Blue Bell Hill Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 01/12/2004 Inspector Name Christine Clint

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Railway Children Kindergarten Setting Address Station House Bunbury Way Epsom Downs Surrey KT17 4JP

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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

The Railway Children Kindergarten opened in 1998 and is privately owned. The kindergarten has sole use of the ground floor of a detached two storey property which was previously the ticket office for Epsom Downs railway station. It is situated in a quiet residential area and serves families from Epsom Downs, Ewell, Tadworth and Banstead. The kindergarten operates from Monday - Friday, during term time only and provides sessional care from 09:00 - 12:15, with an optional lunch club until 12:45 and an extended session on Monday and Wednesday covering the school day. Children have access to three areas: the main play room, a quiet room and an art room. There is a secure outside play area and car parking facilities. The kindergarten accepts children from the age of 2 years to under 5 years. There are up to 18 places available and currently 25 children are on roll, of these 12 are aged 3 and 4 years and have funded educational places.

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Information about the setting

There is a staff team of 4, plus an occasional assistant. Three staff have a recognised early years qualification and all staff members have a current first aid certificate. the Kindergarten offers support to children with additional needs

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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?

The Railway Children Kindergarten provides acceptable, high quality nursery education, children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a clear understanding of the early learning goals, they know the learning objectives of planned activities and regular activities. They include a wide curriculum and inspire children with their conversation and questioning. They provide many levels of challenge for children and recognise children's individual development. Staff have experience of caring for children with additional needs and are prepared to offer full support. They promote a caring ethos and children are encouraged to be polite and understanding, they respond positively to the regular praise from staff. Children are individually assessed and their records of development are used to plan for future activities. Leadership and management is very good. There is an organised and committed

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How effective is the nursery education?

approach to operating the kindergarten with full information to cover all activities . Regular staff appraisals are recorded, staff are encouraged to evaluate their own ability and attend training. There are close links with the early years network and local cluster group meetings are attended. Evaluation records show that the provision is well monitored and that new ideas for the educational provision are implemented. The nursery has continued to seek to improve since the last inspection, records show that routines and activities have been adapted and extended to improve children's care and education. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents have full information about the kindergarten, they are welcomed into the setting daily to see or collect their child's achievements, they are encouraged to share any further knowledge and to liaise with staff. There is a suggestion box for parents to leave comments. Parents are not

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How effective is the nursery education?

fully encouraged to be involved in children's learning .

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What is being done well?

• Staff ensure that children are fully encouraged to be independent in their personal care. They give helpful advice when children are trying to dress themselves, they provide tissues and encourage children to use them. Children help themselves to water for the sand, they know they must obtain permission. Staff monitor drink and snack time, they allow children to take responsibility for coming to the table and for pouring or managing their own drink. • Staff use effective skills of questioning and involving children during all activities. They encourage children to participate at all times and show interest and enthusiasm. They continually praise children and give support to increase children's confidence and self esteem. Children show respect for staff and emulate their behaviour.

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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 • There is a high level of commitment to organising and planning activities to cover a broad spectrum of stepping stones for children's learning and to maintaining children's records of development. Focus activities clearly define the learning objective and all staff show strong awareness of what children are learning at all times. • Children have ample opportunities for increasing their knowledge and understanding of the world. They are familiar with all the items on the 'interest and investigation' table, they explain about magnets, kaleidoscope and a magnifying container with a dead spider inside. They use the computer to paint different colours, they are learning to control the mouse. They connect moving wheels on a programmable toy which changes colour. • Children's outside play offers a variety of opportunities for physical

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What is being done well?

movement. Children jump on the trampoline, they peddle and push cars around obstacles, they try to reverse cars. They run and chase, they shout and play pretend games, they can use a torch inside a large card board box for imaginary play.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for parents to be involved in children's learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The provision has made very good progress since the last inspection. The provider was asked to enhance the programme for personal, social and emotional development by increasing the resources to support children's learning about cultural diversity and by extending the opportunities for them to treat their environment with care and concern. The provider has implemented an action plan to increase resources and has arranged to borrow multi-cultural equipment regularly. Children also support various fund-raising events. The provider was asked to enhance the teaching of mathematics by providing better opportunities for children to recognise and recreate mathematical patterns. The action plan in place shows that a mathematical area is available for daily use, children are encouraged to notice patterns and to create them by following a sequence. The provider was also asked to enhance the provision for knowledge and

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What has improved since the last inspection?

understanding of the world by developing the opportunities for children to make appropriate use of technology and by providing opportunities for children to record some of their observations. The action plan has included providing a computer area, children can use the computer independently or with an adult. There is a choice of programmes. Children also use every day technology during their activities.

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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 Mark making equipment is always available and children are encouraged to record observations.

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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 show a high level of enthusiasm and interest when entering the nursery. They are confident to speak and suggest ideas. They respond well to staff at quiet times and can listen and concentrate. They are establishing good relationships with each other and play together for long periods. Children are learning to care for each other and to share. They follow staff lead in being polite and have ample opportunities to increase their skills of personal independence.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children communicate well, they negotiate with each other, they listen and respond to staff and use good vocabulary to describe their actions. They are able to use speech to organise their thoughts and express their feelings. Children can recognise their own names and older children can identify letters from sounds. There is ample opportunity for children to use writing materials throughout activities and older children can competently write their names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count and identify numbers during their activities. They have opportunities to sequence numbers whilst playing and they count to reinforce their learning. Records of activities show that children are learning to calculate in low numbers, they are able to subtract using their fingers during actions to songs. Children recognise and name shapes, they use positional language continually during their play and there are opportunities to learn how to solve problems during planned activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have ample opportunities to explore and investigate, they grow bulbs and care for fish, they understand and explain how things work, they notice differences. They are able to select materials to follow their own designs. Children have daily access to a computer and programmable toys. They are encouraged to talk about themselves and to remember stories and previous events. There are organised visits from people in the community and children celebrate festivals from other cultures.

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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 move around the kindergarten rooms well, they know the layout and negotiate steps. They have regular outside activities using a wide variety of equipment to encourage physical movement and co-ordination. Children are learning about health and bodily awareness, they are encouraged to recognise how warm or cold their bodies feel. They have access to a large slide and go for walks in the locality. They use small tools and equipment with competence during activities.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can explore with a variety of materials, they shape and form designs and happily play with different textures. Children respond to loud and soft music, they sing and enjoy actions, they move to music and use musical instruments. Children have opportunities for spontaneous imaginative play and dress up for role play which is linked to stories. Children continually express their feelings during activities and many children's comments are displayed with their art work.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • the opportunities for parents to be involved in children's learning. 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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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