ONE of Hampshire's oldest community playgroups has been praised by nursery inspectors ahead of its 50th anniversary next year.

Recreation Ground Pre-School at Netley Abbey near Southampton was found to have significant strengths across a broad curriculum.

The inspection team, commissioned by education watchdog Ofsted, said children had excellent opportunities to learn in a variety of group settings.

And several issues surrounding planning, identified in an inspection two years ago, were found to have been successfully tackled.

Supervisor Sylvia Williams, who has given 22 years' service to the pre-school, welcomed the report, which she hailed as a testament to the hardworking staff.

She said: "Our strength lies in our teamwork. We are a small group and everyone is involved in planning. All the staff work together and make the decisions."

STRENGTHS

A very good range of activities, with children likely to achieve desirable learning outcomes by the time they reach five years of age

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well

Excellent opportunities are offered for the children to learn to work together in a variety of groups

Staff generally promote appropriate behaviour and most of the children respond very well

n Programme for language and literacy is very good with many opportunities for children to improve their skills in speaking and listening

Maths is well taught. Children are becoming sufficiently aware of mathematical language and ideas, and counting is used well

Knowledge and understanding of the world is very well taught in general. Staff are particularly good at taking opportunities as they arrive to extend the children exploration and understanding of the natural world around them

Good resources for information technology are available in the classroom

The programme for physical development is a strength, supported by the staff's efforts to provide safe access to the good outdoor space for vigorous play

Creative development is promoted well with many opportunities for children to experience and use a variety of good quality musical instruments

WEAKNESSES

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but the following points should be considered in the action plan:

How staff will be deployed to enable some children to be supported, to listen appropriately in all group listening activities

How children are grouped to allow for them to experience different size groups and reasons for grouping

More systematic, frequent opportunities for children to recognise their names and other words

How the showing and sharing of toys from home can be planned into work to allow for a more relevant use of the time, a more effective use of staff, and an encouragement of children's appropriate behaviour and improved listening skills

OTHER ASPECTS

Planning: Detailed planning is carried out with regard to the desirable learning outcomes and promotes these well. Staff have worked hard on a new system of planning and assessing since the last inspection. This has made a very positive impact. Staff promote equal opportunities satisfactorily and the provision to children with special educational needs is conscientious and well informed.

Teaching: Generally good. Promotes the desirable learning outcomes overall, and meets the needs of all the children in the group. The staff have sensible strategies for working with individuals who have special educational needs or English as an additional language

Resources: Plentiful and of a high quality. Accommodation is sufficient to support the delivery of the whole curriculum and is used effectively overall.

Partnership with parents: A strength. Parents and carers have a number of worthwhile opportunities to become aware of the children's progress and there is a two-way sharing of information about progress.

FACTFILE

Number of pupils on roll: 60. Current attendance is 36

Age: Two years nine months to four years ten months

Number of staff: Six, all with relevant child care qualifications

Status: The pre-school is privately run and maintained by fees, a county council grant, and fundraising. It is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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