Westgate Nursery School and Creche

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/02/2004 Inspector Name Abigail Langmead

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Westgate Nursery School & Creche Setting Address 82 Cricklade Road Highworth Swindon Wilts SN6 7BL

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and 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

Westgate Nursery School and Crèche opened in 1991. It operates from seven rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, an office and outdoor play area in Highworth. The nursery serves the wider area. There are currently 62 children from 0 to 8 years on roll. This includes 12 funded three-year-olds and 7 funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group supports children who have special needs. The group opens five days a week all year round except between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 08:00 until 18:00. Five part-time staff and thirteen full-time staff work with the children. Twelve have early years qualifications. Five staff are currently on training programmes. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Child Care Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Westgate Nursery School and Crèche provides good quality care for children. Staff have created a stimulating and inviting environment for children to play. Space is well organised. Resources are accessible to children and they can select independently from what is available. Equipment is safe and suitable for the children, providing good stimulation and challenge. Staff recruitment, induction and ongoing professional development is well managed. Required policies and procedures are in place and implemented consistently by staff. Record keeping is generally well maintained and stored confidentially. Staff deployment is generally managed well to meet the needs of the children. Staff have a good awareness of safety. Risk assessments clearly identify potential hazards and are regularly reviewed. There are effective systems in place to ensure that access to the premises is secure and that children are collected safely. Staff

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How good is the Day Care?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 have good health and hygiene practises and hand washing is regularly reinforced with the children. Children are well supported at meal times and enjoy a balanced and healthy diet whilst at nursery. There are good arrangements in place to ensure that the specific dietary needs of children are met. Staff are very caring and attentive towards the children. They question the children well to stimulate thinking and appropriately praise and encourage the children. Staff regularly observe and record the children's progress and there are clear plans in place to support their learning. Children enjoy their play and are stimulated well in all areas of development. All children are valued and children with special needs are

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How good is the Day Care?

fully included. The range of resources that reflect culture, race, gender and disability are generally good. The setting ensures parents are provided with good quality information about it's provision, and parents have regular opportunities to be kept fully informed of their children's progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery has made good progress since the last inspection. Written permission has been obtained from parents to transport children in a vehicle and this is recorded in each child's individual file. The nursery has also fitted a fire guard around the heater in the wet play room preventing children's access to it. These measures have resulted in improved safety for children.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are caring and attentive and have positive relationships with the children. They effectively observe and record children's progress and plan for their learning. Children are provided with a wide range of activities and experiences that stimulate all areas of children's development. • Staff recruitment and induction is well managed. Staff are well qualified and are able to access regular training which is highly valued by the nursery. • The nursery is stimulating and inviting to children and parents. There are colourful displays of children's work and a welcoming parents notice board in the entrance area. • Staff ensure children are kept safe and access to the premises is well monitored. Risk assessments are comprehensive and help to reduce hazards in and off the premises. • Staff are vigilant about children's health and hygiene. For example through hand washing, brushing teeth, separate flannels, and the sterilisation of baby

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What is being done well?

equipment. • Children are able to enjoy a well balanced menu of healthy meals and snacks at nursery. Children with special dietary needs are well catered for. • Children with special needs are well supported by staff. Activities are adapted to suit their individual needs and are based on well written and focussed

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 plans. Staff are committed to the full inclusion of all children. • Parents are well informed of the nursery's provision through the welcome pack, newsletter and policies. Staff keep parents informed of their children's progress in a wide range of ways including open evenings, daily diaries and reports. Staff make themselves available to talk to parents on a daily basis.

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What needs to be improved?

• the range of resources that reflect culture, race, gender and disability for 0-3's • the confidential recording of incidents • recording times of arrival and departure for after school children.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 2 Ensure that children attending nursery after school are signed on and off the premises. 9 Ensure that children aged 0-3 have an appropriate range of activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.

