Warblington School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 14/02/2005 Inspector Name Silvia Richardson

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Little Cherubs Setting Address 2a Bell Green Lane London SE26 5TB

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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

Little Cherubs nursery opened in 2000. It operates from group rooms set out over two floors of a purpose built premises and has use of an enclosed outside play area. A maximum of 44 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00. for 50 weeks of the year. There are currently 54 children aged seven months to under five years on roll of these12 are funded 3 year and 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions and most come from the local area. The setting supports children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 14 staff and of these,13 including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One staff member is working towards a qualification. The nursery has regular support from an area special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Staff have access to training courses and support

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Information about the setting

services run by the Lewisham Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and the Lewisham Early Years Advice and Resource Network (LEARN).

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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?

Little Cherubs provides acceptable education which helps children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. There are particular strengths in the extent to which the setting is committed to improvement of care and education for all the children. Teaching is generally good. Adults have a fair knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage of learning and are able to identify key learning areas when planning and providing focus activities. Adults observe children and monitor their progress but links to planning for next steps are weak. The play and learning environment is varied, although not clearly defined and provides children with some opportunities to make choices. There are a limited range of accessible tools and materials so children are not always sufficiently challenged and stimulated in practicing and acquiring new skills. Adults generally interact with children in a

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How effective is the nursery education?

positive manner and sit with children while they are playing to encourage their learning. Leadership and management are generally good although adults are not always working effectively as a team, impacting particularly on children's personal, social and emotional development. Adults working with children are not actively supported to bring their professional experience to the setting, lack motivation and sense of ownership in their work. Senior management have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and are committed toward developing effective leadership. Managers are able to monitor and evaluate the provision for nursery education and are working closely with staff in creating a coherent approach to a child centred routine. Partnership with parents is generally good, although parents have expressed some general dissatisfaction and reduced confidence in the provision. Parents are kept

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How effective is the nursery education?

informed about changes through newsletters and management are re-establishing positive working relationships that promote a partnership approach.

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What is being done well?

• Commitment to improving and developing leadership and management of the provision, so that it will facilitate and enable staff to work effectively as a team in their direct work with children. • Development of effective systems to aid and improve communication with parents, so that they have a direct means for expressing views and exchanging information about children's welfare, progress and development. • Children's opportunites for outside play, so that they have choices and can make decisions about staying inside or playing outside, at regular intervals throughout the day.

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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 • Provison of resources for building and constructing, enabling children to children to develop complex skills in assembling and joining materials to produce three dimensional objects. • Opportunities for children to explore and experiment using a range of mediums, such as sand, water, paint and glue, developing a good understanding of the properties of texture, shape and form.

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What needs to be improved?

• a team approach to the provision of a child centred routine and delivery of the early years curriculum, so that children can make good progress all areas, particularly personal, social and emotional development; • opportunities for children to access and self-select a wider range of resources, tools and materials, particularly in creative and role-play, so that activities are stimulating, challenging and promote independent learning; • opportunities for children to learn about some aspects of living things, such as planting and growing and access to reference and story books to support and enhance their knowledge and understanding; • opportunities for children to count, estimate and calculate during the course of the daily routine, to develop use of mathematical language and concepts of position, quantity and size.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. The provider was asked to ensure that older children are provided with more challenging experiences in physical play outdoors. Older children have good opportunities to use climbing and balancing equipment and demonstrate skill and agility in peddling bikes. A range of resources are also available to help children develop fine motor skills and adults will initiate outdoor games involving throwing, catching and kicking balls to develop directional control.

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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 Children generally enjoy the activities provided and play purposefully with their peers. They understand the need for rules and are able to share and co-operate in small group play. Children support each other when the environment and routine becomes confusing and they show care and concern for others. Children are able to listen, form lines and follow instructions and they have positive relationships with adults caring for them. Children are beginning to develop some independence at meal times.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunites to see letters, labels and signs and to practice mark making. They understand that print carries meaning although have restricted access to books, partcularly for reference. Children are able to draw and write for different purposes and are able to access a fair range of resources. Children use speech and language to express their feelings, thoughts and ideas and are generally sociable communicators. Children are able to sing songs and rhymes and discuss events.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children show an interest in numbers and counting and use some number and shape names spontaneously. There are some missed opportunities during the course of daily activities for counting, estimating and calculating and adults working with children are not always using mathematical language to support learning. Children have a good range of practical activities available to them and are able to freely explore the properties of sand, water and other mediums on most days.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to investigate construction materials and join pieces together to build and balance. Skills in designing and making are well developed and children are able to construct with a purpose in mind. Children have limited opportunites to use tools and select natural materials and to plant and grow things, reducing opportunities for exploration and discovery of aspects of living things. Children have access to ICT and are developing skills in using both computer hardware and software.

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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 Children are able to demonstrate skill and agility in gross motor activity. They are able to use large equipment for climbing and balancing and steer and manovure bikes by using the pedels and moving around with an awareness of others. Children have good opportunities to develop hand and eye co-ordination through playing with balls, although opportunities to use hand tools, such as those for gardening are limited. Children are skilled in handling scissors glue and paint brushes.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use glue and paint confidently and use scissors purposefully in their creative play. There are few accessible resources such as fabrics, textured paper, split pins and paper clips to develop childrens creative skills and ideas. Opportunities to develop imagination are also limited by few natural and life-size resources available in the role-play area. Children enjoy singing and have some opportunities to move to music. They are able to play creatively with construction materials.

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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

• Key issue one: • Develop leadership and a coherent team approach to the provision of a child centred routine and delivery of the early years curriculum, to enhance children's personal, social and emotional development. • Key issue two: • Provide opportunities for children to access and self-select a wider range of resources, tools and equipment for creative and role-play, affording stimulating, challenging experiences that promote independent learning. • Key issue three: • Create opportunities for children to learn about some aspects of living things and provide opportunities for children to access books for reference to support their knowledge and understanding. • Key issue four: • Develop opportunities for children to count, estimate and calculate during the course of the daily routine and develop mathematical language and concepts relating to position, quantity and size.

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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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