Puffins at Manston Terrace

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/02/2005 Inspector Name Leoarna Mills - Allen

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Puffins at Manston Terrace Setting Address 3 Manston Terrace Exeter Devon EX2 4NP

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Puffins of Exeter Ltd Address Puffins of Exeter Child Care Centres 13 Mont le Grand Exeter Devon EX1 2PD

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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

Puffins at Manston Terrace is a privately owned nursery. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 07:30 until 18:00, 51 weeks per year. The nursery is one of eight nurseries in the Puffins of Exeter group. The premises consist of a detached, Georgian, three-storey listed building, situated in a residential area of St Leonards, Exeter, close to local shops, parks, schools and the city centre. The children are cared for in four groups, each with its own staff team. The babies aged from birth to 15 months are accommodated in the basement area; children aged 15 to 24 months and 20 to 30 months are accommodated on the ground floor and children aged 30 months to 5 years are accommodated on the first floor. The top floor of the building is used for staff and training facilities. The fully enclosed, rear back garden is used for outdoor play and children are taken on outings to local facilities such as the

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Information about the setting

museum, Quay, shops and parks and by minibus to the airport. There are currently 93 children on roll, 33 of whom are in receipt of nursery education funding. Children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language can be supported. The supernumerary nursery manager is qualified, and working towards an NVQ Level 4 in Early Years Childcare and Education and Supervisory Management. She heads a team of 23 staff; 9 hold an NVQ 3, 7 hold an NVQ 2, and the remaining 7 are all working towards an NVQ 2. The nursery completed an accreditation scheme in November 2001 and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association. Puffins of Exeter holds the "Investor In People" Award.

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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?

Puffins at Manston Terrace provides good quality education for children. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, and generally good progress in the remaining four areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They combine this knowledge with their use of schemas, and a clear key working system, to plan individually for children. Staff observe and assess children's progress, and are increasingly able to evaluate themselves. There are occasional lapses in the speed with which they act to fill gaps in curriculum delivery or children's learning. However, staff do ensure that they use their own time to largely good effect, encouraging children's curiosity and problem solving skills well. Some opportunities to encourage children's free conversation in

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How effective is the nursery education?

large groups are not taken up. Nevertheless, staff organise the resources and the environment to provide a variety of learning experiences. Children with special educational needs or English as an additional language receive prompt support, and children's behaviour is, when taken overall, well managed. The leadership and management is very good. There is a strong commitment to the ongoing professional development of staff, and the continuous raising of standards in the delivery of the educational programme. The team working with the three and four year old children have only recently come together, and so not every minor weakness in practice has been identified or dealt with. Nevertheless, excellent strategies are in place to ensure that, over time, all staff are able to critically evaluate their own work. The partnership with parents is very good. There has been considerable work done in recent months to improve the flow of information between parents and staff in

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How effective is the nursery education?

order to further involve parents in their children's learning.

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What is being done well?

• The curriculum for mathematical development is very well promoted by staff; they use problem solving language with children frequently, encouraging them to think. • The curriculum for knowledge and understanding of the world is given thorough and even coverage, and incidental opportunities that arise to further a child's understanding are always taken up by staff. • Staff ensure that planned activities sustain children's interests and encourage their confidence and self esteem; they make good use of their own time, resources, space and the outdoor environment in support of this aim.

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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 • A clear management structure and effective support for ongoing professional development ensures that all staff are committed to improving the quality of education for children and to further involving parents in their children's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the speed with which occasional gaps in curriculum delivery or individual children's learning are identified and rectified • staff's ability to use every opportunity to encourage children's conversation, and their capacity to make choices and to respond to experiences • staff's management of disputes between children in order to fully encourage co-operative play.

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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 enthusiastic about their own learning, sustaining their interest in both adult led and freely chosen activities. They show pride in their achievements, such as completed drawings. They are keen to help with group tasks such as preparing for lunch or tidying up. Some naturally arising opportunities to further encourage children to play co-operatively are not taken up. Nevertheless children respond positively to effective reward systems that encourage their good behaviour.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children use language extensively throughout their play, and are able to discuss significant events in their lives. However, large group times are not always used to fully encourage their free conversation. Nevertheless, children are increasingly able to recognise initial sounds of words, as well as letters and simple words in print. They also enjoy well structured story times, listening well. Finally, they make good use of freely available writing materials, giving meaning to their mark making.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have frequent opportunities throughout the day to practise counting and using numbers. Staff take every opportunity to consolidate this area of learning, and children respond well to their use of problem solving language, understanding concepts such as 'one more' or 'one less'. Children also use comparative language, such as 'big' or 'small' accurately, and access a wide range of resources that encourage matching and sorting.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children frequently access the outdoors and places of interest that encourage their curiosity about the world around them. On a walk to the park they are encouraged to observe features of the man made and natural world. There are daily opportunities to talk about weather and the seasons. Similarly, they are well encouraged to be aware of other cultures through the regular use of simple words from other languages. Information technology and design and make resources are readily available.

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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 are confident movers who enjoy using large equipment to climb, balance and swing. They negotiate space well, moving between rooms readily. Developing an awareness of their bodies and of being healthy is a little under emphasised in plans. However, children are able to access a wide range of small equipment and tools, such as water jugs, the computer mouse, pens, glue and scissors, and as such, are making good progress in manipulating these objects for their own purposes.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are increasingly able to recognise a range of colours and receive good encouragement in exploring textures, such as 'rough' or 'smooth'. They also enjoy musical activities, such as daily singing or regular music and movement sessions. Opportunities to encourage children to fully respond to their experiences or to make choices are sometimes missed. However, children put their imaginations to good use when playing with role-play or small world toys and resources.

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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

• Plan learning opportunities to meet the identified needs of all children and cover all aspects of each of the areas of learning. • Make more effective use of large group times and incidental opportunities to encourage children's capacity to make choices and to respond to experiences.

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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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