Kaleidoscope Morley

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/03/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Kaleidoscope Day Nursery Ltd Setting Address Albert Road Morley Leeds West Yorkshire LS27 8RT

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Kaleidoscope Day Nurseries Ltd 4397387

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Kaleidoscope Day Nurseries Ltd Address 22 The Green Finkle Lane Gildersome West Yorkshire LS27 7EL

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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

Kaleidoscope Day Nursery opened in 2000 and provides full day care for the locality and surrounding areas. It forms one of six nurseries owned by a private company, known as Kaleidoscope Day Nurseries Ltd. This nursery is located in Morley, on the outskirts of Leeds, in West Yorkshire. It is managed on a day-to-day basis by the nursery manager. Care takes place in a converted and recently extended building, consisting of a ground floor and first floor level. Children are organised according to their age, including the funded children, who spend most of their time in one of two rooms situated on the first floor level. Those children who are between three to four years old work in the 'yellow room', and children who are between four up to five years old work in the 'blue room'. They have supervised access to a secure outdoor play area, and the nursery toilet facilities. The nursery has 95 children on roll, including children from three months up to five

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Information about the setting

years old. There are 10 three-year-olds in receipt of funding, and 3 four-year-olds in receipt of funding. None of the funded children have been identified as having special educational needs, or are learning English as an additional language. The nursery provides full-time and part-time places, and is open throughout the year, closing for Bank Holidays, and one week during Christmas. Daily sessions start at 8.00 am and finish at 6.00 pm. The nursery provides out of school care. There are five members of staff who work with the funded children, consisting of four who are full-time and one who is part-time. This includes one member of staff who is a qualified pre-school teacher. Staff receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including advisory teacher support, with opportunities to attend a range of locally organised training courses. They are members of the National Day Nurseries Association and the Leeds Nurseries

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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?

Kaleidoscope Day Nursery is a setting that serves the locality and surrounding areas well. It provides a welcoming and inviting environment for children to settle and learn. Children who are three-years-old and four-years-old are making generally good progress overall towards the achievement of the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in the areas of knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Generally good progress is made in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff use a range of suitable teaching methods that are appropriate for the funded children. This includes an emphasis on 'learning through play', practical activities, exploration and investigation activities. There is, however, scope to further enhance the level of challenge set for some children,

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How effective is the nursery education?

particularly the more able children, and to extend the range of strategies used by staff to help foster children's positive behaviour. Leadership and management is generally good. There is a clear commitment to improve the care and education for all children. This is highlighted well through the successful achievement of recognised awards, such as the 'Investor In People' award. There is, however, scope to continue to make regular detailed assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall provision of the nursery. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning. This includes helping their child to further practice their early reading skills, such as when library books are taken home. They are provided with helpful information about the nursery and its provision, and are informed about their child's achievements and progress. There are, however, limited

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How effective is the nursery education?

opportunities for parents to share what they know about their child.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's use of a range of suitable teaching methods that are appropriate for the funded children. This includes an emphasis on 'learning through play', practical activities, exploration and investigation activities. • The clear commitment to improve the care and education for all children. This is highlighted well through the successful achievement of recognised awards, such as the 'Investor In People' award. • Children's good relationships with each other and the staff, illustrated well during enjoyable small group work activities, and the high level of children's self-confidence. • Children's early reading skills, supported well through regular planned visits to the local mobile library.

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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 • Children's ability to use mathematical language to describe and compare two dimensional and three dimensional shapes, shown well when handling everyday materials, such as when they made a model of their house. • Parent's level of involvement in their child's learning, including helping their child to further practice their early reading skills, such as when books selected from the mobile library are taken home.

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What needs to be improved?

• development of children's personal independence skills • opportunities for children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes • children's ability to recognise numerals 1-9, and their skill at counting reliably up to 10 everyday objects • level of challenge set for some children, particularly the more able children, and the range of strategies used by staff to help foster children's positive behaviour • frequency of detailed assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall provision of the nursery • encouragement of parents to share what they know about their child.

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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 have formed good relationships with each other and the staff, illustrated well during enjoyable small group work activities. They are able to complete a task together, take turns and share the resources. Children show a high level of self-confidence, and are willing to try new and novel activities. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to develop their personal independence skills.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their early reading skills, supported well through regular planned visits to the local mobile library. They are able to speak clearly and show an awareness of the listener. This is featured well during 'circle time', such as when children listen to stories and sing their favourite songs. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to use mathematical language to describe and compare two dimensional shapes and three dimensional shapes, shown well when handling everyday materials, such as various kinds of boxes and containers, when they made a model of their house. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to develop their ability to recognise numerals 1-9, and their skill at counting reliably up to 10 everyday objects.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are skilful at exploring and investigating, including observing growth changes, such as the changes to the grass seeds that had been planted, and the pineapple head placed in a container of soil. They are developing their designing and making skills, including joining and building, often when handling everyday materials, also when working in the 'construction area', and can show a firm sense of place.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their small muscles and manipulative skills, often when handling a varied range of tools, objects, construction and malleable materials, including art and craft tools, mark-making and writing implements. They are able to climb skilfully, especially when working on the large challenging outdoor climbing frame, and can recognise the importance of staying healthy, such as by talking about foods that make us healthy.

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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 are able to use their imagination through role play activities, including making up their own stories, such as a story about 'goblins'. They are encouraged to respond in a variety of ways using all of their senses, sometimes as part of 'baking days', are able to think of words to describe their facial features when looking at themselves in a mirror, and can explore sound when handling a varied range of musical 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

• Staff should address the following key issues in their action plan: • provide further opportunities for children to develop their; personal independence skills, ability to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, skill at recognising numerals 1-9, and skill at counting reliably up to 10 everyday objects • heighten the level of challenge set for some children, particularly the more able children, and widen the range of strategies used by staff to help foster children's positive behaviour • continue to make regular detailed assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall provision of the nursery • further encourage parents to share what they know about their child. 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

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

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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