Children 1st @ Derby Road

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/03/2005 Inspector Name Lynne Moodie

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Children First at Breedon House - Derby Road Setting Address 146-148 Derby Road Long Eaton Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG10 4AX

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Children First at Breedon House 03207571

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Children First at Breedon House Address 168 Derby Road Long Eaton Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG10 4BJ

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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

Children First at Breedon House is one of seven children's centres run by the same provider. It opened in 2003 and operates from a large detached property in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. The ground floor accommodates children from nought to five years. Children of three and four years-of-age also have access to the first floor. The first floor is also available for children out of school. A maximum of 120 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 all year round. All children share access to secure, enclosed outdoor play areas which have safety surfaces and incorporate a sensory garden. There are currently 177 children aged from 0 to under 14 years on roll. Of these 31 three-year-old and 17 four-year-old children receive funding for nursery education. The setting serves families from the local area. At present there are no children attending the nursery who have special educational needs or who speak English as

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Information about the setting

an additional language. The nursery employs 29 staff, all of whom work full-time. Fourteen of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Ten staff are working towards a qualification. Three staff are nursery assistants and two are ancillary staff. The nursery has achieved the 'Quality Counts' award and is a recognised 'Investor In People'. It is also an accredited training centre for National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ.) The nursery receives support from the Derbyshire 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?

Children First at Breedon House provides a welcoming setting in which the children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. The staff have very good knowledge of the early learning goals and contribute to the planning procedure. The formal planning of the curriculum covers all the early learning goals and is supported by systematic and effective assessments of the children's progress. The staff operate a 'key worker system' which means that staff know children and their families very well. These strengths mean that the children are taught according to their individual needs and attainments. Some learning opportunities are lost however, when children become restless and lack concentration when taught in large groups. The leadership and management of the setting is very good. The senior staff work well together and are committed to professional development of all staff to ensure

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How effective is the nursery education?

effective teaching and learning. Regular, formal meetings with staff take place, during which the children's assessments, feedback from parents and evaluation of the nursery practice are discussed. This ensures that the senior staff are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and ensure that they are identified and addressed. They are committed to high quality care and education of all children. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents are provided with a brief, written, overview of the setting's educational provision. Staff welcome parent's questions and are available to give further information informally. Parents appreciate the informal opportunities to exchange information about their child's progress through conversations with staff as they deliver and collect their children. They are encouraged to further develop their child's learning by following ideas in the regular

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How effective is the nursery education?

newsletters, such as identifying shapes and colours.

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What is being done well?

• The staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals ensures that exciting and colourful activities are used to best advantage to promote the children's attainments. Staff are skilled in the use of questions which are appropriate to individual children, encouraging them to think carefully. • The thorough and detailed planning and assessment procedures ensure that children are taught according to their individual needs and attainments. This ensures steady and systematic progress towards the early learning goals. • Parents have many formal and informal opportunities to learn about their children's progress and are encouraged to further develop their learning at home.

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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 • The skilled use of the high quality resources ensures a colourful and stimulating learning environment.

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What needs to be improved?

• the sufficiency of the formal information given to parents regarding the early learning goals • the number of opportunities for children to routinely observe positive images of people from different countries and gender and those who have different abilities • the support for children's concentration and behaviour when they are being taught in larger groups.

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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 The children form good relationships with familiar adults and other children by working in groups, such as during their printing activity. The staff encourage them to take turns and to share equipment fairly. Through washing hands before snack time and helping to put away the equipment they have been using the children are developing personal independence. Their behaviour when in small groups is very good. In large groups however, it is sometimes noisy with some children lacking concentration.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Through listening to stories and talking about the features, such as the crocodile's teeth, the children are developing their skills in using language for communication. They develop their language for thinking when staff engage the children in their role play, encouraging them to extend their imaginative stories. They talk about what happens to the wall they are building when they make their dentist's consulting room. Many opportunities are provided for the children to read and use books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children learn to count to 10 and beyond through nursery routines and planned activities. They sing counting songs such as 'Five Little Ducks,' counting forwards and back on their fingers and count the number of children waiting to go outside to play. They recognise numbers when looking at number lines on the wall. Through playing games using squares, circles, triangles and rectangles the children learn about shapes and discuss the features of them, such as the number of corners and sides.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good The children explore and investigate using all their senses. They taste the biscuits they have made and smell the lavender in the sensory garden. The children learn about the area in which they live by going to the local supermarket to taste samples of food. They explore the nearby park and visit the local library. There are presently too few opportunities for children to routinely see postive images of people from different countries and gender and those with differing abilities.

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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 Through using the climbing frame, the children learn to move with confidence. They use slides and ladders and balance on balancing bars and kerbs. Staff help children to cut balsa wood with a saw. The children cut cheese and apples with knives when making kebabs. They spread butter when making their sandwiches. Using construction blocks they make walls during their role play. The children mould shapes with dough and use scissors and glue when making pictures and models.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Through mixing powder paint to make different colours and playing with sand and water, the children are learning to explore colour and texture in two and three dimensions. They use recycled boxes to make imaginative robots and paint them. The children use sponges to print using thick paint. They use lentils to make a display about feeding birds in the winter. They respond to experiences using all their senses and use musical instruments to extend their imaginative play.

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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 signiicant weaknesses to report but consideration should be given to improving the following: • the amount of formal information about the early learning goals which is given to parents.

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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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