Fairmount Nursery (Clarkehouse)

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/03/2004 Inspector Name Glenys Swift

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Fairmount Nursery (Clarkehouse) Setting Address 5 Clarkehouse Road Sheffield S10 2LA

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Fairmount Nursery Ltd Address Sheffield Road Hackenthorpe Sheffield S12 4LT

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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

The Fairmont nursery is situated in a large, detached building close to local hospitals and Sheffield University and caters for parents who work full-time in these establishments. It is privately owned and a full-time manager is employed to oversee the daily running. The nursery is open from 07.30 to 18.30 from Monday to Friday. Children aged up to two years are cared for in three ground floor playrooms and the provision for the older children is upstairs. There is also a large outdoor area with a safety surface, surrounded by grassed areas. At present there are 16 children aged 3 year-old and 13 children aged 4 year-old on roll and all of these children are funded. The group does not currently support children with special educational needs or children with English as an additional language. The funded children are accommodated in two rooms. Seven members of staff work with them and all have or are working towards a

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Information about the setting

recognised qualification in child care and education. The staff receive regular visits and support from the community teacher and also receive weekly visits from a teacher who is helping the children to learn basic French.

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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?

Fairmount Nursery (Clarkehouse) provides a welcoming, friendly environment. Children are happy, confident and highly motivated. They join in a good range of worthwhile activities and are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Experienced members of staff support others to help them to promote the children's learning. Staff are aware of the early learning goals and provide interesting practical activities and a good variety of resources to include the six areas of learning. A new way of planning is being introduced to make planning more effective and show clearly what children are intended to learn from the activities. Staff work well as a team and know individual children well, adapting teaching for individual's needs. Staff challenge children to think and help them to express their ideas. They give very good support, especially to the younger ones.

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How effective is the nursery education?

They help children to understand some mathematical ideas. However some staff do not use opportunities to reinforce some aspects of literacy development and lack confidence in helping older children to solve mathematical problems. Staff manage children in a calm, caring way and children behave well. Staff observe them and record their progress regularly. Records are shared with parents and used effectively to show children's achievements. Leadership and management is very good. There are clear policies and the owner and management team work closely together to implement them. They are committed to improving the nursery and give good opportunities for staff to attend training. Staff are receiving excellent support from the managers and community teacher to help make their work with children more effective. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive clear information about the nursery. They are well-informed of their children's achievements and have many

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How effective is the nursery education?

opportunities to share information about their child with staff.

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What is being done well?

• Children are happy, confident and join in activities eagerly. They behave well and are developing good social skills. • Children speak and listen well, recalling events and creating situations in their play. Staff provide good support and interesting activities to encourage this and also opportunities to write for a purpose. • Staff use visits and photographs very effectively to help children to learn about their local environment and to act as a stimulus for further valuable activities. Children are able to draw beautiful pictures as a result of a visit. • Children develop very good control and co-ordination of their bodies through planned indoor activities and as they use the lovely outdoor area and very

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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 good range of resources. • The owner and management team are committed to improving the quality of the nursery. Staff receive excellent support from the management team and the community teacher to help make their work with children more effective.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for older children to practise writing their own names, for example on their drawings and paintings, and also to become aware of sounds and shapes of letters, especially those at the beginning of their own names. • the confidence of staff to use practical activities throughout the session to help older children to solve simple mathematical problems, compare numbers and begin to understand simple ideas of add one more and take away.

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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, happy and interested as they independently choose their own activities from those provided. They concentrate well and show good self-esteem as they proudly discuss their drawings. Relationships with staff and each other are very good. They behave well and are learning to share materials and co-operate as they play together in the "hospital". Staff use activities such as this to help them to consider the needs of others, for example caring for the sick dolls.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk happily with staff and each other, recalling experiences and creating events as they play. Staff help them discuss activities, helping to extend their vocabulary well. Children listen intently to stories and often choose to look at books. They make marks freely and write for a purpose in role play. Children are learning to recognise and write their names and some older children are aware of letter sounds but are not always encouraged to practise and refine these skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are learning to count and use numbers confidently. They are becoming aware of shape, size and quantity in practical activities, such as sorting toy bears, matching and drawing shapes and filling containers in sand play. Chilren have opportunities, such as at snack time, to help them to solve simple mathematical problems, compare numbers and begin to understand simple ideas of add one more and take away, these could be used more effectively.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have very good chances to explore materials, such as wet rice and potato mix. They question how things work using colanders and find what happens to pebbles in water. Children make models skilfully and use technology, such as toy computers competently. Staff use photographs of a visit to the hospital well to help children recall this and to learn about their environment. Planned activities, including work on Holidays, Mother's Day and Easter, help them learn about cultures and beliefs.

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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 move confidently and safely with awareness of space and each other. They are developing good co-ordination and control. Staff use the lovely outdoor area with a very good range of resources well, encouraging them to use large and small equipment and practise balancing and climbing skills. Children move imaginatively as they join in "The Bear Hunt" and parachute games. Staff help them to become aware of being healthy by using books and planned activities linked to care of their teeth.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore an interesting variety of materials to paint, draw, make collages and models. They draw beautiful imaginative pictures recalling their visit to the hospital and create their own situations in role play in the "hospital" and making birthday parties in the home corner. Children enjoy singing and dancing and join in enthusiastically. They also listen to music and use musical instruments, happily. Staff help them to learn ideas of loud and soft music and fast and slow music.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no key issues as a result of this inspection but there are the following points for consideration. • emphasise opportunities in ongoing activities for older children to practise writing their own names, also to become aware of the sounds and shapes of letters, especially those at the beginning of their own names. • continue to develop support for less confident staff to enable them to help older children to solve simple mathematical problems, compare numbers and begin to understand simple ideas of add one more and take away.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

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

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