Clarendon Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/10/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Clarendon Nursery Setting Address Belmont Grove Leeds West Yorkshire LS2 9NS

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust Address Belmont Grove Leeds West Yorkshire LS2 9NS

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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

Clarendon Nursery is a well established setting that opened in 1978, and provides full day care for the local community and surrounding areas. It is situated in the centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire. The nursery is managed by the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. Care takes place on the ground floor level of a suitably adapted old residential building, and forms part of an integrated childcare provision within this building. Children are grouped according to their age, including the funded children, who spend most of their time in two activity rooms, often referred to as the 'blue room' and 'yellow room'. They have access to a central area known as the 'hall', suitable toilet facilities, and a secure and safe outdoor play area. The nursery has 67 children currently on roll, consisting of 16 three-year-olds in receipt of funding. None of the funded children have been identified as having special educational needs. Staff are experienced at supporting children who are

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Information about the setting

learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday throughout the year. Daily sessions start at 07.15 and finish at 17.30. There are five members of staff who work directly with the funded children, including four who are full-time and one who is part-time. All of these staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education. They receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including visits from an advisory teacher. The nursery has achieved a quality assurance award through their membership of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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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?

At Clarendon Nursery provision is of good quality overall, and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, physical and creative development. Generally good progress is made in communication, language and literacy, and knowledge and understanding of the world. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff use a comprehensive system to record children's achievements and progress, incorporating detailed observations, samples of children's work and photographs. They use suitable methods to help all children to progress, including an emphasis on learning through play, and assemble a wide variety of learning resources in the 'blue room' and 'yellow room', enabling children to work independently. Staff's knowledge and understanding of some aspect of the early learning goals is limited.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is generally good. The Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and nursery staff are committed to make some improvements in the care and education for all children, including further developing the outdoor play sessions to enhance children's learning. There is an ability by the setting to assess its own current strengths and weaknesses, as reflected in a recent self-evaluation. The completion of regular staff appraisals to help monitor the quality of teaching, especially through the identification of individual training needs, is limited. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are well informed about their child's achievements and progress through an effective key worker system, availability of staff, access to their child's records, and through the organisation of parent evenings. Parents receive a range of helpful information about the setting, such as an up-to-date nursery prospectus, are able to share what they know about

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How effective is the nursery education?

their child, and are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's use of a comprehensive system to record children's achievements and progress, incorporating detailed observations, samples of children's work and photographs. • The level of commitment, through the leadership and management of the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and nursery staff, to make some improvements in the care and education for all children, including further developing the outdoor play sessions to enhance children's learning. • The children's ability to select resources for themselves and to work independently, illustrated well when choosing from the wide range of accessible resources featured in the 'blue room' and 'yellow room'.

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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 children's language for thinking skills, such as their ability to explore real and imaginary experiences, fostered well when it is their turn to take 'Sally Bear' home, recording their experiences in a diary with the help of their parents. • The children's ability to use mathematical language to describe and compare quantity, promoted well through practical baking activities, including measuring different quantities of ingredients used in a particular recipe, such as a recipe for Halloween biscuits. • The parent's level of awareness of their child's achievements and progress through an effective key worker system, availability of staff, access to their child's records, and through the organisation of parent evenings.

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What needs to be improved?

• the development of children's early reading skills, ability to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, and the skilful use of everyday technology items to help support their learning • the staff's knowledge and understanding of some aspects of the early learning goals • the regular use of a suitable staff appraisal system to help identify individual staff training needs.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Clarendon Nursery staff have made very good progress since the last inspection, and this has had a positive impact on the overall provision for nursery education, and on all children's learning. The methods used to assess children's achievements and progress have improved, and are now clearly linked with the early learning goals. There are more opportunities for children to solve mathematical problems, to become aware of simple addition through practical activities, and there are sufficiently challenging opportunities for the four-year-old children to develop their climbing skills.

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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: Very Good Children are able to select resources for themselves and to work independently, illustrated well when choosing from the wide range of accessible resources featured in the 'blue room' and 'yellow room'. They are interested and motivated to learn, keen to try new activities, such as wearing Halloween costumes, have an aptitude to form good relationships, including taking turns and sharing resources fairly during small group work, and can show an understanding of what is right and wrong and why.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their language for thinking skills, such as through exploring real and imaginary experiences, fostered well when it is their turn to take 'Sally Bear' home, recording their experiences in a diary with the help of their parents. They can speak clearly, show an awareness of the listener, and are able to link sounds and letters. There are limited opportunities for children to develop their early reading skills, and to attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to use mathematical language to describe and compare quantity, promoted well through practical baking activities, including measuring different quantities of ingredients used in a particular recipe, such as a recipe for Halloween biscuits. They are developing an understanding of simple addition and subtraction, often during practical activities and when singing favourite songs, are skilful at counting 'one more' and 'one less', and are able to count up to 10 everyday objects.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their designing and making skills, such as when joining and building using accessible resources in the 'construction area' and 'technology area'. They can explore and investigate, often when looking closely at natural objects, such as autumn leaves, cones, twigs, acorns and conkers, and are able to celebrate many festivals around the world, including Diwali. There are limited opportunities for children to use everyday technology items to help support their learning.

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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: Very Good Children are skilful at handling one handed tools to help with the development of their hand and eye co-ordination, such as mark-making and writing implements, art and craft tools, cutters and rollers when modelling with playdough, and blunt needles as part of sewing activities. They can show an awareness of space, of themselves, and of others during outdoor play sessions, are able to work skilfully and safely on balancing and climbing equipment, and use large and small equipment very well.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to respond in a variety of ways using their five senses, such as their sense of sight, smell and taste, including describing what Halloween biscuits smell and taste like. They can use their imagination through art and design activities, explore sound through the use of accessible musical instruments in the 'music area', and are skilful at exploring colour when involved in various art and craft techniques, including 'leaf printing', 'splash painting' and 'conker rolling'.

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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 all aspects of children's learning are fully promoted in staff's planning, including the full range of early learning goals in the areas of communication, language and literacy, and knowledge and understanding of the world • extend staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals • fully implement a suitable staff appraisal system to help identify individual staff training needs.

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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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