Shibden Head Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 18/06/2004 Inspector Name Halla McGrady

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Shibden Head Day Nursery Setting Address 49 Halifax Road Queensbury Bradford West Yorkshire BD13 2DT

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Shibden Head Day Nursery Ltd Address 49 Halifax Road Queensbury Bradford West Yorkshire BD13 2DT

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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

Shibden Head Nursery has been registered since 2003. It operates within a converted school building in the Queensbury area of Bradford and is a privately owned business providing full day care. The nursery serves families from the surrounding and wider areas, and operates on weekdays for 51 weeks of the year, between the hours of 7.00 and 18.30. The premises are detached and set on two levels, both of which can be accessed through individual ground floor entrances. There is full disabled access. Children are accommodated in large open plan play rooms on each level, according to age, which are self contained including children's toilet, wash and nappy changing facilities and cloakroom areas. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area to the rear of the building. There are currently 86 children on roll between the ages of 3 months and 5 years. Of these children, 4 are funded 3 year olds and 2 are funded 4 year old children. No

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Information about the setting

children attending are identified as having special educational needs or who speak English as an additional language. As well as a cook and cleaner, there are 13 staff, 2 of whom work with the funded children. These two members of staff have appropriate childcare qualifications. Staff receive support from the Bradford Early Years Childcare Development 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?

Shibden Head Nursery provides a learning environment where children are happy, confident, and settled and are making generally good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. They make very good progress in creative, and personal, social and emotional development, and generally good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff interact well with children, and have realistic expectations of children's behaviour. They use their time, and the resources generally well, and ask open-ended questions appropriately, to extend children's learning. They have an understanding of the early learning goals, but are not yet secure in their knowledge of the stepping stones to learning, which limits their expectations of children's capabilities. This results in staff providing insufficient challenges for more able children. The assessment of children’s progress system is

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How effective is the nursery education?

not consistently used to inform the planning. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities, and have regular staff meetings and planning meetings, and performance assessments, and appraisal systems are in place. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the provision for nursery education are not yet rigorous enough. This has resulted in missed learning opportunities. Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are valued. Staff encourage parents to share what they know about their child, on an informal basis. Parents receive information about the setting, but information about the progress their children are making towards the early learning goals is limited. In addition, there are insufficient opportunities for parents to be actively involved with their children's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children are confident and happy.Staff establish warm relationships with the children, and respond readily, and with enthusiasm to their needs and requests. • Children are able to select their own resources, and complete their own activities independently. • Children's spoken language is developing well. They are able to make their needs known, and to engage in conversations with adults, and with each other. • Children use their imagination well, to express themselves during role play. • Staff work well as a team and give children clear and consistent boundaries for good behaviour. •

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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 • Parents are valued, and are welcomed into the setting.

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What needs to be improved?

• staff's knowledge and understanding of the stepping stones, so that they are secure in their expectations of children's capabilities, and may more effectively present appropriate challenges to children, to extend their learning, particularly in the area of physical development • children's opportunities to learn about different beliefs and cultures • the links between observations of children and planning • the opportunities for parents to be involved with their children's learning.

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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 separate from carers confidently, and have developed good relationships with adults, and their peers. They approach adults for play and support, and are able to share and take turns. Behaviour is very good, and children respond positively to the boundaries set by adults. Children are independent, and able to select their own activities and resources. They are friendly and polite. Children are interested and motivated to learn, sitting quietly and concentrating when appropriate.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's language is developing well. They express themselves confidently, speaking and listening in individual and group situations. Children enjoy sharing books, and handle them appropriately. Most children are able to recognise their own names, and more able children are beginning to write the initial letter of their name. All children join in confidently and enthusiastically with familiar songs and rhymes. However, opportunities for children to write for different purposes are limited.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Most children can count to 5, and some children are able to recognise some numerals to 10. They are developing an awareness of size, shape, and position, and more able children show a good understanding of shape. Most children use some appropriate language in their play. However, the potential to further develop mathematical ideas, and mathematical language is not sufficiently exploited in everyday practical situations such as snack time.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children use their skills well to explore, observe and investigate objects and living things. They talk confidently about past and present events in their own lives. Children select their own resources in building, creating, and constructing. They enjoy using programmable equipment to support their learning, including the computer and a digital camera. However, there are limited opportunities for children to develop an awareness and an understanding of the cultures and beliefs of others.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move confidently and safely through the environment. They show an awareness of space, and negotiate obstacles successfully. Children effectively handle tools and the wide range of equipment with increasing skill and control. They understand the importance of looking after their bodies. However, there are insufficient opportunities for children to develop skills of climbing and balance, and to use challenging equipment to further develop gross motor skills.

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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 The children explore a wide range of media and texture in both two and three dimensional form. They respond well to experiences, using all their senses, and freely communicate their ideas. Children use their imagination very well to express themselves, linking these to real and imagined experiences. They enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes, and enthusiastically move to music.

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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 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.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• improve staff's knowledge and understanding of the stepping stones, so that they are secure in their expectations of children's capabilities, and may more effectively present appropriate challenges to children • improve children's opportunities to learn about different beliefs and cultures • improve the links between observations of children and planning • improve the opportunities for parents to be involved with their children's learning.

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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.

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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

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