Pre-School Education

Providing Inspection Services for

Department of Education
Department for Employment and Learning
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION 1

Introduction

143. During 2005-06, revised procedures for all pre-school inspections were introduced,
shortening the period of notification, reducing the preparation required by leaders and
completing the inspection process more quickly. Questionnaires for members of staff
and management groups were included to complement those already available for
parents/carers.

144. Following the publication of the outcomes of the Review of Pre-school Education in
Northern Ireland, DE has stated its intention to raise the admission age in the
statutory nursery sector to three years and two months and to remove reception
provision in primary schools. Additional pre-school places are to be provided in areas
where there are shortfalls. While these changes will present challenges for some
schools, the aims to create better quality provision for young children are to be
welcomed.
1
Further evaluation of enrolment trends and sustainability is contained in Part 1 of this
report, Additional Challenges: Demographics and Sustainability

145. A number of planned initiatives provide major opportunities for developing new and
improved early years services. The announced transfer of early years responsibilities
from DHSSPS to DE has the potential to stimulate a more integrated policy for the
education, care and development of young children and to address unresolved issues
raised through the Review of Pre-school Education. The funding for extended
schools through the Children and Young People Funding Package (CYPFP) should
encourage schools to work together, and with other providers, to create better
services for children and families in disadvantaged areas. Additional funding through
Sure Start to develop appropriate provision for two year olds holds out the prospect of
more effective early intervention to enable children to thrive and succeed.

1
The term pre-school centre is used to describe statutory nursery schools and classes, and DE-funded voluntary and
private pre-school provision.

The Chief Inspector’s Report 2004-06

 Pre-School Education

146. All of these initiatives will need to be carefully planned and monitored, with good
strategic oversight and willingness for genuine partnership. Such planning and
co-operation are essential to ensure the best results and avoid over-provision or the
displacement of existing good quality settings.

147. What are the main strengths in pre-school education?

The main strengths are:

 the overall good or very good provision in over half of all pre-school centres;

 the sense of commitment and dedication among leaders and staff to meeting
the needs of young children and their families;

 the warm and caring environment created in almost all centres and the staff’s
ability to foster the children’s self-confidence and co-operative behaviour;

 the high level of attention given to the children’s protection and welfare;

 the valuable information prepared for parents and the centres’ efforts to
encourage them to contribute to their children’s learning;
2
 the breadth of the learning programme; and

 the development of the children’s language, awareness of the environment and

personal, social and emotional development.

148. What improvements have been brought about during the period 2004-06?

Improvements are evident in:

 the steady increase in the quality of the teaching involving sustained support
for the development of the children’s language and thinking during play
activities;

 the staff’s understanding of procedures for pastoral care and child protection
and the development of comprehensive policies and information for parents;

 the provision of more imaginative opportunities for exploration and learning

related to early science;

 the development of more systematic assessment methods based on

observations of the activities and the children’s progress;
  the increased range and quality of the resources; and

 the more frequent provision of outdoor play opportunities.

149. What further improvements are needed?

The main actions needed to bring about further improvement are:

 developing further the methods for curriculum planning to take account of the
assessment information and to guide the staff in supporting individual children
to make good progress throughout the year;

 making more systematic and well-planned provision for the children’s physical
development through energetic play;

 providing more imaginative opportunities for developing early mathematical

ideas and creativity, particularly through music;

 increasing the provision, and use, of ICT and on-line facilities;

 developing further the processes of self-evaluation and self-improvement; and

 ensuring better provision overall for children with special educational needs, 3
including the provision of training, resources, and support, particularly for the
voluntary/private sector.

What is the overall quality of pre-school education?

Figure 14: The overall quality of provision in all types of pre-school centres
2002-04 and 2004-06

2002-04

52% 36% 12% 1%

2004-06

53% 42% 5%

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

The Chief Inspector’s Report 2004-06

 Pre-School Education

Figure 15: The quality of provision in statutory nurseries and

voluntary/private pre-school centres 2002-04 and 2004-06

2002-04
Voluntary/private pre-school centres

50% 35% 14% 1%

Nursery schools and classes

2004-06 53% 45% 2%

Voluntary/private pre-school centres

46% 48% 6%
Nursery schools and classes

66% 30% 4%

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

150. The standards of pre-school educational provision continues to improve overall

across both the statutory and the voluntary/private sectors. The percentage of
4
statutory nurseries where the overall effectiveness is good or very good has risen to
66%. In the voluntary/private sector, 94% of centres provide satisfactory or better
educational experiences and there are clear improvements in the decreasing
proportion where shortcomings outweigh strengths.

