Weydown Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/03/2004 Inspector Name Louise, Caroline Bonney

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Weydown Nursery School Setting Address Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall Weydown Road Haslemere Surrey GU27 1BS

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Weydown Nursery School has been under the current ownership since 2003. It operates from two rooms situated in Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, within short walking distance of the train station and the town shopping centre. The nursery school serves the local area. There are currently 45 children from 2 years 6 months to under 5 years on roll. This includes 20 funded 3 year olds and 8 funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group can support children who have special needs or who speak English as an additional language. The group is open five days week during school term times. Sessions are held from 09:15 until 12:00, Monday to Friday. These extend to 15:00 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for children in their final year. When staying for lunch children bring sandwiches on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a hot meal is provided on Thursday. There is one full-time member of staff and five part-time staff working with the

p.2

Information about the setting

children. Of these, one has teacher qualified status, two have early years qualifications to NVQ levels two and three, and one is currently attending NVQ two training. The setting receives support from a mentor from the Surrey Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, and attends cluster group meetings with local schools and preschools. Support and advice is also received from the Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

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?

The provision is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff provide a balanced range of activities which cover all areas of learning within the Foundation Stage, and afternoon plans show specific learning aims which link directly to the stepping stones. Planned activities are challenging, but do not show adjustments for less able children, and worksheets are in use instead of supported practical activities to develop handwriting. Staff work closely with the children, and, for example, present small group activities for music and mathematics in an enthusiastic and lively manner. Staff assess the children against the stepping stones, and develop termly targets for individual children. These provide a secure basis on which to plan the next steps in children's learning, and of progress to share with parents. These targets do not

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

reflect in planning through grouping of children. Leadership and management is generally good. During her first year, the new owner and her deputy have worked hard to develop areas of the curriculum, particularly for music and mathematics. The supportive staff team attend planning meetings, and help evaluate the provision. New staff are well supported, and undertake training for recognised level two early years qualifications. There is not a rigorous system in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents receive good information about the setting, and find staff friendly and approachable. They are aware of topics, and attend sessions to help or to share their interests and knowledge. There is no system in place to share children's assessment records and learning targets with parents.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Relationships between staff and the children and their parents are good. These help children feel secure and support all aspects of their learning. • Small group activities for music and games are set at a good pace and enthusiastically presented. • Children enjoy listening to rhyming stories in a large group, and are able to suggest many alternative rhyming words, which don't feature in the book. • Children are encouraged to persist at tasks, and are able to listen attentively to each other as they take turns to tell their news when in a large group. • Children have opportunities to watch change over time, and show excitement when they look at their seedlings and see how much they have grown.

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 • Children learn about each other's cultures in a variety of ways. They participate in related art and craft activities and role play, try on traditional clothes, eat food such as noodles at Thursday's cooked lunch, have a theme table with related items and photographs displayed.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• system to share children's assessment records and learning targets with parents • independence through increasing opportunities during routine activities such as snack time • children's use of thinking skills, to problem solve, talk about and plan their play • use of calculation during practical and routine activities • opportunities to develop writing skills through a variety of play and role-play, and by seeing adults write for real purposes, rather than through worksheets • planning towards the stepping stones to include all sessions, and to show how they can be adapted for individual or groups of children to provide appropriate levels of challenge.

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 separate happily from parents, and they are forming friendships. They choose their activities from those set out, and staff encourage them to sample a wide range through direction. They are developing confidence, and are able to question about their needs. They behave well, and sit quietly during large group activities, are helpful, and take turns well. They independently see to their personal care, store their work, put on aprons, and open their lunches.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children develop emergent writing through worksheets, and less supported practical activities such as role-play. They enjoy finding words that rhyme, and are beginning to recognise the initial sounds of words. They enjoy participating in stories as a large group, and staff show that print carries meaning. Children use pencils, hammers, scissors, and paintbrushes with good control. They communicate well with staff, but are not encouraged to verbally plan or think about their activities.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently to 10, and recognise numerals up to 6 as they sort wooden number templates. They use number during various activities, such as dice games, and some can instantly recognise how many are in a group of five, but number does not feature during role-play in the shop. Children explore shape, size and position through construction, handling boxes and cylinders, and completing puzzles. Children do little calculation during practical every-day routines and activities.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good At circle time children enjoy looking at their seedlings to observe how they change and grow, and recall events as they share their news. They make models with a good variety of construction kits and recycled materials, and experiment with joining techniques such as glue and split pins. They learn about their community by visiting the library and railway station, and parents support themes about their jobs, cultures and religions. There is no computer, and little access to programmable toys.

p.5

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

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy action rhymes, and move in a variety of ways during small group games. They show good awareness of space as they move around the room, or bounce in pairs on the double trampette. They look after their personal hygiene well. They use a wide range of small equipment such as hammers, pencils, scissors, and small construction equipment with good control. Children have easy access to larger equipment such as the climbing frame and sit and rides.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy experimenting with musical instruments in small groups. Children that are more able keep a rhythm well, and make up their own songs. They use their senses by smelling and feeling the plants, and are able to express their likes and dislikes while decorating biscuits. They recognise colours well, and have good opportunities to use paint in a variety of ways, and match colours to find their theme colour for the week. Children participate in a variety of role-play.

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

• encourage children to use their thinking skills, and to problem solve, talk about and plan their play • encourage children to use calculation during practical and routine activities • develop writing skills through a variety of play and role-play, and by seeing adults write for real purposes • extend planning towards the stepping stones to include all sessions, and to show how activities can be adapted for individual or groups of children to provide appropriate levels of challenge.

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