Playhouse Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/01/2005 Inspector Name Suman Willis

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Playhouse Nursery Setting Address United Reform Church Station Road Radlett Hertfordshire WD7

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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

Playhouse Nursery is an independent day nursery. It opened in 2002 and operates from one large hall and two rooms on the first floor within the United Free Church building. The church is situated off the main road through Radlett and within walking distance of the station. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 09:15 to 15:15, Wednesday from 09:15 to 12:45 and Thursday from 09:15 to 11:45. A mobile fence is used in the drive to provide outdoor play. There are currently 35 children on roll. This includes eighteen funded three and four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting suppports children with English as an additional language and is equipped to support children with special needs. Six staff currently work with the children. Four of the staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a

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Information about the setting

Certificate in Pre School Practice qualification and another staff member towards a Diploma in Pre School Practice qualification.

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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 nursey education at the Playhouse Nursery is of good quality overall. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in creative development and generally good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals. They are skillful at observing children's achievements and use these effectively in their planning. More emphasis must now be made to learning through every day routine activities. Resources are well organised to increase children's independence skills as they move confidently between activities. A wide range of activities and opportunities are provided to encourage children to explore their ideas and imagination. Attention needs to be payed to large group activies as some children lose focus during these and become distracted by others. Staff use various methods and seek advice from different

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How effective is the nursery education?

agencies in helping children with special educational needs and children who have English as an additional language to ensure they make good progress. The leadership and management of the nursery is generally good. The manager is very supportive of her team and regular appraisals ensure that staffing needs are addressed. Staff work well together in providing an effective programme in most areas. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents express their satisfaction of the group and able staff team. They are made to feel welcome and share information verbally. The home-link book enables them to support and be involved in their children's learning. They receive good quality information on the progress their children are making.

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What is being done well?

• Children are secure and happy within their environment which is reflected in their role play as they use resources from various areas to extend their learning. They speak confidently with their peer groups, staff and visitors. • Children are given ample opportunity to develop their writing skills with mark marking resources available in all areas. They enjoy using their mark making skills to extend their imaginative play by writing party invitation cards. This is also encouraged during group activities. • Children enjoy being creative and use resources from other areas imaginatively to extend their learning. They particularly enjoy music and are encouraged by staff to select and play their own music tapes using the tape recorder and extend this into playing musical instruments.

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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 • The book area is well organised to encourage children to enjoy and develop their reading skills. Children sit comfortably looking at books and use hand puppets to recreate their own stories. Some children enjoy relaxing with books and having one to one quality reading time. • Partnership with parents and carers is fully valued and promoted. Parent's are fully involved in their children's learning and the home-link book is very well utilised by both staff and parents to keep each other fully informed of the children's achievements.

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What needs to be improved?

• daily routines and activities to ensure that due emphasis is given to all aspects of the early learning goals. • organisation of large group activities to ensure that all children have the opportunity to participate at their level and extend their learning within all aspects of their development

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This does not apply, it is the nursery's first education inspection.

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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 settle quickly and are happy to engage in their chosen activitiy. They access resources confidently moving from one activity to another. Staff value children by sharing their work at story time. They speak very highly of children's achievements. Children build positive relationships with their peers and approach staff with confidence. However, some children lose focus during large group activities which has an impact on their ability to concentrate and extend their learning.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident to speak out during story time and on a one to one level. Children's language and thinking is expanded through planned activities, although opportunities to extend childrens knowledge of linking sound to letters are limited. Children are beginning to learn print carries meaning and older children are beginning to write their own names independently. Children enjoy books and utilise the book area well. They are given ample opportunity to develop handwriting skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing good counting skills, for example counting 12 worm holes in the playdough and are able to recognise numbers 1-9. Children enjoy talking about size as they cut ribbons and make comparisons. They work confidently with puzzles and have a good understanding of shapes. However, there are limited opportunities to extend their mathematical skills, especially problem solving and aspects of calculation within their daily routine.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy exploring the properties of water, making ice and tasting different types of water. They use a wide range of equipment and materials to develop their design and making skills with playdough. Children have access to ICT and use the tape recorder with purpose. They learn about people in the community through organised topics and visits. Consideration should be given to extend children's knowledge and understanding of a sense of time through daily routines and group work.

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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 with confidence around the hall to access the different areas of play. Staff use music well to develop children's imagination. Children can use a trampoline and balancing beams with growing skills. They enjoy a varied range of healthy snacks and are becoming aware of staying healthy. Children have access to an excellent range of tools and materials to develop their fine motor skills. However, planning to extend children's gross motors skills is limited.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can explore a good range of media and materials using paint, sand and water. They are excited to select items from the song sack and recognise how they relate to familiar songs and rhymes. Children use their imagination in a variety of ways, making good use of resources to extend their role play. They use playdough in the role play area to make a birthday cake. They are keen to use hand puppets to create their own stories. They enjoy playing musical instruments independently.

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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

• Further develope all aspects of the early learning goals through daily routines and activities • improve the organisation of large group activities to ensure that all children have the opportunity to participate at their level and extend their learning within all aspects of their development

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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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