Southmead Saplings

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 05/01/2005 Inspector Name Kay Roberts

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Southmead Saplings Setting Address Southmead Hospital Southmead Road, Westbury-on-Trym Bristol BS10 5NB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Southmead Saplings - North Bristol NHS Trust

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Southmead Saplings - North Bristol NHS Trust Address Monks Park House Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road Bristol BS37 6NX

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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

Southmead Saplings Day Nursery was established in 2002. It is one of two nurseries managed by the North Bristol National Health Service Trust, primarily for children of Trust employees at local hospitals. Children are cared for in self-contained accommodation on the ground floor of a hospital building. There are two separate units where children are grouped according to age; under two-year-olds and two to five-year-olds. Each unit has three distinct activity areas, and an outdoor playground. Children under two years have a separate sleep room. The nursery provides full day care for children aged from three months to five years. It operates from 07.00 to 18.00 hours, Mondays to Fridays, all year round excluding Bank Holidays. At present there are 77 children on the register, of these 38 are under 2 years. There are 20, funded 3-year-olds and 7, funded 4-year-olds. No children have English as an additional language or special educational needs.

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Information about the setting

There are 16 staff working with children, 10 of whom hold a relevant childcare qualification. Advice on educational provision is provided by the Early Years Partnership. The nursery is a member of the Bristol Standard Accreditation Scheme.

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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?

Southmead Saplings Day Nursery provides a warm and welcoming environment within which children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff offer a broad range of exciting, theme-based activities, which cover the six areas of learning. Staff plan for their key children. Children are encouraged to put forward suggestions for inclusion in planning. Assessment records show children are making progress, but not all aspects of the early learning goals are included. This impacts on planning so that not all learning areas are given sufficient weight. Staff provide children with clear boundaries and offer lots of praise to support positive behaviour. Daily routines provide good opportunities for children to focus on specific areas of learning as detailed in planning and to choose their own activities. Time is well organised, with space for children to complete an activity before they move on. Resources cover all areas of

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How effective is the nursery education?

learning, but the computer was not working at the time of the inspection. Management and leadership are generally good. The leader has a clear vision for the future and has addressed a number of identified weaknesses, so that children now have access to a much improved outside play area and taken on outings. Although the leader is committed to improving the quality of care and education for all children, the daily organisation of resources does not allow children to develop and build on prior knowledge. The partnership with parents is very good. There is excellent communication between staff and parents, who receive good quality information about the setting and are well informed of their child's progress. Parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child and to be involved in their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children are enthusiastic about learning,curious, sociable, confident, imaginative, creative, able to problem solve, polite, well behaved and have good communication skills. • Staff plan for their key children and encourage children to put forward suggestions to be incorporated in planning. • Staff provide clear boundaries and offer lots of praise and encouragement to support positive behaviour. • Staff offer a well-balanced routine and time is well managed, so that children have space to complete an activity before they move on. • The leader has continued to improve the quality of care and education for

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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. She has introduced regular outings and outside play facilities have been further developed. • Staff have a very good partnership with parents who receive good quality information about the setting and are well informed about their child's progress.

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What needs to be improved?

• assessments and planning so that all aspects of the early learning goals are included • organisation of activities and resources so that children's play is fully extended.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Not applicable as this is the first nursery education inspection.

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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 are confident and curious. They show enthusiasm and a high level of involvement in activities. Increasing independence is shown with regard to personal care, selecting resources and carrying out activities. Children make friendships within the group and show care and concern for others. Staff provide clear boundaries, so that children are polite, well behaved, and are able to share and take turns. Children make connections between different parts of their life experience.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children have good communication skills, they speak clearly, are extending their vocabulary, use more complex sentences, listen to others in a small group and can follow simple instructions. The staffs' enjoyment of books means that four-year-old children are keen to listen to stories and understand the structure of books. All children can link sounds to letters of the alphabet and are beginning to form recognisable letters. More able children can write their first name without assistance.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show an interest in numbers and counting, and are able to count an irregular arrangement of more than ten objects. They are beginning to problem solve. Children calculate simple addition by finding the total number of items in two groups and subtraction through similar activities. Children can name simple two-dimensional shapes and use appropriate shapes to make representational models. Following staff example, children use language to describe size, amount and height.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk about and are interested in why things happen and how things work. They discuss nature, participate in gardening and recently visited to Bristol Zoo. A variety of resources are used as children construct with a purpose in mind. Children learn about the diverse society in which we live by acknowledging different cultural and religious festivals. At present children do not have an opportunity to further their understanding of information and communication technology.

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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 use one-handed tools and engage in activities requiring hand to eye co-ordination. They move in a range of ways, walking, running, jumping, stretching and hopping. Children show increasing control when kicking, throwing and catching a ball. When playing chasing games they negotiate space successfully. Access to large equipment to further develop large muscle skills is limited. Children are aware of their own needs with regard to sleep, eating and hygiene.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use their imagination well. They engage in role play based on first hand experience and play alongside others engaged in the same theme. Children know the primary colours. They are aware that colours can be mixed and different materials combined. Children enter into a dialogue about their constructions, paintings and collages. They participate in dancing and enjoy singing their favourite rhymes such as 'Ba, Ba, Black Sheep'. Children are developing a sense of humour.

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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

• continue to develop assessments and planning so that all aspects of the curriculum are fully included to enable each child to build on prior learning; • ensure the management of the daily resources and activities allows children to extend their play appropriately in all areas of learning, particularly large muscle skills and information and communication technology.

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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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