities. A suitable assessment scheme is in place and good use is made of the information gained to inform the planning of the programme for language and literacy, and mathematics. Staff promote equal opportunities well and have a sound understanding of the needs of children with special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language although none are attending the pre-school group at present.

The resources and accommodation are good to support the delivery of the whole curriculum and are used effectively overall. The monitoring of the work of the group is effective in that the staff are continuously considering how they can improve the provision for the children.

The pre-school group has established effective links with the parents and carers who have many worthwhile opportunities to be involved with their children' learning. They are able to join the committee which supports the running of the group.

The progress with the action plan arising from the last inspection has been good. The key issues required the group to review planning, to improve the approach to mathematics and to allow the four-year-olds to have activities planned for their needs. All these areas now promote the desirable learning areas satisfactorily.

2.KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

In order to improve the quality and standards of the educational provision, the setting should:

Plan activities which give children more understanding of different cultures and beliefs.

Plan more activities to enable children to solve mathematical problems.

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues or points for development detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents, and to the Local Education Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection.


3.SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS

A. QUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL PROVISION

Personal and social development Promotes the desirable outcomes
Language and literacy Promotes the desirable outcomes
Mathematics Promotes the desirable outcomes
Knowledge and understanding of the world Promotes the desirable outcomes
Physical development Promotes the desirable outcomes
Creative development Promotes the desirable outcomes

B. CHILDREN'S SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IS FOSTERED APPROPRIATELY.
C. PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE ACTION PLAN IS GOOD
D. OUTCOME AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE INSPECTION

Taken overall, the quality and standards of the educational provision are acceptable in promoting the desirable outcomes for children's learning. The action plan should show how the provider will address the key issues or points for development within 12 months of the inspection.

It is recommended that the next inspection occurs within two to four years.

 


4.CONTENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME

The strengths and weaknesses of personal and social development

Personal and social development is well promoted and the children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. The children are confident and secure, and staff demonstrate interest and respect for their contributions and ideas, promoting self-respect. A happy atmosphere and the established routines and ethos of the group ensure that children are aware of appropriate behaviour. Behaviour is generally good. Relationships in the group are good, and these are supported by a good staff-to-child ratio and a committed staff involvement. Sensible rules are enforced and explained well, and these promote the children's awareness of right and wrong. For example, during the inspection period a discussion took place on why it is not right to take other children's toys when they are playing with them. Staff require the children to share and to take turns appropriately, for example, when waiting for a wheeled toy. Children are able to work together in both teacher-led and self-chosen groups, such as when playing in the 'home corner'. The expectations are that everyone will help to tidy away toys and equipment, and that these be treated carefully. Children to understand the care of living things, for example, when staff bring in their pet rabbits, and when the children are taken on nature walks. The children have good relations within their own environment but have little experience of cultures and beliefs which are different from their own. There are many good examples of activities for children to learn about their own community and photographic evidence show that events such as Christmas and Easter are well promoted. Birthdays are also celebrated. Children express and share feelings sensitively. For example, children were excited when they saw a 'mirror image' of the butterflies that they had made. Children are encouraged to concentrate and persevere well, for example, when making a pattern and sorting numbers on a caterpillar. They can focus on activities for reasonable periods of time. Opportunities to choose equipment and to initiate activities are very good, and overall, the children respond well and use their time constructively. They demonstrate independence in both self-chosen and teacher-led tasks and staff promote independence in personal routines, with regard to both hygiene and skills, such as when children pour the drinks and pass round the biscuits.

The strengths and weaknesses of language and literacy

The programme for language and literacy promotes the desirable learning outcomes and is good. Many activities give children good practice in listening; these include regular 'carpet' times, registration, discussion and story times. Children are appropriately encouraged to talk about their experiences and they are eager to share these. For example, one child explained how mummy mended the paddling pool which had a hole, and then filled it with water so that he could keep cool. Children also discussed a recent visit of the playgroup to a local zoo, and about a pet rabbit. Vocabulary is introduced and extended appropriately. For example, words connected to their topic on 'bugs' were reinforced during group time. Role-play is available and the 'home corner' was very popular with all children. Staff support these aspects well, without removing control from the children; for example, they 'minded' the 'babies' whilst the 'parent' was busy at registration and discussion time. Plans show that this area has been various shops and a doctors surgery recently. Books are used frequently. Regular story times are provided and children enjoy both old favourites and new stories. They are aware of the correct way to use books and they enjoy them. The use of name cards on pegs and on places at table promotes the children's ability to recognise their own name and the names of others in the group. Children recognise letters of the alphabet by shape and sound when they work on the computer. There is an alphabet frieze displayed. Some suitable activities, including the use of computer games, promote the children's awareness of the sounds of letters, syllables, rhymes and words, and they are becoming familiar with these. Writing materials are available for free use, and children are write for a variety of purposes including messages and their own names. Children write their own names with correct letter formation.

