Beacon Hill Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 19/03/2004 Inspector Name Margaret Ralph

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Beacon Hill Day Nursery Setting Address 29 Beacon Hill Road Newark Nottinghamshire NG24 2JH

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Beacon Hill Day Nursery

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Beacon Hill Day Nursery Address 3 Vale View Dry Doddington Newark NG23 5JE

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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

Beacon Hill Day Nursery operates from a detached chalet bungalow situated on the Beacon Hill Road, which is a residential area of Newark within easy reach of the town centre. The day nursery is registered to provide 60 places for children under eight years. It accepts children from six weeks to eight years-of-age. Children attend on both a full and part-time basis and are organised into groups which take account of children's age and ability. Outside there is a large grassed play area and large car park. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 51 weeks a year, and from 07.30 hrs to 18.00 hrs. An earlier or later time of arrival or collection by be negotiated by arrangement. The majority of staff hold a recognised qualification in childcare, with others working towards the National Vocational Qualification in Childcare and Education at level three. Staff access additional training through the Early Years

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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?

Beacon Hill Day Nursery provides a happy and welcoming environment where children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of the teaching is generally good. Most of the staff have a good understanding of the foundation stage curriculum and provide a good range of appropriate activities to help children learn. The staff work well together as a team and relationships between adults and with children are good. There is some inconsistency in the management of behaviour. The staff encourage children to become independent, to concentrate and to work together productively. There are currently no children with special educational needs or any for whom English is not their first language; however, there are appropriate systems in place. The leadership and management of the nursery is generally good. The manager and her deputy work well as a team and have a shared vision for the development of the

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How effective is the nursery education?

nursery and a common understanding of its strengths and areas to be developed. The leadership is committed to developing and improving practices and standards. Staff have good training opportunities and meet together regularly to plan and review their work. The systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision are very informal and miss weaknesses such as the lack of challenge for the four year olds. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents and staff have a friendly and open relationship and share information about the children's progress. The brochure contains brief information about the early learning goals and the newsletters that parents receive about the nursery are of good quality and are informative. Parents receive regular reports about their children's progress and achievements.

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What is being done well?

• The staff work together well as a team, supporting one another and teaching to their strengths; their relationships with the children and very good. • The partnership with parents is good and they greatly value the time that is give to them in reporting back children's progress. • Children work well together and they show care and consideration for each other. • Children have good opportunities to develop their co-ordination skills, and their ability to use a range of large and small equipment is good.

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What needs to be improved?

• teacher's ability to use questions really effectively to challenge children and

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 extend their learning, and to know when when and how to intervene in activities • the progressive development of mathematical skills, particularly in relation to providing practical opportunities for simple addition and subtraction and problem solving • regular observation of children's learning and evaluation of their progress that feeds back into planning and is recorded frequently in the children's individual profiles.

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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 Children settle well into their activities and are keen and motivated to learn. They work together purposefully, both independently and in group activities. Behaviour is generally good and relationships with adults and the other children are good. They take turns and share toys and equipment showing care and concern for each other. Staff miss opportunties to develop children's concentration and ability to settle to one activity and also to intervene when occasionally behaviour becomes silly.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have a good awareness of books and well-developed early reading skills. They tell stories to each other and interact well and respond enthusiastically in conversations. They are learning to recognise letters, sounds and words using well-chosen resouces. Most of the chidren can recognise their own names and older children can write them with well-formed script and good pencil control.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The three year olds can count confidently to ten and beyond and four-year-olds can sort, match and compare objects to ten. They are learning mathematical language to describe shape, size and position and four-year-olds can name a number of two and three dimensional shapes. There are limited opportunities for children to develop an understanding of simple addition and subtraction and to use their mathematical skills to solve practical problems.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have very good opportunities to explore and investigate their environment and a variety of materials. Their construction skills are developng well and they design and build with imagination. Children learn about different cultures from first hand experience and celebrate a variety of festivals and cultural events. They have insufficient regular opportunities to explore information technology.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children move confidently around the indoor and outdoor areas of the nursery, demonstrating good body control and an awareness of space. Their fine motor skills are developing well and they can use a range of small and large equipment confidently and effectively. They have access to a wide enough range of small equipment indoors and out of doors and staff interact well with the children to develop their confidence and skills on the large fixed equipment.

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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 confidently explore colour, shape and texture through a variety of activities; they make choices from a range of good resources. They sing a wide range of songs from memory and enjoy performing to each other. They explore rhythm and pulse with simple percussion instruments and accompany songs with enthusiasm. They have limited opportunities to use their imagination and express their feelings in role play, or to use resources well to create real and imagined experiences.

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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

• provide training opportunities for staff to improve their questioning skills and their understanding of how and when to intervene in activities in order to extend children learning and to improve the level of challenge for the four-year-olds • improve the systems and opportunities for observing children and recording their understanding and progress; ensure that teaching is monitored and students are supported to ensure that there is consistency and high quality in their work with the children.

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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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