Scott Primary School & Nursery

St Mary's Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 109512 Inspection date 17/05/2010 Inspector Mrs Victoria Turner

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Setting address Chapel Green, Queen's Road, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 2LB Telephone number 01892 611721 Email c-morrison5@sky.com 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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

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 Mary’s Nursery School operates in a mobile classroom on the school premises which are located at Chapel Green. The children have use of the school hall, playground and fields. It is a well established nursery which opens Monday to Friday from 9.00am until 3.30pm during term time. The group is registered to care for 20 children at any one time and currently has 54 children on roll, aged from two to five years. There are 40 children who receive funding for nursery education. The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and makes provision for those who speak English as an additional language. There are facilities for children with disabilities. There are seven members of staff who work with the children. Of these, four hold a relevant early years qualification and one of these is furthering her training. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The adults work well together to promote children’s welfare needs. Good parental involvement, partnerships with the school and other agencies help children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Currently, there is no formal system of self-evaluation to ensure rigorous monitoring of the provision. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed and result in improved outcomes in some areas of learning. The capacity for continuous improvement is satisfactory.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure regular fire practise takes place so that children fully understand the procedures for safe emergency evacuation (suitable premises, environment & equipment) 01/06/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 introduce a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the early years provision ensure that daily checks of the learning environment are carried out so that it is safe for children.  develop the outdoor play area in order to extend the range of learning opportunities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The supervisor and staff provide a bright stimulating environment for the children to play, learn and develop. Effective policies and procedures are in place for safeguarding the children. Staff are vetted to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Annual and weekly risk assessment help keep children safe but daily health and safety checks of the learning environment are not evident. Accidents and medication records are well maintained. The premises are secure with a fenced outdoor area. Clear procedures are in place for safe evacuation of the premises. However, fire practices are irregular.

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the early years provision

The supervisor leads a team of knowledgeable and experienced staff who are skilled in extending the children’s learning. The supervisor is able to articulate some of the setting’s strengths and weaknesses but systems to monitor self- evaluation of the provision are not developed. The staff are encouraged to improve their skills through training. Annual staff appraisals enable staff to highlight areas for development. The setting has addressed most recommendations from the previous inspection and result in improvements in some areas of the provision. The outdoor play area is developing and there are plans to erect a summer house which will be their outdoor classroom accessible in all weathers. The setting has a wide range of suitable resources which are accessible to the children. The room is used appropriately to plan for different areas of learning. Staff are effectively deployed so that children are well supervised both indoors and out.

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the early years provision

A useful range of multicultural resources, such as dressing up clothes, books, musical instruments and posters help children learn about cultural differences. Words and phrases from children’s home language are used at the nursery and signs are displayed in different languages. Parents come in to share ethnic food and songs from other cultures.

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the early years provision

The setting has established good relationship with the school and some outside agencies. They have access to the school’s field and playgrounds. Children visit the school and join in festival celebrations and visit the reception class to familiarise themselves with the school and ease transition. The setting works closely with other settings and attends cluster meetings to share good practice and moderate practice. They use the church at harvest and for the nativity. Termly news letters, ‘Home-Nursery’ books aid communication between the nursery and parents, Parents’ evenings and parents’ consultation evenings enable parents to talk through their children’s learning journals. Parents comment that, ‘The children are really happy’, ‘It’s a lovely atmosphere’ and ‘Staff are really nice.’ A complaints policy is in place and available to parents.

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and outcomes for children

The staff work well together to plan interesting activities for the children that follow children’s interests. Children happily select their own resources and engage This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 in activities indoors and out. They particularly enjoy outdoor play. The effective key person system means that children’s welfare and learning and development needs are met. Key persons make regular observations which inform their planning for the children’s next steps in their learning. Learning journals include observations and photographic evidence of children’s progress. Children make satisfactory progress, with some children making good progress in communication language and literacy. They engage in role play and enjoy dressing up. Children choose their own activities, enjoy messy play and experience different textures. Adults interact with the children and extend their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are taught how to keep themselves safe through stories and role play activities. They follow simple adult instructions, play safely and use scissors safely, Children learn about road safety and stranger danger from visitors to the setting, such as the community police officer. Children are encouraged to eat healthily and make healthy choices from a selection of fruit, vegetables and breadsticks. Fresh drinking water is available throughout the day. Snack time is a sociable time when children interact with their adults. They talk about healthy foods and why they are healthy. The school’s playground, playing fields and the nursery play area, provide good opportunities for active physical play. There are good opportunities for riding, crawling, sliding and running. They enjoy parachute games in the school’s playground. Children follow basic hand washing routines.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave very well. Circle-time offers opportunities to discuss acceptable behaviour. Children understand that there are boundaries and know what is expected of them. Praise is offered to reinforce good behaviour, tidy up time is a team effort as children swiftly put everything away. They cut up the fruit and help make smoothies. Children make a positive contribution to the wider community by donating money at Harvest to a homeless refuge in Brighton. They plan to participate in a sponsored bike ride to raise money for the nursery. They also raise funds for ‘Children in Need.’

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and outcomes for children

Circle-time and snack time offer numerous opportunities for group discussions. Children participate in story time throughout the day in groups or individually. They experiment with a range of mark–making tools, which they access independently. They count how many children are in today and play counting games with pebbles outside. Adults’ questioning help children extend their thinking which enables them to solve problems and extend their learning. Children have access to a range of information and communication technology equipment, such as a computer, cameras, and programmable toys. A variety of software support most areas of learning. They develop mouse control and listen to songs on CD. Children develop a knowledge and understanding of the world as they learn about seasonal changes, life cycles, plant potatoes, strawberries and herbs and hunt for bugs in the garden. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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