Phoenix Montessori Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/01/2004 Inspector Name Marianne Gascoyne

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Phoenix Montessori Nursery Setting Address Gayton Road King's Lynn Norfolk PE30 4ET

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and 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

Phoenix Montessori Nursery School opened in 1986. It operates from two rooms within the Kings Lynn Hospital Social Club in the hospital grounds on the outskirts of the town. The nursery school serves the local and wider areas. There are 47 children aged from two and a half to five years on roll. This includes 25 funded three year olds and 11 funded four year olds. The setting supports a small number of children who have English as an additional language. Currently there are no children attending who have special needs. The group operates Monday to Friday during school term times only between 8.45 and 16.00 hrs. Three full time and two part time staff work with the children with an additional three emergency cover staff available. All have appropriate early years' qualifications and hold first aid certificates. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Phoenix Montessori Nursery provides good quality care for children aged two and a half and under five years. The welcome provided by the environment and staff ensures children are secure and eager to attend. Staff are all suitably qualified and well deployed to give appropriate support to children to ensure their interest is maintained at activities. Children are confident and fully engaged in the activities provided and their independence is encouraged as they self-select equipment and return it after use. The sessions are generally well organised but the large group sessions do not always meet the needs of all the children. The arrangements for outside play do not ensure the premises remain clean throughout the session. Staff show good awareness of safety and assess risk well to make sure children can play free from danger both inside and outside the premises. Children are being

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How good is the Day Care?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 taught good hygiene practises and clear procedures are in place to reduce the risk of cross infection. Children have independence at snack times and free access to drinks but snacks do not always provide sufficient nourishment. Staff work closely with parents to ensure the needs of children with English as an additional language are met and they are well integrated in the group. Children have easy access to a range of equipment including specialist Montessori equipment and are confident in choosing activities. Staff are calm and quiet and give support to the children's play. They listen to children and value what they say and children enjoy conversing with each other and the adults. Children get on well together and friendships are in place. They share, take turns with equipment and

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How good is the Day Care?

respond to consistent boundaries set by staff. Parents feel well informed by the information given to them by the setting and there are open channels of communication which are valued by staff and parents. Parents contribute to the activities offered.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the nursery school was asked to include the name and address of the Ofsted regional centre in the written complaints procedure and the name and address are now clearly recorded.

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What is being done well?

• Children make decisions regarding the activities they wish to undertake and return equipment to the storage shelving after completing. Staff support the children and encourage concentration by their quiet, calm manner. They listen to children and value their contributions, extending and developing their play. As a result children are confident in communicating with adults and other children. • Good role models are provided by staff and children are polite and caring. Children involve each other in activities and imaginative play. They are learning to happily share and take turns and play well together. Real friendships are in place. • Good hygiene is encouraged and children are aware of the need to wash their hands before snacks and after outside or messy play. The facilities enable children to have independence in their personal care. • An attractive and welcoming environment is created by displays of children's

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What is being done well?

art work. Staff are warm and demonstrate their pleasure at seeing children on arrival and give time and attention to parents and children. Children enter the premises and immediately settle to play.

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What needs to be improved?

• the organisation of the sessions to ensure the needs of all the children are met particularly during large group times and at the end of the day

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • the organisation of outside play to ensure cleanliness is maintained in the playroom.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 3 Develop the organisation of the sessions to ensure the needs of all the children are able to be met with particularly reference to those children attending for a full day. 4 Make appropriate arrangements to ensure premises remain clean after outside playtimes.

