The Early Bird Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/04/2004 Inspector Name Christine Clint

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name The Early Bird Nursery School Setting Address Heritage House Woodlands Avenue Rustington, Littlehampton West Sussex BN16 3EY

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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

Early Bird Nursery School is situated in a detached house in the centre of Rustington, close to the local shops. The nursery serves the local community and children move on to several schools in the area. Both floors of the premises are used for child care, babies and children under three years are cared for on the ground floor and the pre-school section is on the first floor; the nursery has a large, secure, rear garden. The registration is for 25 children under the age of five years. Pre-school children only may attend for sessional times during the day. There are six members of staff and a nursery manager, all have first aid qualifications, and almost all staff hold qualifications in child care. There are 29 three and four year old children in funded educational places, no children with special needs and no children attending with English as an additional language.

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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 Early Bird Nursery School is generally good it enables children to make progress in most areas of learning, although there are significant weaknesses in the provision for mathematical development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have excellent skills of communication, they sustain children's interest through discussion and use explanation to increase children's understanding. Staff are aware of the Foundation Stage of Learning, they are responsible for all planning and assessment, they include themes and topics to provide challenges for children; however many regular activities and nursery routines are not linked with the Stepping Stones of the Foundation Stage and offer insufficient challenges. The systems in place for assessing children's development are not fully established. Staff know children individually and use effective methods to manage behaviour, they promote a caring

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How effective is the nursery education?

sharing ethos. Leadership and management is generally good. There is a relaxed informal style of management, which includes daily liaison with staff and daily involvement in the care of children, there is also regular contact with parents. There is a commitment to continuing with the pattern of management already established, although there is no formal evaluation of nursery routines or of nursery education. Plans are in place to improve the outside play area for children. Partnership with parents is generally good. There are positive attitudes between staff, parents and nursery management. Parents enter the nursery daily and liaise with staff, they have access to basic information and regular opportunities to liaise. However there is no evidence of how information from parents is linked to individual children or used to develop children's progress.

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What is being done well?

• The personal, social and emotional development of children is strongly supported through the positive attitude of staff who encourage children's involvement through communication. There is an open and friendly atmosphere where staff are good role models; they encourage a caring environment which includes opportunities for siblings within the nursery to meet for lunch. • Physical development is enhanced by daily outside activities; children look forward to their time outside and individually plan games. Staff encourage children to participate through their own involvement.

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • staff knowledge and teaching of mathematical development; • staff knowledge of the Stepping Stones across all areas of learning; • access to resources and equipment for children to have some independent choice; • opportunities for children to make progress in personal care; • the systems to evaluate practice.

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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 are happy and involved, they initiate conversations, expand ideas and explain their feelings, they are confident and respond well to staff. They have ample encouragement to form relationships and to consider each other's feelings; a caring, sharing ethos is well established. Children are beginning to develop personal independence but have few opportunities to make practical progress within the nursery routines and cannot select resources for themselves and work independently.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have excellent skills of interaction, they use language to communicate continually with staff and each other. They are encouraged to think and have learned skills of questioning. They show interest in the meaning of new words and respond to stories and rhymes which explore and extend their understanding. However there are formal opportunities only for the linking of sounds and letters and no available writing materials for children to access freely.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children have some opportunities for shape recognition and are able to follow patterns as instructions, however these are not fully extended and there are many missed opportunities for counting and using simple mathematical language to compare, sort, add and subtract. Opportunities for problem solving are not included in nursery routines.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are learning through discussion, they are developing a wider knowledge and can broaden the themes and topics to include their own thoughts on subjects, they are beginning to put these into words and to understand new concepts of their own culture; however there are few topics included to introduce children to other cultures and beliefs. There is limited access to technology and little opportunity for children to access resources for designing and making.

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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 have good opportunities for movement, they manage well within the nursery and use low apparatus outside. They can control and co-ordinate their movements; they show enthusiasm and respond to staff involvement, they are aware of each other. Regular books and pictures provide an interest in health and bodily awareness and planning for future topics is in place. There are less opportunities for children to development their use of tools, construction and malleable materials.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good varied opportunities to enjoy singing, stories and rhymes. They respond imaginatively through dialogue and can explain their interpretation of drawings at group time; they enjoy spontaneous role play although little equipment is available. There are infrequent opportunities for children to respond to music and to develop dance, and limited exploration in media and materials.

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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

• increase staff knowledge of mathematical development to include broader aspects of learning; • provide access to resources and equipment for children to have some independent choice during activities; • include wider aspects of development under all areas of learning; • give children opportunities to make progress during nursery routines, especially in personal care; • develop systems to evaluate practice. 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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