Ysgol Pen-y-bryn

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 02/06/2003 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Woodlands Day Nursery Setting Address 111 Wetherby Road Harrogate North Yorkshire HG2 7SH

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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

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?

Woodlands Day Nursery is an established setting that provides a welcoming and stimulating 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 personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Limited progress is made in the area of mathematics. Quality of teaching is generally good and this contributes to the overall generally good progress made by the children. Staff consistently use a range of strategies to help foster children's positive behaviour, guided well by having a named member of staff whose role is to co-ordinate and manage behaviour. There is, however, scope to extend plans, making it clearer how activities can be adapted to meet the needs of

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How effective is the nursery education?

children of all abilities, and to widen the range of teaching methods used, including more effective questioning. Leadership and management is generally good, with a commitment to improve the quality of care and education for all children. This includes welcoming suggestions about possible improvements and implementing these, both from parents and the visiting advisory teacher, and also aiming for the achievement of various 'quality mark' awards. There is, however, some limitations in the way the provision for nursery education is monitored and evaluated, particularly in planning and methods used. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. They receive a wide range of quality helpful information about the setting and its provision, well featured throughout the nursery, and in the entrance part of the 'annex'. Parents are well informed of their child's progress, encouraged to share what they know about their

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How effective is the nursery education?

child, and are involved in their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's consistent use of a range of strategies to help foster children's positive behaviour, guided well by having a named member of staff whose role is to co-ordinate and manage behaviour. • A commitment to improve the quality of care and education for all children who attend the nursery, including welcoming suggestions about possible improvements and implementing these, both from parents and the visiting advisory teacher, and also aiming for the achievement of various 'quality mark' awards.

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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 self-confidence, often shown when trying new activities, such as going on a supervised 'mini-beast hunt' in the nursery's outdoor garden area. • Children's early reading skills, usually when they spend some of their time in the comfortable and inviting 'quiet area', including the use of story sacks, puppets, toys and a range of good quality books. • Children's ability to recognise and recreate simple mathematical patterns, often through the use of a variety of resources, such as different sized and coloured plastic models of teddy bears. • Parent's access to a wide range of good quality helpful information about the setting and its provision, well featured throughout the nursery, and in the entrance part of the 'annex'.

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What needs to be improved?

• Opportunities for children to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, to develop an understanding of simple addition and subtraction through practical activities, and to use language to describe and compare shape, position, size and quantity. • Plans for the educational programme, making it clearer how activities can be adapted to meet the needs of all children, including children who may finish an activity more quickly, or children who may need additional support. • Range of teaching methods used, including more effective questioning.

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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 make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Children are developing their self-confidence, often shown when trying new activities, such as going on a supervised 'mini-beast hunt' in the nursery's outdoor garden area. They have an understanding of what is right and wrong and why, illustrated well when working in small groups, including taking turns and sharing fairly, and have established many positive relationships with each other and the staff.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in communication, language and literacy. Children are developing their early reading skills, usually when spending some of their time in the comfortable and inviting 'quiet area', including the use of story sacks, puppets, toys and a range of good quality books. They are able to link sounds and letters, often by focusing on a chosen alphabet letter, such as 'f', and their vocabulary is extending when learning new words linked to a current theme.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children make limited progress in mathematical development. Children are able to recognise and recreate simple mathematical patterns, often through the use of a variety of resources, such as different sized and coloured plastic models of teddy bears. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, to develop an understanding of addition and subtraction, and to use language to describe and compare shape, position, size and quantity.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. Children are encouraged to explore and investigate, particularly features of living things, such as during a 'mini-beast hunt' in the nursery's outdoor garden area. They are able to operate several technology items to help support their learning, including handling a 'mouse' when working in the 'computer area', and are developing their designing and making skills, often when joining everyday materials.

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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: Very Good Children make very progress in physical development. Children are developing their climbing and balancing skills, often when working on challenging equipment during outdoor activities. They are able to use various tools, objects, construction and malleable materials to help with the development of their small muscles, usually as part of art and craft activities, also mark-making and writing activities, and have access to a variety of large and small equipment.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in creative development. Children are frequently encouraged to use their imagination through role-play activities, including spending some of their time in the nursery's 'jungle', and recently they enjoyed participating in a 'jungle party'. They are able to explore colour, often through the use of various art techniques, such as 'glue dribbling' and 'string painting', and are able to respond in a variety of ways using their senses.

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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 more opportunities for children to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, to develop an understanding of simple addition and subtraction through practical activities, and to use language to describe and compare shape, position, size and quantity. • Extend the plans for the educational programme, making it clearer how activities can be adapted to meet the needs of all children, including children who may finish an activity more quickly, or children who may need additional support. • Widen the range of teaching methods used, including more effective questioning.

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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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