Wells House Kindergarten

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/03/2003 Inspector Name Jannet Mary Richards

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Setting Name Wells House Kindergarten Setting Address Ringley Road Stoneclough Radcliffe Manchester M26 1SF

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Mrs. Tina Jane Knight Address Actua Business Services LTD Fernhills Business Centre, Todd Street Bury Lancashire BL9 5BJ

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ORGANISATION 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

Wells House kindergarten is a private day nursery, which opened in 1996. The nursery is housed in a large, stone built detached Victorian house situated in a semi-rural area on the outskirts of Bolton. The nursery serves many families, most of whom have working parents, from the local and wider areas. The nursery provides day care for 54 children aged from birth to 11 years. There are currently 76 children on roll, including 16 funded three year olds and 4 funded four-year-old children. There are no children attending who have identified special needs. There are no children attending who speak English as an additional language. The nursery operates from 07:30am to 18:00pm Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions during the week. Three qualified nursery staff work directly with the three and four year old children. In addition a music teacher, swim instructor and French teacher provide additional

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Information about the setting

sessions, which support the curriculum. The setting receives support from a teacher/ mentor employed by the local 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?

Wells House Kindergarten offers good quality provision. Children's progress in all six areas of learning is generally good. Teaching is generally good. Staff plan an appropriate curriculum based on the six areas. Themes provide good opportunities for children to learn about the local and wider world. Through adult led activities children are appropriately challenged and make good progress, though have fewer opportunities to direct their own play and learning through freely chosen activities. Weekly dance classes are well planned to incorporate all six areas and appropriate challenges. A well resourced outdoor area provides good challenges for physical development. The staff use routines well to establish boundaries and ensure that children feel secure. Children behave well in response to praise, encouragement and sensitive support of staff. The staff form good relationships with the children, encouraging them to care for and

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How effective is the nursery education?

respect each other. Children's progress is assessed, though this is not yet linked to planning the next steps in their learning. During adult led activities the staff question children well, though do not often use these skills to challenge children further during free play and daily routines. Leadership and management is generally good. The Kindergarten benefits from the leadership of an established management team. Good systems are in place to support staff. The management team identify areas for development which inform staff development programmes. Some staff who work directly with the children have not yet accessed training on the foundation stage. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are well informed about the curriculum and are involved in supporting children's progress by supplying information and activities at home to support children's learning. They have good relationships with staff, who value the contribution parents make.

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What is being done well?

• Children are well supported to enable them to feel confident and secure in

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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 the setting. • The staff team encourage good relationships between the children, and manage behaviour well. • The use of activities linked to themes ensures that children have good opportunities to learn about people in their local community, and the wider world. • Children have access to a very good range of resources and activities to encourage co-ordination and motor skills.

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What needs to be improved?

• more questioning during play activities and routine times of the day such as snack time to encourage children to use mathematical language, extend vocabulary and challenge thinking. • links between assessments of what children can do and planning the next steps in their learning. • more opportunities for children to freely access a wide range of resources in order to direct their own play and learning opportunities and return to activities practice and consolidate what they have learned.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection the setting has made generally good progress on key issues identified. Parents now have access to a much wider range of information related to the curriculum and children's progress. Children are provided with more opportunities and appropriate range of resources to cut, join and build.

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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 inquisitive and eager to learn, supported by a sensitive staff team. The children relate well to adults and each other, and some are developing special friendships. They show consideration for each other when sharing resources. Children behave well, in response to clear boundaries and routines and praise and encouragement. They are developing independence and self help skills well, though have limited free choice of activities.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good The children are very good listeners and confident speakers, they concentrate well during circle and story times. They learn about letters and their sounds through discussion, displays and stories, and can recognise some letters and say their sound. They practice making marks and emergent writing during planned adult led activities such as tracing around letters and copying their name, though less often during free play such as role play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The children are developing good recognition of shapes, and can recognise simple, and sometimes more complex shapes such as pentagon. They have a good range of resources to support mathematics. They can count to thirty with adult support, and understand and use positional language such as "inside" and "next to" during circle time. The children do not often use their mathematical understanding during play, such as counting in the role play shop.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good The children have a good understanding of the concept of time, they know days of the week, months of the year, and identify days and time through set activities such as swimming lessons. They learn about the people who help us and the wider world through meaningful activities, such as a visit from an ambulance and celebration of Chinese new year. Older children are skilled at using a computer, younger children practice these skills less often.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use a very good range of resources outdoors to practice co-ordination and large movements. They enjoy comparing body movements such as wobbling and shaking during dance classes, and are learning to swim during planned swimming lessons. They develop a good understanding of keeping healthy through routines such as washing their hands before meals, brushing their teeth, and they know to wear sunglasses outdoors when it is sunny.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good The children enjoy expressing themselves through music, such as dancing to a favourite tape. Children use good opportunities to explore using their senses, such as squeezing wet and dry pasta and comparing texture, or smelling the playdough. They find out what happens when they mix different colours of paint, and can recognise many colours on the computer programme. They create stories during role play, and engage eagerly when this is available.

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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

• develop staff's understanding of the adult role in activities to encourage questioning and appropriate challenge and extend children's learning in the six areas. • review the planning and assessment systems to ensure clear links between assessments of what children can do and planning the next steps in their learning. • review the provision of resources and activities to enable children to exercise more choice, direct their own learning experiences and return to activities to practice and consolidate learning.

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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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