St Gabriel's Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/02/2005 Inspector Name Christine Coram

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Apple Blossom Day Nursery Setting Address Honiton Road Whimple Exeter Devon EX5 2PT

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Apple Blossom Day Nursery

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Apple Blossom Day Nursery Address Honiton Road Whimple Exeter Devon EX5 2PT

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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

Apple Blossom Day Nursery is privately owned. It opened in 2000 and operates from a cabin style building with an enclosed outside play area in a rural setting in Whimple, Devon. A maximum of 18 children may attend at any one time. The Nursery is open from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 55 children from birth to under 8 years on roll. Of these 13 receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area of East Devon. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs six staff. Four of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications and two staff are working towards a qualification.

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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?

Apple Blossom Day Nursery provides good quality early years education and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. The curriculum is varied, giving a balance of topics and covering all the areas of learning. Some staff have a clear understanding of the early learning goals. Challenges are offered at different levels and gererally take account of the stage of development of the individual children. The challenges are usually appropriate and staff have high expectations of the children. Good use is made of space and resources although the routine does not make the best use of the available time. There are prolonged periods when children are waiting for the next activity to be prepared or for other children to be ready. Assessments of children's progress are very effective and varied methods of observation are used to draw clear conclusions about the children's learning and

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How effective is the nursery education?

development. For example, observations of specific activities and notes taken by the key worker during free play. Leadership and management of the setting is generally good. There is a clear leadership structure and the Registered Person has appropriate aims for the setting. Monitoring and evaluation of the educational programme is not clear or sufficiently effective and planning is not consistently evaluated. The Registered Person has a very clear commitment to improvement and is open to advice and new ideas. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Detailed information is provided in both verbal and written formats. There is an effective relationship with parents and carers which enables a good exchange of information, although they are not actively encouraged to be involved in the children's learning. There is an effective system for informing them about their child's progress, including an

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How effective is the nursery education?

excellent written summary of their development in each area of learning.

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What is being done well?

• The children are confident and settled and have a clear sense of belonging to the group. They are generally motivated to take part in the activities offered and operate with increasing independence in the environment. • Children are confident speakers and communicate with enthusiasm. They use speech to recount, instruct and ask questions freely. • Children enjoy many opportunities to learn about the world around them and the lives and cultures of others through activities, visitors to the setting and special foods.

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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 • Assessments of children's progress are very effective. Staff use varied methods of observation and draw clear conclusions about the children's learning and development. • There is an effective system for informing parents and carers about their child's progress including an excellent written summary of their development in each area of learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for mark making, especially during free play • encouragement for children to freely explore different creative materials and develop their own creative ideas • the routine which does not make the best use of the available time • monitoring and evaluation.

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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 confident and settled within the setting and have a clear sense of belonging to the group. They are generally motivated to take part in the activities offered, although at group times, their concentration and behaviour is not good. They operate with increasing independence and are beginning to form relationships with their peers.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident speakers and communicate with enthusiasm. They use speech to recount, instruct and ask questions freely. Children are gaining skills in using tools and enjoy activities such as colouring but there are insufficient opportunities for mark making, especially during free play. They enjoy books and are beginning to understand that the print carries meaning. They are beginning to link sounds and letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children show an interest in numbers and enjoy counting. They are beginning to count spontaneously in their play. They are becoming aware of number problems and sometimes compare numbers with the support of staff, although there are insufficient opportunities for this. They show an interest in shape, naming some shapes and recognising them in the environment.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children show curiosity and interest in objects around them and an awareness of changes to them. They construct with enthusiasm and are beginning to do so with a planned purpose. However, they are not given opportunities to develop design skills in other creative activities. They enjoy many opportunities to learn about the world around them and the lives and cultures of others. They take great interest in information and communication technology.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move with great confidence in a variety of ways including jumping, stamping, walking backwards and sideways, and running, and avoid obstacles. However,they do not always have opportunities to develop skills such as climbing,swinging and crawling over and through objects. They use equipment with increasing competence, manipulating tools with care and accuracy. They use these skills to achieve a planned effect, for example, cutting along a line that they have drawn in creative play.

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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 well developed imaginative play, imitating adults and acting out scenarios based on their own experience and stories they have heard. Opportunities to explore different creative materials and develop their own creative ideas are limited. Children are beginning to differentiate between and identify colours. They enjoy and know a range of songs and are beginning to sing to themselves. They have opportunities to experiment with different instruments.

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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

• offer greater opportunities for children's free access to mark making equipment and creative media, actively encouraging them to express their own creative ideas • devise a system for the clear monitoring, evaluation and planning of individual activities • review the routine and find ways to utilise the available time more effectively. 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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