Information For Parents
The Play Group currently has places for local children from ages two and a half to school age.
The Play Group runs during school term times.
Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.
Times: 0930 to 11.45
Costs:
Free up to the age of 3 years.
3 years to school age £4.00 per morning.
All places a currently filled for this year (2002).
For more information please contact
Barbara Dobie on: 0191 2854062.
OFSTED - Nursery Education Inspection Report
GOSFORTH GARDEN VILLAGE PLAYGROUP
Inspection Number: 1162157
© Crown Copyright 2000
OFSTED reports may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.
INSPECTION OF NURSERY EDUCATION
INSPECTION REPORT
| Name of setting: |
Gosforth Garden Village Playgroup |
| Setting number: |
535642 |
| Address: |
The Bowls Pavillion |
| |
Rosewood Avenue |
| |
Gosforth |
| |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
| |
|
| Postcode: |
NE3 5BJ |
| Person responsible for the day-to-day management of the setting: |
Barbara Dobie |
| Position: |
Playgroup Leader |
| Name of RgNI: |
Alexandra Thompson |
| RgNI's Registration number: |
29155 |
| Date(s) of inspection: |
9 & 10 April 2001 |
| Inspection number: |
1162157 |
The inspection took place as part of a national programme of inspection of the educational provision for three- and four-year-olds. It was commissioned by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), a non-ministerial department of central government.
NURSERY EDUCATION INSPECTION REPORT
ABOUT THE INSPECTION
The purpose of the inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that funded nursery education is of an acceptable quality. Inspection 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
Gosforth Garden Village Playgroup opened in 1978. It is situated in the Bowls Pavilion which is shared with many other users. The playgroup serves an urban area and takes children from two-and-a-half years to four-and-a-half years. It is registered with Newcastle upon Tyne Registration and Inspection Unit. It is open for 39 weeks per year from 9.30am until 11.45am Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. There are currently 25 children on the register who attend for varying lengths of time. There are 12 three-year-olds, 10 of whom are in receipt of funding. There are no funded four-year-olds. There are currently no children with special educational needs. The playgroup supports children with English as an additional language well. The children who attend the playgroup live in the local community and represent a wide range of social, cultural and family backgrounds. The playgroup is run by a committee who employs three members of staff who teach the children. The playgroup receives support from an early years teacher based at the local Early Years Partnership.
HOW GOOD IS THE SETTING?
The playgroup provides a warm caring environment which supports the children's progress towards the early learning goals well overall. The children arrive at playgroup lively and keen to learn and are generally well behaved. The staff plan many worthwhile activities to motivate the children and adapt these to meet their individual needs. The staff use good teaching techniques and good questioning skills to promote the children's progress in mathematical development and communication, language and literacy. The staff demonstrate a good understanding of the early learning goals and plan suitable activities to cover all six areas of learning. Overall the playgroup staff have developed good relationships with its parents and carers.
IMPROVEMENT SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION
Not applicable.
WHAT THE SETTING DOES WELL
Staff and children develop good relationships and this develops the children's confidence and self-esteem.
Children make good progress in communication, language and literacy and display good speaking and listening skills and an interest in writing.
Children progress well in mathematical development, they regularly count out loud and participate in problem-solving activities.
Staff work well together as a team and have a calm and friendly manner.
Staff plan varied and exciting activities which cover all six areas of learning.
Good systems are in place to monitor the children's learning and development.
Staff develop good relationships with parents and carers.
WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO IMPROVE
Opportunities for the children to use their initiative during daily routines.
Opportunities for the children to recognise the importance of being healthy.
Opportunities for the children to use a wide range of malleable materials.
Opportunities for the children to learn about their local environment.
The parents and carers' access to information on the educational provision.
OUTCOME AND RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TIMING OF THE NEXT INSPECTION
Taken overall, the quality and standards of the educational provision, and the progress children are making towards the early learning goals, is good. The action plan should show how the provider will address the key issues or points for consideration within 12 months of the inspection.
It is recommended that the next inspection occurs within two to four years.
HOW GOOD IS THE EDUCATIONAL PROVISION?
HOW WELL THE CHILDREN ARE LEARNING
Overall quality of learning
The quality of children's learning is good overall. The children are fully engaged in their activities and respond well to adult direction. They are making good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning overall. The children generally progress well in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. The children's attainment is in line with expectations for three-year-olds and the staff ensure activities build on what the children already know. Particularly good progress is being made in mathematical development and communication, language and literacy and the children demonstrate good counting and problem-solving skills and good speaking and listening skills. Children willingly participate in new and familiar activities with and without adult support and generally behave well. Children with English as an additional language progress well in all areas.
Personal, social and emotional development
Children's progress in personal, social and emotional development is good overall. Regular praise and encouragement from the staff ensures the children develop confidence and positive self-esteem. The staff are good role models and this encourages the children to behave well. Discussions are used to help them to understand the difference between right and wrong. The children demonstrate good sharing and turn-taking skills, for example, they share the funnels in the water tray and take turns during role-play. The children select the activities they wish to participate in and demonstrate good concentration and perseverance skills. They work well in small and large groups and are sensitive to the needs of others. Children and staff forge good relationships and the children separate from their parents confidently each day. The children develop a sense of community and belonging as they talk about their families and experiences with the staff and find their name cards at snack time. A good range of multi-cultural resources are available to help the children learn about different cultures. The children respond to their activities and daily routine situations with feeling. The children demonstrate increasing personal independence as they put on their own aprons and coats. They show initiative as they wipe down the tables ready for snack time. However, they are not encouraged to pass round the biscuits or pour their own drinks.
