Borrowby Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 25/02/2005 Inspector Name Jenny Taylor

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Borrowby Nursery School Setting Address Knayton CE Primary School Knayton Thirsk North Yorkshire YO7 4AN

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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

Borrowby Nursery School is privately owned and managed. The group operates from a portacabin in the grounds of Knayton Primary School. Care is provided in one large play room and a smaller play room which used for quieter activities. Children are mainly from Borrowby and surrounding villages. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The children are aged from 3 to 4 years old. Currently there are 17 children receiving funding for nursery education. They offer four sessions each week, on Tuesday and Wednesday from 09:00 to 15:30, on Thursday from 11:45 to 15:30 and on Friday from 09:00 to 11:45 in term time only. The nursery employs three members of staff. The manager has a Level 4 NVQ and the other 2 staff are working towards an NVQ level 3. The nursery is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and has completed their Quality Counts Scheme. It receives support from the local education authority.

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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?

Borrowby Nursery is of good quality overall and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff plan interesting topics which are well-integrated over all six areas to give a generally broad and balanced curriculum. They teach children good computer skills and to use everyday technology, such as a torch. They encourage children to enjoy play with words by reading poems and teaching them a good repertoire of nursery rhymes. However, they do not interact with them enough to extend their practical mathematical experiences or imaginative language during role play. Staff assess children's learning against the stepping stones but this is not linked closely enough to on-going observations of children or to plans. The creative area is not effectively organized it does not encourage children to choose activities in this area for themselves.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is generally good. The manager has clear aims for the nursery and has produced a good development plan. However, the monitoring of teaching is not sufficient to identify a lack of appropriate questioning skills and of giving detailed explanations to children on some occasions. The partnership with parents is very good. They are well informed about the Foundation Stage and about their child's progress, through access to their assessment files and an Open Evening. They are welcomed into the nursery sessions to share their expertise and to help with fund-raising.

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What is being done well?

• Staff share knowledge of children's progress and achievements with parents. • Children are polite, friendly and cooperate well with each other. • Staff integrate learning about other cultures, beliefs and aspects which are different from our own across topic planning. • Children learn to recognize letter sounds and relate these to words.

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What needs to be improved?

• the links between observations, assessments and the planning • the organisation of creative areas with particular focus on developing children’s spontaneous imagination and practical maths skills.

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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

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been generally good progress in tackling the key issues which arose from the last inspection. The nursery was asked to further develop planning, especially the long-term plans. They needed to develop an assessment system and to encourage parents to make a more significant contribution to assessments. Long-term planning is now established, with reference to all six areas of the curriculum and the stepping stones. The nursery uses the Foundation Stage Individual Record Sheet, which colour codes learning against all the early learning goals, together with another sheet showing how children have achieved in each of the six areas of learning. However, assessments still do not relate closely enough to on-going observations of children's learning or to plans. This aspect of the key issue will be carried forward in the key issues of this inspection. Parents are given the option of taking this record folder

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What has improved since the last inspection?

home or to have access to it in the nursery. They are asked to complete a booklet on entry detailing their child's preferences and other information useful in helping the staff know the children.

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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 When involved in individual and small group activities children concentrate well and are enthusiastic. They are confident to sing to others and have good relationships with them. They are encouraged to discuss feelings such as happiness and to show concern for others less fortunate. Their independence and initiative are developing well, which is shown when they are the helper of the day. Their behaviour is generally good, except when they sometimes do not listen well during story.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children can speak quite eloquently and use language to re-call previous activities, negotiate the sharing of toys and plan how to clear the table. All children can recognize their names and some know its initial sound. Some four year olds can write their names with good letter formation and all children are learning writing can be for many purposes. They enjoy poems which encourage them to play with words but do not choose books as an activity enough because they are not displayed effectively.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Older children can count and recognize numbers to 10, match numbers to 20 and sort objects according to colour and size. Children are learning about simple addition and subtraction with number rhymes which encourage taking 1 away, for example. However, they do not have enough chances to learn about number through imaginative play. They can recognize and name shapes, compare sizes e.g. their heights and understand positional language. They do not learn enough about patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children observe the pet hamster and learn about features of living things. They compare different vegetables and investigate cogs. They build models and design a Space Satellite to climb into. The contents of a technology box helps them learn about everyday technology. They have good computer skills. They learn about time when looking at old photos and about their local area when visiting a farm. Discussing differences between people helps them to respect others beliefs and cultures very well.

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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 jump, balance on tyres, rock, crawl on outdoor equipment and travel under and over a parachute. They use a variety of small equipment to learn and practice skills such as throwing and catching. Their hand and eye coordination is good as they roll bread mix and pour water from a jug. Sometimes their control and coordination is inhibited because they join in action rhymes in a crowded room.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good While mixing their own colours children learn to make green. They make clay models and learn about textures through rubbings. They know how sounds can change. Children express imagination through e.g. movement as a firework. A range of sensorial experiences helps them learn, through touching flour, smelling herbs and tasting exotic fruits. Children do not experience sustained and well developed role play due to the area not being effectively organised.

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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

• review the creative areas, including role play, to encourage children to use them more and develop their imagination and imaginative language • encourage children to use their mathematical skills practically • link assessments to staff's on-going observations of children's learning and to plans so it is clear what are the next steps in children's learning.

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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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