Eversley Nursery SchoolOfsted inspection, 18 Feb 2005

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 18/02/2005 Inspector Name Susan, Helen Spencer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Eversley Nursery School Setting Address 32 Penkett Road Wallasey Merseyside CH45 7QN

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Hwfa & Jennifer Jones and Paul & Judith McCarthy

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Hwfa & Jennifer Jones and Paul & Judith McCarthy Address Eversley Nursery School 32 Penkett Road Wallasey Merseyside CH45 7QN

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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

Eversley Nursery School is owned jointly by Mr and Mrs Jones and Mr and Mrs McCarthy. It opened in 1999 and operates from a school building, which was completely refurbished before opening, in Wallasey. All children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The setting opens from 08.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday. It is operates all year round except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. It is registered to care for forty three children. There are currently thirty five children aged between six months and five years on roll and they attend for a variety of sessions. Six children receive funding for nursery education.The nursery has no children who have been identified as having special educational needs and all children speak English as their first language. The setting has always welcomed applications from parents of such children. The nursery employs fourteen staff of whom twelve work with the children. Six staff

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Information about the setting

have a recognised early years qualification and four are working towards one. 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?

The provision for nursery education at Eversley Nursery School is acceptable but has some significant areas for improvement. It enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional, mathematical and physical development but there are significant weaknesses in children's progress in communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. The quality of teaching has significant weaknesses. Topics are well planned for the year but staff do not have sufficient understanding of the Stepping Stones to teach children effectively. Staff talk to children all the time but the quality of these interventions is not good enough to improve their vocabulary. Outdoor play does not appear to be planned as a learning experience. Singing is quite well led and children respond positively. Children show a real interest in a well-resourced cutting and

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How effective is the nursery education?

sticking activity. Resources for children's role play are not presented well. Assessment procedures have significant weaknesses. General observations and specific activities are planned to assess children's understanding. These are not built closely enough around the Stepping Stones and too often involve children completing an inappropriate worksheet. The local education authority profile is used as a record for each child but staff's understanding of what a three year old should be achieving is very weak. The leadership and management has significant weaknesses. Policies, procedures and job descriptions are well written and followed by staff. Management does not have sufficient first hand information on which to judge the effectiveness of teaching methods. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are happy with the care their child receives. They receive ample information on what their child has learned and

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What is being done well?

• Children are generally happy in the setting. They know the staff and their friends quite well and enjoy playing. • Children 'touch' count to at least six, know the names of the basic flat shapes and are starting to identify them in the environment. • Children learn about other cultures and faiths because they celebrate a good range of festivals. These range from traditional British days like harvest and Bonfire Night and faith festivals like Christmas and Divali. Staff use the cherry blossom trees in the grounds well to link to the Japanese spring festival of Hanami.

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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 • The induction procedures are very flexible and help children settle into the setting very quickly. They also allow parents to remain with their child for as long as they feel it necessary. Parents provide considerable information on their child's likes and dislikes before they start nursery and this helps the setting build on the child's previous experiences. • Policies and procedures are well written and management takes appropriate steps to ensure that all staff have read them and are aware of their implications. Job descriptions are very clear and staff know what is expected of them, in general terms, in the work place. Staff are encouraged to go on courses and visit other settings to see good practice.

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What needs to be improved?

• the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning • staff's understanding and use of the Stepping Stones and the methods associated with the teaching of very young children • the staff's ability to promote children's speaking skills • the opportunities for children to show their independence and their ability to make choices • the range and availability on a day to day basis of mechanical and electrical toys for children to control • the availability of mark making materials other than worksheets • the teaching of rhyme and children's experience of quality stories with rhyme in them to lay the foundations for much later work on letter sounds • the quality, presentation and use of the role play area and dressing up clothes so that children's imaginations are stimulated.

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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 are reasonably happy in the setting, know the staff and enjoy playing with their friends. They are quite happy to leave their parents in the morning. Most of them play quite well, though there are squabbles over resources at times. Children find it difficult to concentrate when playing because some activities are not stimulating. Children behave quite well and enjoy the praise and rewards they receive from staff. They have few chances to show their independence, e.g. at snack times.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children communicate using gesture and words, with a few talking in phrases. The weak speech of some children is not corrected to help them improve. Children enjoy having stories read to them and most listen attentively. Some children do not handle books well. Children show weak awareness of rhyme because there is too much focus on the learning of letter sounds. Children do not 'make marks' well because there are few materials available to them.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children know the names of the basic flat shapes, and some solid ones. They sometimes identify them in their games and use the correct name. Most children recognise the main colours but they have little experience of sorting and matching using colour as a criteria. They 'touch' count to at least six but few children use numbers or mathematical language during their play, as this is not fostered by staff. Children show little awareness of the language of comparing groups in practical situations.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children know quite a lot about their own and other cultures and the world's main faiths. They celebrate a good range of festivals, like Bonfire Night. Children know little of the features of the locality because they rarely go on walks outside the setting. Children use all sorts of construction kits, on a rota basis, and learn how to join in different ways. Children have too few opportunities to control mechanical or electrical toys or to use their senses to understand the world around them.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children walk, run and jump quite well and with good control. They run freely around the outdoor area and move safely indoors avoiding each other and obstacles. They ride tricycles quite well, with more able children using the pedals well. Children handle small tools and objects with improving accuracy. They spread glue quite well and some use scissors correctly, whilst others need a lot of support. Children are not challenged to balance, climb and swing often enough to improve their skills.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children sing quite well and join in with some of the movements during action songs. They enjoy painting and chalking but access is to these activities is restricted by lack of space. Children do not play in the roleplay or with the small world toys with much imagination because staff do not develop these skills and resources are uninviting. Children show good pencil control when colouring within lines of a worksheet picture but have few opportunities to draw their own pictures.

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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 but has some significant areas for improvement. Children's progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses. The next inspection will take place in one to two years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• implement a system for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning which will support staff development • improve the staff's understanding and use of the Stepping Stones, and associated teaching methods, in the planning and assessment of children's learning •• train staff in how to interact with children in order to promote their speaking and listening skills • provide children with opportunities to listen to stories with good quality rhyme in them • make available more mechanical and electrical toys which the children can control • improve the resources in the role play area so that it offers children opportunitities to use their mark making skills and stimulates their imaginative play.

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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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