Bright Horizons Didsbury Day Nursery and Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/10/2004 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Kidsunlimited Nurseries Setting Address 139 Barlow Moor Road Didsbury Manchester Lancashire M20 2DY

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Kidsunlimited Nurseries Address Westhead 10 West Street Alderley Edge Cheshire SK9 7EG

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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

Kidsunlimited Nursery, Didsbury was opened in 2001 in the Didsbury area of Manchester. It is a purpose built building, which has recently been extended to give another room on the first floor for the pre-school children to use. It serves families in the locality and commuters into Manchester. There are 184 children on roll with 27 receiving nursery education grant funding. One of these children is receiving four-year-old funding and the remainder three-year old funding. There are no children with special educational needs or learning English as an additional language receiving funding at present. The children are taught in two rooms on the first floor of the nursery. Five members of staff work with the funded children. Three staff are qualified in childcare and education at level three and two are unqualified. One of the unqualified members of staff is working towards a level three qualification. All

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Information about the setting

qualified members of staff have a minimum of two years experience working with pre-school children. The nursery is part of a group of nation wide nurseries. It receives support from the companies central curriculum team and teachers from Manchester Education 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?

Kidsunlimited Nursery, Didsbury provides good quality education overall and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals in most areas. Physical development, however, is limited by some significant weaknesses. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff interact generally well with the children and manage behaviour appropriately. At circle time they encourage children, listening to them, picking up on their ideas but this is less apparent in the over directed activities. Staff make snapshot observations but these are insufficient to track children's progress. Reports have little assessment information to base them on. Staff's understanding of the early learning goals is developing and they offer some challenge to the children. Resources are not fully utilised to enhance learning. The quality of leadership and management is generally good. All levels have a direct

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How effective is the nursery education?

involvement and this has a general positive effect on the provision. The many monitoring systems are insufficiently linked to impact on children's learning. The nursery manager delegates duties and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Training needs identified by appraisal are being addressed and this is developing the staff's knowledge of the early learning goals. There is generally good communication with regular staff meetings where notes are taken and distributed. Resources are insufficient in supporting aspects of the curriculum. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are well informed about the Foundation Stage and the early learning goals through written information and good displays. Regular parents evenings, informal discussion and the communication folders have a positive effect on the sharing of information. Staff use information from home well to develop learning. Parents feel sufficiently involved in their

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's learning but do have some concern over the stability of staff and the effect on learning.

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What is being done well?

• Development of musical skills through the use of percussion instruments. • The information available to parents about the Foundation Stage and the early learning goals and the opportunities to share information about the children. • The monitoring of staff training needs through appraisal and discussion. • The way in which children are encouraged to talk, understand books and the development of writing skills. • The development of children's understanding of living things and changes through the gardening and cookery club.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• the resources to support technological understanding and physical development • opportunities for children to learn through their chosen activities and the use of resources to help them learn • the tracking of children's progress through structured observation and assessment of attainment so that planned activities develop children's skills and understanding more effectively • the links between the various management monitoring procedures to ensure that they have a more positive influence on the opportunities for children to learn and that issues identified are addressed and maintained.

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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 The children are generally keen to learn. They can sit quietly and concentrate for periods of time. They are starting to understand right from wrong but staff miss opportunities to develop this further. Staff encourage children to think quite well. They are starting to share and take turns and behave generally well. Children have independence in meeting their own hygiene needs but this is less well developed in selecting resources to work on their own.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children generally talk together well and ask questions. They are gaining listening skills but staff must ensure they do not talk over them. Knowledge of letter sounds is good. They use it well to discuss labels. Children's knowledge of how books work is generally good. Staff develop the retelling of stories well at story-time. Books for information are limited. Writing skills are developing but there are few resources to help them write for a purpose.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can count and are starting to recognise numerals. They are developing an understanding of calculation talking about more and all gone. Staff miss opportunities to develop this in the children's chosen activities. Awareness of shape, size and positional language is developing appropriately. There are limited opportunities to gain an understanding of pattern.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunity to explore and investigate. They record their observations in a variety of ways. They some opportunity to design and make but resources to join and assemble are not readily available. Topics and visits help the children develop an understanding of the world around them. Cultural knowledge is developing through celebration of festivals throughout the year. The use of technology to support learning is limited by equipment that is not working.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children generally move confidently and with growing control. They can balance but have no opportunity to climb. They are increasingly aware of space, themselves and others. They are gaining an understanding of health but have limited experience of bodily changes when active. The tools and materials available to them are generally used well. Small equipment is handled well but there are insufficient large scale resources for the children to handle.

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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: Generally Good Children have some opportunity to paint, mix colour and record observations. Their experience of texture and collage is increasing. Knowledge of rhythm and beat is good and the children recognise that different percussion instruments make different sounds. Imagination is developing generally well through role-play, dance and small world play. Sensory awareness is developing through activities such as gloop. The very structured routine limits children's ability to express themselves freely.

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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 the programme to ensure children have more opportunities to learn through their chosen activities and that there are sufficient good quality resources available to support this learning • ensure children's attainment is recorded so that progress is monitored effectively and that planning takes into consideration the next steps for learning • develop the use of current monitoring systems so that issues are addressed to improve and maintain the children's opportunities for 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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