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NURSERY EDUCATION INSPECTION REPORT
Intake of children and the area served:The Rosebank Centre is a private nursery catering for children aged between two and a half and five years. It was opened in 1991 and aims to provide a good quality stimulating environment for the pre-school child. The children attending come from a range of backgrounds and about 2% are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The nursery is situated in a residential area in Lymm. Children with special educational needs are welcomed into the nursery and some children are referred to the centre by the Health Authority to help them with language development and speech problems. The accommodation comprises of a studio and several small rooms. A garden room extension to cater specifically for four year olds is planned for Summer '97. ABOUT THE INSPECTIONThe inspection took place as part of a national programme of inspection of the educational provision for four-year-olds. It was commissioned by the Office for Standards in Education, a department of central government. The purpose of the inspection is to identify strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the desirable outcomes for children's learning on entering compulsory education. Another purpose is to assure parents and the public that nursery education funded by the state is of an acceptable quality. The inspection report must be made available to all parents. Other people or organisations can obtain a copy from the above address.
1. MAIN FINDINGSThe nursery provides many excellent learning experiences for children. Teaching is outstanding in many areas. Most children are likely to achieve appropriately in the six areas of learning by the time they are five years old. There are examples of excellent practice in all areas of the curriculum. A strong emphasis is placed on developing children's language and literacy and mathematical skills. Provision for physical development is a very strong feature in the nursery and is exceptional. All areas of knowledge and understanding of the world provide children with a wealth of knowledge and promote their thinking skills. Creative development is fostered in all areas of the curriculum and makes a major contribution to the overall excellent provision. High priority is given to personal and social development, both in planned activities and daily routines. Staff work naturally towards developing children's self esteem and independence. Children's behaviour is very good and they show care and consideration for each other. Thorough planning by staff is reflected in the success of the activities. Consistent assessment procedures in most areas ensure that children's progress is continuous. However, their progress in some areas is not recorded. Partnership with parents is of high priority in the nursery and strong links enhance children's learning in many ways. 2. KEY ISSUES FOR ACTIONThe provider should draw up an action plan within 40 working days showing how the issues identified below will be addressed. The action plan should be made available to all parents. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection. What the nursery should do to maintain standards and to deal with weaknesses, in order of priority: To further develop existing systems of assessment to include ways of recording children's progress in creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. 3. OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTIONA. Summary of judgements on whether planning, teaching, assessment and resourcing promote the desirable outcomes for children's learning.
B. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.
C. Taken overall, the quality and standards of the educational provision are acceptable in promoting the desirable outcomes for children's learning. The action plan should show how the provider will address the key issues within 12 months of the inspection. It is recommended that the next inspection should occur within two to four years. THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMEContent of the educational programme and its contribution to the attainment and progress of four-year-olds. Personal and social development: Strengths: Personal and social development is given high priority in the nursery, both through planned activities and daily routines. Staff use every opportunity to encourage children to be independent. Children have regular practice putting shoes and socks on and off for movement sessions, water play and outside play and the meal time self service system encourages independent choice and personal responsibility. Staff plan imaginative activities to develop "life skills" as part of the weekly timetable. Children's behaviour is very good, due to the high expectations of the staff and good organization. Staff listen to children with interest and encourage them to show care and respect for each other. Children work confidently with good concentration in group activities and on their own. Opportunities for children to share and take turns are provided as an integral part of the teaching process. Daily activities enable children to experience a range of feelings, such as joy and wonder. Children experience different cultural traditions through carefully planned themed activities. Personal and social development: Weaknesses: None noted. Language and literacy: Strengths: There is a strong emphasis on the development of children's language and literacy skills. A stimulating imaginative play area where language development and role play are constantly supported by an adult, is given high priority throughout the day. Within this popular area, there are natural opportunities for children to make up their own stories and to make marks to communicate meaning. Staff interaction at all activities encourages children to express themselves and talk about their own experiences. Children regularly share books with staff and each other, listen attentively to stories and participate enthusiastically in songs and rhymes. Displays, equipment, and pegs are clearly labelled, enabling children to recognize simple words and letters. Children are introduced to the letter sounds and develop their writing skills through sensitive and skillful presentation of the Letterland scheme. As a natural progression, some children may be introduced to an appropriate reading scheme. Language and literacy: Weaknesses: None noted. Good emphasis is given to mathematics. Staff use natural opportunities during all activities to count and talk about shape, size and quantity: for example, as well as