Nunthorpe Children's Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/10/2003 Inspector Name Ann Doubleday

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care, Sessional Day Care Setting Name Nunthorpe Early Years Centre Setting Address The Crescent Nunthorpe Middlesbrough Cleveland TS7 0JW

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of (Proprietor) Mr P Nelson and Mr I Howlett

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name (Proprietor) Mr P Nelson and Mr I Howlett Address Nunthorpe Nurseries Group 2 The Crescent,Nunthorpe Middlesbrough Cleveland TS7 0JP

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Nunthorpe Early Years Centre opened in April 2001. It operates from three rooms in a detached converted building in an established residential/commercial area of Middlesbrough. The centre serves the local area. There are currently seventy two children from three to eight years attending. This includes 13 funded three year olds and three funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The centre supports children with special educational needs. Nursery care, playgroup, parent and toddler sessions and out of school care are included in the service. The centre opens for six days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07:30-18:30 hours. Six full time/part time staff work with the children, five have early years qualifications. There are no staff currently are on training programmes. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

p.2

Information about the setting

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

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

Nunthorpe Early Years Centre offers a warm and friendly environment, where overall children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Children make very good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world and in their creative development. They make generally good progress in their communication language and literacy, mathematical development and in their personal, social and emotional development. They make satisfactory progress in physical development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff use their knowledge of the early learning goals well to provide a variety of interesting and fun activities. Resources are well laid out, and encourage children to learn. Staff work well with children and develop good relationships with them. However assessment systems are not used sufficiently to plan for children's individual learning needs, resulting in missed learning opportunities.

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is generally good. The management is committed to ongoing development of the provision and the training of all staff. There are systems in place to evaluate the success of planned activities. However there is no system in place which identifies areas for development, which has resulted in gaps in the provision. Staff do not fully work together as a team, resulting in poor organisation of parts of the nursery day.

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are kept fully informed about the foundation stage, the project themes and policies and procedures. They are encouraged to continue their child's learning at home. The settling in arrangements give time for children to become settled and for staff and parents to share information. Parents have regular opportunities to speak formally and informally to staff and are kept informed about their child's progress through open evenings and their child's development records.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is a strength of the nursery. They investigate their environment and living things well. •• Children receive many opportunities to explore different media in fun ways and use their imagination well, particularly in the role play area. • Partnership with parents is very good; they receive clear information about their child's progress and can follow the curriculum at home, through a range of suggested activities.

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Staff provided an interesting and varied programme of purposeful activities.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• The physical development programme, so that children receive regular opportunities to develop new skills and build on existing ones. • The use of assessments to inform future planning, to ensure individual children's learning needs are met across all areas of the curriculum. • The staff's understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to the organisation of the setting.

p.4

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

p.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They are confident in working as part of a group and build positive relationships with adults and peers. They select their own resources and activities well and try out new ideas. Children relate well to their own life experiences and feelings and can make connections between them. Children's attention is not sustained throughout the day, particularly in large groups, leading to poor behaviour.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in communication, language and literacy is generally good. They use language well to relate real and imaginary situations and receive regular opportunities to engage in conversation. They listen well to instructions and requests. Children hold pencils with increasing control and are beginning to form recognisable letters. There are limited opportunities for older children to learn which letters represent sounds and for children to use books in nursery activities.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in their mathematical development. They confidently use mathematical language well to compare shape and size and are developing problem solving skills in play situations. They are developing an understanding of numbers, some can count beyond ten and recognise numerals to five. However children do not receive sufficient opportunities to use counting skills in everyday situations.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. They receive many opportunities to explore and investigate their environment and living things well through interesting topics. They relate well to past and present events in their own lives. They enjoy constructing and are select appropriate resources confidently. Children use programmable toys well and have opportunities to use the computer.

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress in physical development is satisfactory. They receive regular opportunities to play outside and use a range of mark making equipment with increasing skill. However children do not receive insufficient opportunities to develop skills or build on existing ones, particularly in climbing and in their spatial awareness. They are not developing a sound understanding of health and bodily awareness, leading to the development of poor hygienic practices.

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.5

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress in creative development. They receive many opportunities to explore different media in fun ways. They explore their senses through a variety of activities and use their imagination well, particularly in the role play area. Children recognise and can name colours well. They use musical instruments well and move rhythmically to well known songs and rhymes.

p.6

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

p.6

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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• use the assessment system to inform future planning for individual children, so that they receive sufficient challenge in an all areas of learning; • give more attention to the detail of planning for the physical development programme. Ensure children receive regular opportunities to build on existing skills and develop new ones; • ensure staff are confident about their roles and responsibilities and work together as a team.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

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.

p.7

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

p.7