Communication, language and literacy
The children's progress in communication, language and literacy is good. Children's speaking and listening skills are well developed as they participate in small group discussions with the staff. The staff really listen to what the children have to say and encourage them to confidently talk and listen and share their experiences and news with each other. The children enjoy stories and books and clearly understand how books work. The environment is well labelled and the children are beginning to understand that print carries meaning as they recognise the days of the week on the calendar each day. The children are beginning to link sounds to letters of the alphabet as they find their name cards at their snack time each day. The children develop writing skills as they select their own materials in the writing corner and successfully use one handed tools, such as paint brushes and glue spreaders. Appropriate materials are provided in imaginative play for children to explore the different purposes of writing, for example as they write shopping lists. Some children are beginning to write their names independently and staff ensure they form letters correctly. Children with English as an additional language progress well in this area.
Mathematical development
The children's learning in mathematical development is good. The children regularly count out loud as they undertake their activities and are beginning to recognise numerals and quantities as they play number lotto and complete puzzles each day. Children who learn more quickly are introduced to simple addition and subtraction as they build with bricks and sing simple number songs and rhymes such as 'Five Little Specked Frogs'. The children make good use of mathematical vocabulary relating to size, shape, position and quantity as they undertake their activities. For example, they talk about 'big and little shells' on display tables and use positional language such as 'forward' and 'backwards' during physical play. The children demonstrate a good understanding of mathematical patterns as they thread beads following pattern making cards. They sort, match and sequence as they use assorted sized coloured bears. The children make good use of the sand and water trays and demonstrate good problem-solving skills relating to volume, shape and capacity. These skills are developed further at snack time as the children work out how many children there are and how many biscuits and cups they need.
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is good overall. Staff invite them to share their news each day and children talk about their families and past and present events. Children learn about living things as they look after their growing carrot tops on the nature table. They use small world resources, such as the train set and garage, to learn about their environment. However, they lack planned opportunities to explore where they live and features of their environment. Children discuss similarities and differences between shapes and learn about patterns and change as they discuss the weather. They question why things happen and how things work as they learn how to use battery operated organs and telephones. The children demonstrate good designing skills as they join construction and collage materials. They respond appropriately to a variety of festivals and use good multicultural resources to develop an understanding of different cultures and beliefs.
Physical development
The children's progress in physical development is good overall. They demonstrate control, confidence and spacial awareness as they participate in music and dance sessions and move confidently around the room. The children use suitable tools, construction materials and handle objects of interest safely and with increasing control. The children use playdough with assorted tools regularly. However, they lack regular access to a variety of malleable materials. The children use large climbing resources well to crawl under, over and through and they successfully develop their balancing skills while using a small balancing beam. The children demonstrate good kicking, throwing and catching skills while using balls, beanbags and hoops and are encouraged to notice the changes which occur to their bodies when they are active after physical exercise. However, they have limited opportunities to recognise the importance of being healthy.
Creative development
The children's progress in creative development is good. The children demonstrate a good understanding of colour and shape. They discuss the texture of different craft materials as they make collage Easter decorations. The children use their imagination through art as they paint colourful pictures at the easel. They use imaginative play resources well and express ideas, thoughts and feelings freely as they pretend to be hairdressers and customers in the salon. The children explore sound while playing musical instruments and match their body movements to different sorts of music as they participate in music and dance sessions. The children explore using their senses as they undertake their activities. For example, they handle and taste noodles and prawn crackers during Chinese New Year.
Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately
HOW WELL THE CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT
The quality of teaching is good. The staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the early learning goals and develop the children's knowledge and understanding of the six areas through planned activities and daily routines. The staff have a calm and friendly manner and provide a good balance between adult-directed and child-initiated activities. They use good teaching methods, including clear explanations and good questioning techniques to encourage the children to think. The staff have high expectations of the children and manage their behaviour well. They promote equal opportunities for all children and are familiar with the DfEE's Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs. Children with English as an additional language are progressing well in all areas. The staff make effective use of the daily routine and accommodation to provide worthwhile experiences across all areas for the children.
A good planning system is in place and overall this provides a good coverage of the early learning goals. Plans clearly indicate what the children are expected to learn and how the staff are deployed. A good emphasis is given to the areas for communication, language and literacy and mathematical development, and children's learning in these areas is particularly good. Staff adapt activities to meet the needs of the individual children, extending and supporting them as necessary. They use an effective assessment system to monitor children's progress. They use the assessments well to plan further activities which build on what the children already know.
HOW WELL THE SETTING WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS
The partnership with parents and carers is good overall. There are good ways for parents and carers to be involved in the children's learning as they are encouraged to bring things in to support interest tables and attend the children's parties. Detailed information is available about the playgroup, however information on the educational provision relating to the six areas of learning is not accessible to the parents. Staff display their theme planning to make parents and carers aware of their children's activities and daily communication between staff and parents and carers is good. Parents and carers are aware that staff keep records on the children's progress and regularly share what they know about their children learning in the home. The parents and carers speak very highly of the playgroup and the staff.
WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT
Further develop children's knowledge and understanding of the world by enabling them to learn about their local environment through appropriate, planned activities.
Further develop the partnership with parent and carers by improving their access to information on the educational provision.
In personal, social and emotional development further develop opportunities for the children to use their initiative during daily routines, such as snack time.
The provider or manager must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues or points for consideration 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.
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