Langdale Infant School

St Catherine's C of E Private Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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St Catherine's C of E Private Nursery

Unique Reference Number 124114 Inspection date 27 April 2006 Inspector Jill Nugent

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St Catherine's C of E Private Nursery

Setting Address St. Catherine's Hoddesdon C of E Primary School, Haslewood Avenue, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 8HT Telephone number 01992 463214 or 479224 E-mail head.stpauls286@the grid.org.uk Registered person St Catherines C of E Private Nursery Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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St Catherine's C of E Private Nursery

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

St. Catherine's C of E Private Nursery opened in 1994. It operates from one room within St. Catherine's Primary School but is independent of the school. Children have access to the main school hall, two outdoor play areas and the school playground. The nursery is open five days a week, during school term times, from 9.00 until 11.30 and also from 12.40 until 15.10 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 A maximum of 22 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 21 children on roll in the morning sessions, all of whom are funded for nursery education, and 25 children in the afternoon sessions, of whom 22 are funded for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs six staff, including a qualified early years teacher. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery has achieved the Hertfordshire Quality Standards Award.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. There are good procedures in place to promote children's health. All the necessary medical permissions are requested and parents provide background medical information on their children, including any allergies. The medical and accident records are maintained correctly. Children having an infectious illness are excluded from the nursery so as to protect others. Staff ensure that they have access to first aid equipment at all times so that children can be treated quickly following an accident. If children become ill, they are made comfortable while waiting to be collected. Staff are particularly attentive to matters of hygiene. A procedure for changing children's nappies is in place. Children are aware of the need to wash their hands after using the toilet and before having snack. They play and eat in a clean environment. These good practices contribute effectively to keeping children healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered a wide variety of healthy snacks. They especially like the social aspect of snack time, sitting in groups with members of staff and learning to look after themselves. Snacks include a selection of fruits and vegetables, which children enjoy eating. They manage to cut pieces of cucumber independently and spread crackers with cheese. Drinking water is available throughout each session. In cooking activities they learn more about healthy foods, for example, they prepare a vegetable soup. A role-play café sells healthy foods. Consequently, children have an increasing awareness of the need for a healthy diet. They have many opportunities to take part in physical activities. In planned lessons in the hall they enjoy moving in different ways and have great fun when skipping together. They demonstrate good climbing skills on the outdoor climbing frame. They particularly enjoy the climbing and

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Helping children to be healthy

balancing equipment in the school playground, where they develop further skills with the help of staff. Overall, children have plenty of fresh air and exercise to help them keep fit.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The premises are extremely safe and secure for children. The play areas are risk-assessed and daily safety checks are carried out by staff. All doors and gates are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 kept locked, or have double handles, so that children are unable to leave the nursery unaccompanied. Staff are very aware of children's safety and have various procedures in place to ensure that children are not exposed to hazards. For example, there are particular procedures for the water tray and sand pit. An evacuation plan is displayed alongside a procedure to be followed after a fire or accident. Children are aware of what to do in the event of a fire because they practise the drill regularly. Staff prioritise children's safety and always supervise them closely in the outdoor play areas and school grounds. They ensure that children arrive and leave safely, taking great care at the end of the session to make sure that children are collected by a known adult. Consequently, children keep safe and secure at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff make sure that all resources and pieces of equipment are safe and suitable for children to use. Everything is checked at regular intervals and any broken pieces are removed so that children can play safely. Children are also becoming aware of how to keep themselves safe. Staff remind them how to use the toys and equipment safely. Children learn about keeping safe near to roads in role play exercises using a variety of props. Staff have a very good knowledge of child protection. They have all attended training and have the necessary information on file to enable them to seek advice if they have a concern. Parents are made aware of staff's responsibilities in this area. Therefore, children are well protected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children relish their time in nursery and become involved in a whole range of stimulating and interesting activities. They choose enthusiastically from resources, and activities, set out in the classroom and outdoor play areas. They enjoy planting flowers, painting, sharing books, exploring sand or water and blowing bubbles. They are becoming confident and ask for help when necessary. They have fun participating in whole class activities, such as, number and phonics games. They show much interest in creative activities, for example, collage and paint mixing. Staff ensure that activities are suited to children's age and stage of development. Younger children are beginning to form close relationships with staff. They enjoy the involvement of adults in their play, for example, with a train set or board game. They especially enjoy singing times and respond to questions on the theme of a particular

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

story. Children are learning and developing skills through their play. Staff interact with them to help increase their awareness of the use of language, words and numbers. When planning afternoon sessions, staff include aspects from the 'Birth to three matters' framework so that children can develop the appropriate skills in all outcomes. Consequently, children learn appropriately through their play. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are making very good progress in all areas of learning. They enjoy a rich learning environment and make choices independently. They are very attentive at group teaching times and join in enthusiastically, for example, reading out the speech bubbles in a big book. They learn about how books work and understand what an author and an illustrator do.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The effective use of a phonics scheme contributes greatly to children's awareness of letter sounds and shapes. They concentrate hard on tasks, such as, writing their own names. They experiment with mark-making in a variety of situations and are beginning to write for a purpose. Children count confidently and have fun counting in different ways. They represent numbers in writing using the correct numerals. They have great fun re-arranging a number line after it has been 'messed up' overnight. They are learning to calculate, using numbers, and can work out the answer when asked to add '1 more'. Children are also becoming aware of size, shape and capacity in different activities. Overall, they are developing excellent skills in the areas of literacy and numeracy. Children learn about the natural environment and are developing creativity through

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

planned themes. They go for walks in the school grounds and plant seeds and flowers, learning about how they grow. They find out about people in the community, when police and fire fighters visit the nursery. They learn about a wider society when celebrating cultural festivals. Children's learning is enhanced by playing computer games which reinforce their learning in language, mathematics and art. They use their imagination in painting pictures for displays and colourful self portraits. They like to explore sounds using a selection of interesting musical instruments and they learn songs related to each theme. In physical activities, children develop control and co-ordination, for instance, when balancing beanbags. They are becoming aware of changes in their bodies after exercising. They use their hands skilfully when cutting 'legs' for spiders and manipulating playdough into shape. Overall, children take part

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in a wide range of learning experiences which help them to acquire knowledge and develop skills in all areas. Staff provide many purposeful and developmentally appropriate activities which stimulate and challenge children's learning. They plan activities covering all areas of learning and including stepping stones. Their half-termly and weekly plans indicate what children are expected to learn from the activities. The written plans are detailed and manageable so that all staff know their roles in advance. Whole class teaching is particularly effective and is a valuable learning time for children. The teacher makes good use of animal puppets to create fun learning experiences. She explains clearly to children the activities on offer and what she is looking out for in terms of their learning, for example, 'careful counting'. Staff encourage children to think by asking searching questions. They challenge them during group activities, extending their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning and praising them for specific achievements. They interact during free-choice activities to further extend children, for instance, introducing mathematical language when children are exploring paint and playdough. Staff assess children's progress through making observations as they participate in the activities. They make comments on their achievements at group times and keep records of progress on the phonics scheme. Targets for individual children are discussed, using these observations, at weekly planning meetings. Children's overall progress is recorded on nursery learning records. Therefore, staff are able to use this information to guide their planning and to differentiate activities. This results in children being able to learn in appropriate and exciting ways.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The provision is good. Children feel valued and included. They are welcomed at registration time each day, sitting in a semi-circle so that each can see and be seen. In this way, when listening to stories or joining in songs children feel a part of what is going on. All children are invited to participate in activities and there is no limit to however many times they do an activity, for example, they can plant as many flowers as they wish. Children are encouraged to bring items from home to show others and this helps to boost the confidence of younger ones. Those needing extra support to settle in are given special attention while they gain confidence. Children's self esteem is boosted when chosen as the special helper for the day. They develop personal independence through the expectations of staff at PE and snack times. Children talk about how they

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Helping children make a positive contribution

can help each other at nursery and also in the wider community, for example, at Harvest time. The nursery has close links with the local parish church. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Overall, children have a real sense of belonging. Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff have appropriate strategies in place to manage behaviour. At group times children know to raise their hands if wanting to answer a question. They listen attentively and respond in an appropriate manner. Children enjoy much praise for behaving well and this encourages others to behave similarly. They move quietly and carefully around the school and line up nicely to go outdoors. They are aware of the nursery rules which are on display for both children and parents to see. Parents receive detailed information about the nursery procedures and practices. Half-termly newsletters keep them up to date with events

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and requests for help. All the nursery policies are made available to parents. However, the complaints policy has not been updated in line with the recent changes to regulations. Consequently, parents concerns may not be acknowledged or dealt with appropriately. Parents provide information about their children's individual needs so that staff are aware of these. Consequently, children benefit from a close working partnership between parents and staff. The partnership with parents and carers, with respect to nursery education, is good. Parents receive very clear information about the Foundation Stage of learning and the topic for each half term. There are various home-school links, including book borrowing, home activity sheets and a soft toy animal which is taken home by children. Parents can view the weekly plans and snack menu on the notice board. They exchange information about their children's progress at consultations held twice

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Helping children make a positive contribution

a year. Parents also enjoy special events organised by the nursery, for example, sports days, class assemblies and picnics at the park. These links with parents and carers contribute effectively to children's ability to learn.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The documentation is very well organised in files and provides an excellent framework for the nursery's practice. All the necessary policies are in place and also much information relevant to the National Standards and Outcomes for childcare. Individual policies have been written for each area of learning in the Foundation

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Stage. There is relevant information at hand for students and helpers. Paperwork is easy to access, and easy to understand, and is supported by a large collection of evidence demonstrating how staff achieve the outcomes for children. Staff are all well qualified and keen to attend training which will help them to develop professionally. There are good induction procedures in place for new staff and ongoing appraisals each year. Since the last inspection, staff have attended training courses in the 'Birth to three matters' framework, special needs, speech and language, story telling and creative development, amongst others. Those attending the courses feed back to the rest of the staff so that they all benefit. Their commitment to ongoing improvement contributes to the high standard of childcare and education.

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Organisation

Staff provide a very welcoming environment for children. The classroom is bright and colourful, with children's work displayed in every available space. There are many written labels around the room to encourage children's awareness of reading and writing. The role play area is set out to provide different role play situations, for instance, a garden centre with flowers, tools and order sheets. Children have easy access to resources which are stored in transparent drawers around the room. Staff are allocated to a particular activity or move freely to interact with children in play. They organise group times very effectively, providing alternative activities for children so that all have good support. Each session is organised around a daily routine which keeps children busy and involved at all times and never needing to wait. They are able to join in activities indoors and outdoors and thereby have a wide choice of play

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Organisation

experiences at any one time. Overall, children's needs are met. The leadership and management of the nursery education is outstanding. The teacher leads the morning session for older children and the pre-school leader manages the afternoon session which younger children attend. They prepare the written planning after discussion with staff and ensure that staff have an opportunity to discuss each week's plans at the end of the previous week. Staff are managed well and work together as a team. They are all assigned a group of children, as a key worker, and ensure that they keep up to date with the regular recording of assessments. The leaders encourage them to support and interact with children and build close relationships with parents and carers. The two leaders work together closely so that children are well settled and confident by the time they switch from the afternoon to the morning session. They continually monitor and evaluate the

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Organisation

provision, outlining proposed developments in an action plan. They attend committee meetings to promote good communication between the committee and the nursery. Their excellent leadership and management helps to ensure that the provision of nursery education is both focused and effective in promoting learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection, the nursery was asked to increase the opportunities for children to use their own creative skills, and imagination, in creating spontaneously. Children now have a wide range of opportunities to develop their own skills in the free exploration of different materials and media, both indoors and outdoors. Their individual work is displayed in the 'art gallery' display area. The nursery was also asked to devise a suitable procedure for assessing staff

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 performance. Annual staff appraisals have now been introduced and, in addition, a system of peer observations amongst staff. These contribute towards highlighting any areas for professional development.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • update the complaints policy so that all parents are aware of the recent changes to regulations.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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