Orchard Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 12/11/2004 Inspector Name Glenda Pownall

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Orchard Day Nursery Setting Address 239 Henley Road Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 6LJ

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Orchard Day Nursery Address 239 Henley Road Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 6LJ

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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

Orchard Day Nursery opened in 1989. It operates from the ground floor of a house and a second building in the garden of the house. Each building has 3 childcare rooms. It is situated in Caversham on the outskirts of Reading. 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 all year round. The out of school club is open from 15.30 to 18.00 during term time and from 08.00 to 18.00 during school holidays. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 61 children aged from 2 to under 8 years on roll. Of these, 31 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 17 staff. The manager and 10 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are 6 staff working towards a qualification.

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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?

Orchard Day Nursery provides good quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for personal, social and emotional development, as well as physical development, is very good. Teaching is generally good. Staff have a sound working knowledge of the early learning goals. They are aware of what children may learn from activities. Some staff use good questioning techniques to encourage children to think for themselves. Planning and assessment systems cover all areas of learning. Staff do not use the systems effectively to provide children with sufficient challenge, or opportunities to use their own creativity, at some activities. They do not evaluate children's progress at activities to plan their next steps in learning. There is an effective procedure in place to support children with special educational needs. Behaviour management is

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How effective is the nursery education?

very good. Leadership and management are generally good. Staff are well deployed and spend most of their time actively involved in children's learning. The leadership adequately assesses the education programme and quality of teaching through discussion with staff and observation of practice. A staff appraisal system is being introduced to enable staff to identify training needs. There is a good range of resources covering all areas of learning. However, the Dolphin group have fewer chances than the Whale group to access information and communication technology resources. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive good detailed information about the setting and curriculum offered. Good procedures are in place to keep parents informed of their child's progress towards the early learning goals. Parents can be involved in their child's learning by helping their child find objects from home to support the letter of the week activity. Parents spoken to at the time were happy

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How effective is the nursery education?

with the care and education their children receive.

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What is being done well?

• Staff know the children well. They form good relationships with the children offering lots of praise and encouragement. The children interact well with adults and children. They behave very well. • Staff plan an interesting variety of activities outside to interest all children. For example, children hunt for bugs with magnifying glasses and build with large blocks, as well as climbing up and down the climbing frame, kicking balls and pedalling tricycles. • Children's imaginative and role-play is promoted very effectively through a staff member being deployed daily to the role-play areas.

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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 • Staff keep parents very well informed of their children's progress. An open door policy is in place enabling parents to access their child's records at anytime. Staff are available to speak to parents each day with regard to their child's general development. Parents receive two written reports and can attend two meetings with their child's key worker to discuss their child's progress along the stepping stones.

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What needs to be improved?

• staff knowledge of the planning and assessment systems to extend activities and provide sufficient challenge for all children • the opportunities children have to develop an understanding of calculation and use information and communication technology • the opportunities children have to freely explore and express their own creativity in art activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made generally good progress since the last inspection. The planning system is reviewed regularly and has been recently redesigned. Not all staff are aware of how to use the system effectively to meet the needs of all children. This is carried forward as an area for improvement in this report. The space available for imaginative and role-play has increased. Staff organise the area to take on different forms such as a shop. Children's imaginative play is supported well by good staff deployment. Staff provide children with a wide selection of activities to support creative play. For example, a technology table is available each day enabling children to create with a range of resources such as pencils, card, string, chips of wood and pasta. On the day of inspection, no glue or tape was available for children to stick their creations together. Some art activities are adult led. This is carried forward as an area for

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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 settle straight into the session leaving their carers with ease. They make decisions about in which activities they participate. Children work independently and persevere to complete tasks, such as puzzles. They develop a sense of self-worth through receiving praise and encouragement in their play. Children relate very well to each other and adults. They help each other at activities, share resources, and are polite and very well behaved.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are secure in their language skills. They talk freely in group situations and use speech well to develop stories in imaginative play. They develop knowledge of letters and the sounds they make through activities such as the letter of the week. They have many opportunities to make marks, such as shopping lists and menus in role-play. They enjoy listening to group stories predicting what might happen next. Children in the Whale group do not stop in the book area to use books for pleasure.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently use numbers for counting as part of the daily routine such as counting the number of children present. Some can count to 10 and beyond and recognise the numerals 1 to 9. Staff miss opportunities to reinforce and extend children's understanding of addition and subtraction within activities. Children name flat shapes and use positional language in their play. For example, a child talks about pushing the train under then over the bridge.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk confidently about events in their own lives. Children access a range of resources to freely design and construct. Children in the Whale group have regular access to computers. They click and drag the mouse to complete tasks. The Dolphin group has fewer chances to use technology. A wide range of topics enables children to find out about the world around them. Some staff ask good open-ended questions to encourage children to think.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children access a good variety of activities to develop small-muscle skills. They manipulate a wide range of tools with increasing control, for example, scissors, pencils and rolling pins. They move with confidence adjusting their speed and direction to avoid obstacles. Children are developing skills in climbing, kicking balls and pedalling. Staff provide a good variety of resources outside covering every area of learning, encouraging all children to actively participate and enjoy outside play.

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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: Generally Good Staff organise role-play areas to take on different roles enabling children to use their imagination and develop stories. Children enjoy singing songs and rhymes from memory. They use musical instruments and develop a sense of rhythm. They explore a variety of activities using their senses; they watch pendants hanging in the garden move in the breeze, and describe the feeling of textures such as salt dough. Children are unable to freely express their own creativity in art activities.

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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

• improve staff knowledge of the planning and assessment systems to extend activities and provide sufficient challenge for all children • increase the opportunities children have to develop an understanding of calculation • provide opportunities for children to freely explore and express their own creativity in art activities.

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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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