Information Bulletin
07 January 2005
Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Burra Playgroup
Burra Playgroup was inspected in September 2004 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education.
The inspection team identified a number of strengths in the work of the Playgroup. They found that the Playgroup staff had created a warm and caring environment for the children in their care. They were particularly impressed by the displays of children's artwork and the way in which the layout of the room allowed children to play in small groups or individually.
They also found that the staff had a very good knowledge of the children. Staff had built positive relationships with the children and were aware of children's individual needs and supported them appropriately.
Finally, the inspection team were impressed by the very good programme for physical development and movement, including the access to a range of outdoor play activities and weekly access to the local school hall for physical play.
The inspection team also made a number of recommendations for improvement. These were:
- The management and staff should devise a development plan for session 2004/05.
- Staff needed to ensure the implementation of several outstanding priorities from last year's plan.
- Staff required to establish a more effective system of planning, evaluation and recording of progress in children's learning.
The Playgroup in conjunction with the education authority will be producing an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report. This will be available to parents and carers.
Overall, this is a report which highlights the many positive features in the work of Burra Playgroup and its hard-working staff while providing a helpful platform from which the Playgroup can continue to move forward.
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