Landmark International School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 03/03/2003 Inspector Name Brenda Joan Flewitt

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Honeycomb Nursery Setting Address Pollard House, 60 Crimchard Chard Somerset TA20 1JT

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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

Honeycomb Nursery School opened in 1995. It is a privately owned pre school facility situated in a detached cottage in the town of Chard. The nursery school occupies a separate annex with three play rooms each offering different activities. The kitchenette and toilet/cloakroom facilities are based just off the main playroom. There is a spacious outdoor play area available on the premises. The nursery school is open from 9am to 12noon Monday to Friday and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, during school term times. Children have the option of bringing a packed lunch if they wish. The nursery school is registered to provide 16 places for children aged between two and five years old, and accepts children in the term of their third birthday. There are currently 30 children on roll. This includes 10 funded three year olds, and 13 funded four year olds. No children currently attend with special educational needs. All the children currently attending

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Information about the setting

speak English as their first language. A total of three permanent staff are employed, two of whom hold an early years teaching qualification, and one assistant, with an pre-school qualification. They are supported by relief staff as required. The group maintain positive links with local first schools.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Honeycomb Nursery School offers high quality provision which helps children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are confident, well behaved, and form excellent relationships with staff and each other. Teaching is very good. Staff have developed an effective assessment system that ensures individual needs are met and all children are sufficiently challenged. They plan and implement a wide range of interesting activities and experiences to promote development in all areas of learning. Further consideration could be given to evaluating planned activities. Management of behaviour is very good. Staff provide good role models and encourage the children to behave well through realistic expectations, and explanation. Leadership and Management is very good. Staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They work well together as a team. An action plan for targets is developed each year to help the group assess it's own

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How effective is the nursery education?

strengths and weaknesses. Good liaison is being developed with the local school reception teachers who are invited to meet with staff and agree suitable formats for assessment. The manager currently leads a group of local pre school staff in improving liaison with the many school in the area. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents are kept well informed about their child's progress through reports, open evenings and close communication with staff. They are encouraged to share what they know about their child through questionnaires, discussion and home visits. Parents are encouraged to get involved with their child's learning through actively helping in the group. Displayed planning and activity sheets give parents the opportunity to extend learning at home.

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What is being done well?

/ Children's personal, social and emotional development is excellent. They are confident, co-operative and interested. Children are developing extremely good relationships, and are very well behaved. / Staff's clear understanding of early learning goals leads to a well planned range of interesting activities and experiences that promote children's development in all areas of learning. / An effective assessment system ensures that individual needs are identified and met so that all children are sufficiently challenged. / A very good partnership with parents helps to support the children's learning. / Management maintains an on-going self-assessment system that leads to continuing improvement of provision.

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What needs to be improved?

There are no significant weakness noted. However the system for evaluating the success of planned activities could be more effective if it included what children have learnt, and what could be improved.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery has made good progress since the last inspection. Staff now record planning, teaching and assessment formally. An effective assessment system is now in place that ensures individual needs are identified and met. Staff training needs are now recorded, and resources obtained from training is stored for all staff to access.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. All children are confident and have excellent relationships with staff and each other, demonstrating a caring attitude towards others. They are willing to ask questions, and suggest ideas in a group. Children are developing skills in independence, and co-operation, working together and taking turns. They are very interested, and motivated to learn, keen to take part. Their behaviour is extremely good, all children know what is expected of them.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. Their language for communication is developing well, while learning a wide vocabulary from staff input. They are confident in conversation, and role play. Children are enthusiastic in their enjoyment of stories. Children demonstrate an increasing ability to link sounds and letters through regular planned activities. Their handwriting skills are developing well, many children can form recognisable letters, and some can write their name independently.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. They show an interest in counting and can confidently count up to 10. Staff exploit many opportunities to develop counting skills in every day situations such as snack time, role play and circle time. Children are recognising written numerals, through number puzzles, posters, and work in maths books. Children learn comparative language, and explore space and shape in many activities like cooking, craft, computer and construction.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. They enjoy using their senses to explore a wide range of materials and experiences particularly during activities like cooking, sand/water, and craft. Children's computer skills are developing well. Children gain an awareness of a range of cultures as well as their own through planned topics such as Chinese New Year, and visits to the museum and library. Staff's consistent, positive interaction promotes children's awareness of the world around them.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. They move around with confidence, control and co-ordination showing an awareness of themselves and others. Children are learning the importance of keeping healthy through daily, planned physical activities, and talking about bodies. Opportunities are provided for children to use a wide range of equipment, both indoor and outdoor, to develop gross and fine motor skills.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. They demonstrate good imaginative skills particularly in role play, often acting out real activities experienced within the nursery. Opportunities are provided for children to explore a wide range of media and materials in craft, cooking and construction. Staff use a variety of methods to stimulate children's imagination particularly in circle time, such as puppets, and props to extend a story or topic.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: Y

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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 consideration should be given to improving the following: / evaluation methods of planned activities

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