'the little group' OFSTED Report
"Quality of Teaching & Learning is Outstanding"
We were delighted to have received a superb OFSTED report in June 2007 with 'the little group' being judged as being "outstanding in every area". Some of the key points made by the inspector are detailed below:
- Children’s individual needs are central in the planning of the curriculum and organisation of the daily routines to ensure full social and educational inclusion for all children. This fundamental ethos ensures their superb outcomes.
- The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Practitioners have worked exceptionally hard in developing a comprehensive curriculum programme and assessment system based on the Foundation Stage guidance, but which is skilfully adapted to link with the developmental points that children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders often pass through, and to accommodate the children’s individual learning needs.
- Communication and language development is central to planning and the high level of practitioner expertise in this area is key to children’s development in all other areas of learning.
- Practitioners are secure in their knowledge and understanding of the “Birth to Three Matters” framework which they have adapted and use in conjunction with the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance for activity planning. The outcomes for children are highly effective.
- Exceedingly good use is made of the local and wider community resources to enable children’s social inclusion and to promote their learning through practical experiences.
- Outstanding teaching methods, most significantly the use of visual demonstrations, laminated pictures of key words and strips of paper detailing the sequence of the outing and the rules to follow, mean that children are secure in their knowledge of safety rules, where they are going, when and why.
- There are superb and really inspirational opportunities to encourage experimental sensory development. The thematic planning helps children to make connections with real life.
- Relationships between children and the practitioners are very affectionate and children demonstrate high levels of security and a strong sense of belonging.
- Children enjoy regular massage and reflexology sessions which qualified practitioners perform. This helps to relax their muscles and the physical contact that this requires is exceptionally well-suited to encourage children’s acceptance of affection and to further extend adult-child relationships.
- Partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Parents report that the teaching methods and provision of parent-education workshops has significantly changed their lives.
- Children are cared for by a carefully vetted staff team who have exceptionally high levels of expertise in the field of complex communication and Autistic Spectrum disorders. 'the little group' provide a national lead for the provision of early intervention for these groups of children.
To view the full June 2007 Inspection report please click on the link below:
