St Anne Line Catholic Nursery

St Anne Line Catholic Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY337937 Inspection date 14/09/2009 Inspector Geof Timms

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Setting address St. Anne Line Catholic Infant School, Wickhay, Basildon, Essex, SS15 5AF Telephone number 01268 524263 Email admin@st-anneline-inf.essex.sch.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

St Anne Line Catholic Nursery is run by a committee composed of governors and parents from the infant school. It opened in January 2007 and operates from a purpose-built building within the infant school grounds. It is situated in Basildon, Essex. A maximum of 24 children, aged between three and four, may attend the nursery at any one time. There are 45 children on roll currently. The nursery is open each weekday from 9.05am to 11.35am and 12.30pm to 3pm, term time only. All children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are four members of staff working with the children and all have appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register, and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There is a good partnership with the infant school, and the local authority, and the nursery makes good use of their facilities and external advice. Access for children and adults,

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Description of the setting

including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is good. The setting supports many children with English as an additional language.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

This is a good setting with a number of outstanding features. A major strength is the willingness and success of staff in seeking continuous improvement. It fully meets the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery is well led and managed and provides children with a secure start to their education and a good basis for their transition into the Reception classes.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 improve the use of the outdoor accommodation and resources  ensure that planning highlights all opportunities to improve children’s speaking, listening and communication skills.

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the early years provision

The nursery leader and her staff have an excellent focus on continuous improvement. They are very willing to look beyond the setting to seek advice, training and to learn more about good practice. Currently there is work being done to improve children’s communication skills and future plans show that the provision for special educational needs, especially dealing with autism, is the next stage in promoting their effective practice. These improvements are supported by good self-evaluation which highlights any areas for development well and provides the basis for the outstanding drive for improvement. Resources are largely well This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 deployed and used effectively and efficiently. The outdoor area has recently been completed and is fully secure and contains both hard and grassed surfaces. This facility is not yet used as fully as it could be due to a lack of resources and more

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the early years provision

in-depth planning for its use as part of the early years curriculum. The training and continuous development of staff has a high priority in the nursery. Staff are well qualified and attend a wide range of courses, sharing their expertise and ideas with each other. This is reflected in the way they work well together as a team and the relaxed and positive relationships they have with children.

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the early years provision

Parents spoken to during the inspection expressed their satisfaction with the setting, although early in the new school year. They all said their children were happy to be there and enjoyed talking about what they have done. Safeguarding arrangements are outstanding. Appropriate staff checks and recruitment arrangements are in place and the detailed risk assessments help ensure children’s safety. Children are very well cared for and their social and health needs are tracked as well as their learning needs. The nursery has many children from a range of different ethnic backgrounds and they are all fully and equally included and where appropriate their language needs supported. A particular strength of this inclusion is the way a recognised need is addressed. For example, an extra staff member has been appointed to provide support for a group of more-able children, together with some needing extra language support. This response to the

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the early years provision

setting’s self-evaluation typifies the thoughtful and effective nature of the leadership. The partnership with parents is good. The staff are keen to extend parents’ involvement in the assessment of children by adding records of what the child does at home. This partnership is also supported by the loan of books from the setting’s library for parents to share with their children at home. The partnerships with the school and local authority also support good practice in the setting and are a good feature.

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and outcomes for children

Children’s welfare has a high priority and this begins with the home visits made by staff at the start of the year. These enable an accurate picture of the children’s skills and knowledge to be built. These early assessments are used as the basis for the planning of tasks and activities, and for ensuring staff are all aware of individual needs. Children are happy and safe, and the staff put a high priority on teaching them to keep themselves healthy through, for example, cleanliness before eating. The children learn to get on together well with occasional disagreements being very well handled by the staff. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education as they make clear improvements to their basic skills, as well as developing their experience of the world through the many well planned activities. Many of the children start with low levels of communication skills, such as speaking and listening. This aspect is one the nursery is currently working to improve. There

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and outcomes for children

is still scope to improve opportunities to develop good speaking and listening in the planning.

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and outcomes for children

The activities provided offer children good opportunities to learn new skills through play and in fun and interesting ways. For example, during a make believe bus ride This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children drew maps and offered directions to the driver. The adults' good, open questioning skills helped turn this play into an effective learning opportunity. Displays highlight the cultural mix of the children well and introduce different languages. The use of a puppet helps children to settle into the setting and accept the expectations staff have of their behaviour.

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and outcomes for children

Good recording of children’s learning, based on the early learning goals, helps build up a detailed picture of their progress. Notes are made of daily learning moments, or children’s comments that show their understanding. A digital camera is used to record much of the work and the assessments made are used in the planning to further develop children’s skills and abilities. The planning is detailed but flexible and responsive to individual needs. Staff plan together and this ensures coherence and consistency in the provision. A recently developed achievement book helps show the progress made over the year and also provides parents with a good record of what their child has learned and can do. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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