Kaleidoscope Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/01/2003 Inspector Name Lynn Morris

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Kaleidoscope Nursery Setting Address Windmill Road Longford Coventry CV6 7BP

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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

Kaleidoscope Nursery originally opened in 1995 and they have been in their present location for two years. The self contained nursery provides full day care for 37 children under five years, on the ground floor and holiday care for 15 children aged five to eight years on the first floor. It has its own adjacent outdoor play area. The nursery serves families from the local community and from the wider community as they are close to a good road link with the City Centre. The facility opens from Monday to Friday from 7.45 am to 5.45 pm, fifty two weeks of the year. Currently there are 56 children on roll who attend for full time and part time places. There are 21 funded three and four year old children and the nursery supports younger children with special educational needs. There are several funded children attending where English is not their first language. The nursery also takes children from community placements. There are a total of 13 staff working with the children, the

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Information about the setting

owner/manager and the manager are super-numery and work part time. The manager covers all morning sessions and the owner / manager all afternoon sessions. All staff have an appropriate childcare qualification. The nursery receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Kaleidoscope Nursery provides an environment where the children are making some progress towards the early learning goals. However, staff are not secure in their curriculum knowledge and use of the early learning goals, including the stepping stones. Planning and assessment is not yet fully implemented and planning does not always link in with daily and weekly activities. This has an impact on the education of the children and leads to significant weakness in the setting. The teaching has significant weaknesses and is not of a consistent quality. Whilst staff provide many worthwhile activities there are missed opportunities to extend children's learning, particularly in Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication Language and Literacy, Knowledge and Understanding of the World and Creative Development. Key staff do not provide a good balance between free choice and directed activities with the majority being adult led. The children's behaviour is

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How effective is the nursery education?

inconsistent as staff are not always effective in their strategies for managing behaviour and discipline. Some group sessions, for example story time and singing are too long which results in the children becoming restless and disruptive. Leadership and management has significant weaknesses and is inconsistent. The owner / manager provides good quality equipment and resources but does not oversee and evaluate practise by staff working with the children. The partnership with parents has significant weaknesses. The setting provides opportunities for parents to receive information and the staff have developed a parent policy. However, staff need to explore ways in which parents and carers can get involved in their child's learning

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What is being done well?

Resources and equipment available in the setting are plentiful and of good quality. Children's progress in mathematical development is generally good. There are opportunities through a range of activities to count and recognise shapes. Children have daily opportunities to progress in physical development. They confidently use wheeled toys and move with control and co-ordination.

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What needs to be improved?

key staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals, planning and assessment the opportunities in small group work to extend vocabulary and language the use of freely chosen activities and daily routines to extend children's learning the staff's organisation of large group time and their expectations of managing the children's behaviour the support given to children and their parents who do not speak English as their first language strategies to include parents in their children's learning

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made limited improvement since the last inspection. They have made generally good improvement in children's mathematical development and physical development. There are increased opportunities for children to recognise numbers and shapes and most four year old children could count confidently to ten. A daily timetable includes physical play both indoors and outside. A good range of physical play equipment is available. Good links have been made with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. However, staff are insecure in their knowledge of the early learning goals and little progress has been made towards a partnership with parents.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress in personal, social and emotional development has significant weaknesses. Some children are forming good relationships and show interest in many of the activities provided. The children's behaviour is inconsistent. They are often left during activities without adult interaction and become bored and disruptive. Children have limited opportunities to make choices as most activities are adult selected.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress in communication, language and literacy has significant weaknesses. Some children are confident speakers and talked about themselves to each other and adults. There are opportunities for mark making and writing and most four year old children recognise and attempt to write their name. Children have missed opportunities in small and large group activities to answer questions and use extended language and vocabulary.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in mathematical development. Children can match, recognise and name basic shapes. Most four year old children recognise some numerals and can count confidently to ten. However, there are missed opportunities for children who are less able to count or to practise counting when doing activities or number rhymes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress in this area has significant weaknesses. All children have opportunities to progress their skills and understanding of information technology. Most four year old children and some three year olds use the equipment with increasing confidence. Children have limited opportunities to develop an awareness of other cultures and beliefs and to learn about themselves and the wider environment. Provision for children who speak English as an additional language is not consistent.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in physical development. Children have a range of planned activities for physical play and music and movement, both indoors and outside. Children confidently use wheeled toys and move with control and co-ordination. There are missed opportunites during outdoor play for children to be aware of a sense of space.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's progress in creative development has significant weaknesses. Children have activities which explore texture, shape and create pictures. However, the planning of activities does not match the daily / weekly programme and children do not have sufficient opportunities to extend their imagination and creativity. This leads to missed opportunities for children to express their feelings and communicate their ideas to staff.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

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

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable but has some significant areas for improvement. Children progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses. The next inspection will take place in one to two years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

Improve key staffs knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals. Develop an assessment system to record children's progress and assess individual needs. Use freely chosen activities and resources in the daily routines to extend the children's learning. Improve staff communication with the children to extend vocabulary and provide sufficient challenge for older and more able children. Evaluate and improve the organisation of large and small group time. Ensure that staffs expectations and management of children's behaviour is consistent. Explore ways in which parents can be involved in their children's learning.

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