Toton Bispham Drive Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 13/01/2005 Inspector Name Margaret Travers

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Flying Start Day Nursery Setting Address Barnes Mead Woodfield Lane Ashtead Surrey KT21 2BT

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Flying Start is an independent privately owned Day Nursery. The nursery is accommodated within a large detached building, consisting of an open plan nursery room with separate baby unit to the ground floor and two nursery rooms to the upper level. There is a secure area for outdoor play, which is divided to provide suitable areas for different age groups. The nursery has its own access and car parking. It operates five days a week through the year from 08:00 to 18:00. The nursery serves parents from the surrounding area. There are sixteen members of staff, most have NNEB or working towards a level 2/3 qualification in Childcare. Most staff hold first aid certificates. Children are grouped according to age. At present twenty-one three-year-olds and three four-year-olds receive nursery education funding. The nursery support children identified as having special educational needs.

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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?

Flying Start Day Nursery Barnesmead provides good quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff regularly meet and plan together. They organise a wide range of topics and activities using a good variety of learning resources. Children use a large well organised garden for recreation and physical play although do not have opportunities to climb during muddy weather. The nursery supports children identified with special educational needs well. Staff plan against the early learning goals and stepping stones, but do not create individual activity plans for the six areas of learning including physical development; evaluations of activities are not effective enough to inform future planning. Some staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the early learning goals and therefore do not always fully

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How effective is the nursery education?

challenge or extend learning. The leadership and management are generally good. The management team meet weekly to assess the provision and staff are encouraged to attend both internal and external training workshops. There are systems for staff development and training to ensure all staff are obtaining a secure knowledge of the early learning goals although monitoring does not ensure skills obtained during training are effectively implemented. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents have opportunities to attend parents evenings and informative sessions about their children's progression. They have access to their children's records but there are no opportunities for them to add comments or observations to these. Parents are welcome to discuss their children with staff each day, and new parents receive introductory talks by the nursery owner, but do not receive written information about

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How effective is the nursery education?

the early learning goals or nursery curriculum.

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What is being done well?

• Children enjoy learning through a wide range of interesting activities and resources which promote development in all areas of the curriculum. • They are developing a secure knowledge of letter sounds, and many three and four-year-olds can recognise and write their names. Children's pencil control is good and they enjoy reading stories and reference books relating to topics. • Relationships within the nursery are good and children are encouraged to share and take turns and show consideration towards others. • Children use a large well resourced garden to extend their physical skills and knowledge of the natural world by taking part in mini beast hunts and planting

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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 and growing seeds and bulbs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the development of individual activity plans for all areas of learning including physical development particularly showing learning objectives and children's next steps; these should be effectively evaluated • the continued monitoring of staff to ensure all staff have a secure knowledge of the early learning goals and stepping stones and are able to implement this knowledge within planning, assessment and teaching, and that monitoring extends to ensuring skills developed during training are effectively put into practice. • the attention given to ensuring parents receive written information about the curriculum and early learning goals and have opportunities to add their own observations and comments to their children's records.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The improvement since the last inspection is generally good. Nursery staff write brief evaluations of activities on weekly plans but these are not detailed enough to be effective. More independence is now given to children especially four-year-olds who now pour their own drinks, help give out food, clear away resources and take messages.

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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: Generally Good Children enjoy learning through a wide range of activities and plentiful resources for all areas of learning. Children show perseverance although some staff do not always extend learning effectively. Children are developing good relationships with peers and staff and show good behaviour. They are becoming more independent by putting their coats on for outside play. They take part in cultural activities to learn about other cultures and different needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are learning letter sounds and many three and four-year-olds can sound out the letters in their names and trace over these; they show good pencil control. Children enjoy books and stories, choosing these independently. They show an awareness of story language and make up their own using small world toys. Children discuss their news and families although staff do not always extend vocabulary sufficiently or question effectively to encourage children to think through their own ideas.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count each other as well as their cups at snack time and characters in story books. They are encouraged to match numbers and objects. Children sometimes work out how many more glue sticks they need but there are inconsistent opportunities for children to develop calculation and some staff do not always recognise opportunities for extending mathematical thinking and language. Children make patterns, recognise shapes and use number puzzles and games.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children make spectacles, take part in a variety of topics to hatch caterpillars into butterflies, grow seeds and plants, take part in recycling projects and explore the garden for mini beast hunts. They blow bubbles and receive interesting visitors from the local community but some staff are not away of potential learning opportunities and do not always fully challenge or extending learning. Children use two computers to extend their knowledge of technology.

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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

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children take part in a wide range of physical activities although there are no individual activity plans to ensure progress and structure. Children use a large garden and climbing frame to develop coordination, balance and confidence, although cannot use during muddy weather. Children use bats, balls, hoops and beanbags and a large parachute well. They are learning well to become aware of space and others. They use small equipment well to develop manipulation and dexterity.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children take part in painting, printing and collage activities and explore textures through wet pasta, sand and water play. They sing and join in weekly music sessions although some staff miss some opportunities to model actions and support learning. Children have many role play opportunities. They dress up and develop their own ideas through model making and small world toys and games.

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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

• develop individual activity plans for all areas of learning, including physical development particularly, showing learning objectives and children's next steps; these should be effectively evaluated • continue monitoring the quality of teaching to ensure all staff are developing a secure knowledge of the early learning goals and stepping stones and are able to implement this knowledge within planning, assessment and teaching, and that monitoring extends to ensuring skills developed during training are effectively put into practice. • ensure parents receive written information about the curriculum and early learning goals and have opportunities to add their own observations and comments to their children's records.

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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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