Millfield Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 28/01/2005 Inspector Name Esther Darling

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Millfield Nursery School Setting Address Millfield House, Tithby Road Cropwell Butler Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG12 3AJ

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Dinah Elizabeth & Andrew John Miller Address Millfield Nursery School Tithby Road, Cropwell Butler Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG12 3AJ

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

Millfield Nursery School is a private day nursery which opened in 1989. It operates from the ground floor of a house a in a rural village approximately 12 miles from Nottingham. Children have access to two group rooms, plus a soft play room and 2 separate outdoor play areas. Children attend from a wide variety of different villages in the surrounding areas of Leicester and Nottingham.

p.2

Information about the setting

The nursery may care for a maximum of 40 children aged between 2 and 8 years old at any one time. There are currently 75 children on roll, which includes 40 funded children. The nursery is open from 08:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday, all year with the exception of bank holidays and four days over the Christmas period. Of the 9 staff who are employed to work with children, 7 hold an early years care and education qualification. The nursery receives support from a specialist teacher from the Early Years and Development of 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?

Millfield Day Nursery provides good quality educational provision, where children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Competent teaching and the supportive environment leads to children making very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development, and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. The quality of teaching is generally good overall. Key teaching staff have a good understanding of the six areas of learning within the foundation stage curriculum, although some of the principles of early years education are not always followed. The routine of the day offers free choice and teacher led activities, however time and resources are not yet managed to full effectiveness. This leads to children being less purposefully occupied at certain times of the day, and impacts on the needs of others. The majority of staff manage behaviour effectively, and this ensures the

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

welfare and development of children. Staff observe and record children's development, which clearly shows their progress along the stepping stones to the early learning goals. Most staff are skilled at interacting closely with children. They use discussion to extend children's thinking, language, and knowledge, in an interesting and educational way. The leadership and management are generally good. The Proprietors are always on the premises, and thus ensure the smooth running of the provision. Self evaluation, and EYDCP support have identified certain areas which they, and the deputy manager are committed to improving. The progress of these has been slow but steady. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Excellent information is provided about the general nursery provision. Children's progress is discussed whenever parents request this, and twice yearly parent's evenings enables them to

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

view assessment records. Parents are encouraged to share what they know about their children, before the placement commences.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is flourishing in this happy learning environment. They are self assured and take a lead in activities of their choosing, showing a keenness to demonstrate to others, what they know and can do. • Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is developing fantastically. They have great fun discovering the properties of a wide range of man-made and natural materials, as well as discovering their immediate environment. • The planning of a wide range of activities and experiences, which are

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 introduced to the children in a thorough and enthusiastic manner by the whole of the staff team. The organisation and storage of the plentiful resources supports this.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• the management of time and resources; which does not allow children to be purposefully occupied at certain times of the day, such as whilst waiting for others. More able children are not yet independently accessing a wide enough range of resources to extend and consolidate their learning • the short term planning of activities, and assessments of children's learning; which at present make limited use of the principals of early years education, and individual children's learning styles

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

Improvement since the last inspection is generally good. There was one point for consideration given at the last inspection. This was for the nursery to continue to develop the assessment and recording systems, in order to plan in more detail for the next steps in children's learning. The proprietor and key teaching staff have worked hard on changing this over a period of time. Staff are still adjusting to using this information on individual children's needs, in order to inform the short term planning, and extend what they already know, understand and can do. Assessments of children are now based on the stepping stones to the early learning goals, and are therefore more realistic for the age of children attending the nursery.

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 are socially adept and relate very well to each other and adults. Most are confident to try new activities, and through these are developing a sense that people have many things in common, as well as being different. They are beginning to positively acknowledge other cultures and beliefs. Children behave very well, having a strong sense of right and wrong, and reminding each other of this at key times of the day, such as during group-time. Some have formed small friendship groups.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have great communication skills; they listen and respond with enjoyment to familiar songs, also participating animatedly in story telling. The focus on early writing skills focuses too heavily on the use of adult-led methods, such as formal copying. Very few children attempt to write spontaneously during their play. However children do sometimes learn that print has meaning during meaningful and practical activities, such as looking at the words on food packets.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their mathematical skills through a wide range of enjoyable practical activities including stories, songs, games, puzzles. However there is too much emphasis on the mechanical completion of worksheets. Children are not yet using mathematical language during their play. Older children have a grasp of basic problem solving in addition and subtraction, and recognise the numerals up to ten.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Exciting planned activities encourage children to be keen investigators. They engage in growing various plants and observe the changes that happen throughout the seasons. They talk about their own lives, and learn about others in their local community through effective topic work, having a very good sense of time and place. Children are learning about the increasing use and importance of technology in everyday life. They are quite able to operate simple programmes on the computer.

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good locomotive and balancing skills, which are practised on a daily basis. They enjoy playing on ride-on toys, negotiating space very well, and have an awareness of their own needs. Children do not always have the choice to access small equipment, such as bean bags, and other resources to promote a wider range of physical skills. All regularly use local resources such as the fields adjoining the outdoor play area, which makes the whole experience fun and full of adventure.

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.5

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children enthusiastically take part in designing and making objects such as vehicles. However, the option for children to initiate and communicate their own ideas, through a greater access to resources, is minimal. Children relish being involved in music, such as singing along to the keyboard, and make their own range of instruments to celebrate various festivals. They learn about colour through themed days and are able to explore the properties of various mediums using all of their senses.

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

• Review the management of time and resources, so that children will be more purposefully occupied during group-activity times. Encourage children to independently select from a wider range of resources to enable them to develop their own ideas. • Plan more child-led and practical activities to develop children's literacy and mathematical skills. They should be directly based on individual assessments of children and the next steps in their learning. This should be more closely in line with the principles for early years education.

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