151. Following rapid gains in quality in previous years, the percentage of voluntary/private
provision that is good or very good has decreased slightly. Inspections show that
some contributory factors include a rapid turnover of staff, especially of those in
leadership roles, and inconsistent guidance and support from a qualified teacher or
early years specialist. In some centres, financial difficulties mean that the staff have
to put much effort into raising funds to cover essentials, such as rent and wages.
Particularly where centres have small numbers of funded children, the lack of job
security and the additional burdens of fund-raising can limit the development of high
quality provision.

152. In one-third of statutory nurseries, and nearly half of voluntary/private centres, where
overall effectiveness is at a satisfactory level, the management and staff need to work
harder to raise standards further. The outstanding practice evident in some centres
across both sectors provides examples of excellence that should inform more widely
the work of others.
 Figure 16: Overview of the quality of pre-school education 2004-06
Overall Effectiveness

53% 42% 5%
Teaching

54% 40% 6%
Standards

56% 38% 6%
Assessment

35% 46% 19%

Management

55% 35% 10%

Language

64% 32% 4%
Mathematics

51% 40% 8%1%

Special Educational Needs

34% 46% 20% 1% 5

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

How good is the ethos in pre-school centres?

153. The provision for pastoral care and child protection continues to improve with good or
very good arrangements in nearly 70% of centres. Areas for improvement are mainly
related to the provision of information to parents and the development of codes of
conduct for the personal care of young children. In almost all centres, supportive
relationships and a welcoming, family environment are evident. In most centres, the
children are developing appropriate social skills and their behaviour is good.

Further evaluation of pastoral care and child protection is contained in Part 1 of this
report, Additional Challenges: Pastoral Care and Child Protection

The Chief Inspector’s Report 2004-06

 Pre-School Education

How good are the learning and teaching?

154. The quality of the teaching is good or very good in an increasing proportion of
pre-school centres, with important shortcomings noted in only a small number.
Particular strengths include the staff’s understanding of the needs of individual
children and their ability to build on the children’s own ideas and skills to develop a
wide range of learning during play. The staff’s sustained, skilled and sensitive
involvement with the children is a key feature of the most effective practice. Where
there are shortcomings, the staff often limit the children’s choice and/or creativity by
directing activities too much. They ask too many closed questions that do not
develop thinking or talking.

155. Although planning and assessment methods continue to improve, some shortcomings
remain in both areas. Most progress has been made in raising the quality of the
staff’s assessment of learning which is now good or very good in over one-third of
centres. A major area for improvement is the better linking of curriculum planning and
assessment information to support and challenge individual children and to guide the
staff’s efforts in promoting good progress in learning throughout the year.

6 What standards are achieved?

156. The overall standards of educational provision have risen over the two years of this
report and they are now satisfactory or better in almost all centres. In well over half,
the provision and the children’s achievements are good or very good. The outcomes
continue to be best for children’s language and personal, social and emotional
development. In nearly 75% of all centres, the children show a good level of
independence and responsibility in selecting and using resources, and in looking after
themselves and the equipment. Although increasing numbers of children have only
limited skills in talking and listening when they first start to attend pre-school, in most
cases they make appropriate progress in developing their language. Pre-school staff
generally do well in developing the children’s interest in books and stories but do not
give enough attention to helping them become aware of rhyme and rhythm.

157. In a higher proportion of centres than previously, early ideas of science and
technology are developed to a satisfactory or better standard. There are increased
opportunities for the children to take part in interesting activities that encourage them
to explore and ask questions.
158. Provision for physical development has improved slowly overall and is good or very
good in 40% of centres. It is significantly better in statutory centres than in
voluntary/private centres, due in part to the more favourable accommodation and
resources available in nursery schools and classes. More centres now provide daily
opportunities for energetic activities and make good use of outdoor areas.

