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2003 OFSTED Report

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URN 315964
DfES Number: 514097

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/10/2003
Inspector Name Ann Bamford

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care
Setting Name Ladybridge Pre-School
Setting Address Ladybridge Community Centre
Beaumont Drive
Ladybridge
Bolton
BL3 4RZ

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Karen Higson
Address INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP
KAREN HIGSON IS REGISTERED PROVIDER

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and 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.

Information about the setting

Ladybridge Pre-School operates from the Community Centre in the Ladybridge area of Bolton. It is situated close to local facilities and transport links.

It is registered to provide sessional care for up to 30 children aged two to five years. Sessions are available each weekday morning during term time between 09:00 and 12:00.

The pre-school is owned and managed by Karen Higson.

Children have use of a large hall and smaller rooms for quieter activities. The centre has its own toilet and kitchen facilities. There is a secure outdoor play area for children to use. There is ramped access for wheelchair users and a large parking area to the outside.

The pre-school has links with the early years department in Bolton. There are funded places available for children aged three and four years who are eligible. The manager works alongside her five staff. Three of whom hold National Vocational Qualifications in Early Years and Childcare.

At the time of inspection there were 36 children on roll all of whom attended on a part time basis and often on different mornings. There were two children aged four years and 23 children aged three years receiving funding. The setting supports a number of children with English as an additional language. The setting was not supporting any children with learning difficulties at the time of inspection.

How good is the Day Care?

Ladybridge Pre-school provides a good standard of care.

The manager takes appropriate steps to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and are clear of their responsibilities. Staff are well organised and use the planning in the setting to provide a well ordered and stimulating environment for children to play and learn. Records are used effectively to ensure care is safe.

The safety of children is a high priority and staff regularly check equipment, environment and policies and procedures to ensure that care is effective for children. However, the boy’s toilet is in need of some minor attention. There is a wide variety of equipment that reflects positive images of difference. The group is able to meet individual need and preference of children. The manager and staff have knowledge and understanding of issues relating to protection of children. However, the written policy in relation to this needs updating.

Activities are both pre-planned and spontaneous, following children's ideas. Staff take care to present children with a wide range of activities which develop every area of the child's developmental needs. In addition staff use ideas from children and parents to create a learning environment, which reflects the individuality of children attending.

The setting works well in partnership with parents. Pre-admission information is gathered and used well to provide care and education that meets children's needs. Staff uses the regular input from parents and children to inform planning.

INSPECTION OF THE NURSERY EDUCATION PROVISION FOR FUNDED THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS.

How effective is the nursery education?

Ladybridge Pre-School is an effective provider of nursery education for both three and four year old children. Children are making very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals in all areas. They are able to communicate with each other and adults and are developing good skills in understanding the world in which they live. They are progressing well in the acquisition of number skills and exploring different use of music, dance and artwork. Children are making very good progress in the acquisition of early reading and writing skills.

The manager and staff make good use of information provided by parents on what their child can already do. This is used alongside effective curriculum planning to ensure that children have opportunities to take the next steps in development. Staff, in turn use observation and recording of what children do to plan and target areas for individual children. Children are presented with activities in a way that children find enjoyable and fun to do.

The manager and her staff make effective use of the clear roles and responsibilities that are reviewed regularly. Staff are clear on what and how children are learning. They use this to present children with frequent individual challenges to learning. The setting makes good use of staff and planning meetings to evaluate what they are doing. The staff team are able to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses and make changes accordingly.

The setting works effectively with parents. They present parents with frequent information on what is going to take place in the setting. They make good use of a notice board, on which information is updated daily, to encourage parents to be actively involved in what their child is learning whilst in the pre-school.

What is being done well?

