Hopwood Hall College Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 14/12/2004 Inspector Name Judith Heald

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Creche 'n' Co Limited Setting Address Hopwood Hall College Rochdale Campus, St. Marys Gate Rochdale Lancashire OL12 6RY

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Creche 'n' Co Ltd Address Hopwood Hall College Middleton Campus, Rochdale Road Middleton, Manchester Lancashire M24 6XH

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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

Crèche 'n' Co Ltd operates a crèche for parents attending educational classes at Hopwood Hall College, St. Mary's Gate, Rochdale campus. The crèche operates from the ground floor of the main college building. It is situated in the centre of Rochdale town centre. A maximum of 56 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The crèche is open during term-time each weekday from 08:30 to 17:00. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 56 children aged from 3 months to school age on roll. Of these 23 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 13 staff. Eleven of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications, two staff are working towards a qualification. The setting also offers 'Schools Out', Holiday care provision, operating

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Information about the setting

Monday-Friday, 08:00am to 18:00 during the school holiday periods. The holiday scheme operates under the same registration with a maximum of 56 children and is staffed with a number of qualified staff and registered play workers.

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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?

Hopwood Hall College crèche provides good quality education overall, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good, the staff provide a warm, welcoming environment and a good range of interesting activities, though sometimes they over direct focussed creative activities. The staff develop children's language and communication well. The staff manage children's behaviour and promote confidence well. Staff give individual children a good level of support and those with identified special educational needs are encouraged to participate in a full range of activities. Staff assess children's progress and learning against the early learning goals, though the assessment of children's learning and the evaluation of short term planning is not yet thorough enough to inform future planning. Leadership and management are generally good. There is a new staff team in place,

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How effective is the nursery education?

they communicate well and have a good awareness of their roles and responsibilities. Short term planning systems are to be developed. The staff have frequent opportunities for discussion and attend regular staff meetings.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents share information and spend time talking informally to staff about their children and are well informed about forthcoming events in the nursery, though they are not sufficiently aware of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Parents of children with special educational needs are supported by the staff team. Parents are welcome in the setting and the staff are very approachable.

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What is being done well?

• Staff promote good behaviour and consideration of others, their positive manner sets a very good example for the children. • Staff provide a wide range of interesting activities and experiences making effective use of resources. • The staff team communicate and work well together. • Children's personal, social and emotional development is fostered well, the staff ensure that the children settle well and can select what they play with developing their self help skills.

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • the planning and evaluation of short-term focused activities • the assessment of children's learning to inform future planning • the opportunities for children to develop their imaginative and creative skills during focused creative activities

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the time of the last inspection four key issues were identified for improvement. These were to develop existing plans to provide regular feedback for all parents, and devise ways to involve them in, and contribute their own observations of their child's learning Develop existing systems to ensure that children's assessment records are used to inform planning for future learning. Continue with Make clear associations to enable children to learn the shapes and sounds of letters of the alphabet Develop opportunities for children to solve simple mathematical problems by involving them in sorting activities using everyday situations to explore ideas of 'more' and 'less' Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. The new staff team have introduced a number of effective measures to improve. They have introduced individual profiles of children's work that parents can access and discuss and input observations of their children's learning

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Assessment procedures are currently being implemented by completing observations in notepads or on stickers but these are not yet consistently used. Children are learning the shapes, sounds of letters of alphabet e.g. circle time, mark-making area Children are using mathematical language during play

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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: Generally Good Children feel safe, secure and have particularly good relationships with other children and staff. They confidently move around the nursery, exploring a wide range of activities with increasing confidence. Staff encourage independence and develop children's self help skills e.g. putting on aprons, coats. Children behave well in response to praise, encouragement and effective staff role models. Awareness of positive images is not developed sufficiently.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children develop speaking and listening skills and can express their own ideas e.g. circle time. They learn new vocabulary through play and activities. They have access to a writing area but do not have regular access to writing materials to enhance role-play e.g. shopping list, telephone pad encouraging understanding that we write for a purpose and that print carries meaning. Children enjoy group story time. Children are beginning to link sounds to letters when they recognise their names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing a concept of number through play and practical experiences; they learn to count as they join in number songs and during registration. Children use a good variety of resources to explore shapes they sort and order objects by size. They use mathematical language; they talk about big, small, full, empty as they play with small world toys and sand. Children do not regularly link counting to recognising numerals around the room.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are beginning to learn about cultures and beliefs when they celebrate Hanukkah, Bonfire night, Diwalli. Children explore a good range of man made and natural materials e.g. play dough, clay and sand. They do not regularly access a computer or mechanical toys. They design and make models when they assemble construction materials e.g. stickle bricks, making junk models. Children develop a sense of time when they remember significant events e.g. sharing news, talking about past events.

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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 develop their fine motor skills and hand eye co-ordination e.g. painting, playing with clay, jigsaws. They develop their gross motor skills both indoors and outdoors negotiating space e.g. walking, running, crawling, climbing and dancing. They regularly have access to a large climbing frame. Children do not sufficiently gain an awareness of healthy eating and exercise. Children are able to move confidently when playing games and show awareness of themselves and others.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children play independently using their imagination during role-play e.g. making tea in the home corner. Children enjoy music and are confident to sing familiar songs. Children regularly listen and dance to music. They develop sensory awareness when using a wide range of resources, exploring colour and texture e.g. painting, play dough, clay and cooking. Children do not sufficiently develop their creative skills during focused creative 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

• Develop the planning of short term focused activities to ensure that the aim and learning outcomes are fully evaluated to inform teaching and future planning within the six areas of learning • Provide opportunities for children to develop their imaginative and creative skills when participating in focused creative activities • Implement effective assessment procedures of children's learning to inform future planning.

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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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