The Beeches Community Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 28/02/2005 Inspector Name Dorcas Elizabeth Forgan

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Olney Nursery Setting Address Olney Church Hall High Street Olney Buckinghamshire MK46 4AA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Olney Nursery opened in 1996 and operates from a room in the Church Hall with access to the kitchen and toilets. The nursery is privately owned. It is situated in the market town of Olney. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09.00 to 12.00, term times only. There are currently 33 children aged from 3 to under 5 years on roll. Of these, 29 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from Olney and surrounding villages. The nursery currently supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs five staff. The manager and one member of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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?

Olney Nursery provides high quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. The planning is clear and concise and ensures the provision of a wide range of activities to promote the children's learning. The children are grouped according to their ages and ability; they receive appropriate individual support and guidance. Relationships with the children are very good. The daily sessions are well structured with an emphasis on small group activities, which are planned to ensure specific learning intentions are met. The remainder of the time children can choose which activity they wish to take part in. There is a very wide range of activities from which to choose. The children are motivated and challenged well through skilful teaching methods, which include effective questioning and discussions. The nursery has good strategies in place to support children with

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How effective is the nursery education?

special needs and those who have English as an additional language. Leadership and management are very good. The nursery has clear aims and objectives. The manager provides very clear leadership and the dedicated staff work very well as a team. Appraisals are carried out annually and training needs are identified at these. Staff update their skills through short courses, but only two senior staff hold a recognised qualification. The nursery works closely with the local school and pre-school to ensure an easy transition. Partnership with parents is very good and contributes to the children's learning. Parents are given clear written information about the group and the curriculum. They are actively encouraged to participate in their child's learning and to share information about their child with the staff. Parents receive a written report at the end of each term.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide a warm welcoming environment and give a great deal of thought to the presentation of activities. There are many very colourful displays most of which are created by the children, which reinforces their self-esteem and pride. The staff are very good role models and give the children clear guidance and support to encourage good behaviour. Children are learning to treat others with respect, take turns and share. • The role-play area is well planned and resourced and plays a very important part in the children's learning. The children help to create it through activities. They carry out research and find out what they need to include from books and visits. The sorting office incorporates sorting boxes, delivery bags, keyboards and telephones. Children write letters and cards, find the correct sized envelope, attach a stamp and post it in the post box.

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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 • Staff provide activities to encourage communication, language and literacy very effectively. They use very good questioning to encourage children to give a considered answer at their own pace. The children are becoming confident at speaking in front of others. Through the introduction of a letter of the week children have a good understanding of the letters and the sounds that they make. The oldest children write very confidently on their own. There are extensive resources displayed to help them. • The nursery facilitates the parents to be involved in their child's learning. They encourage parents to settle their child and this can include doing an activity together. At the end of the session parents are encouraged to spend time looking at the work that their child has achieved, talk to them about it

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What is being done well?

and speak to the staff. Children choose books to share with their parents at home.

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What needs to be improved?

• the continued provision of opportunities for all staff to attend training to ensure their profesional development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The manager and staff have improved the assessments and planning, they have increased the opportunities for children to use small apparatus, and now record all aspects of personal, social and emotional development in the plans. These were raised as key issues at the previous inspection. Assessments and record keeping have been improved and now cover all six areas of learning. The daily lesson plans include a cross-reference to the areas of learning and the objectives of each structured activity. These changes ensure that a true record is kept of each child’s progress across all areas. The children have the opportunity during the session to play with small apparatus such as the playpeople and pirate ship. A company is now employed to provide physical education, when children also use balls, bean bags and other small equipment to develop their physical skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The long and short term plans show that personal social and emotional development of the children is included daily. Children are becoming confident and independent.

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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 are very keen and eager to learn, they come into the group and settle quickly at activities. They have good relations with the adults and other children; they seek friends out to play. Staff increase the children's confidence and self-esteem by being sensitive to their needs and knowing them well. Children concentrate and persevere at activities. They are learning to make choices and to be independent. The children behave very well.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children chat confidently with adults and peers. They enjoy group story time. They participate well and are learning new vocabulary. They have many opportunities to handle books and do so well; they are learning that books can be used to gain information. Some are beginning to read. Children are very familiar with letters and the sounds they make. They have very good pencil control and have regular opportunities to practise their writing skills, both formally and in role-play situations.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count confidently. They have many opportunities throughout the session to practise. Children enjoy being set challenges and solving problems. They use mathematical language appropriately. Through interesting activities, the staff introduce addition and subtraction; the children are learning to calculate. They compare sizes such as which ladder is the smallest, and ask which adult is the tallest. The children recognise and recreate patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing an increasing knowledge of the world around them through a broad range of interesting activities and topics. They gain knowledge through first hand experiences such as pouring water through a net, mixing colours in paint, and building high towers from boxes. They are gaining confidence in using technology and can tell the staff how to operate items. Children celebrate their own traditions and festivals and learn about other people's cultures and traditions.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good They have many opportunities to develop fine motor skills and hand/eye co-ordination; they use a wide variety of tools such as paintbrushes, rolling pins, cutters, and jugs to pour. Children have regular opportunities to use large apparatus such as the climbing frame and parachute. The plans show that physical education sessions are provided regularly. The children are confident in their personal care. Staff introduce them to the ways to stay healthy and care for themselves.

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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 can explore a range of materials and media. They use the paint at the easels to create their own pictures and they help to create the next role-play area. Staff encourage children to listen attentively to sounds that they can recognise. The musical instruments are freely available for children to experience and they enjoy the movement to music sessions. Role-play activities are varied and interesting, children draw on their own imagination as they play in the sorting office.

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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 improving the following: • the continued provision of opportunities for all staff to attend training to ensure their professional development

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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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