Treetops Grove

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 27/07/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Grove Nursery School Setting Address 28 Grove Road Headingley Leeds LS6 4EE

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Treetops Nurseries Limited Address Dunmar Group 1 St. James Court, Friar Gate Derby Derbyshire DE1 1BT

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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

Grove Nursery School is a well established private day nursery that opened about 30 years ago, and provides full day care for the local community and surrounding areas. The nursery was acquired by a private company 'Dunmar Nurseries Limited' in 2001, and forms one of 17 nurseries throughout the country. It is situated in Headingley, on the outskirts of Leeds, in West Yorkshire. Care takes place in a suitably converted large detached private property. Children are grouped according to their age, including the funded children, who work in the 'happy hippos' group. They spend most of their time on the first floor level of the building in three main activity rooms, consisting of a classroom, playroom and messy room. Children have access to suitable toilet facilities, and a secure and spacious outdoor play area. The nursery has 76 children currently on roll, consisting of 15, three-year-olds in receipt of funding, and 4, four-year-olds in receipt of funding. None of the funded

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Information about the setting

children have been identified as having special educational needs, or are learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday throughout the year, closing only for Bank Holidays, and one week during the Christmas festival. Daily sessions start at 08.00 and finish at 18:00. There are four full-time members of staff who work with the funded children. Most of these staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education. They receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including visits from an advisory teacher, with opportunities to attend a range of locally organised training courses.

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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?

Grove Nursery School is a well established setting that serves the local community and surrounding areas well. It provides a welcoming and inviting environment for all children to settle and learn. Children who are three and four-years-old are making generally good progress overall towards the achievement of the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, physical development, and creative development. Generally good progress is made in the areas of mathematical development, and knowledge and understanding of the world. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff use appropriate methods to help all children to progress. This includes a clear emphasis on having 'great fun', 'learning through play', participating in many practical activities, also incorporating some teacher led activities. The level of challenge set, particularly for the four-year-olds

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How effective is the nursery education?

and the more able, and the current assessment system used to record children's achievements and progress are limited. Leadership and management is generally good. There is a firm commitment by the two joint owners and the nursery staff to make improvements in the care and education for all children. This includes planned improvements to the outdoor play area, and the indoor learning environment, also the renewal of an existing 'Investor in People' award. The effectiveness of the setting to monitor the quality of teaching through regular staff appraisals is limited. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. They are well informed about their child's achievements and progress, supported by the use of an effective key worker system. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning, and are provided with good quality information about the setting and its provision. The level of encouragement to share what they know about their child is limited.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's use of appropriate methods to help all children to progress, including a clear emphasis on having 'great fun', 'learning through play', participating in many practical activities, also incorporating some teacher led activities. • The firm commitment by the two joint owners and the nursery staff to make improvements in the care and education for all children. This includes planned improvements to the outdoor play area, and the indoor learning environment, also the renewal of an existing 'Investor in People' award. • Children's motivation to learn and their level of self-confidence, including a keenness to try new and novel activities, and a willingness to take turns to

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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 sing their favourite songs in front of the pre-school staff and all of the children. • Children's listening and speaking skills, fostered well when responding with enjoyment to stories, also their ability to write their own names, highlighted well on many of the attractive displays, and during the sessions when they frequently write their name on their work. • Children's understanding of simple subtraction, often through singing familiar and favourite songs, such as 'five currant buns in a baker's shop', and 'five speckled frogs', when one bun or frog is taken away at a time. • Parent's level of awareness of their child's achievements and progress, supported by the use of an effective key worker system, also through the organisation of parent evenings, by the accessibility of staff, and through

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What needs to be improved?

• the development of children's understanding of simple addition, including combining two groups of objects, ensuring planned activities are appropriate for all children • the encouragement of children to operate everyday technology items to help support their learning, particularly the three-year-olds and the less able • the level of challenge set, especially for the four-year-olds and the more able, and the current assessment system used to record children's achievements and progress • the effectiveness of the setting to monitor the quality of teaching through regular staff appraisals • the level of encouragement for parents to share what they know about their child.

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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 motivated to learn and show a high level of self-confidence, including a keenness to try all kinds of activities, and a willingness to sing songs in front of the staff and children. They have an aptitude to form good relationships with each other and the staff, shown well when greeted by the staff on arrival, and when spending some time with the other children in the nursery before the start of sessions. Children are developing an understanding of what is acceptable behaviour.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing their listening and speaking skills, fostered well when listening to stories that are presented in a captivating way, and are able to write their own names clearly. They can link sounds and letters, shown well when listening to stories and learning poems that contain many words that rhyme, and are developing their handwriting skills, often when spending some of their time in the 'mark making area' and the 'office area', using a range of accessible writing implements.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing a good understanding of the elements of simple subtraction, often through singing songs, when one object is taken away at a time. They are able to recognise numerals 1-9, are skilful at recognising and recreating many kinds of patterns, such as 'wavy line' patterns, and can use mathematical language to describe and compare a variety of shapes. There are limited opportunities for children to show an understanding of simple addition, when combining two groups of objects.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are skilful at designing and making, illustrated well when making models by handling everyday materials featured in the 'technology workshop area'. They are able to demonstrate a sense of time, such as the recent past, when talking about their weekend news, and can show a sense of place, such as through supervised walks in the locality, including a visit to the local library. There are limited opportunities for children to operate technology items to help support their learning.

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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 are able to show a sense of space, of themselves and of others, such as during popular indoor 'large circle' singing and action activities, including 'the farmer's in his den'. They are skilful at working on a wide variety of challenging outdoor balancing equipment, suitable for all ages and abilities. Children can handle small equipment well, such as different kinds of balls, and are able to handle tools carefully, including writing implements to help develop their writing skills.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are skilful at exploring colour and texture, often when involved in a variety of art and craft work. This is shown well on displays, including a colourful 'spring pictures' display. They are able to respond in a variety of ways using their senses, such as their sense of touch, when feeling the different kinds of materials used during a collage activity. Children can explore sound when handling musical instruments, and are able to use their imagination through role play 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 heighten the level of challenge set, extend the current assessment system used to record children's achievements and progress, and monitor the quality of teaching through regular and effective methods • provide more opportunities for children to develop their; ability to understand simple addition, including combining two groups of objects, and their ability to operate everyday technology items to help support their learning • ensure that parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child.

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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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