Highgate Community Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/06/2004 Inspector Name Wendy, Anne Lunn

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Grayswood Nursery School Setting Address The Village Hall Grayswood Haslemere Surrey GU27 2DE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Grayswood Nursery School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Grayswood Nursery School Address The Village Hall Grayswood Haslemere Surrey GU27 2DE

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and 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

Grayswood Nursery School opened in 1981. It operates from Grayswood Village Hall. The group serves Grayswood village and the local area. There are currently 37 children from two years nine months to under five years on roll. This includes 19 funded three year olds and 12 funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. A small number of children have special needs. There are currently no children attending who speak English as an additional language but systems are in place to provide support. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:15 until 13:00 on Monday, and from 09:15 until 12:15 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Eight members of staff work with the children. Seven have early years qualifications. One member of staff is currently on a training programme. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership

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Information about the setting

(EYCDP) In October 2002 the group received their re-accreditation from the Preschool Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Grayswood Nursery School provides good quality childcare. The nursery school offers a calm, welcoming environment for children. The space is organised effectively to provide separate areas for active and quiet play. Children can make choices and develop their own games both indoors and outside. The group operate a key worker system enabling the staff to get to know the children and ensure that they are supported and well cared for. The staff understand the children's individual requirements. There is a clear understanding of health and safety issues. Staff observe good

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How good is the Day Care?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 hygiene practices and encourage the children to develop good routines for themselves. Regular risk assessments are carried out to ensure a safe environment is maintained. A broad range of activities is provided to foster children's learning in all areas. Effective behaviour management strategies are in place, such as clear and consistent boundaries, to help children understand what is expected of them. Staff form supportive relationships with parents and carers. They find the staff very approachable and exchange information regularly regarding all aspects of their child's care. Most documentation is in place and children's records are stored securely.

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What is being done well?

• The nursery school have a stable and committed staff team who work closely together to meet the needs of all of the children. They are qualified and experienced and regularly attend training to further their knowledge and understanding of their work. • The manager and staff team have effective systems in place to ensure that the group is well run and that they are providing quality care through a wide range of suitable activities. Regular use of the outside area and walks in the woods encourage children to learn about their environment and the world around them. • The group has a supportive attitude to caring for children with special needs. They liaise with other professionals to plan individual programmes to ensure that the children are included and their development extended. • The partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are encouraged to become involved with the activities and information is given on the many

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What needs to be improved?

• documentation, to ensure that C.R.B. clearance is logged and made available to parents, • availability of water, to ensure that children can freely access this at any time during the session.

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Outcome of the inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 1 Ensure that evidence of staff’s C.R.B. clearance is logged and made available to parents. 8 Ensure that water is freely available to children at all times.

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by the time of the next inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Grayswood Nursery School provides high quality nursery education. Children are making very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff make very good use of a wide range of resources to provide activities both indoors and outside which maintain children's interest and enable them to make progress. The qualified and experienced staff use their knowledge of the foundation stage to plan a variety of experiences for the children. Staff assess and record children's progress and this information is shared with parents. They question children effectively to make them think, and they listen to what each child has to say. They know the children very well and plan for their individual requirements. Children feel supported and valued and their behaviour is very good. The leadership and management of the setting is very good. The manager and staff

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How effective is the nursery education?

team work together with the committee to produce a well balanced programme to meet the needs of all of the children. There is an effective staff appraisal system in place to monitor the quality of the provision and the group have received their re-accreditation from the Preschool Learning Alliance. Training is actively encouraged for staff to increase their skills and expertise. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are welcomed into the group and invited to contribute to its running on an individual level. They receive full information about the group through the parent packs, regular newsletters, notice boards, and daily verbal updates. They feel confident that their child is making good progress through the stepping stones.

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What is being done well?

• The staff team work hard to provide a calm, supportive environment where children can feel happy and settled and able to make progress through the stepping stones to the early learning goals. • Children work well together. They are confident, and able to communicate well with adults and peers alike. They take the initiative and show high levels of concentration. Behaviour is very good. • Children persist well during activities such as construction and completing puzzles. They show high levels of independence when selecting resources and investigating why things happen, such as the torch lighting up and the butterfly hatching. • Children develop a sense of their community and the world around them through having visitors like the nurse and vicar, and visiting the local school and farm. They are given good opportunities to recall these recent events

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and to anticipate future ones such as sports day.

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What needs to be improved?

• There are no key issues from this inspection, but consideration should be given to the following:- • increasing and developing the use of activity cards to provide more information for students and volunteers; • investigating and implementing the use of story sacks to encourage more children to be fully involved in story time and to enhance their experience.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group have made very good progress since the last inspection in ensuring more use is made of musical instruments to explore sounds, and of providing daily access to computer programmes and programmable toys to encourage children's interest in ICT. There were no key issues from the last inspection but the group were asked to consider the following: making more use of the existing resources of musical instruments to explore sound; the use of the computer and the purchase of programmable toys to encourage more interest in I.C.T. The children make very good use of the variety of musical instruments provided on a daily basis. They investigate the materials and construction of the instruments. They enjoy exploring the sounds that they make, both individually and together. Daily use of the computer has increased children's familiarity with the programmes, and enabled them to extend their skills when using the keyboard and mouse. The

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What has improved since the last inspection?

use of programmable toys such as the microwave, and till, have encouraged children to investigate how things work, and enriched their role play experience.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities to make choices about what they do and to select resources to develop their ideas. They are encouraged to be independent and to persist with tasks. Staff praise and encourage children increasing their confidence and self esteem. They learn to share, take turns, and consider other people's feelings. Children develop independence in their personal care, such as washing hands, and putting on sun hats or outdoor clothing. Their behaviour is very good.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good The children's spoken language is developing well and they are confident and skilled communicators. Children enjoy examining books and listening to stories. They use books to locate information, for example, when looking at topics such as the butterflies hatching. Staff extend children's vocabulary by introducing new words during practical activities. Children have opportunities to practise their letters by drawing them in the salt tray and then building up their names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many opportunities to recognise and use numbers one to nine in familiar context. They learn about mathematical language and problem solving during routine activities and through their play. Children learn about shape, size, position and quantity through activities such as sand play, construction, pattern matching and building models. Children benefit from good individual support when recognising shapes, colours and sizes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have the opportunity to learn about the natural world through use of the outside area and walks in the woods. They grow plants, look at birds and mini beasts and discuss the changes in the weather and the seasons. Children talk about their families and where they live, and learn about other cultures and beliefs through planned topic work. They carefully make models from construction kits and are adept at using glue and tape to join recycled materials.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently use a range of large and small equipment which provides opportunities for climbing, balancing, running and jumping both indoors and outside. They can understand rules and cooperate together when playing games with the big parachute. Children demonstrate a good sense of space and move confidently during physical activities. They are skilled at using a variety of tools like cutters, scissors and paintbrushes, and they construct models from a variety of resources.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children participate confidently in daily art and craft activities. They draw freely and learn to apply paint in different ways. They enjoy participating in singing sessions and have built up a good repertoire of songs and rhymes. Role play activities are varied and interesting. Children have daily access to a variety of musical instruments which they can explore and investigate. They use them to make rhythms and sounds and to increase their understanding of how music is made

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no key issues from this inspection but consideration should be given to the following:- • Ensuring that students and volunteers have activity cards to give them information on the aims, outcomes, vocabulary, and questions to use, when working in the group. • Increasing the children's involvement and enjoyment of story time by developing the use of story sacks.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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