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by the time of the next inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in Communication, Language and Literacy, Physical and Creative development and generally good progress towards the other early learning goals. The teaching of children is generally good. Staff have a good understanding of the early learning goals. Plans are generally well written identifying resources, staffing, learning aims and links to the early learning goals. They include details of how activities will be adapted for children of different ages and abilities. There are positive relationships between children and staff, who question children well during activities to assist their learning. Staff have a very good understanding of the SEN code of practice and individual plans are well written. Children with SEN are very well supported. Staff are not always effectively deployed during large group activities

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How effective is the nursery education?

to ensure children's good behaviour is supported. Some aspects of the curriculum have been given less consideration with regards to planning. The leadership and management of the setting is generally good. Managers have a clear vision for the nursery of high quality care and education. Staff professional development is well managed and training is highly valued within the setting. There is good evaluation of the provision and a clear commitment to improvement. Staff are valued and work well together as a team. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Good quality written information is provided about the setting, including policies, procedures, and topic themes. There are regular opportunities for parents to be kept informed of their child's progress. Information about how parents can be involved in their child's learning is more limited.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident and motivated to learn. They demonstrate a high level of persistence and curiosity during their play. Staff and children have positive and warm relationships. Staff appropriately question the children to assist their learning. • Children are confident communicators who are well supported by staff to express their ideas and feelings. They are developing emergent writing skills very well and use a wide range of small tools confidently. • Children have good number recognition and counting skills. They explore shape, size and weight and use number spontaneously during play. • Children are able to explore and construct using a wide range of materials and resources. They enjoy expressing themselves imaginatively through music and movement.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities to extend children's' problem solving skills • regular planned opportunities for children to develop ICT skills • staff deployment during large group activities to ensure children are supported to behave well • the development of children's' independence at snack time.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group were asked to provide more planned opportunities for children to take the initiative in their learning by allowing them to select their own activities and resources. This was to enable them to express their own ideas in, for example, creative work and through pretend writing in imaginative play situations. Displays should show that adults value children's own work. Children now have regular access to a wide range of materials to enable them to express their imagination and creativity. Work children have completed is well displayed by staff around the room creating a stimulating and colourful learning environment. In knowledge and understanding of the world, the group were asked to plan activities to enable children to explore and select materials and equipment for cutting, joining, folding and building and for them to make appropriate use of technology. Staff plan for children to regularly select resources in order to explore and create. Although

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What has improved since the last inspection?

there is a computer children do not have regular access to it or wider forms of ICT equipment. Overall, the setting has responded well to the key issues at the last inspection and has made generally good progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are motivated to learn and persist well during activities to achieve a desired outcome. Children express themselves confidently and are able to select resources independently to play and create. Children have secure and trusting relationships with staff. They are developing a good understanding of other beliefs and cultures. During large group activities staff are not adequately deployed resulting in children being disruptive and lacking concentration.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently express their thoughts and feelings. They enjoyed listening to the story 'Lets go home little bear' on the day of inspection, describing main events and characters. Children have a good awareness of linking sounds and letters during activities. They handle books well and enjoy talking about what they see. They are able to recognise familiar words including their own name. They are developing emergent writing skills well and some children are able to write their own name.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children demonstrate good counting, number recognition and sequencing skills. They show an interest in shape, size and weight comparing similarities and differences. They are developing calculation skills, understanding the concepts of more and less. Children do not always have opportunities by to develop problem solving skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to select from a wide range of resources and materials in order to explore and construct. They are able to identify changes e.g. in the weather and seasons and identify patterns. They have a good sense of time and are developing a good understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Children have good questioning skills and show a high level of curiosity during play. Children do not have regular opportunities to develop their ICT skills.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently and safely both indoors and outdoors. They enjoy moving spontaneously to music using actions and a range of movements such as hopping, skipping jumping and balancing. Children have a good awareness of health and can dress and undress with limited support from staff. Children are able to use a wide range of fine motor tools and equipment with increasing control and independence.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use a wide range of materials to construct and explore texture. They have a good awareness of colour. Children enjoy singing favourite songs and move rhythmically and expressively to music, including music from different cultures. They can identify different instruments and pitch. Children enjoy role play and introduce narrative. Children are able to express their imagination well and respond to feelings and ideas.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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

• provide regular planned opportunities for children to develop ICT skills. • extend opportunities for children to develop problem solving skills in calculation and independence at snack time. • organise staff and resources during large group activities to improve children's concentration and behaviour.

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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 Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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