weighing ingredients for baking, children talked about the shape and number of their biscuits. Mathematical concepts are presented in an imaginative and practical way, by using ideas such as Noah's Ark to introduce "pairs". A progressive mathematics scheme is used to support practical activities which teach children to sort, compare, put objects in order and make mathematical patterns. In this way, children can also solve simple problems, and understand simple addition and subtraction. None noted. Knowledge and understanding of the world: Strengths: Planned themes are carefully explored by staff to incorporate a wealth of cross curricular ideas. Opportunities to explore the features of living things and natural objects such as trees, shells, and seaweed are provided as an integral part of everyday activities. Children are encouraged to talk about past events, their homes and families and there is much evidence of learning about their environment and the wider world. Activities which challenge children to think and work things out for themselves such as water play and cooking are provided regularly and presented skillfully through sensitive questioning. Attractive displays throughout the nursery show a wide range of painting and craft techniques. These examples in two and three dimensions have been created using a variety of materials, equipment and skills. Children are developing computer skills and understanding technology by using a mouse and printing their pictures. Regular use is made of the tape recorder for music and movement. Knowledge and understanding of the world: Weaknesses: None noted. Physical development: Strengths: The provisions for physical development is excellent. The ethos of the nursery, to develop the whole child physically, mentally and socially is very much reflected in the approach to physical development. As an integral part of the nursery programme, children experience daily sessions of music and movement or co-ordination which are expertly led by all staff. Imaginative themes link this area with many other curriculum areas. Children follow a carefully planned and challenging programme, which ensures that they will develop confidence in moving with increasing body control and acquire many of the basic movement skills such as balancing, jumping, climbing and ball skills by the time they are five years old. Daily outside play sessions, where children choose from a variety of challenging equipment, provide a balance to the structured inside activities. Through fun and enjoyment, staff foster positive attitudes in children towards a healthy and active lifestyle. The nursery has a wide range of equipment which promotes fine motor development, including a good variety of Montessori equipment and various construction sets. Children have many opportunities to practice fine motor skills during activities such as drawing, painting and threading. Physical development: Weaknesses: None noted. Creative development: Strengths: The provision for creative development is outstanding. The nursery environment with its stimulating wall displays reflects the strong emphasis placed on this area of development. Many activities are presented so that children learn through using their imagination, ensuring a natural enjoyment and motivation to learn. There are creative role play areas where staff interact sensitively to extend children's imaginative ideas. Art and craft activities enable children to express their own ideas using a variety of materials and tools under careful staff guidance. There is a strong emphasis on providing experiences for children to use their senses, for example, the creation of special "tactile" areas and the daily provision of playdough. Children listen and respond to a wide range of music during movement exploration. Drama sessions, singing and playing musical instruments are a regular part of nursery life. Children are provided with a balanced range of creative experiences. Creative development: Weaknesses: None noted. PLANNING OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMEOverall planning, balance and progression of the six areas of the educational programme Each member of staff produces her own written plans for her areas of responsibility based on themes discussed at half termly staff meetings. Ideas are shared at the meetings and added to an "ideas" file which is available as a general resource. Informal weekly or daily discussions ensure that ideas are not duplicated. Thorough long term planning covering all the areas of learning ensures a good overall balanced programme. Effective short term plans show general progression in learning and a balance in weekly and daily activities. Staff identify details such as language to use in movement and questions to ask children. Staff use their assessments of children's attainment and progress to help them plan effectively and individual planning for specific children is incorporated into general planning. Planning for mathematics and some areas of language and literacy is done by the nursery manager to ensure continuity and progression. For consistency, staff are given clear guidelines for presenting number work and letters. Children are working well towards the desirable outcomes in all areas of the curriculum. An effort is made to ensure that children who attend for less than five sessions experience a balanced range of activities and make good progress. In daily planning notes, not all staff identify what the children are intended to learn from each activity or how learning may be extended, although it is evident from the way activities are presented that staff are aware of these aspects. QUALITY OF TEACHINGQuality of teaching and its contribution to children's attainment and progress Staff work well as a team and create a well organised, relaxed and happy environment where children participate confidently in a variety of stimulating learning activities. Staff have secure knowledge in all the areas of learning and work effectively towards promoting the learning outcomes. Teaching is excellent throughout the nursery, with staff using appropriate groupings, clear presentations, effective questioning techniques and setting high expectations for children's progress and attainment. They motivate children by promoting learning through the imagination, a strong feature throughout all aspects of the nursery which fosters in children a positive and enjoyable approach to learning. Good use is made of the excellent learning resources. None noted. EQUALITY OF ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITYHow well planning and teaching, particularly