Hyde Heath Infant School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 27/01/2005 Inspector Name Gill Moore

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Horndean Campus Child Care Centre Setting Address Horndean Campus Barton Cross Horndean Hampshire PO8 9PQ

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Horndean Community School Community Manager

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Horndean Community School Community Manager Address HORNDEAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL BARTON CROSS,HORNDEAN WATERLOOVILLE HAMPSHIRE 023 92599

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

Horndean Campus Nursery is a community run group and opened in 1972. It is situated in the rural area of Horndean, within the campus of Horndean Technology College. Children attend from the local and surrounding area. The accommodation is divided into 2 separate areas within the same small building. The funded children occupy one of these areas and have access to an enclosed outside play area. There are currently 33 children on roll. This includes 16 funded 3 year olds and 14 funded 4 year olds. The group supports children with special educational needs and English as an additional language. The group opens Monday to Friday 09:00-16:00 for 50 weeks of the year. Children attend on a part time or full time basis. A qualified supervisor is responsible for the day to day running of the nursery. In addition 5 staff work directly with the children, 4 of whom have a recognised early years qualification. The nursery receives support from the early years partnership

p.2

Information about the setting

and the pre-school learning alliance. They have close links with the local schools and other early years settings in the area.

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?

Horndean Campus Nursery provides good quality nursery education where children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff recognise how children learn and plan a well-balanced programme to help children make very good progress in most areas. They use good questioning techniques encouraging children to think through their ideas and solve their own problems. Staff observe children's progress and identify individual targets for children. They adapt their teaching to ensure they pitch activities at the appropriate level for each child. This ensures all children are able to achieve their personal task, which has a positive impact on their confidence and self-esteem. Children enjoy opportunities to initiate their own learning, however, some aspects of the routine and grouping of children do not make the most of all learning opportunities, which impacts on children's behaviour, as they are not fully

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

involved in the session. Staff provide good support to children who have special educational needs. Leadership and management are generally good and staff work well as a team. They have clear roles, communicate effectively and receive good informal support. The supervisor identifies where there are gaps in the provision and works hard to address these areas, for example procedures for recording children's achievements are currently being developed. Systems to monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum planning and the impact this has on children's individual progress towards the early learning goals are not yet developed. Partnerships with parents are generally good. Parents receive detailed information about nursery topics and activities and are invited to spend time helping in sessions. Informal channels of communication are well established, although opportunities for parents to be informed about and discuss children's individual learning targets and

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

next steps for learning are not fully developed.

p.3

What is being done well?

• The interaction between staff and children is very good and staff use an exciting range of teaching methods and open-ended questioning to ensure children make good progress. Staff know individual children well, and the implementation of a key worker system ensures they continually monitor their own group of children, and the individual progress they make. They provide very good individual support to children, through their self-chosen play, and ensure children work towards their individual learning targets. • Children are developing very good early writing skills. They practice writing their names on arrival to the group and staff encourage all children to label their own work. Children practice emergent writing in different situations, for example they write letters and address envelopes when playing in the post

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 office, and write lists of jobs to do. More able children are taught how to correctly form their letters using the cursive writing scheme that is introduced at the local school. • Children show a very good understanding of number and are confident in comparing and calculating groups of numbers. Children use objects, such as lego bricks, to compare the number of boys to girls present in nursery. Staff extend the more able children by introducing language, such as more and less than, and children are beginning to predict comparisons between numbers, before consolidating their learning through actually counting. Children are learning how to record and make comparisons between numbers, for example using the measuring chart to record their height. • Children build very good relationships with staff and their peers. They learn

p.3

What is being done well?

how to share and take turns and are beginning to negotiate with one another, without the support from an adult. They respond well to the continual praise and encouragement from staff and learn to value their own achievements, and those of their peers.

p.4

What needs to be improved?

