Parsons Down Infant School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/03/2004 Inspector Name Barbara Christie

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name BUSY BEE NURSERY SCHOOL Setting Address A 11 Monks Orchard Petersfield Hampshire GU32 2JJ

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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

Busy Bee Nursery School is situated in an annex of the owner's detached house in a residential area on the outskirts of Petersfield. Children come from a wide area. The group is registered for 12 children between 2 and 5 years and provides either sessional care, or full day care, until 3 pm. Children attending for the full day or afternoon session bring a packed lunch. All members of staff are qualified and there is a staffing ratio of at least 1:6. Children have access to the owner's garden and to the family retriever dog. The nursery uses the Montessori teaching method and is registered to take children in receipt of nursery education funding.

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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 at Busy Bees Pre-school is very good. Both three and four-year old children are making very good progress in each of the six areas of learning, and should achieve the early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teaching is very good and has a positive impact on children's learning. Staff plan well to provide interesting and stimulating activities that promote learning across each of the six areas of learning very well. Staff set clear goals and boundaries relating to expectations in the group and behaviour is good. Children are confident, and independently select from a wide range of resources. Listening skills are developing very well and children demonstrate a wide vocabulary. Most children are able to recognise and write their own names. Staff provide stimulating activities for children to take part in counting, recognition of numbers, problem solving and simple forms of addition and subtraction. Effective provision is made for children in the

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How effective is the nursery education?

group with special educational needs and/or have English as an additional language; provision to extend learning of those who finish before others is good. Assessment of progress is detailed and sufficient, but some sections of individual records are incomplete.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and Management is very good overall. Termly meetings are held to discuss planning and to ensure a balanced programme of learning; informal discussion at the end of each session is used to evaluate activities. Staff training needs are supported well. Relationships with parents and carers are well established and are effective in forming secure partnerships. Parents and carers are well informed of the educational provision in the group, and records of assessment are shared to inform them of their child's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Staff plan well to ensure that children are able to take part in a range of stimulating activities that promote each of the six areas of learning very well. • Staff provide appropriate praise and encouragement, increasing children's confidence and self-esteem. • There is a happy ethos created by kind caring staff, all children are valued, treated equally and with respect. • Effective and appropriate questioning extends vocabulary and all aspects of mathematics very well, enabling children to build on what they already know and understand. • Children have easy access to a range of good quality educational resources,

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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 which are used effectively and enable children to explore ideas and to investigate change.

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What needs to be improved?

• ways of encouraging all children to write their names or make marks on all art work; • methods of monitoring completion of assessment records, so that there are no omissions in individual records

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Overall very good progress has been made in addressing the key issues raised at the last inspection, and implementation of the action plan has had a positive impact on the children's learning. Planning is effectively detailed for each of the six areas of learning; arrangements are in place for children with SEN; activities for physical development provides adequate and sufficient challenge, and children have good opportunities to explore and investigate. The prospectus for parents and carers is detailed and clearly identifies the six areas of learning.

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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 confident and work well in small groups, they are interested and eager to join in all activities. Staff discuss right and wrong to increase children's awareness of the needs of others; planned activities extend this well. Children listen well to directions and instructions, they accept the goals and boundaries set, and behaviour is good. They have very good opportunities to select from a wide range of resources. Skills of independence are encouraged and are developing well.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children listen well; they are interested in stories and topics, and confidently discuss families and events. Children's vocabulary is good, they express their own ideas to extend meaning; appropriate questioning increases learning effectively. Children know alphabet letters and sounds of letters. Writing skills are developing well, tools and materials are easy to access and used well. Staff write names on some art work, limiting opportunities for children to practice writing at all times.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Very good opportunities to develop counting skills and recognition of numbers. Very good and well planned activities to increase all aspects of mathematics, with appropriate questioning to extend language. Resources are of good educational value; every day items are used very well to ensure that learning is interesting and stimulating for all children in the group.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Very good opportunities to explore and investigate changes, for example, observing growth of tadpoles and plant life. Resources are available to enable children to look closely at patterns, they have very good opportunities to design cards, and good access to construction materials. Wooden blocks are used well to build towers and steps. Very good and appropriate activities and group discussions to talk about families and changes in the environment, linked to the topic of spring.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move with confidence and staff reinforce awareness of space to ensure safety. In the outdoor area they have access to a range of apparatus to promote large movement. Children are confident, and skills of coordination are developing well. Children are aware of the need for personal hygiene to prevent the spread of germs, and for warm clothes during outdoor play. They have easy access to a good range of small equipment; small hand movements and skills of manipulation are increasing well.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have good opportunities to select from a range of natural and man-made materials, with good opportunities to explore colours. Children choose freely and are encouraged to use their own ideas in art and craft work; staff support well when appropriate to extend learning effectively. Singing is a regular feature, and planned music sessions are included twice weekly. Children make good use of the home corner, they have regular access to dressing up clothes and imagination is stimulate well.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • Point for consideration: • review all records of assessment and ensure that all details relating to names and dates are completed fully.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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