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by the time of the next inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

The provision for nursery education at the Phoenix Montessori Nursery School is generally good. It enables children to make generally good progress in all areas of learning. Teaching is generally good. Good use of the accommodation and resources ensures an environment in which children are well motivated and actively involved in their learning. Good role models are provided by staff with their calm approach and children respond well to consistency in behaviour management and are generally well behaved, polite and caring. The manager has a sound knowledge of the early learning goals (elgs) and uses her knowledge to plan an effective programme of activities. Staff are enthusiastic about the new assessment system recently introduced which will be used to inform future planning but are not fully involved in planning and therefore not secure in their knowledge of the elgs. Opportunities are not planned for children to become aware

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How effective is the nursery education?

of languages other than English and to help children with English as an additional language to feel secure. Leadership and management are generally good. The clearly stated aims in the brochure are reflected in the practice and children are confident, independent and happy. Feedback from parents and professional visitors from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership is valued. Staff are encouraged to self-appraise their skills, undertake training to develop their knowledge and work well together. They have clear roles and responsibilities but their skills and ideas are not fully utilised in shared planning. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the activities and are well informed regarding their children's progress. The support and enthusiasm of parents has a positive effect on children's attitude to learning. They receive clear information regarding the nursery and activities planned

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How effective is the nursery education?

but are not initially provided with details of the early learning goals.

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What is being done well?

• Many opportunities are provided for children to experiment with writing for real purposes. They use marks and older/more able children are forming letter shapes when taking part in play activities e.g. writing letters and addressing parcels. There are many examples of the use of print to relay information in the environment and adults model writing when labelling drawings etc. • Children are becoming skilled in the use of technology and several children show very good control of the mouse when playing with the computer. They understand how to use the mouse to create the effect they desire e.g.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Rainbow Fish and older/more able children use the computer without adult help. • Children communicate confidently with each other and the adults in the group. They express their thoughts and feelings and join in with conversations. They listen attentively particularly when playing in small groups.

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What needs to be improved?

• the encouragement given to children to use books for a variety of purposes • the challenges provided for older/more able children to develop their physical skills • the opportunities provided for children to become aware of different languages spoken by children in the nursery.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made generally good progress since the last inspection with regard to the key issues identified. Staff mostly take opportunities to challenge children's thinking by effective questioning and the plans clearly show the learning intention.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are well motivated and their confidence and self-esteem is nurtured through the interaction of staff and the activities and experiences provided. Their independence skills are encouraged by the self-selection of activities and by taking responsibility for their personal care. Children are developing an awareness of the needs and feelings of others. They are helpful, caring and generally well behaved and able to take turns.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are very confident communicators. They talk to adults and other children initiating conversations and making suggestions to extend play, for example, small world play with farm. They enjoy attempting to write in role play situations and have many opportunities to practice mark making. They are learning the sounds of letters through planned activities and rhymes. However, opportunities are not always maximised to use books in a variety of situations.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are encouraged to use and think about mathematical language through many of the activities, for example, parachute game and using Montessori equipment. Many are confident in counting to ten and children are starting to recognise written numerals. An awareness of addition and subtraction is being developed through adult initiated activities but opportunities are missed to encourage children to use calculation in everyday activities, for example, at snack time.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Activities are planned to encourage children to investigate and children are able to explore and manipulate objects using Montessori equipment and other items. Opportunities for children to design and construct using tools and materials are limited. An interest in technology is being fostered and older/more able children are competent in the use of the computer. Children are gaining an awareness of their own and different cultures through the many festivals celebrated throughout the year.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use space effectively. They find room for mats for individual work and control their speed when, for example, playing 'What's the time Mr Wolf' outside. They are competent in the use of small tools and show good hand/eye co-ordination when cutting, sticking, using pencils or threading beads. Children are gaining an understanding of healthy living through everyday activities and explanations by staff. Physical activities to provide challenges for older/more able children are limited.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children paint and draw creatively and there are many examples of their representational pictures around the room. They explore colour and texture in the craft area although creativity is not maximised due to the limited range of materials provided. Their imagination is being fostered through role play and small world play. Children join in enthusiastically with action songs and rhymes but there are limited opportunities to explore sound through the use of musical instruments.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and 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 planning to show how older/more able children will be provided with suitable challenges to encourage their physical development. • Provide opportunities for children to become aware of different languages spoken by children in the nursery.

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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 Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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