The strengths and weaknesses of mathematics

The provision for mathematics is generally good. Mathematical language is introduced appropriately; for example 'bigger than' and 'smaller' when looking at the sunflowers. Children talk about common shapes and find them in a book. Matching and sorting are well promoted activities such as the matching game on the computer, and in a book when children to point to the matching shape or item. A good range of proprietary mathematics resources is used well for comparing, sequencing and ordering. Counting frequently takes place; for example, the children counted how many pieces of fruit the 'Hungry Caterpillar' ate during the story, and how many children were waiting to use the wheeled toys. Children are beginning to record numbers. Suitable number rhymes and stories are regularly used and the children know a large repertoire. The children recognise and use numbers in a variety of contexts, such as when using programs on the computer. Although children encounter problems during the course of the activities, these do not often involve a mathematical context. They have an awareness of number operations such as addition and subtraction when using some good computer programs and in pre-school group routines, for example, adding boys and girls to find the number of children present.

The strengths and weaknesses of knowledge and understanding of the world

The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world is good. Children are encouraged to talk about their experiences and are eager to participate in discussions including a recent visit to the zoo. Plans show that topic on 'Familiar Places' takes place every year, when children explore all aspects of the village where they live, visiting local shops, the church and places of interest. Many photographs show children learning about people in the community such as, fire-fighters, police, a librarian and a dentist, who visit the pre-school group throughout the year.

There are very good opportunities to explore features of living things, natural and made objects. The children examine similarities, differences, patterns and changes when they work on the weather and seasonal changes. Children looked at the patterns on butterflies' wings and petals of the sunflowers. Children are encouraged to talk about the things they have observed, for example, what they had discovered in their 'bug trap'. Some appropriate recording takes place by means of drawings and charts. Staff use good questioning skills to encourage the children to think about how and why things happen as they do. There are good opportunities for the children to make constructions when they use, for example, scrap materials, dough and construction sets. Observation of scrap modelling shows that children have opportunities to select their own materials and to explore their properties in the course of making individual constructions. There is a computer in the hall, and the children enjoy using it. They display a good level of skill in manipulating the programs. These are appropriate and support learning well in, for example, mathematics and language. Children also use a tape recorder appropriately.

The strengths and weaknesses of physical development

The programme for physical development is good. The hall is carefully partitioned and children have opportunities to run freely, to use wheeled toys and participate in movement lessons using tapes. These activities all enable them to move with increasing control and co-ordination. They have a strong awareness of the space they use and of others in the area. A large range of suitable large and small equipment is available in the pre-school group; these include a climbing frame, trampoline, tunnel, wheeled toys, a parachute, balls and hoops. Staff spontaneously offer support and encouragement for the children's activities. They make suggestions and participate in the activities. The group follows a commercial fitness award scheme which gives a large selection of activities building on what children can already achieve. Staff offer support to children when encouraging them to develop skills with small tools and to practise using equipment such as pencils, scissors and construction sets. Children are likely to achieve appropriately in all aspects through regular supported use of good resources.

The strengths and weaknesses of creative development

The provision for creative development is good. Many good activities and opportunities are provided and children explore aspects of the creative media in both two and three dimension, such as the use of paint, clay, dough, collage and scrap modelling. For example, the children made three-dimensional caterpillars and butterflies. Free use of paint is available daily.

Children use the tape recorder to listen to sounds. A topic on 'Myself' is planned annually when children use 'feely' bags and books, smell flowers and plants. They use binoculars, glasses and telescopes, taste various foods and listen to corn popping and to musical instruments. These experiences are used to enhance learning in all areas of the curriculum during the course of the year, for example, when discovering properties of the plants that they grow.

Good use is made of role-play and imaginative play and the group provides a wide range of stimuli for the children. Staff use music and movement tapes and have regular visits from a dancing teacher. The lessons taught on these occasions are extended after the visits. Plans show that musical instruments are used by the children.

5.PLANNING OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME

The strengths and weaknesses of the overall planning of the educational programme

The planning of the programme is undertaken with reference to the six areas of learning and is generally efficient. However, there are some aspects which do not appear in detailed planning. These relate to learning about other cultures and beliefs, and of problem solving with a mathematical content. Personal and social development is given a high priority, and good emphasis is placed upon the other key areas of language and literacy and mathematics. Activities to promote these areas appear daily in the planning sheets and are also part of the established routines. Children are achieving satisfactorily in all three key areas.

