Butterfly's Day Nursery Limited

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 26/02/2004 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Butterflys Day Nursery Setting Address Melbourne Street Morley Leeds West Yorkshire LS27 8BG

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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

Butterfly's Day Nursery first opened in 1998 and provides full day care for the locality and surrounding areas. It is located in a central position in the town of Morley, on the outskirts of Leeds, in West Yorkshire. This privately owned nursery is managed on a day-to-day basis by the nursery manager. Care takes place in a renovated building, previously occupied by the nursery children attending Peel Street Primary School. Children in the nursery are organised according to their age, with some flexibility, depending on the stage of development of individual children. The funded children spend most of their time in the open plan pre-school room. They have supervised access to the secure outdoor play area, and the nursery toilet facilities. The nursery has 78 children on roll, including children from three months up to five years old. There are eight, three-year-olds in receipt of funding, and four, four-year-olds in receipt of funding. None of the funded children have been identified

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Information about the setting

as having special educational needs, or are learning English as an additional language. The nursery provides full-time and part-time places, and is open throughout the year, closing only between Christmas and New Year, Bank Holidays and for two staff training days each year. Daily sessions start at 7.30 am and finish at 6.00 pm. The nursery also provides out of school care. There are twenty-two members of staff who work with the nursery children, including eleven who are full-time and eleven who are part-time. Most of these staff hold recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education, or are working towards these. Staff receive a good level of support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including advisory teacher support, with opportunities to attend a wide range of locally organised training courses.

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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?

Butterfly's Day Nursery is a setting that serves the locality and surrounding areas well. It provides a welcoming and stimulating environment for children to settle and learn. Children who are three-years-old and four-years-old are making generally good progress overall towards the achievement of the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and creative development. Generally good progress is made in the areas of communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, and physical development. Quality of teaching is generally good. Staff make effective use of resources to foster children's learning. This includes organising resources according to the six areas of learning, and ensuring that resources are sufficiently accessible to enable children to make choices and to work independently. Staff make good use of the

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How effective is the nursery education?

comprehensive assessment system in place. There is, however, scope to further develop the outdoor play environment, making it a firmer feature of overall planning. Leadership and management is generally good. The proprietor and senior management staff have a very clear vision of the future for the nursery, as reflected in the ambitious aims set, including aiming for the achievement of recognised awards. There is, however, scope to continue to make regular detailed assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall provision of the nursery. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning, including helping their child to answer the 'question of the day'. They are provided with helpful information about the nursery and its provision, well featured at the entrance part of the nursery, are informed about their child's achievements and progress, and are encouraged to share what they know

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What is being done well?

• Staff's effective use of resources to foster children's learning. This includes organising resources according to the six areas of learning, and ensuring that resources are sufficiently accessible to enable children to make choices and to work independently. • Staff make good use of the comprehensive assessment system in place. • The proprietor and senior management staff's very clear vision of the future for the nursery, as reflected in the ambitious aims set, including aiming for the achievement of recognised awards. • Children's personal independence skills, fostered well during daily routines, and their ability to make choices and to work independently, particularly when selecting from a wide range of accessible resources.

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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's skills at speaking clearly and showing an awareness of the listener, shown well during whole group gatherings, and when listening to stories that are presented in a captivating way. • Children's ability to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, such as the amount of bricks used to build a model, or the amount of pieces of fruit allowed during different snack times. • Parent's level of involvement in their child's learning, including helping their child to answer the 'question of the day'.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes • children's understanding of simple addition when two groups of objects are combined, particularly through practical activities, and especially for those children who are more able, and the four-year-olds • the range of planned activities that encourage children to recognise the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active • development of the outdoor play environment, making it a firmer feature of overall planning • the frequency of detailed assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall provision of the nursery.

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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 their personal independence skills, fostered well during daily routines, and their ability to make choices and to work independently, particularly when selecting from a wide range of accessible resources. They have formed good relationships with each other and the staff, work well in small groups when they take turns and share, and have an understanding of what is right and wrong and why.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their skills at speaking clearly and showing an awareness of the listener, shown well during whole group gatherings, and when listening to stories that are presented in a captivating way. Their reading skills are enhanced through the use of 'story sacks', cassette tapes, toys and puppets. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, such as the amount of bricks used to build a model, or the amount of pieces of fruit allowed during different snack times. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to develop an understanding of simple addition when two groups of objects are combined, particularly through practical activities, especially the more able children, and the four-year-olds.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are skilful at operating a varied range of technology items to help support their learning, including handling a 'mouse' and a keyboard as part of computer based activities. They are encouraged to explore features of living things when observing and caring for the many nursery pets, all well featured in the 'our pets corner', and are developing their designing and making skills in the 'construction area'.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing their small muscles when handling a range of tools, objects, construction and malleable materials, including art and craft tools, mark-making and writing implements. They are able to show a sense of space, especially during vigorous activities in the large outdoor play area. There are, however, limited opportunities for children to recognise the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active.

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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: Very Good Children are encouraged to explore sound, particularly when handling a range of very accessible musical instruments, including a 'rainmaker', sometimes used to count out the beats in their individual names. They are able to respond in a variety of ways using all of their senses, such as when they handled a cornflour mixture, referred to as 'gloop', and often explore textures, including quantities of bark, soil and sand.

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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

• Staff should address the following key issues in their action plan: • provide further opportunities for children to develop their; ability to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, understanding of simple addition when two groups of objects are combined, particularly through practical activities, and especially for those children who are more able, and the four-year-olds, and skill at recognising the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active • further develop the outdoor play environment, making it a firmer feature of overall planning • continue to make regular detailed assessments of the current strengths and weaknesses of the overall provision of the nursery.

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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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