Bright Sparks Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/12/2002 Inspector Name Yvonne Chapman

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Bright Sparks Day Nursery Setting Address 31 Hurst Road Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 1AB

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Bright Sparks Day Nursery is situated in the Hinckley area of Leicestershire approximately 13 miles to the south west of Leicester city. The providers, Mr & Mrs Shinh own two other nurseries in neighbouring villages. Bright Sparks accommodates up to 24 children aged under eight years. The accommodation consists of a lower ground floor, ground floor and first floor. The children have access to the ground floor and basement, and direct access to a large outdoor play area. The first floor is inaccessible to children and used by staff only. This area is primarily used for storage and staffing facilities, which includes a staff room, office and bathroom/wc facilities. The Officer in Charge at Bright Sparks also has responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the other nurseries owned by the providers. Mr and Mrs Shinh are active members of a Day Nursery network. The nursery currently have one funded four year old and eight funded three year olds on

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Information about the setting

register. All of the staff working with the children, except for one hold an appropriate child care qualification. There are no children with Special Educational Needs and three children with English as an additional language. The setting receives support from a Special Educational Needs co-ordinator and are due to work with a Foundation Stage Teacher in the near future.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Bright Sparks is a small informal setting which has developed a positive relationship with parents. Children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff build positive relationships with the children and have high expectations of their behaviour. However, on occasion children are expected to wait for long periods before taking part in daily routines. Individual independence is encouraged and children have opportunities to develop awareness of others. Children speak clearly and fluently as a result of staff interest and encouragement in their play. Some assessment and observation records are available, however, staff do not always use information about children's individual achievements to focus their learning and inform future plans. Leadership and management is generally good The proprietor of the nursery makes regular visits to monitor and oversee the provision. The Officer in Charge provides an effective role

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How effective is the nursery education?

model for the staff. The proprietor and Officer in Charge build positive relationships with staff, children and parents. Regular appraisals are planned to assess staff progress and development needs. There are few opportunities for the staff to contribute to an evaluation of the service. Partnership with Parents is generally good. Parents are positive about the approachability of staff and the flexibility and informality of the setting. Parents are well informed about the provision through newsletters, prospectus and parents evenings. However, more detailed information about planned learning through the early learning goals, would enable parents to better assist their child's learning. Positive comments were received from a parent about the support given to her child with English as an additional language.

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What is being done well?

Children's personal, social and emotional development is being promoted well, they are confident, interested and keen to learn. Behaviour is very good. Children speak clearly and fluently as a result of the staff's interest and engagement in their activities and conversation. Children gain an increasing understanding of where they live and the wider community through planned activities and visits linked to topics. Staff build good relationships with parents who feel they are well informed of their children's progress.

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What needs to be improved?

The organisation of some daily routines to ensure that children remain focused and are meaningfully engaged. The use of Curriculum Guidance stepping stones to provide a well balanced programme. Staff's assessment of where children are in their learning, so that they can help them move to the next stage

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made limited progress since the last inspection. Plans of activities are now evident and some assessment records are in place. However, these are not used to inform future planning or ensure that children are sufficiently challenged and build on what they already know. Some information about the curriculum is available to the parents, however this does not explain how the children's learning links into the early learning goals.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children make generally good progress in this area. They are confident, behave well and relate positively with staff and peers. They are developing an awareness of others and personal independence is encouraged.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children make generally good progress in this area. Children speak confidently, clearly and engage easily in conversation with each other and adults. They are encouraged to write independently and have opportunity to understand that words have meaning, through labels and written word around the setting. Children do not have regular opportunity to select books and look at them in comfort.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children make generally good progress in this area. Children are showing confidence in using number, many children count and recognize numerals to 10. They learn about size through activities and match size appropriately. More able children do not have sufficient opportunities to consolidate their understanding of addition and subtraction through practical activities and daily routines.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in this area is generally good. Children become aware of where they live and the wider environment through visits and planned activities, about themselves and other countries. They gain an awareness of culture and belief through the celebration of a variety of festivals. They have limited opportunities to learn about information and communication technology through planned activities.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in this area. They are developing skills involving hand eye co-ordination and are handling tools with control. They are able to move confidently, safely and with an awareness of space. There are insufficient planned activities to allow children to develop overall body co-ordination.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in this area. They have planned opportunities to role play in familiar situations and have regular opportunity to sing songs from memory. Children have limited opportunities to express their ideas, communicate feelings or develop creative awareness. Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: Y

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

Extend the assessments of children's development to ensure sufficient detail is available to inform planning, in order that more able children are presented with appropriate challenge and are able to build on what they already know. Give equal emphasis to all six areas of learning and use the Curriculum Guidance stepping stones to provide a well balanced programme, particularly in relation to physical, mathematical and creative development. Evaluate how the daily routine is structured to ensure children are meaningfully engaged between activities and routines.

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