Specific aims for individual children are detailed in the planning sheets, and these are supportive of teaching. Notes are made of the grouping of children but no notes of staff deployment, although these are known through custom, discussion and close team-work. Plans are available for parents and carers to view.

6.QUALITY OF TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

The strengths and weaknesses of teaching and assessment

Teaching is generally good. The staff are aware of the requirements of the six areas of learning, and they use this knowledge in planning the programme to teach the desirable learning outcomes well. The deployment of staff is good and the children are also grouped appropriately. They work with each member of staff at different times and experience a range of suitable groupings, ranging from story time as a whole group to paired work on the computer.

Some good questioning is used in some areas, for example, knowledge and understanding of the world, and staff interact well with the children. They are able to explain clearly and relationships are very warm. Staff share in the children's feelings and experiences with empathy and interest.

A good balance between child-initiated and teacher-led activities is achieved, and children have good opportunities to become independent. A reasonable balance between the six areas of learning is achieved. Personal and social development receives good emphasis, supported by the routines and ethos established in the group, and the children are generally well behaved. Language and literacy, and mathematics are both taught well, and the children are likely to achieve the desirable outcomes in these areas.

Assessments covering all six areas of learning has been undertaken, and staff make use of the information gained to plan the programme to meet the needs of the children, particularly in the areas of language and literacy, and mathematics.

Resources are good in all areas and are used effectively overall. The monitoring of the programme is effective, and staff are always considering ways of improving the provision. Monitoring is largely done informally and at the regular staff meetings. There is a staff appraisal system in operation. Staff are aware of current training courses and have all attended some relevant training since the last inspection.

The strengths and weaknesses of equality of access and opportunity

The programme offered is available to both boys and girls equally, and observed activities and practice do not support obvious stereotypes. Staff have attended a course on the Department of Education's Code of Practice 1994 for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and are aware of the agencies to support children with special educational needs. There is a policy in place. The observed supportive practice of the staff suggest children with these needs would be well supported.

At present, there are no children attending for whom English is an additional language, but staff were observed helping younger children to develop their speech, and staff report that help would be available from specialist teachers who support these children. Staff use assessment to plan for individual needs in language and literacy, and mathematics, and all children are able to progress at their own pace in these areas of learning.

The strengths and weaknesses of the learning resources and accommodation

The resources available are good and support the teaching of the whole curriculum. They are stored well and are made accessible to the children on a rotational basis. Resources for personal and social development are well used, particularly the items for the 'home corner'. A good range of books and writing materials freely available and these are used effectively to support the teaching of language and literacy. Staff use proprietary equipment and everyday opportunities in teaching mathematics. The resources for knowledge and understanding of the world are good and generally well used, particularly the village and its community. There is also a computer which supports learning in other areas. The equipment for physical development is good and varied and is used effectively to develop children' skills. Creative development is well-resourced and good use is made of a wide range of materials. Musical instruments are good and there is a supply of tapes to support teaching. The pre-school group has few resources to support teachers in the planning of the programme. The group uses a large, light, attractive hall which is suitable for the purpose and a smaller room which is used for group work. There is no outdoor area for the children to use except for a small strip of border where they can plant flowers and vegetables but the pre-school group make good use of the nearby forest, a parent's large garden and many outings to compensate for this. Overall, resources and accommodation are good and are used well to support the learning of all the children.

7.PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The strengths and weaknesses of the partnership with parents and carers

The partnership with parents and carers supports the children's progress towards the desirable learning outcomes well. Relationships with parents and carers are warm and welcoming. Some useful information is made available to them, and regular newsletters keep them well informed of events. The pre-school group is run by a parents' committee, and there is a successful system of parent help on a regular basis. Parents and carers have good opportunities to learn about their children's progress through termly reports. Staff are available at the start and end of each session. Parents are welcome to help their children settle. The parents are involved with fund-raising activities and by helping with outings. Parents consider that the group prepares the children well for school in a very caring atmosphere.

8.IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN

Implementation of action plan

The progress with the action plan has been good.

The key issues arising from the previous inspection related to developing a system of planning for individual children's needs, allowing more time for mathematics, recording activities, and planning a wider selection of activities for the four-year-olds.

The pre-school group has developed a new system of planning which refers to all six areas of learning. The plans also give details of individual children's needs. More time is now devoted to mathematics and science and children's files show that they sometimes record their findings by drawing and with charts. The four-year-olds now receive special time away from the other children when they can participate in activities planned to meet their needs.