The Oxford Nursery Summertown

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/11/2004 Inspector Name Clare Moore

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Acacia Care and Education Setting Address Marston Ferry Road Summertown Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 7EE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Acacia Care and Education Ltd. 4148697

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Acacia Care and Education Ltd. Address 34 Bertie Road Cumnor Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 9PS

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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

Acacia Care and Education opened in 2003. It operates from four rooms in a pre-fabricated building in the city of Oxford. It serves the local area. It is privately owned and managed. It forms part of a group of two nurseries in the Oxford area. There are currently 44 children from 0 to 8 years of age on roll. This includes five funded 3-year-olds and two funded 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting welcomes children who have with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is opens five days a week all year round. Opening times are from 08:00 - 18:00. There are eight full-time staff and four part-time staff who work with the children. Half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. Six staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare 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?

Acacia Care and Education provides nursery education which is of is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. All the staff are involved in planning a balanced curriculum of activities that stimulates learning across the six areas. Daily plans are clear about what children are intended to learn from activities which helps staff to use the opportunities presented. An effective key worker system ensures that staff have good knowledge of individual children. They regularly record children's achievements but records do not always reflect how much children are progressing. Staff liaise with other professionals to include children with special educational needs. They use skilled teaching methods, asking questions and making suggestions that promote learning. They engage children in conversation, develop language skills and include counting throughout activities. They help all children to

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How effective is the nursery education?

enjoy books and stories. They use praise and encouragement to build children's confidence and help children to develop independence. They provide a balanced range of adult led activities and opportunities for children to initiate their own activities. The leadership and management is very good. The manager leads the staff team who work well together. A system of staff appraisal identifies training needs and staff are encouraged and supported in updating their skills and knowledge. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are made welcome in the group and are invited to social events and open evenings. They receive comprehensive information about the nursery and the progress their children are making.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's clear understanding of the early learning goals leads to well planned activities which engage and sustain children's interests and efforts. • Children have regular access to outdoor play. The garden is very well resourced and used for a wide variety of activities and learning opportunities. • Children experience counting throughout their daily activities and develop good understanding of the use of number. Staff have devised activities and games to help children have fun when learning about number, shape, words, letters and sounds. • Children enjoy selecting books, sharing books together, re-telling stories, looking at the pictures and describing them. They become highly involved in stories responding to questions, filling in words that are missed and predicting outcomes. • Children develop an appreciation of diversity as they learn about our own and

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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 other cultures though celebrating festivals, art and craft activities, food tastings, stories and discussion.

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What needs to be improved?

• the system of recording children's development towards the early learning goals to reflect children's incidental achievement and to inform planning.

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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: Very Good Children sit quietly to listen and are able to concentrate for sustained periods. They are confident in moving between activities and relate well to other children and adults. They learn to take turns and to share and are sensitive to the needs of others. They are becoming very independent in their personal care, dressing themselves for outside play, visiting the toilet independently and remembering to wash their hands.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are becoming confident speakers and pay attention to others in group discussions. They enjoy listening to stories participating in them with enthusiasm, looking at books, pictures and words. They are developing an understanding of rhyme and learn to hear and say the initial sounds in words. Most can recognise their printed names and some are attempting to write them often managing recognisable letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Staff make counting an integral part of daily activities. Most children can count to ten, some beyond and they are beginning to use number to solve problems. They learn to recognise numerals using displays, a computer programme and puzzles, and use various resources to learn about shapes in two and three dimensions. They practise mathematical language in sorting, measuring and cooking activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to investigate, observe and talk about what they see. When learning about other countries, for example they ate with chopsticks, re-enacted the Chinese dragon dance, explored a tepee and a totem pole. They learn about their local community from visitors and walks to the garden centre, and local shops. They design and build with construction toys and recycled materials. They use a listening centre and battery operated toys as an introduction to technology.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children develop their co-ordination with ride-on toys and climbing and balancing apparatus. They take part in physical games to a music and rhyme tape called "sticky kids". They are active both indoors and using the outside play area. They use small equipment to throw, catch and control, and develop manipulative skills with a range of tools and materials such as pencils, scissors, play dough and a toy carpentry bench. Staff teach them the importance of good food and hygiene in keeping healthy.

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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: Very Good Children explore colour and texture with imaginative art and craftwork and show pride in the results. They join in songs and rhymes, use percussion instruments to explore sound and rhythm and move in response to music. They develop their imagination and act out experiences in planned and spontaneous role-play situations. They make up scenarios and improvise with available resources.

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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 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 significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to the following: develop the recording of children's progress to reflect children's incidental achievement across the curriculum and target the next steps of learning.

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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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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