St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 13/01/2003 Inspector Name Sue Russell

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Setting Name Happy Hours Nursery Setting Address 9 Worcester Gardens Nailsea Bristol Avon BS48 4RJ

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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

Happy Hours is a private day nursery for 38 children from 3 months to 5 years. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 6.00pm, 51 weeks of the year. It closes at Christmas, Easter and Bank Holidays. Happy hours has a sister nursery based in Yatton. The nursery is based in a converted family home in a cal-de-sac in a residential area in the old part of Nailsea. On the first floor is situated a self contained baby unit. The ground floor is open plan with a play room with adjacent areas for art, craft, sand, water, messy play and toilets. Out side at the front of the building is an enclosed paved play area with a wooden play house, there is also a garden at the rear laid to lawn. There are 80 number of children on the roll, 27 of whom have funded places. At present there are two children attending with identified special needs and none for whom English is an additional language. The Registration holders time is shared between the two nurseries. At Nailsea there are

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Information about the setting

12 members of staff, 11 of whom work with the children, 7 are full time, 5 part time, 8 are appropriately qualified and 3 are working towards NVQ 3 . There is I unqualified member of staff and a cook.

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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 children attending Happy Hours Nursery are making generally good progress towards the early years goals. Teaching is generally good, the organisation of the nursery ( mixed age groups in an open plan setting ) means that the older and more able children are not always sufficiently challenged or extended when participating in group activities There is a dedicated management team who are committed to providing good role models and improving practice. Staff set high expectations for children's behaviour. Sessions are well structured and the nursery is well resourced. Staff use every day opportunities to reinforce learning of sounds and letters . Planning does not ensure that activities provided for the group focus on children's learning, often being activity based. rather than out come led. Planning not always effective, leading up to lunch time the different activities taking place , story time, washing hands, laying the table conflict with each other .

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How effective is the nursery education?

Partnership with parents is generally good .Parents are given verbal information about the group and written information regarding learning goals Parents/carers consulted were very positive about the nursery and their children's progress. They stated that staff provide a warm caring environment where the children are treated as individuals and their needs met .

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What is being done well?

• Development of positive relationship for children with staff and other children. • Staff are skilled at fostering children's personal, social and emotional development. • Development of children's awareness of space. • Development of children's understanding of sounds and letters. • Behaviour is of a high standard and children are confident and independent.

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • The opportunity for older and more able children to extent their knowledge of number and calculation and practice writing skills. • Greater access to a variety of different creative resources so that children may choose and use materials to design, build and develop own ideas and projects. • The planning of the activities in the main hall prior to laying up for lunch in order that children are able to participate fully in each separate activity.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Information given to parents about the early learning goals. Assessment of individual children.

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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 Judgement Generally Good Staff act as positive role models and children's behaviour in the nursery is excellent. Children have good communication skills, talk freely about them selves and are encouraged to develop their ideas by staff. They are independent, confident and learning to share and take turns. They play well together and show good concentration skills. More able children are not always sufficiently challenged and activities do not always build on what children all ready know.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Judgement Good Children are confident in talking to each other and adults. They are able to recognise their own names, letters and understand how books work. Many opportunities are provided for linking sounds to letters, such as letter cards and own name recognition at snack time and during matching games. Staff extend children's vocabulary, exploring new words when using 1-1 work books. Older children can write letters and simple words.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Judgement Generally Good. Children have a good understanding of counting and this is reinforced by staff during songs and games. During a group activity children counted up to nine, several children were able to count up to 20. Insufficient use made of every day activities to reinforce number and introduce calculating skills for the more able children. Children are able to recognise and name basic shapes and recreate simple patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Judgement Generally Good. Children are able to identify events in their own life's and in those of their families and people they know. They have developed a sense of time and place. Children show interest in the world about them and other cultures and staff use topic work to give children first hand experiences. Children are competent in using simple tools, during sticking and dough activities but limited opportunities are provided for designing and constructing their own projects.

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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 Judgement Generally Good. Children are developing an all round awareness of space, they move confidently around the nursery and have good control of the bikes and mobiles used when playing outside. There are limited opportunities provided for developing control in using equipment for climbing, swinging and scrambling. Children are confident to try a new skill and are well supported and encouraged by staff.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Judgement Generally Good. Children enjoy musical activities and can sing complex songs from memory. They participate enthusiastically in playing musical instruments and are able to coordinate music, actions and words. Children are provided with a range of creative sticking and painting activities daily. Children are able to identify primary colours. Children are provided with a limited range of creative materials to use to express their ideas and create own projects.

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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 greater opportunities provided for older and more able children to extend their knowledge of number and calculation. • Provide greater access for children to creative resources that enable them to build, solve problems and develop their own ideas and projects. • Improve the use of space and activities prior to lunch time in the main hall in order for effective learning to take place. • Enable parents to formally contribute to own child's assessments to assist in child's learning.

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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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