Queen Street Nursery and Pre-school

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/02/2005 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Queen Street Day Nursery Setting Address 19 Queen Street Penrith Cumbria CA11 7XF

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Mrs A Tyson-Brown and Mrs K Tallentire

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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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

The Queen Street Day Nursery and Pre-school is owned by Mrs A. Tyson- Brown and Mrs K. Tallentire. It was originally established in 1987 and was taken over by its current owners in 1993. It operates from the first two floors of a Grade II listed building in the centre of Penrith. All children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The setting opens from 08.30 to 17.30 Monday to Friday. It is open all year round, except for bank holidays. It is registered to care for twenty children. There are currently thirty one children aged between three months and four years on roll and they attend for a variety of sessions. Eleven children receive funding for nursery education. The setting has no children identified as having special educational needs and all the children speak English as their first language. The setting would be pleased to consider applications from parents of such children in the future. The nursery employs six staff all of whom work with the children. Five staff have a

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Information about the setting

recognised early years qualification and one part-time staff member has relevant care qualifications. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare partnership and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

The provision for nursery education at Queen Street Day Nursery and Pre-school is good-quality. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development and generally good progress in the other two areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. The staff create a very strong family atmosphere which children and parents like very much. Planning shows generally good links to the Stepping Stones, though planning for physical development could be better, and this allows accurate assessment to take place. These assessments are used well to plan future sessions. Teaching methods encourage children's independence because they are allowed to move from activity to activity. The high staff to child ratio allows adults to spend quality time with each child, listening

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How effective is the nursery education?

attentively to what they have to say and answering their questions in full. Worksheets are used too much. It is unlikely that one sheet could meet the needs of the wide span of ability within the group. Staff manage children's behaviour very well. They give children lots of praise and are quick to 'head off' potential problems. The leadership and management of the day nursery are generally good. The owners are always in the nursery and set a very positive example to colleagues. The action plan is very well though out and has moved the setting forward since the last inspection. The monitoring of provision is relatively informal at present and the nursery has no development plan which will take it forward. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are delighted with the setting because it has a real 'family' feel to it. The induction arrangements are made to suit each child. Parents get ample informal and formal information about their child's

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What is being done well?

• The setting provides a very good 'family' atmosphere in which all children are valued. Children are very happy playing and learning in the setting and their self esteem grows because staff listen attentively to their talk and praise their skills. Children are learning to take responsibility, for instance for tidying away the toys. • Snack time is a very positive experience for everyone. All of the children, including the babies, meet in one room three times per day. Children serve each other, learning the please and thank you routine. Staff lead social chat and children of all ages join in freely. • Children communicate with each other and staff well. They are encouraged to talk about their lives and what they are doing in the setting by staff who listen

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 carefully to all that they say. Children listen attentively to skillfully asked questions from the staff and frequently provide lengthy answers in sentences that show a good command of a wide vocabulary. •• Children's natural curiosity is fostered by well chosen topics and good use of stimulating resources. Children love the coloured liquid in the 'egg-timer' ornaments. They know what will happen when they turn them upside down and put forward simple explanations about why. They are fascinated by plants and love to watch and measure the growth of their sunflowers. • Children take part in a good range of craft type activities and learn lots of techniqes. They feel and talk about textures and some are already mixing paints to get the colour they want. • The setting has a very positive relationship with its parents, which helps

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What is being done well?

children feel comfortable in the nursery. They are very well informed about what their child will learn from the high quality notices around the rooms. Other notices link the Stepping Stones with what their child has already learned. They feature photographs of the children taking part in the activity and help parents understand the education programme for children of this age.

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What needs to be improved?

• the use of the same worksheet for each child • the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning • the provision for children to extend their climbing, balancing and swinging skills • the children's use of mathematical language in their play

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting was asked to improve four issues from the last inspection and has made very good progress towards them. The action plan is very well written. The first issue was complex and asked the setting to produce short term plans which show clearly what the children are to learn, particularly in mathematical and physical development. The setting has made generally good progress with this issue. Planning is detailed and shows good links with the Stepping Stones. However, in much of it the activity is listed and only in a few specific activities does it state what the child will learn. The second issue asked the setting to develop an assessment system which links to the early learning goals and to use these assessments to inform future planning. The setting has made very good progress with this issue. There is a well thought out assessment system in place which covers all six areas of learning. Staff keep

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What has improved since the last inspection?

records on each individual and use their notes to help plan the next stage in each child's learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 The third issue asked them to use snack times more effectively. The setting has made very good progress with this issue. The setting has re-thought snack time and it is now a very positive feature. All the children come together in one room. Children talk freely, help each other, match cups to children and show their independence by taking turns to serve the food. They have a good 'sing' at the end, with even the babies joining in. The fourth issue asked them to encourage children to have more personal independence in daily routines. The setting has made very good progress with this issue. Children are encouraged to 'have a go' before any help is offered. They struggle, and often succeed, with their coats. Very young children pour their own drink or give out food. They choose from the activities on offer and move freely

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What has improved since the last inspection?

between them. They are now very capable of making good choices.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very happy coming to the setting and leave their parents willingly and confidently. Children are keen to learn and are growing in self knowledge and self esteem because they get lots of encouragement and positive feedback from staff. They behave very well throughout the day and the activities provided encourage them to be independent. They are learning to share resources and work cooperatively. They take good care of their personal needs, like toileting and hand washing.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak clearly, communciating their thoughts and needs in short sentences. They discuss their play with staff and friends. Many identify their own name as part of registration. Children listen attentively to stories and handle books very well themselves. They turn the pages and older children pretend to be the story teller. Children have many 'mark making' experiences like drawing and painting and they like to 'write' their name. Their 'mark making' is valued and encouraged by staff.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children sort and match object, often using colour as the criteria because they know the basic ones. They 'touch' count accurately to six and often chant the numbers to at least 10. Children do not get much benefit from many of the number worksheets used. They use their mathematical knowledge well, like comparing the heights of plants they have grown but do not make much use of numbers and mathematical language in their general play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children know why plants grow and how some sounds are made. They make musical instruments from containers and select the filling to make the sound they want to create. Children discuss the weekend's snow and recent events, like birthdays, using the past tense. They know that nursery in is the town and that towns have shops and libraries from their walks. Children learn about their own culture and something of the major world faiths through the sharing of stories and the celebration of festivals.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move around the small room avoiding obstacles and each other well. They walk, run and stop easily, though experience of climbing and balancing is less well developed because space is at a premium. Children's fine motor control is developed well. They place small pieces of jigsaw accurately to make a puzzle, join construction toys together, pour their own drinks and most cut accurately with scissors.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children sing well and know a range of songs. They sing with good control, e.g loudly or quietly, when required. They enjoy making their musical instruments and know that different contents will create different sounds in their shakers. Children talk about the textures of papers they used to make their pictures, broadening their vocabulary. They play very imaginatively with dressing up clothes and in the home corner, for example they pretend to be a singer when using the mike and tape deck.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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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: THE KEY ISSUES

• put in place a system for the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning based on clear job descriptions for all staff • ensure that worksheets, if used at all, are pitched at an appropriate level for each individual child • provide more activities in which children can climb, balance and swing • encourage children to use mathematical language in play and activities. The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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