Butterflies Day Nursery @ Bowerlane

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/01/2005 Inspector Name Carol Cox

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Butterflies Day Nursery Setting Address East Bower Farmhouse East Bower Bridgwater Somerset TA6 4TY

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Butterflies Day Nurseries Ltd 04515744

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Butterflies Day Nurseries Ltd Address The Exchange, Express Park Bristol Road Bridgwater Somerset TA6 4RN

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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

Butterflies Day Nursery opened in 1997 and was re-registered under new management in 2002. It operates from two play rooms, a baby room, sleep room and messy play area, set in a converted farm house on the outskirts of Bridgwater. There is a large fully enclosed garden area available for outside play. The day nursery serves the local area. There are currently 70 children from three months to five years on roll. This includes 30 funded 3 and 4 year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with special needs. The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 08:00 until 18:00. Five part-time and five full-time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. Two members of staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare 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?

Butterflies Day Nursery provides good quality nursery education and children are making generally good progress in all areas of learning. Staff encourage children to learn through freely chosen and planned play activities. The quality of teaching is generally good, staff have a clear knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum and plans cover all areas of learning. Staff plan activities both inside and in the garden, however plans do not always clearly identify what children are intended to learn and sometimes more able children are not sufficiently challenged to extend their learning. Children have access to a limited range of resources to support learning, however children have few chances to freely explore and experiment with tools, materials and media. There are few opportunities for children to practice maths and literacy skills in everyday activities. Staff have close relationships with children and support them well in their learning. Although

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How effective is the nursery education?

staff observe children regularly the system to record observations of children's progress and plan for next steps in learning is still developing. The nursery has some experience of supporting children with special educational needs. The children generally behave very well but at times staff do not always manage large groups effectively. Leadership and management is generally good, the staff work well together and are supported by the manager and proprietors who use regular staff appraisals to identify staff training needs. Staff are involved in regular meetings to plan for children's learning and to monitor and discuss the development of the nursery. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are invited to contribute comments about the nursery through an annual survey, comments are discussed and action taken where appropriate. Parents are given brief information about the foundation stage curriculum and are invited to attend regular parents evenings to

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How effective is the nursery education?

formally discuss their children's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children are offered a wide range of play activities which are planned carefully to encourage learning in all areas. Some activities are adult led and others are freely chosen or initiated by children. • Staff have close relationships with children and join in their games and play to support learning, they listen to their ideas and talk about activities. • Staff build good relationships with parents and offer two formal parents evenings a year, parents are given informal feedback about their children's progress regularly. • Children enjoy the use of the outside areas to develop learning in all areas. They enjoy physical activities, grow fruit and vegetables and learn about their

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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 own environment.

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What needs to be improved?

• the further development of observation records and examples of children's work to help make clear assessments of children's progress • the planning of activities to indicate information about the intended learning outcomes from activities and support and extension activities for individual children to ensure all children are sufficiently challenged and supported • the planning and organisation of resources to provide opportunities for children to practise literacy and maths skills in everyday activities and to freely explore and experiment with a range of tools, materials and media • the management of whole group activities to ensure children are appropriately supported.

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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 settle quickly and are eager to learn. They are beginning to form relationships with each other and adults. They are confident and are able to communicate their feelings and needs. Children are considerate and caring of each other and understand that some people have different needs. They are learning good self care skills and are able to select activities and resources. They demonstrate a sense of belonging and happily share simple tasks.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children communicate well and are able to express feelings, share ideas and use language to discuss activities. Staff help children start to link letters and sounds and some children are able to sound out their own names. Most children can recognise their own names and some are able to write their names. Some children enjoy using books and mark making but there are few opportunities for children to use these skills in everyday activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to count and recognise numbers up to five, some children can count much higher. They are able to recognise and name shapes, make patterns and group objects. Children use positional language when playing whole group games and with small world toys. Children have opportunites to use maths skills in planned activities but little opportunity to practice skills in everyday situations. More able children are not always sufficiently challenged.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn about their environment through planned topic work, they explore the grounds and grow fruit and vegetables. They have chances to examine objects, design and build with different materials and are developing a sense of past, present and future. They use technology and programmable toys in both planned and free activities. Children learn about and celebrate festivals from their own lives but have limited opportunities to find out about the cultures and beliefs of others.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move around confidently in different ways. They are able to make pathways with consideration for others. They use tools and equipment during planned activities but have little opportunity to freely explore and experiment with these. Children learn good self care skills and older children are independent and offer help to others. Children are developing good small and large muscle skills through well planned activities.

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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: Generally Good Children use a variety of materials and media to explore texture, colour and shape through planned activities, however they have little opportunity to routinely play and experiment with a range of materials. They use their imagination and enjoy recreating scenes and acting out songs and stories during free play. They enjoy singing and using musical instruments in planned activities.

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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

• further develop of records of observations and examples of children's work to help make clear assessments of children's progress. • develop the planning of activities to indicate information about the intended learning outcomes and to identify support and extension activities for individual children to ensure all children are sufficiently challenged and supported. • plan and organise resources to provide opportunities for children to practise literacy and maths skills in everyday activities and to freely explore and experiment with a range of tools, materials and media.

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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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