St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/01/2005 Inspector Name Maggie Thorp

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Hendon Campus Nursery Setting Address The Burroughs Hendon London NW4 4BT

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Middlesex University Address Head of Childcare Services, Enfield Nursery Queensway Enfield Middlesex EN3 4SA

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Hendon Campus Nursery is one of four nurseries run by Middlesex University. It opened in 1995 and operates from purpose built premises on the university campus in Hendon. It provides full day care for a maximum of 36 children aged 3 months to 5 years Places are predominantly for the children of staff and students of the Middlesex University however, there are places available for local residents. The nursery is open from 08:30 to 17:30, it operates fully during term times and a limited service is offered during university holidays. There are three playrooms, one for children under two, one for two year olds and one for three to five year olds. The nursery also has outside play space. There are eight staff working with the children and a manager, most have level three qualifications in child care and early years education, and one is working towards a level three qualification. Some children speak English as an additional language.

p.2

Information about the setting

The nursery has nursery education funded places for 13 children. Children with special needs are able to attend. The nursery is part of the Barnet Early Years Childcare Planning Group and staff access the training and support they provide and that of the childcare department of Middlesex University.

p.2

Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

Hendon Campus Nursery provides good quality nursery education which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals and very good progress in four learning areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have very open friendly relationships with the children. Staff's good listening skills and encouraging responses foster children's self confidence well. Staff provide a very well organised and resourced stimulating environment for children. They plan interesting themes which enable children to explore and learn across all six learning areas. They ask questions and make observations that encourage children's thinking. However, the timing and length of some large group times does not match children's needs and children become restless. The new planning and assessment system is good and it encourages children's learning very effectively in most aspects, however, how

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

children are helped to link sounds and letters and do simple calculations is less well planned and monitored and older children are not always challenged in these areas. The leadership and management of the nursery is generally good. The manager praises and encourages staff's good practice and staff work very well together. The manager enables staff to attend training to further develop their skills and knowledge and supports staff in implementing what they learn. Recent training on using photographs to enhance children's learning is a good example of this. However, the time and systems for monitoring and evaluation to review changes and practice are not well established. The partnership developed with parents is very good. Interesting displays, informative leaflets and open evenings are all used to help parents to understand how staff are promoting children's learning. The new individual books that staff are

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

making with children help parents to see how they are progressing. Parents are very appreciative of the quality of what staff provide.

p.3

What is being done well?

• The environment is very stimulating. Staff have shown great creativity and imagination in making little workshop areas, and using photographs, text and fabric to provide children with a rich learning environment. • Children are very confident and independent. Their ability to work together as a team for example, to transform their room from playthings, water and sand everywhere to complete order is very good. • Children are confident communicators, able to give clear explanations, ask questions and express their ideas clearly and imaginatively. • Children's creativity and imagination is very well developed, they create their own stories as they dress up together, as they draw and as they create little

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 worlds with sand, water and animals.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• the time and systems for monitoring and evaluation • the development of planning and assessment methods to ensure children are challenged and that they progress in all aspects of each learning area • the organisation of large group times.

p.4

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

p.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident, able to make choices and to concentrate. This is fostered very effectively by the organisation of the environment the accessibility of resources. They are learning about each others' similarities and differences positively and are keen to share experiences from home. There are good friendships between children and they co-operate well in group tasks. Children's self help skills are well developed, including being able to pour drinks and cut up fruit at snack time.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have very good communications skills. They are able to discuss, question and explain and quiet children receive good support. Many children are able to write their names and know some sounds and names of letters. However, this is less well developed than children's writing skills. Children enjoy listening to and contributing to stories and they are learning that books can be used for information. Children pretending to cook are offered a cookery book, which they look at with interest.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Many children can count to 16 and above accurately and recognise written numbers. However, they are less well practised at doing simple calculations as part of daily routines and activities. Children talk about shape and size confidently and, when they do not know the name of a shape, they invent their own - describing a banana as 'moon shaped'. Children are learning to measure in hand spans, to sequence and to make patterns as part of themes that they explore, such as 'All About Me'.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate and experiment with a wide variety of materials with great enthusiasm through planned and unplanned events. They plant and care for flowers and vegetables and run outside to feel snowflakes and see how they melt. Children's skills in using technology are good, they operate the computer and tape recorder and are learning to use a digital camera. Children's sense of place is good. They can find and name some countries on a globe and describe the weather in different places.

p.5

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

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move with co-ordination and control. They pedal and steer bikes competently and climb and balance well. Children manage the busy indoor space well moving in and out of the little workshop areas and making room for each other with few disagreements. Children handle tools safely and with good control. They use hole punches, staplers, scissors in the graphics area and manipulate the computer mouse very skilfully. Children have a good understanding of how to take care of their bodies.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use the wide variety materials that are always accessible very creatively. They make collages with feathers and glitter and describe what they have made very imaginatively. One child said his monster looked like 'a flower that's walking'. They are proud of their creations and staff help children photograph things they cannot save. Children listen keenly to stories, squealing with laughter, gasping with horror then pretending to be the characters. Their imaginative play is very rich.

p.6

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

p.6

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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• develop monitoring and evaluation systems and set aside sufficient time to discuss how existing good practice can be developed and to review the effectiveness of changes. • review the organisation of large group times so the content, length and timing of these is finely tuned to the needs of the children. • continue to develop the new planning and assessment systems to ensure that activities to encourage children to link sounds and letters and to do simple calculations challenge more able children and enable them to progress.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7