Fairfield Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 18/10/2004 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Fairfield Private Day Nursery Setting Address 72-78 St. Helens Road Leigh Lancashire WN7 4HW

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Cheshire Care Ltd Address Fairfield House 72 St. Helens Road Leigh Lancashire WN7 4HW

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ORGANISATION 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

Fairfield Private Day Nursery opened in 2001. It operates from a detached property in Leigh, serving the local and wider community. It offers full day and out of school care to parents in the locality. It registered to care for 66 children at any one time. There are currently 93 children on roll aged between three months and four years old who attend at a variety of times. This includes 31 funded 3 year olds. There are currently no funded 4 year olds, no children identified as having special educational needs and no children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week from 07:30 to 18:00 all year round, except for Christmas Day and Bank Holidays. Thirteen full time staff work with the children. All staff hold an early years qualification, except for one who is currently training. The setting is involved with and receives support from the local 'Sure Start' programme.

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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 Fairfield Day Nursery is good. It enables children to make generally good progress in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff talk to children and encourage them to extend their vocabulary by talking about what they are doing. They use praise well to encourage and motivate children. Staff do not get involved enough in children's role play. Resources and the local environment are used well to extend children's understanding of the world around them. Children are challenged, for instance, in counting and music. Annual planning involves a good range and variety of topics. The planning of everyday actvities is not always linked to the monthly theme and the outdoor session is rarely planned at all. Staff do not encourage children to do enough for themselves, e.g at meal times. Assessment procedures are generally good. The 'key worker' system helps staff

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How effective is the nursery education?

focus on specific children and gives parents an immediate point of reference. The planning of focussed activities is good and directly linked to the 'Stepping Stones' but information from these activities is not consistently recorded and transferred to children's records. The leadership and management of the day nursery are generally good. Staff work well as a team, supporting each other. They have an up to date knowledge of nursery practice because they frequently attend training sessions and use the local 'Sure Start' for advice. The owner has implemented an appraisal programme to support staff. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents informally spend time talking to staff at the beginning and end of each day, receiving detailed information about their child. They like the annual report provided by the nursery. They feel well informed about forthcoming events but less so about what their child will learn and

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What is being done well?

• Staff warmly greet and care for the children and are sensitive to their individual needs. This helps the children settle quickly into nursery and grow in confidence. • Children behave well because staff consistently praise the good things that they do. • Children confidently talk about what they are doing and their lives and experiences because staff encourage them and listen well. • Children have a good understanding of number, shape and the language of position.

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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 • Music sessions are well led, lively and enjoyable for the children. • Children enjoy story time. They join in with parts of the story they know.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning of everyday activities and the outdoor session • opportunities for children to show that they can do things for themselves • staff's assessment of children's abiltities

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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: Generally Good Children receive a warm welcome and confidently leave their parents. They behave well because clear guidelines have been established and staff consistently praise good behaviour. They are beginning to learn to share toys and work cooperatively because staff encourage this. Children are quite independent in taking care of personal needs. They could have more opportunities to exercise choice, e.g. during morning play sessions, and do more to help themseleves and each other, e.g. at meal times.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy talking about themselves and what they are doing and this is encouraged by staff. They listen attentively to stories and enthusiastically join in with parts that they know. They could get more from the story if staff talked about the print or asked children to predict what might happen next. Children are learning to hold a pencil and make marks with crayon, paint and pencils. This could be extended further if mark making was always available and encouraged in role play areas.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children recite the counting numbers to 20 confidently and most of them accurately count at least five objects. They know the names of the flat shapes and pick them out in games. Because they sing songs like '5 green bootles' and do the action they are becoming familiar with 'taking away one'. Children do not extend their understanding of sets and matching in everyday situations, e.g. giving out plates and cutlery at lunchtime. They learn and use position words like 'over' and 'under'.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have an improving understanding of the natural world because they study the seasons, small creatures and plants during the year. They observe and predict quite well, e.g. they knew what would happen to the mixture when making play dough. Children would have a better understanding of how to control machines if they had more frequent access to a tape deck or the computer. They use construction kits to create imaginative models and play happily with them.

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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 During lively music sessions children move with improving control. They walk, march, hop and jog well because staff join in. They ride tricycles, use scooters and push cars safely during outdoor sessions. Because these sessions are not systematically planned staff are unsure of their role and so opportunities to extend children's learning are missed. Children handle small tools and equipment frequently and are controling spades, watering cans and writing implements with greater confidence.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children join in enthusiastically with music sessions, singing songs and copying actions. They respond well to the tempo of the music and move rhythmically. Children enjoy playing in the shop, although the quality of their play varies with the amount of support they are given. They enjoy drawing and painting activities and recognise and name the colours, e.g. during a 'bingo type' game. They play imaginatively with construction toys, e.g. making a 'cake' or a children's playground.

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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

• ensure that everyday activties and outdoor sessions are carefully planned • give children more opportunities to show that they can be independent • ensure that the outcome of all assessment activities transferred to the children's records.

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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.

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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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