Dallington School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/01/2005 Inspector Name Mary Daniel

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Cats Whiskers Day Nursery Setting Address 35 Florence Road Bournemouth Dorset BH5 1HJ

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Brian Pringle and Jacqueline Pringle

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Brian Pringle and Jacqueline Pringle Address 35 Florence Road Bournemouth Dorset BH5 1HJ

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

Cats Whiskers Day Nursery has been established since 2000, and operates from a three-storey house, situated in Boscombe, near to the main town of Bournemouth. There are four main dedicated play rooms provided for children, who are grouped according to their age and ability, bathroom facilities and an enclosed garden area. Children attending come from the local community and surrounding area within the county. This privately run day nursery is registered to care for up to 39 children aged from 3 months to 5 years, and there are currently 67 on roll. The nursery is open on Monday to Friday, from 08:00 - 18:00, all year round with children attending on a full or part-time basis. There are 3 supernumerary management staff and 17 nursery staff employed, the majority of whom are qualified in child care and early years education, and all staff are involved in ongoing training opportunities. Cats Whiskers Day Nursery is in receipt of Government funding for children, and

p.2

Information about the setting

currently has 32 funded 3-year and 4-year-old children on register. The nursery caters for children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. The setting receives support from the Bournemouth Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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?

Cats Whiskers Day Nursery offers good quality nursery education overall, and committed staff support children well in making generally good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Teaching is generally good with some very good aspects to support children's progress in knowledge and understanding, creative, and personal, social and emotional development. Staff interact very well with children, giving a positive approach to play, which results in children feeling settled and having a keen enthusiasm to learn. Overall, staff ask good questions to help children think for themselves, although at times, miss some chances to fully develop children’s skills in some areas of play. Planning shows an overall well-balanced curriculum of purposeful and exciting activities, based on children's interests and abilities, for example, in making a play dough volcano. Staff monitor children's progress well and make detailed assessments which overall, effectively support further planning. Staff

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

create an inviting play environment, which children happily explore, and provide good opportunities for them to independently choose resources to support and initiate their own ideas in play. This is particularly evident with the group's 'creative workshop' and 'graphics' area, which provide a wide variety of tools and materials to extend children's imagination in art and design, and effectively promotes their early 'writing' skills. Leadership and management is very good. There is a secure framework of clear polices and procedures. Management staff are pro-active in promoting ongoing staff development, and are working to implement new strategies to further improve current teaching practices. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are welcomed and their involvement valued within the setting. The nursery provides regular opportunities for parents to share in their child's achievements and progress, and staff work well in respecting

p.3

What is being done well?

• Leadership and management are well-established and have a positive impact on children's progress. There are clear systems in place to regularly monitor and review the provision for nursery education, and to identify specific areas for development which effectively supports the group's continual aims for improvement. • Children are developing their early writing skills very well. They are keen to use the dedicated 'graphics' play area, and make good use of the different writing tools in making their marks. Three and four-year-old children become totally absorbed in writing their letters and notes, and some are starting to form recognisable letters of their names.

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 • Children show great interest and enjoyment in using all their senses to investigate change, for example, when making different types of bread. They are curious and ask questions to find out 'how and why?' and are keen to explore their natural world, such as when digging for bugs in the garden area. • Staff form good relationships with children which positively contributes to them feeling valued and welcomed within the setting. They promote good behaviour effectively through frequent praise and encouragement, helping children develop good self-esteem, resulting in children becoming happy, confident little people.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities to extend children's awareness of linking sounds with letters and solving simple practical number problems in play • the use of indoor facilities to provide further physical play opportunities to support and develop children's large muscle control.

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 have good concentration skills and are keen to learn. They settle to play easily and confidently join in the exciting play activities with enthusiasm. Children mix happily with their peers and show concern for a friend who has a 'bad cough'. They are independent and willingly take on self-chosen challenges, such as putting on dressing up clothes. Children behave very well, and enjoy learning about their community as they visit a local market and go on a bus ride around town.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children listen attentively to stories and handle books with care. They learn that print carries meaning as they find their name card. Children use good language to express their thoughts and ideas, for example, when describing a volcano, but do not often using rhyming sounds within play. They regularly use the 'graphics' area, where they write or draw with great concentration. Most show confidence using writing tools and start to ascribe meaning to their marks, as they send a note to Santa.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children often use number language spontaneously in play such as when they count how many candles are on a play dough birthday cake. They are starting to recognise numbers of personal significance, as they say 'I'm four', but are not often solving simple practical number problems in play. Most children can use size and positional language appropriately and say who is sitting beside them. Children enjoy learning about volume and quantity as they fill and empty different containers in the water.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children willingly help to make a play dough volcano, and discover change with excitement and interest as they add food colouring to the mixture. Children carefully join the small bricks together to construct a tower, and talk confidently about significant past and future events, such as 'When I go to big school'. They enjoy exploring how the computer works, and tape their own voices. Children learn of different cultures as they discuss how they celebrate Christmas with their families.

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: Generally Good Children use good hand-eye co-ordination, for example, when using scissors to cut out shapes for their pictures. They carefully pour with jugs in water play and then laugh as they squeeze bottles firmly to make the water shoot out. Children enjoy their outdoor play, for example when they make an exciting obstacle course, but overall use of indoor facilities does not fully promote their large muscle control development. They are aware of their own needs and realise when their hands need washing.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enthusiastically use the creative workshop area, and use their imagination very well in art. They explore colour and texture with interest, as they sprinkle glitter onto a model or as a child drips glue across their paper, becoming absorbed in the patterns made. Children respond with surprise and interest as they feel their sticky fingers when mixing the play dough. They initiate imaginary games very well, and gently cuddle a doll, or proudly march around in their 'Cinderella shoes'.

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

• make further use of the indoor facilities to extend and develop physical play opportunities to promote children's large muscle control development • make more use of opportunities to maximise children's learning in activities relating to linking sounds with letters and solving simple practical number problems within play.

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