/ Providing Inspection Services for
Department of Education
Department for Employment and Learning
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Inspection of 174 Trust Playgroup, Belfast
(DE Number: 1AB-0427)A Report by the Education and Training Inspectorate
November 2002
INTRODUCTION
1. 174 Trust Playgroup is a pre-school centre under voluntary management. At the time of the inspection, a total of 14 children attended the centre; seven were in their pre-school year.
2. The inspection is part of a programme to ensure that appropriate standards of education are provided in centres receiving funding as part of the Government’s expansion of pre-school education. All of the centre’s pre-school places are funded through the expansion programme.
3. The inspection provided opportunities for the parents to express their views about the centre. All of those who responded were satisfied or very satisfied with all aspects of the centre’s provision.
4. The very good relationships between the staff and the children create a settled, caring atmosphere in the centre. The playrooms are organised into inviting areas which encourage the children to observe and investigate. Examples of the children’s work, photographs, topical displays and relevant posters are used effectively to enhance the learning environment. The staff provide the children with high levels of support and reassurance and promote effectively their confidence and self esteem. The children are well behaved and relate well to one another.
5. There are good opportunities for informal contact between the staff and the parents at the beginning and end of the session. In addition to these informal meetings, the parents are invited into the centre twice a year to discuss their children’s progress with the staff. A variety of methods are used to provide parents with information about the work of the centre.
6. The centre has a suitable written policy on child protection. The staff are aware of appropriate procedures to be followed to safeguard the welfare of the children. Information about the centre’s policy and procedures is shared with the parents; this information needs to be made available at an earlier stage in the year.
7. The staff work closely on the planning which is detailed and outlines many stimulating and varied learning experiences for the children; it identifies clearly those aspects of learning which the staff intend to promote through the various play activities. The staff have adopted a High/Scope approach to planning the educational programme and use observations of the children’s individual responses and interests to help guide future work.
8. The smooth organisation of the session ensures that all the time is used effectively for learning and provides a good balance of free play and activities organised by the staff. Snack time is used successfully to foster the children's independence and conversational skills. Appropriate time is given to story and music sessions which the children clearly enjoy.
9. The staff spend sustained periods with groups and individuals, promoting the children’s language and thinking, and participating skilfully in the play. The interaction between the staff and the children is of a high quality. The staff build appropriately on the children’s ideas and at times, provide additional materials in order to help individual children to develop their play.
10. The centre’s programme promotes effectively the children’s all-round development. The range of activities provides very good opportunities for learning in all the areas of the pre-school curriculum. The points which follow illustrate specific aspects of the programme.
· The careful attention given to promoting the children’s personal, social and emotional development is evident in the children’s abilities to make independent choices of activity and to sustain high levels of concentration. The play is often purposeful and productive. The staff promote the children’s confidence and independence through praise and encouragement for their achievements.
· The centre has daily access to a large hall within the complex where the careful arrangement of activities helps the children to gain appropriate physical skills and to use a variety of equipment with confidence. The children also have
opportunities to gain good control of small tools such as scissors, pencils and paintbrushes. An area for outdoor play is available when the weather permits.
· The children’s abilities to express their ideas creatively are well developed. They are provided with a wide range of materials which they are encouraged to explore freely. Examples of the children’s paintings, drawings and model making are displayed around the playrooms; many are lively representations of people and objects in their surroundings and show close attention to detail. There are good opportunities for singing and music-making which develop effectively the children’s abilities to use percussion instruments and their awareness of pitch and rhythm.
· High priority is given to developing the children’s language through skilful talk and discussion, and the introduction by staff of a rich vocabulary and range of ideas. There is strong encouragement for the children to develop an interest in books; they pay close attention during story sessions and frequently browse in the book corner or explore an information book during their play.
· The staff often use appropriate mathematical language when participating in the children’s play and promote an interest in counting, matching and making comparisons; this was particularly evident during water play when some children observed and compared water levels in bottles, and during play with the wet sand when a child compared the size of her hand print with that of a member of staff.
· There are good opportunities for the children to explore materials, observe changes and form ideas about how things work through well-planned play with sand, water, dough and scrap materials. A rota has been organised to allow each child an opportunity to care for the pet fish and to water the plants in the playroom.
· During the inspection the well-resourced imaginative play in the ‘hairdresser’s salon’ helped extend the children’s awareness of, and interest in, the world around them. A topical interest area provides good opportunities for the children to learn about the living environment and to appreciate seasonal changes. The children’s experiences are extended usefully by visitors to the centre and visits to places of interest, such as the zoo and the farm.
11. There are good strategies in place to monitor and evaluate the children’s play and to record their achievements and needs; these records are used purposefully to plan the work and to inform the parents about the children’s progress.
12. There are no links with the local primary schools, however the leader is planning to address this issue.
13. The centre is managed effectively. The leader brings a high level of skill and enthusiasm to her work. She promotes a strong sense of team spirit and provides a good role model through the quality of her work with the children. The staff are hard working and dedicated; regular meetings ensure there is a shared understanding of the objectives of play sessions and that the children’s differing needs are considered. The leader values the support given by the management committee and the centre’s early years specialist.
14. The quality of the accommodation is satisfactory; the centre is attractively presented and well maintained. Good use is made of all available space. The quality and range of the resources for most areas of play are good. The staff have identified the need to build further on the resources available for the latter part of the year in order to help them ensure appropriate challenge and progression in all areas of play.
15. The strengths of the centre include:
· the positive ethos which promotes strongly the children’s confidence and self-esteem;
· the well-organised sessions which ensure that the time available is used effectively to promote learning;
· the effective strategies for observing and recording the children’s progress and for planning the programme;
· the sensitive and skilful involvement of the staff in all aspects of the play;
· the good learning opportunities provided in all aspects of the pre-school curriculum;
· the effective leadership, the commitment of all the staff and the enthusiastic team approach.
16. Overall, the quality of the educational provision in this pre-school centre is good; the needs of the children are being well met. The staff should plan to address the few areas which require attention.
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ã CROWN COPYRIGHT 2003
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.
Copies of this report may be obtained from the Inspection Services Branch, Department of Education, Rathgael House, 43 Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down BT19 7PR. A copy is also available on the DE website: www.deni.gov.uk
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