• the use of time and grouping of children, to make the most of all learning opportunities and ensure all children are fully involved in all aspects of the session, particularly in relation to snack and circle time • systems to monitor and evaluate teaching, the effectiveness of the curriculum planning, ensuring all aspects of the foundation stage are included, and the impact this has on children's individual progress towards the early learning goals • opportunities for children to engage in physical activities, to explore sound and rhythm and to express themselves through music, movement and dance • opportunities for parents to be informed about and contribute to their child's ongoing achievements and progress, individual learning targets and how they can extend learning in the home.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery have made very good improvement since the last inspection. They were asked to ensure activities are sufficiently challenging for all children to further their progress. The identification of individual learning targets helps to focus staff's teaching. Staff know where each child has to develop and adapt their teaching methods to sufficiently extend the more able children whilst effectively supported those less able. This ensures children develop at their own pace and consolidate their learning before moving on to something new. The group were also asked to improve opportunities for reading by making the book corner more inviting and displaying clear labels and notices at an appropriate height for the children. Additional resources, such as soft cushions, new books and

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 headsets have been purchased and children frequently use this area to explore books independently and with their peers. There are many opportunities to recognise print around the room, for example labelled resources and areas, and these are displayed at children's height. Finally, the nursery were asked to consider ways to develop, support and extend children's language skills during role-play. The deployment of staff allows for one member of staff to oversee this area. Staff are highly effective in supporting children's role-play, for example by introducing the idea of a sorting office, within the post office, without being too directive. As a result, children invite staff to join in with their imagined ideas, and staff use this opportunity to introduce new language to them.

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.5

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children develop very good independence and initiate many activities for themselves. They co-operate when engaging in role-play, work well together to pack away activities and are able to share and take turns when playing games together. Children show good concentration, for example when designing models, they are interested in activities and fully involved in most aspects of the session. Their behaviour is generally good and they recognise what is right and wrong as they discuss group rules.

p.6

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk excitedly about their play and use descriptive vocabulary to describe the models they make and their role as postmaster. They learn about letters and sounds and confidently recognise letters in their names and suggest words beginning with the same sound. Children recognise print around the room, their own names and point out letters in books. They show good concentration during group stories and enjoy making predictions. Children's writing skills are well developed.

p.6

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children engage in many practical activities helping them to develop their understanding of number. They recognise numerals and can sequence these when out of context. Children use a good range of mathematical language when comparing the pieces of train track and use their own ideas to solve problems. They develop their understanding of weight as they use scales during role-play and weigh ingredients when cooking. Children explore patterns and create their own using beads and cotton reels.

p.6

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children learn about changes in seasons, how to care for babies, plants and animals and how wind makes kites fly through practical activities linked to topics. They make ice cubes and watch how they melt and use good range of information and communication technology, such as the computer, headsets, phones and till to support their learning. Children learn about their local environment, use the atlas to talk about other countries and are introduced to a range of cultures and beliefs.

p.6

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.6

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children develop co-ordination through riding bicycles, using the climbing frame and balancing apparatus and develop their understanding of space through music and movement activities. They use balls and hoops to throw and catch, however, insufficient opportunities for them to engage in physical activities are available across sessions. Children's skills in handling tools and materials are very well developed. They confidently cut, glue, build and thread using a range of resources.

p.7

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy using their imagination to act out their ideas during role-play, story telling and to explore creativity. They use a wide range of media and materials to examine different textures and patterns, for example they print with a range objects and materials, mix paints and explore with rice, lentils, sand and dough. Children enjoy singing and using instruments, although have insufficient opportunities to learn about sound and rhythm and express themselves through music and dance.

p.7

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.7

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.8

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• evaluate and improve the use of time and grouping of children, to make the most of all learning opportunities and ensure all children are fully involved in all aspects of the session • develop and implement systems to monitor and evaluate teaching, the effectiveness of the curriculum planning, ensuring all aspects of the foundation stage are included, and the impact this has on children's individual progress towards the early learning goals • increase opportunities for children to engage in physical activities, to explore sound and rhythm and to express themselves through music, movement and dance • provide opportunities for parents to be informed about and contribute to their child's ongoing achievements and progress, individual learning targets and how they can extend learning in the home.

p.8

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.8

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.8