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INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/11/2004 Inspector Name Patricia Chapman

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Manor Gardens Pre School Setting Address Manor Gardens Centre 6-9 Manor Gardens London N7 6LA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Manor Gardens Welfare Trust 3386929

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Manor Gardens Welfare Trust Address 6-9 Manor Gardens London N7 6LA

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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

Manor Gardens Pre School is a voluntary, committee run full day care provision. It has been providing sessional childcare since 1950 and was registered to provide full day care in 2000. It operates from an open plan play area situated on the ground floor of the Manor Gardens Welfare Centre situated near the Holloway Road in the London Borough of Islington. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The group is open each weekday from 09:00 to 16:30 during term time only. There are currently 34 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on role. Of these 22 children receive funding for nursery education. The children attending come from the local community. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 6 staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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?

The standard of education offered at Manor Gardens Pre - School is of high quality and the children are making very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals across the six areas of learning. The standard of teaching within the nursery is very good. The next stage of children's learning is not formerly identified but staff work well as a team and pool their knowledge about the children's achievements to plan activities to support children's learning. They have a good understanding of how children learn and the stepping stones of the foundation stage. Resources are very well organised to encourage children's independent learning. The routine of the day enables children to engage in activities for sustained periods of time encouraging their concentration and interests. They offer good support for the younger three year olds and more challenge as the children reach the end of the foundation stage. Behaviour is well

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How effective is the nursery education?

managed and staff calm and consistent in their expectations. The leadership and management of the nursery is very good and staff are committed to ongoing improvements. Participation in regular training ensure they are able to build on their strengths and this has a positive impact on children's progress throughout the nursery. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are well informed about their children's progress and activities they engage in. The lack of clearly identified learning intentions does not always enable parents to work in partnership with staff to support their children's learning. Parents have frequent opportunities to take part in nursery outings and social events. Parents expressed their great satisfaction with the nursery.

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What is being done well?

• The well established staff team demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to the children in their care and have a good understanding of how children learn. The children demonstrate increasing confidence and consistent progress in the six areas as a result. • The nursery is well resourced and the organisation of equipment provide a wide selection of stimulating and challenging activities that children are able to access through out the day. This enables the children to become independent and confident in their learning. • The management of the nursery ensures that staff are supported well to develop their practice and that a child centred environment is provided for the children.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• The clear identification of children's learning intentions across the six areas of learning in a way that can be shared with parents to enable them to work in partnership to support their children's learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection with labelling equipment to encourage the children's literacy skills and the activities provided to support the children's understanding of the sounds and shapes of letters of the alphabet and early mathematical calculations . The next stage of children's learning is still not being identified clearly in the children's developmental records

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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 happy and confident in their surroundings. They behave well and show initiative in choosing and using equipment independently. As a result the children enjoy and benefit from learning through self motivated play. They interact well, showing respect for and learning about others differences.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children show confidence when communicating verbally to their friends and staff. They confidently discuss their ideas and experiences with each other, for example, when finding some worms in the garden. Good opportunities are provided to enable the children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes and they demonstrate good progress in pre writing skills. Older children can spell and read their names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to count reliably and understand numbers through a range of practical experiences. Children have opportunities to weigh, make patterns, compare size. Children are able to name some shapes and numbers 1-10. Children are able to problem solve for themselves, for example, when using materials in the block area. Children are able to sort and match a variety of objects in to colour and size groups.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children explore living things in the garden and when taken on trips to the park and local city farm. They are offered lots of new language to extend their vocabulary and understanding. Children are able to build and construct using a variety of materials. They are learning about a sense of time through daily routines. Children are beginning to understand information technology through the use of the computer.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have regular opportunities to move their bodies in an imaginative and controlled way and to extend their ability by climbing, crawling and manoeuvring equipment. The children use a range of large and small tools successfully to support tasks, they can use the mouse with control when working through computer programmes. They demonstrate an increasing knowledge of how to be healthy and look after their bodies.

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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: Very Good Children's development is particularly well supported through well organised imaginative play areas such as the home corner and small world play. The children explore their ideas and feelings through a range of media including when using paint and textured resources. They show an increasing ability to use their imagination through role play and particularly enjoy dressing up to support their ideas.

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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: • Points for consideration: • To develop a system of identifying the next stage of individual children's learning across the six areas of learning that can easily be shared with parents and all members of staff.

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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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