in language, literacy and mathematics, cater for Girls and boys generally, including those who learn more quickly or slowly: All children are able to participate in the planned activities appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children are able to work at their own pace and are supported appropriately by the staff. Children who learn more quickly are helped to develop their understanding further. any children with special educational needs: There are no children currently attending the nursery who have been identified as having special educational needs. When children do attend, provision is very good. The nursery identifies a staff member to monitor the child's progress and plan accordingly to meet his or her individual needs. The staff member will liaise with the appropriate support agencies to coordinate the individual development plan. There are many good quality learning resources for children with special educational needs. any children for whom English is an additional language: There are no children currently attending the nursery for whom English is an additional language. There are many good learning resources to use if required. MONITORINGHow well the strengths and weaknesses of the teaching and educational programme are monitored The nursery manager monitors the quality of the work within the nursery informally through daily observations of the teaching and informal conversations with staff about their work. New staff are given clear general guidelines to follow and meet regularly with the manager to monitor progress. Staff also evaluate their own teaching and record their observations to use for future planning. The manager is well aware of the strengths, weaknesses and preferences of the staff. The manager regularly reviews her own teaching plans for curriculum areas. Although staff teaching plans are not monitored, their effectiveness is assessed through observing the activity. Assessment procedures are continually evaluated by staff and are currently under review. The manager monitors staff assessments before they are shared with parents. Regular in-service training is organised to enable staff to share ideas from courses and to ensure a consistency in approach when presenting certain concepts or using certain equipment; for example, the Montessori equipment. Staff discuss their training needs with the manager and have opportunities to attend appropriate courses. RESOURCINGHow learning resources and accommodation affect teaching and children's attainment and progress There is a wealth of good quality learning resources for all the areas of development. The nursery has a range of excellent equipment for physical development. Areas for imaginative play are particularly well organised and the arrangement of toys and equipment in each of the rooms enables children to select and to put away. Areas and storage boxes are clearly labelled. The accommodation is welcoming and provides an attractive and stimulating environment for learning. The studio provides an ideal setting for group activities such as drama, music, movement, and gymnastics and is used regularly throughout the day. The large outside play area is well equipped for physical play and has a garden area for children to use for planting and growing things. Apart from books and some imaginative play clothes, there are limited resources which reflect people from other cultures: for example, puzzles, games, play figures and dolls. FACTORS WHICH ACCOUNT FOR THE QUALITY OF TEACHINGReasons for effective teaching are: Outstanding leadership. Secure knowledge held by all staff of the areas of learning. Good teamwork. Effective teaching plans. Excellent organization of the daily activities. The happy, caring and stimulating learning environment created by the staff. Imaginative teaching techniques. Excellent resources in many areas. Regular assessment procedures. The strong partnership with parents. Reasons for ineffective teaching are: None noted. ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN'S ATTAINMENT AND PROGRESSHow well staff assess children's attainment and progress and use the information gained The assessment system is integrated into the nursery timetable. Staff have a time each week when they can monitor the progress of individual children in their key worker groups. This time is used either for working with individual children, or for working in small groups with a particular activity. Assessments are recorded both at this time and at other spontaneous times when staff observe particular developments in children. Information is shared by staff. Children's progress towards many areas of the learning outcomes is recorded. Staff record informally how children respond to activities as a group and individually, so that they can plan accordingly. The manager assesses and records development in mathematics and some areas of language and literacy for all the children. Formal and informal assessments are shared regularly with parents, and opportunities are provided for parents to contribute to the assessment of their child's development. Assessment procedures are successful in identifying children with special educational needs. Children's progress in some of the areas of learning is not recorded. Creative development, scientific understanding and children's gradual awareness and learning about knowledge and understanding of the world need to be included in the existing framework. In this way, all aspects of children's development will be monitored and a picture of the whole child will be created as he/she progresses towards the learning outcomes. LINKS WITH PARENTS AND CARERSQuality of information for parents/carers, and chances for them to be involved in children's learning The nursery has developed a good working relationship with parents by involving them in various aspects of their child's learning. They receive a very attractive information booklet which emphasises the importance of their involvement in enhancing their child's learning, and a termly newsletter which keeps them up to date with nursery life. Parents are kept very well informed about daily activities, songs, letters, and words for each week and children are encouraged to bring in items for themes so that learning can be continued at home. Children take books home to share with parents and progress is recorded by both parents and staff. Regular parents evenings are organised to share assessment information and discuss progress. The nursery uses parental questionnaires to assess and review some areas of its work. None noted. |
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