Staff use the environment well to encourage children to play alongside each other and collaboratively. Younger children are able to know the 'rules' about taking turns and are starting to share. Older children are able to play with each other, taking turns and planning their own imaginative play sequences. Adults use celebrations and festivals from different cultural basis well to increase children's knowledge and understanding of the varied community they live in. Older children are able to collaborate to produce an imaginative 'play' reflecting what they have learned.
Adults present children with frequent and regular opportunities to use numbers as labels and both three and four year old children were able to count on and, at times, back. Children have opportunities to select activities such as bricks, creative work or even help with snack time. Adults use these activities to encourage children to begin to compare numbers and apply rules of adding and subtracting in a practical situation. Both three and four year old children were increasingly able to use their own methods to solve problems.
Adults presented children with frequent planned opportunities to use both large and small equipment. There is good use of adult intervention into children's free selection of large apparatus to encourage children to climb and negotiate equipment effectively. Children make good progress in the use of music to express feeling, adjusting speed and changing directions with confidence. They appear to greatly enjoy the very frequent use of dancing and music presented to them. Older children were able to initiate movement sequences to express feelings.
Adults plan how children will learn very effectively. The system of planning for the setting is very clear, written in expected outcomes and details when and how each member of staff will be involved. There is good use made of records recording what children can do and plans for the next steps for children to take.

What needs to be improved?

There were no significant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to the following areas:
The physical appearance of the book area
The consistent use of strategies to encourage three year old children to understand that print carries meaning
The support that younger children receive to use technological toys effectively.

What has improved since the last inspection?

1. The challenge to children when using large play equipment. The setting has used planning to ensure that children are presented with frequent opportunities to play on the slide and climbing frame. Adults alongside the children encourage them to climb, balance and jump in different ways. The records kept on what children can do then inform individual challenges made to children. Children are now able to climb and balance with increasing confidence and obvious enjoyment. 2. Opportunities to use graphs and charts to represent information. The setting now plans opportunities for this to be used as a tool and children's work folders and displays show use of simple charts and graphs to reflect, for example, which is children's favourite colour.

SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good
Adults make good use of daily routines to encourage children to take turns, share and negotiate with each other. Children are increasingly able to select from a range of choices, take turns and work in collaboration with their peers. Older children are able to develop their own imaginative play sequences.

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good
Adults provide children with frequent opportunities to extend their vocabulary and use speech for a variety of purposes. Children are increasingly confident in doing this. Adults presented some opportunities for children to understand that print carried meaning. Older children were able to recognise this and were starting to recognise words and letters. However younger children lacked opportunity to develop this. Both three and four year old children were increasingly able to make marks.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good
Adults present children with frequent and regular opportunities to use numbers as labels and both three and four year old children were making good progress. Children have opportunities to select activities such as bricks, sorting toys or jigsaws. Adults use these activities to encourage children to begin to compare numbers and apply rules of adding, subtracting and shape recognition in a practical situation. Children are able to recognise shapes with confidence.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good
Adults present children with frequent opportunities to design and make in practical situations. Children were increasingly able to join materials and balance. More able children could use materials to construct a specific object unaided. Children were presented with opportunities to use technological toys to support their learning. However on occasions adults missed opportunities to increase younger children's knowledge of how to use the toy effectively.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good
Adults presented children with frequent planned opportunities to use both large and small equipment. There is good use of adult intervention in children's free selection of large apparatus to encourage children to climb and negotiate equipment effectively. Good use is made of snack time and other routines to encourage children's awareness of body changes and good health. Older children are able to describe why they eat fruit instead of sweets.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good
Children make good progress in the use of music to express feeling, adjusting speed and changing directions with confidence. They appear to greatly enjoy the very frequent use of dancing and music presented to them. Children are presented with daily opportunities to explore texture shape and colour linked to a topic. Both three and four year old children were able to use collage, paintings, music and dance to express themselves with increasing confidence.

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following:
Improve the physical appearance of the book area
Plan consistent use of strategies to encourage three year old children to understand that print carries meaning.
Increase adult support to younger children to use technological toys effectively

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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