Helen Howes Private Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/01/2003 Inspector Name Tracy Ward

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Helen Howes Private Day Nursery Setting Address 559-565 Bradford Road Birkenshaw West Yorkshire BD11 2AQ

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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

Helen Howes Private Day Nursery has been established since 1989. It provides full and part-time care for children from birth to five years; there is also a facility for children before and after school which is only open to those children who have attended nursery. The nursery is located in the lower ground floor at the rear of a building on the main shopping street of Birkenshaw village. The Nursery is open 8am to 6pm. There are four playrooms and children are accommodated according to age. Nursery one is for children aged three to five years. To the front of the nursery is a fully enclosed play area for the children. There are currently five funded three year olds and two funded four year olds attending, non of whom have special educational needs or English as an additional language. The proprietor works alongside the officer in charge and nursery nurses, all of whom have appropriate childcare qualifications. The setting is working with the local Early Years Childcare

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Information about the setting

Partnership and has received input from a qualified teacher. They also have close links with early years units in the local schools. Most of the children attending are from the local community or have parents who are in full time employment.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The nursery education is of good quality and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They are confident, interested and behave well. The quality of teaching is good overall. Staff interaction and questioning techniques are good and this has a positive impact on children's attitudes to learning. Good methods are being developed to monitor and evaluate individual children's progress and provide resources and provision to support them. Staff do provide generally good purposeful activities for children, however, in some areas older and more able children lack challenge to progress to the next stepping stone. There are no children with special educational needs or English as an additional language receiving funding but effective systems are in place to provide support. Leadership and management is very good. Leadership is very strong and supports staff development through appraisals, encouraged participation in decision making

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How effective is the nursery education?

and training opportunities. They have worked hard to develop a strong and stable qualified nursery team. There are procedures in place for monitoring and evaluating provision and areas of strength and weakness. Management encourage relationships with local early years units, teachers and early years childcare partnership representatives. Partnership with parents is very good and contributes to the children's progress towards the early learning goals. Excellent quality material and information is presented to the parents and displayed about the nursery detailing the foundation stage learning and activities offered. A parental committee has been set up by management to feedback on parental views and ideas and help with raising funds for new equipment. Parents receive monthly reports on their child's progress. Key workers encourage parents to share information and what they know about their child regularly.

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What is being done well?

Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. They are confident and eager to participate on their own and as part of a group. Behaviour is very good. A good range of physical activities and resources ensure that children's progress in physical development is very good. Parental partnerships are developed, encouraged and valued which has a positive impact on children's learning. Children are developing a good knowledge of the world in which they live.

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What needs to be improved?

Challenges for four year old children to be independent in selecting their own materials, resources and opportunities for creativity. Opportunities for older and more able children to recognise text and numerals and understand ways in which they are used to communicate.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made generally good improvements since the last inspection. Areas of strength are leadership and management, parental partnerships, personal social and emotional development and physical development. Staffs knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and questioning techniques have improved and this is having a significant impact on children's learning and confidence. Planning has been developed and shows how activities are linked to the early learning goals and three year old children are provided with challenges to extend their learning and skills. The action plan from the previous inspection has been implemented and the quality of educational provision has improved in those areas highlighted.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are making very good progress. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong and respond positively to adults and each other, they show increasing cooperation and consideration. Three and four year old children are confident and are able to express feelings and ideas freely. Children are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Older and more able children make connections confidently between different events, parts of their lives and place in family structures.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress. Their language is developing well and they speak confidently to adults and each other. They are able to listen, speak and negotiate in group situations. Children can vocally express real and imaginary experiences. Three and four year old children are beginning to recognise letter sounds and write their own name. However older and more able children are not experiencing a broad range of words or simple sentences in the environment to provide challenge.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's development is good overall. They show an awareness of size, shape, position and weight. Three year old children are counting confidently to five and older and more able children to ten, however more able children have insufficient challenge to develop and extend their knowledge of number symbols. Four year old children are developing skills of adding to and subtracting and making comparisons. More able children are making good progress in understanding and recreating patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children's development is good overall. Children are confident in asking questions and showing curiosity. They use technology and programmable toys with increasing skill. Three and four years olds can express their knowledge of past, present and future events and have a developing knowledge of their own and other cultures. Three year old children are confidently constructing with resources, however older and more able children lack challenge to develop techniques to join and assemble materials.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Progress in physical development is very good. Children move with confidence and good control, coordination and agility, supported by a wide range of resources. They show an awareness of space and safety of their self and others. Children can handle small tools and equipment with skill and control. Three and four year old children manipulate materials confidently and shape them to the desired effect, for example dough play. They are gaining a good knowledge of personal hygiene and being healthy.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Creative development is generally good. Children use their imagination well and recreate imagined and real life experiences confidently. Three and four year old children explore and create two and three dimensional objects, however more able children have insufficient challenge to use their imagination in art and design. Children explore sound by making, listening and moving to music in group situations. Children make positive responses to sensory experiences.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

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

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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

Extend the opportunities to develop children's mathematical and literacy skills by helping older and more able children to recognise familiar words and numerals. Improve opportunities for children to develop their creativity in design technology and music.

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