Kloisters Kindergarten

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 23/11/2004 Inspector Name Claire, Alexandra Parnell

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Kloisters Kindergarten Setting Address Arethusa Road Rochester Kent ME1 2UR

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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

Kloisters Kindergarten opened in 1976. The nursery is privately owned. The setting is situated within the grounds of Warren Wood County Primary School, in Rochester. It serves the local and wider community. The group operates from five rooms and there is a secure area for outside play. Parking is available within the school. There are 198 children, from 0 to 8 years on roll. There are currently 69 funded 3-year-olds, and 35 funded 4-year-olds attending. The provision also includes a breakfast and after school club, currently attended by 11 children, aged up to 8 years. The setting supports three children with identified special needs. There are six children speaking English as an additional language. The setting operates five days a week. Sessions start at 08:15 and end at 17:30. There are 28 staff working with the children. The majority have early years qualifications to level 2 or 3. Staff are currently working towards accreditation with

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Information about the setting

the Medway Quality Kite mark Scheme and receive support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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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?

Kloisters Kindergarten is an acceptable provision and of good quality. The children are making generally good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. The teaching is generally good. The staff use effective planning for structured activities, linking them closely to stepping stones and goals. Children's thinking is extended by all staff through effective and challenging questioning. The structured activities lead to learning intentions and aims, although these are not evaluated to show their effectiveness, or differentiated for children's differing abilities. Staff give clear explanations and easily understandable instructions for children to carry out tasks successfully. All children are interacted with positively by all staff engaging them in structured activities. The staff's positive attitudes towards each other and the children encourages well behaved and respectful children. However, the routine and

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How effective is the nursery education?

timing of the sessions does not allow children to finish their play. Staff do not recognise the equal importance of free play situations in observing children's development and learning. The leadership and management is generally good. There are regular opportunities for staff to identify their potential and can improve through a training plan. The educational programme is evaluated formally through an accreditation programme. However, there are missed opportunities for the management to assess internally and gain support from external bodies. Not all staff have an impact on future planning for their key children. Partnership with parents has significant weaknesses. The parents have access to full information regarding the six areas of learning and receive half termly reports regarding their child's progress in these areas. However, parents gain no information regarding the intentions of the Foundation Stage and the importance of play, how

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How effective is the nursery education?

staff assess their child on a daily basis and how parents can extend their child's learning at home.

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What is being done well?

• The children are given good opportunities to show independance in play, gain confidence to have a go and to be interested in all structured activities within all aspects of learning. • The staff provide the space and equipment for children to be confident in their movements in both fine and gross motor skills. • Staff plan effectively to offer structured opportunities for children to explore and investigate thoroughly through tactile and manipulative situations, with clear and understandable explanations for staff. • The children communicate effectively and confidently with both peers and adults in the setting, making their opinions and views known and also

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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 listening carefully to instructions to enable them to carry out their activities successfully. • The staff extend children's use of mathematical language throughout all activities throughout the session. • Staff's knowledge of children's preferences towards activities enables them to extend the children's thinking through effective questioning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for children to develop through further free play situations, particularly with mark making, calculation and comparison of amounts and free representation through creativity • the evaluation and differentiation in structured planning to show the differing abilities of children's educational needs and how effective the planning of activities is • the routine and timing of structured activities, to allow children opportunities too increase their independance and choice in free play situations and finish their play to their satisfaction • the further information for parents regarding the fundamentals of the Foundation Stage and the importance of play; and how parents can extend their children's learning through opportunities at home.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The improvements since the last inspection are limited. At the last inspection, the provision was given one key issue; to find ways to ensure that parents receive information on their children's attainment in the six areas of learning. The parents do receive half termly reports covering their children's' achievement within the six areas of learning, and parents do have opportunities to approach their key workers on a daily basis to discuss their child's development. However, parents lack information and a clear understanding about the Foundation Stage and it's intentions, to be able to ask the appropriate questions about their child's development. They do not have opportunities to see the evidence used to provide the reports with information within the six areas of learning.

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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: Generally Good Children are confident and interested learners, listening to advice and trying new activities. They are aware of their feelings and openly accept other people's opinions. They take turns and share most equipment and remind each other of appropriate behaviour. However, children are not always encouraged to take turns on some equipment. Some children show disappointment at not being able to finish activities to their end result. There is limited independence when using the toilets.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently communicate verbally, some using gestures and expressions to extend their opinions. They listen to instructions and carry out activities accordingly, some understand relevant vocabulary more than others. More able children can retell stories with books, role play and additional resources, showing an understanding for the storyline. However, the children are not able to freely make marks, write, label their own work and link letters to sounds within most activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently count up to ten and above. Some children associate numbers with their ages and understand which is the highest number. Most children recognise and associate a number with a written numeral and can understand and use mathematical language throughout all activities. They sort and organise resources according to their use. However, there are missed opportunities for children to compare and calculate two numbers and their differences within routine and free play activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children demonstrate their understanding of properties through exploring and investigating different objects, describing their findings with descriptive language and experiences. They can gain further information by using technology. They describe their family and explain events they have all been to and why. Some children associate pictures with their environment. However, children do not regularly celebrate and learn about festivals and beliefs unless initiated by parents.

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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 understand the importance of healthy eating and can associate this with certain foods. They demonstrate what affect exercise has on their bodies and, show great dexterity with equipment and tools. They confidently move around space, using equipment safely, taking into consideration the safety of others. However, children do not regularly have opportunities to extend their understanding of movement and use of equipment in the outdoor area within the daily routine.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore and investigate their senses and colour through a range of structured manipulative activities. They associate familiar and new songs with rhythm and movement. They act out experienced situations, particularly those of adults, but also those they want to experience and fantasy roles. However, there are limited opportunities for children to freely represent through self selected resources, within free 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

• review and implement changes to the planning, to show the evaluation and differentiation of activities, the routine and timing of the sessions, to allow children to develop at their own level and ability and finish activities to their own satisfaction • provide further free play activities to develop children's understanding of calculation and comparison, to express themselves freely through mark making and art and craft activities throughout the day • extend parental information regarding the Foundation Stage and the importance of play, linking this to how parents can extend their children's learning in a home environment.

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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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