Quarrydale Academy

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 03/03/2005 Inspector Name Kim Mundy

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Windermere Nursery Setting Address Church of The Annunciation, Windermere Avenue Wembley Middlesex HA9 8QT

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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

Windermere Nursery opened in 1987. The registered provider of this setting is Maria Loizou. The setting operates from a church hall in a residential road in South Kenton. There is access to a play hall, kitchen and toilet facilities and a secure outdoor play area. The nursery provides a service for children from the local community. The setting is open each weekday from 08:00 to 16:00 all year round except Christmas and bank holidays. There are currently 29 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 11 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs four staff. Two of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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?

Windermere Nursery offers good quality nursery education. Children are making good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Effective teaching methods enable children to make very good progress in personal, social, emotional development, mathematics, and communication, language and literacy. Children have good opportunities to consolidate their learning. They are enthusiastic learners who enjoy a wide range of activities in the rich learning environment. The quality of teaching is good. Staff plan a well-balanced nursery curriculum. They monitor the children's individual progress and provide suitable support and challenges to extend children's learning. The play room is set up to help children to become independent learners. Children are learning right from wrong and staff offer praise and encouragement to help children to develop their confidence. Effective teaching methods are used with children who speak English as an additional

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How effective is the nursery education?

language and there is a suitable special needs policy in place. Leadership and management is good. The staff to work effectively as a team and they have a good understanding of their role and responsibilities. The manager offers clear guidance and support to the staff who are professional and enthusiastic. However, the quality of teaching is not consistently monitored and staff training needs are not clearly identified. There is a good range of resources available to support children's learning experiences. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are informed about the nursery curriculum. However, they are not encouraged to be involved with their children's learning. Parents receive information about their children's acheivements and progress towards the Early Learning Goals although, further details are required. Good daily communication systems are in place.

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What is being done well?

• Children are able to make good progress at their own pace and the staff have set up the playroom to help them to become independent learners. • The children have very good opportunities to explore using their senses, for example, what they see, smell, taste and feel. They happily express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings when participating in discussions and role-play. • A key strength in communication, language and literacy is due to the staff's abilities to skilfully and sensitively question and engage children in conversation. Children are developing a broad vocabulary, they are able to hold lengthy conversations with adults and each other. They are developing good pre-writing skills as they write for a variety of purposes.

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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 • Children are exploring a wide range of mathematical activities. They begin to count confidently: recognise colours and shapes; weigh; and sort and match objects. • Children are developing their own ideas and imagination when participating in good creative and role-play experiences.

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What needs to be improved?

• the parents involvement in their child's learning and the information provided for parent's about their child's achievements and progress • the quality of outdoor play experiences and opportunites for children to find out about their local community and the natural world • the opportunities for children to participate in meaningful music and dance experiences • the monitoring of the quality of teaching and staff training needs.

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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 developing very good independence skills as they select resources and begin to dress and undress themselves. They are very excited and motivated to learn. Children are able to share and take turns, they are developing understanding of what is right and wrong. The children are well-behaved and they are able to sit and concentrate, for example, when cutting and sticking. Children engage in interesting activities, which is helping them to become independent learners.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing a very good vocabulary and they confidently initiate conversations with adults and each other. Staff provide very good opportunities for children to express their own thoughts and ideas during practical activities. Children link sounds to letters and name some letters of the alphabet. They are developing very good pencil control as they have many opportunities to write for a purpose. Children enjoy spending time looking at books, handling them appropriately.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very interested in mathematics. They are learning to count confidently and reliably. There are very good opportunities for children to explore simple addition and subtraction through number rhymes and grouping objects. They are solving problems, learning about shape and space as they fit puzzles together, build with bricks and use equipment in the water and sand play. Children begin to use mathematical language confidently to describe size and position during various activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunities to explore living things, for example, wood louse and frog spawn. They are able to build and construct on a large and small scale with various materials and bricks. Children are developing an understanding about a sense of time through daily routines and themes such as, 'Themselves'. However, they require further opportunites to find out about their local community and the natural world. Children enjoy using telephones, tills and magnifying glasses.

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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 confidently with increasing control and they show an awareness of space as they steer wheeled toys around traffic cones. They are able to participate in outdoor activities, however, further opportunties are required. Children use a wide range of tools and equipment confidently, for example, rolling pins and scissors. They are developing good hand and eye coordination. Children are learning about healthy living through daily routines, themes and discussions.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are exploring colour and texture when painting and sticking. They explore shape and space when junk modelling. Children take part in a variety of activities, which encourage them to use their senses, for example, taste and smell when cooking. Children do not have enough opportunties to explore music and dance. They are developing their imagination through telling stories and they begin to act out story lines during role play, for example, in the hospital.

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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

• Encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning and provide further information for parents about their child's acheivements and progress towards the Early Learning Goals. • Develop outdoor play experiences and extend opportunities for children to find out about the local community and the natural world. • Strengthen the programme for creative development by planning music and dance sessions. • Develop a system to consistently monitor the quality of teaching and staff training needs.

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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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