159. During the two years of this report, some funding from DE was made available to the
voluntary/private sector for the development of outdoor play areas and a number of
centres were also proactive in acquiring funding for this purpose from a variety of
other sources. The investment has improved the range and quality of outdoor play
experiences but further action is needed to ensure that all children have access to
appropriate spaces both indoors and outdoors for energetic activity. Staff need to do
more to plan for, and develop systematically, the children’s physical skills and to
encourage them to participate in, and enjoy, energetic play. This area of the pre-
school curriculum is of increasing importance in helping to fulfil the aims of the Fit
Futures policy.

160. The standards of early mathematical learning and of creativity have changed little.
Although rarely less than satisfactory, these areas of the pre-school curriculum need
further attention to increase the proportion of centres making very good provision, 7
particularly in the arts. Music-making needs to be given a higher priority with better
provision for children to take part in well-planned activities.

161. Over the period of this report, there has been limited improvement in the provision of
equipment for information and communication technology (ICT) within the pre-school
sector. Some voluntary/private pre-school centres have received funding from DE to
purchase ICT equipment and there are increasing, but still isolated, examples of its
effective use for learning. Although nursery schools are not included in C2k, there is
evidence of better resources and use of ICT across the statutory sector. Unless
provided from individual budgets, nursery schools do not have access to e-mail or
Internet services. Increasingly, DE and ELBs are providing essential information, or
making services available, on-line and do not take into account the lack of resources
in these schools. The limited equipment and on-line facilities in the pre-school sector
generally, restrict opportunities for the staff to use training materials, to access
information, or to share ideas and gain support through links between centres.

The Chief Inspector’s Report 2004-06

 Pre-School Education

What is the quality of the provision made for special educational

needs?

162. A survey2 carried out by the Inspectorate during 2005-2006 highlights the high level of
commitment among pre-school staff generally to meeting the special educational
needs of young children and making them feel valued, regardless of their stages of
development.

163. The quality of provision is improving in the statutory sector, with good or very good
practice in over 60% of centres. This improvement is not seen in centres in the
voluntary/private sector with under 20% providing a similar quality and nearly 30%
having important shortcomings in special educational needs provision.
Voluntary/private centres need better resources, support and access to specialist
services and training, including ELBs’ educational psychology services, to improve
significantly the quality of special educational needs provision. Although the statutory
nurseries overall make better provision for special educational needs, there remain
areas for improvement in over one-third of those inspected.

164. The range of different agencies and organisations across health, social services and
8 education involved in pre-school special educational needs provision, particularly in
the voluntary/private sector, have each developed procedures and services according
to their own priorities and available funding sources. There has been insufficient
action to develop a coherent policy for the pre-school sector as a whole, and
inadequate strategic planning or development of inter-agency collaboration. There
are major inconsistencies between statutory and voluntary/private sectors in the
levels of funding, training and expert support available. For children with special
educational needs within pre-school education, gaining access to the appropriate
diagnosis and support at an early stage remains too much of a lottery.

165. It is timely that DE has embarked on a review of special education and inclusion in
order to develop a comprehensive, costed policy. This review will take account of the
particular issues affecting the early years, including the need for multi-disciplinary
working. There is also potential within some elements of the new CYPFP to improve

2
The Best for all Our Children: Special Educational Needs in the Pre-School Sector, 2005-2006.
 pre-school special educational needs provision. DE needs to ensure that these
initiatives result in early action to address the shortcomings highlighted in this report,
and in the previous Chief Inspector’s Report, and to raise the quality of provision,
particularly for those children attending voluntary/private centres.

How good are leadership and management?

166. The revised model of inspection places a greater emphasis on the quality of
leadership and management and on the centres’ capacity to bring about
improvement. The overall quality of leadership and management remains good or
very good in over half of all centres but there is a slight increase in the proportion
with important shortcomings. Although many more centres are now making progress
in self-evaluation leading to improvement, this area needs further development. In a
significant minority of centres, more so in the statutory than in the voluntary/private
sector, the staff have made a good start to self-evaluation. In a minority, they have
developed effective procedures leading to clear improvements and have made good
use of resources including “Together Towards Improvement - Pre-school Education”.
School development plans (SDPs) are of a good or very good quality in around half
of the nursery schools and classes. Where there are shortcomings, often the
priorities identified by the inspection are not reflected adequately in the SDP. 9

The Chief Inspector’s Report 2004-06