St John's Catholic School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/05/2004 Inspector Name Annie Williams

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Barbies Playschool & Selwyn House Nursery Setting Address 64 St. Peters Road Broadstairs Kent CT10 2ST

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Selwyn House and Barbie's Pre-school opened in 1985. It operates from a converted public school and annexe. The nursery and pre-school has access to five rooms, an office, toilets, a kitchen and an outside area. The nursery and pre-school serves the local area and surrounding towns. The nursery and pre-school is registered to provide full day care for sixty children aged two to five years. There are currently eighty children on roll. This includes thirty-four funded four-year-olds and forty-three funded three-year-olds. Children attend a variety of sessions each week. The staff have experience of working with children who have special educational needs and children who speak English as a second language. The pre-school opens five days a week throughout the year and the nursery operates term time only. Sessions last from 9.00 to 15.00. Parents provide packed lunches. There are Fourteen staff working with the children of whom nine have early years

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Information about the setting

qualifications. The nursery and pre-school receives support from a Pre-school Learning Alliance fieldworker, a special needs advisor and a teacher from 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?

Barbies Pre-school and Selwyn House Nursery is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Teaching is generally good with some very good aspects. Staff are relaxed, friendly and encouraging in their interactions with children and have created a happy, secure environment. They work well as a team and deploy themselves effectively to provide small group activities and support to individual children. Questioning techniques are used effectively to help children think for themselves. A strong emphasis is placed on play, language and promoting independence. More able children sometimes lack challenge in their physical programme. The system of planning and assessment is new. Plans cover all six areas of learning and staff are beginning to use observations to inform the planning of activities. Leadership and management is generally good. The supervisor and staff have

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How effective is the nursery education?

worked hard to develop a strong team and are committed to providing opportunities for staff development. They receive support from an Early Years advisory teacher to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the pre-school and nursery practice. A system is developing to review, monitor and evaluate the provision. A special needs advisor helps the group in the support that they provide to children with identified special needs and there are appropriate monitoring systems in place. The pre-school and nursery has systems in place to support children who speak English as an additional language. The partnership with parents is generally good. Staff provide useful information about the setting and it's provision and greet parents warmly. They receive an attractive prospectus containing information about the six areas of learning. Parents receive regular newsletters and are welcomed into the group. Opportunities for

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How effective is the nursery education?

parents to share and learn about their children's progress towards the early learning goals are not yet fully developed.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide a secure, friendly and caring setting which builds children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are happy, settled, well behaved and excited about what they do. Staff provide many worthwhile exciting activities which has a positive influence on children's concentration and motivation. • Staff provide an environment that reflects the importance of language inside and out. Children receive regular opportunities to link sounds to letters and speak clearly and confidently as they engage friends in conversation. Writing is developing well through imaginative play activities. • Exciting activities encourage children to investigate a variety of materials and substances There are good opportunities for children to look closely at

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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 differences, patterns and change. All children receive opportunities to learn about simple ICT and more able children are able to control the mouse. • Children clearly enjoy the opportunities provided in role-play, as they express and communicate their ideas. Staff provide good opportunities and support throughout the sessions to enable children to use their imaginations in art, music and role-play.

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What needs to be improved?

• the use of observations to inform planning • challenges for the more able children in the physical programme • the information given to parents • systems to review, monitor and evaluate the provision.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The group has made generally good progress since the last inspection. Following the last inspection there were no significant weaknesses to report, but the setting were asked to consider the following points for development in the action plan: Provide more emphasis in the programme for language and literacy to include initial sounds and rhyming words. Every day at registration and at story time the setting incorporates stories, poems and rhyming words consequently this has had a positive impact on children's learning. Provide opportunities to record practical mathematical operations and become more aware of mathematical language in practical situations. The setting provides opportunities for children to use mathematical language in practical activities and looking at ways the children can record findings for example how many creatures visit the garden and measuring comparing to a set sized object such as hands and

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What has improved since the last inspection?

feet. Ensure that the assessment system includes all the desirable learning outcomes. The setting plans using the six areas of learning and are beginning to use observations to inform their planning.

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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 Staff provide a secure, friendly and caring setting which builds children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are happy, settled, well behaved and excited about what they do. Staff provide many worthwhile exciting activities which has a positive influence on children's concentration and motivation. Snack time provides children with an opportunity to develop independence, for example pouring or giving out the drinks. Children learn about their own culture and the culture and beliefs of others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Staff provide an environment that reflects the importance of language inside and out. Children receive regular opportunities to link sounds to letters and speak clearly and confidently as they engage friends in conversation. Writing is developing well through imaginative play activities, such as the 'florist', the 'holiday shop' and the 'garden shop' inside and the 'café' outside. Staff have made attractive story sacks and support children in developing skills for reading.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently. They explore shape and size as they wrap flowers in the 'florist', roll different fruits, and fill baskets in 'the garden shop'. Staff provide opportunities for children to be aware of simple ideas of addition and subtraction for example through snack time when children work out how many cups they need. Numbers are displayed and staff provide opportunities for children to recognise numbers as part of their play, use measure and make records for example using a tally.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Exciting activities encourage children to investigate a variety of materials and substances There are good opportunities for children to look closely at differences, patterns and change, for example growing projects and the life cycle of a frog. Children find out about events in their own lives and develop a sense of community with the help of visitors, such as Zoo Lab. All children receive opportunities to learn about simple ICT and more able children are able to control the mouse.

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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 move with confidence, control and spatial awareness. They carefully manoeuvre wheeled toys and are developing skills as they use the balancing walk way and tunnel. Children's fine motor skills are developing as they cut, transfer sand into containers, place small pegs in a board, thread, paint, draw and construct. Children receive opportunities to use climbing equipment, but these are less challenging for more able children. Planned projects help children learn about health.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children clearly enjoy the opportunities provided in role-play, as they express and communicate their ideas. Staff provide a range of musical instruments to enable children to explore sound. Regular singing sessions ensure children learn a range of simple songs. Children eagerly play with the sand and collage activities that staff provide. Staff provide excellent opportunities and support throughout the sessions to enable children to use their imaginations in art, music and role-play.

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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

• continue to develop the use of observations to inform the planning • provide parents with regular information about their children's progress within the six areas of learning • provide more challenges for children in the programme for physical development • continue to develop systems to review, monitor and evaluate the provision. 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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