Toybox Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 03/11/2004 Inspector Name Janet Armstrong

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Toybox Nursery Setting Address 8 Linden Road Yeovil Somerset BA20 2BH

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Toybox Yeovil Ltd Address 8 Linden Road Yeovil Somerset BA20 2BH

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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

Toybox Day Nursery has been established for approximately 13 years and is situated near to the town centre of Yeovil. The setting occupies a three bedroom house that has been adapted to accommodate young children. The nursery is privately owned and registered to provide full day care for 18 children aged nought to under five years of age. The nursery is open 08.00 until 18.00, Monday to Friday, all year round except for two weeks over the Christmas period. They serve the local community and places are offered to children who come from a range of different backgrounds. When required, they can cater for children who have special educational needs and English as an additional language. The nursery is in receipt of the government funding for three and four year-olds. There are currently 36 children on the register, of whom nine receive the funding. The accommodation consists of two main play areas downstairs, with toilet and

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Information about the setting

changing facilities for the children. Upstairs accommodates a sleep room and facilities for staff. The nursery are able to provide children with hot and cold meals as required. A securely fenced and gated outdoor play area is included in the registration and accessed through the back of the premises. It is laid to patio, with a sand pit and large grass area. The owner holds a recognised child care qualification and employs a supervisor who has CACHE level III in child care and education. They are supported by four members of staff, of whom two are qualified to a level II and one is working towards a recognised certificate. Support and curriculum advice is sought from the Advisory Teacher and the Early Years Partnership.

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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?

Toybox Day Nursery provides good nursery education with children making generally good progress in all areas of learning, especially personal, social and emotional development, physical and creative development where progress is very good. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a mixed knowledge of the early learning goals and steps within them. Short term plans clearly show the activities to be provided and the steps within the early learning goals to be included. However, there is no effective system in place to show how all aspects of the areas of learning will be fully covered over a period of time. Staff use effective questioning and language to challenge the children's understanding and introduce them to new words. They support the children's personal and emotional development very well. However, they do not provide children with sufficient opportunities to extend their development in some areas of learning. Staff are positive role models and manage

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How effective is the nursery education?

the children's behaviour effectively. There are currently no children attending with special educational needs. However, the co-ordinator is clear on her role to ensure all children are appropriately supported. Systems for recording children's progress throughout the six areas of learning are clear. However, they are not used to guide future planning. Leadership and management is generally good. There are positive systems to support and monitor staff effectiveness and their personal development. Evaluation of the activities provided is not completed on a regular basis. This makes it difficult to assess whether the intended learning has been achieved and the impact this has on the children's learning. Partnership with parents is generally good. There are effective systems for sharing children's written records of development with parents. However, current written literature available to parents does not refer to the six areas of learning or how the

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What is being done well?

• Children have good self-confidence. They share their thoughts and ideas with visitors and others in large group situations. They take it in turns to pick songs for the group to sing and count them in after three. • Children use their language well to extend conversations, especially in large group situations and to negotiate with others to develop their play. • Children have a good awareness and understanding of the natural world and local environment. Through regular group discussions they are able to identify different trees, their growth and produce.

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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 have good large and small muscle control, co-ordination and spatial awareness which they develop through the weekly exercise classes. They are able to achieve a variety of different positions and actions practised and learnt at each session.

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What needs to be improved?

• the systems to ensure that all aspects of the six areas of learning will be covered over a period of time • opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills to solve simple number problems on a regular basis, such as through regular activities and daily routines • the opportunities for children to access books independently to develop their interest in print and books.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made in addressing the key issue raised at the last inspection. At that inspection the provider agreed to ensure planning and the children's assessment records are linked to the early learning goals. Short term plans clearly identify three key steps within the six areas of learning to focus on during each session. Children's records of assessment clearly identify children's attainment and are linked to the early learning goals by using a colour and date coded system that is supported by written observations to show children's progress.

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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 leave their carer with confidence to join in an activity on offer. They have good self-confidence in large group situations and help to start group songs and make suggestions. Children have formed good relationships with each other and staff. They are well behaved, share and take turns. Children have good personal independence and use toilet facilities and wash their hands unaided. They are confident in pouring drinks at snack time and most children are able to put their own shoes on.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children use their language well to communicate and share their ideas, and to organise and extend their play, especially in role play. They learn to link sounds to letters through daily activities. Children are developing an awareness of the structure of stories through some opportunities provided by staff. However, they are unable to select and look at books independently to develop their understanding of and interest in illustrations and print. Children are confident mark makers.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good counting skills and count confidently up to ten to identify the number of children present, and how many objects they have. Children do not have sufficient opportunities to develop an understanding of simple number problem solving on a regular basis, such as through daily activities and routines. Children have a good awareness and understanding of comparisons, shape and position through regular activities to identify lighter/darker, same and matching.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore and are encouraged to think things through for themselves. They build and design with developing skill. Children do not have sufficient opportunities to use modern day technology regularly. They have a good awareness of the local environment and natural world in which they live through a range of interesting activities. They have a good awareness of their own culture. However, they are not appropriately introduced to other cultures on a regular basis.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use the indoor space with good co-ordination to move around furniture and others at play safely. They have good large and small muscle control through weekly exercise classes and use of equipment. They use these skills to climb, pedal, catch and throw. Children have good hand-eye co-ordination and small muscle control using a range of tools and materials to cut, draw and make their own sandwiches.

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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 explore texture, shape and form through a good range of adult initiated activities, such as junk modelling, collage and different painting techniques. Children enjoy familiar rhymes and songs. They learn about music and sound through local visitors with musical instruments and pretending to be different animals to different sounds. Children use their imagination well in role play to act out imagined and familiar situations and to take on different roles, especially in the hospital.

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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

• improve systems to ensure that all aspects of the six areas of learning will be covered over a period of time • extend opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills to solve simple number problems on a regular basis • provide opportunities for children to access books independently to develop their interest in print and books.

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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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