Abkats Ltd

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 14/03/2005 Inspector Name Juliette Jennings

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Abkats Setting Address The Bungalow, Catherton CLEOBURY MORTIMER Kidderminster Worcestershire DY14 0JH

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Abkats Ltd Address The Bungalow Catherton, Hopton Wafers Kidderminster Worcestershire DY14 0JH

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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

Abkats Nursery is located in Catherton Common, a rural area of South Shropshire not far from the village of Cleobury Mortimer. The setting occupies a pre-fabricated building positioned behind the owner's bungalow. The nursery serves the local area and is open Monday to Friday from 07:30 until 18:00; this incorporates morning and afternoon sessions with a lunch club, full day sessions and an after school club. Children can access a variety of sessions and follow a routine, which accommodates a mixture of child-initiated free play and some structured activities. They have access to a good-sized area for outdoor play. Children aged two years to under eight years attend the setting, of whom seven are funded three and four-year-olds. The nursery has appropriate procedures in place to support children with special or specific needs. There are three members of staff who work with the children, two of whom hold

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Information about the setting

suitable early years qualifications. The staff access regular training on early years issues and receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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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?

Abkats offers high quality nursery education, which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Children have very good opportunities to learn, develop, explore and investigate and are supported very well to become independent and confident through valuable child-initiated play and adult-led structured activities. They are confident, happy, well behaved, motivated and keen to learn. The teaching is very good. Staff access regular training and have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn and develop. Formal planning is effective, with children supported well by staff who are very aware of their individual stages of development and what they need to do next. Staff are committed to providing children with an extensive range of motivating, interesting learning opportunities within a colourful, exciting, stimulating and rich learning environment.

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How effective is the nursery education?

They use appropriate methods to extend and re-enforce learning, challenge and support children in planned and spontaneous activities. The leadership and management is very good. Detailed policies and procedures ensures that staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities, which encourages smooth running of the daily routine. Staff have access to regular ongoing training and meet regularly on an informal basis to discuss issues. The partnership with parents is very good. The setting provides parents with clear and detailed information about the educational provision. Regular meetings and daily feedback ensures that parents know about their child's progress and there are effective procedures in place so that they can be involved in their child's learning. Staff encourage a caring, informal and friendly relationship with parents.

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What is being done well?

• The partnership with parents is very good, with clear and detailed information available about the setting, educational provision and activities that children access. Staff encourage a friendly, caring, informal relationship with parents, supporting them to be involved in their child's learning. • Staff are committed to maintaining a happy, relaxed, colourful and stimulating environment for children to develop and learn. They are good at engaging children in activities and use appropriate techniques to support, question and challenge children in their play to extend their learning. • Staff have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage. Planning is effective, clear and works in practice, using the stepping stones and highlighting the learning focus for children. These plans are used to inform assessments and help to highlight what is needed for children to progress.

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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 Children's individual stages of development are accommodated well within planned and free-play opportunities. • Children have plenty of time to engage in, re-visit and re-enforce their learning in valuable child-initiated play. They explore, investigate, problem-solve and use their imagination in role-play. They are motivated, keen and interested to learn, accessing structured activities which are age-appropriate and well-planned. • Children are happy, confident, well behaved and are making very good progress towards the early learning goals.

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What needs to be improved?

• as a point for consideration: • the opportunities for children to express themselves creatively, using the wide range of resources, materials and tools available to them.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good improvement has been made since the previous inspection. There were a number of key issues raised at the previous inspection, the first of which was to encourage the listening skills of younger children and introduce activities which are an age-appropriate length to the age and stage of development of children. The provision of an extension has enabled the group to be split into groups, with a member of staff working with each group at adult-led times if appropriate. The setting were asked to ensure that plans be more closely linked to children's needs; worksheets should not be introduced prematurely. Staff were asked to be aware of children's potential and challenge accordingly. Plans have been continually developed and are now clear, efficient and work in practice. They clearly highlight the stepping stone as the learning focus for children. Differentiation is included in plans and evaluations are recorded. The use of worksheets is limited and now only

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What has improved since the last inspection?

used as a tool for informal re-enforcement of letter and number work. The next issue was to make more effective use of assistant staff. The use of the new room now allows the children to be split into groups when appropriate and assistant staff support children in structured and child-initiated play. The setting were asked to ensure that parents have regular opportunities to know about children's progress. This has been enabled through the introduction of a termly information session where parents come into nursery and have the opportunity to look at children's work and go through their progress records. In addition, there is daily informal feedback. Finally, the setting were asked to consider the teaching of shapes of letters; ensuring children's knowledge of each letter is sound before moving on. Letter recognition

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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 activities are now age-appropriate and interest the children, for example the use of creative activities, displays and books.

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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 enthusiastic, interested and motivated to learn, accessing a variety of child-initiated play opportunities and structured activities. They are developing self-confidence and self-esteem, are becoming increasingly independent and are able to select their own resources. They are well behaved, happy and confident. Children are beginning to understand what is right and wrong and are developing an awareness that people have different views, needs, cultures and beliefs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak confidently, listen and respond in a range of circumstances and situations, interacting with adults and other children. They play imaginatively, expressing their thoughts and feelings; particularly in role-play. Children recognise familiar letters and sounds within simple words or sentences. Early writing skills are developed well within child-initiated activities and some more structured work to support pencil control and letter formation. Children enjoy looking at books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have access to numbers in a wide variety of formats and use numbers in familiar contexts. Children aged three and four can count confidently to nine or more and access activities to develop their understanding of numbers and counting such as counting to five to see which number is next. They learn about space, shape and measure and are beginning to understand the concept of more or less. All children are developing their problem solving skills using mathematical ideas.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children explore and investigate using a range of equipment and resources within free play or structured opportunities. They build and construct using a variety of resources and use equipment with meaning, self-selecting resources to assemble, design and problem solve. They have opportunities to use technology in free play and structured activities, for example looking closely at the mechanics of a calculator. They talk about events in their lives and are developing a sense of time and place.

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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 move confidently and with control. They can run, walk and jump and use a variety of equipment that helps them develop their physical skills. They frequently access planned activities, both indoors and outdoors, which help them to develop their physical skills, for example knocking down the skittles they have made. They are developing a sense of space, moving through, over and under. Children use a range of materials, tools and equipment with increasing meaning and control.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use their imagination within a wide variety of structured and free choice activities. They enjoy music and role-play and develop complex stories over extended periods of time. They have access to a wide range of materials in structured activities so that they can explore texture, form and shape, although do not always have opportunities to express their own creativity. Children respond using their senses to what is happening around them.

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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: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, however consideration should be given to improving the following: • encourage children to express themselves creatively, using the range of resources, materials and tools available.

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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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