Lilycroft Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/10/2004 Inspector Name Olive Sumner

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name University Day Nursery Setting Address Milldam, Burnaby Road Portsmouth Hampshire PO1 3AS

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name University of Portsmouth Address University Day Nursery Milldam, Burnaby Road Portsmouth Hampshire PO1 3AS

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

University Nursery is situated in the city of Portsmouth, and has been an established provision since 1979. The nursery is based in purpose built accommodation within the campus of the University of Portsmouth and serves children of university students and staff. The nursery is funded by grants and parental contributions. There are 2 part-time managers who share the responsibility for the management and day-to-day organisation of the nursery. The nursery have sole use of the premises and children are based in 3 separate areas according to age. The nursery has 2 enclosed areas available for outside play. The nursery is open for 50 weeks a year, Monday to Friday, from 08.30 until 18.00. It is the policy of the nursery to accept children from 6 months. At the time of the inspection, 19 children were on the register, including 14 children who are in receipt of nursery education funding. There are no children who have been identified as

p.2

Information about the setting

having special educational needs, butthe setting support children for whom English as an additional language. At the time of the inspection of the 14 staff employed, 3 work directly with children in receipt of nursery education funding and hold relevant early years qualifications including NNEB and NVQ 3. The nursery is an accredited member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the Early Years Childcare and Development Partnership.

p.2

Information about the setting

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

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

University Nursery provides good quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff are caring and supportive. Children are happy and confident to learn in the attractive and well-organised environment. Relationships are very good. Children's behaviour is good, although on occasions is not managed effectively to ensure their safety. Teaching is effective when practical activities are well planned with clear learning objectives. Children confidently learn to recognise and write their name, attempt their own writing and count reliably. Across a range of well-planned activities they learn to investigate using their senses, develop their imagination and extend their physical skills. Teaching and learning are less effective when opportunities to extend learning and to develop children's skills

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

are missed and children do not always build on what they know. Planning ensures good coverage of the curriculum over time through practical activities with clear learning intentions. Assessment is thorough and children's progress is carefully tracked. There are effective systems in place to support children identified with special educational needs and for children for whom English is an additional language and children make good progress. Leadership and management are very good. The joint leaders work together very well and have clear roles and responsibilities. They are very committed to improving the care and education and are very well placed to move the setting forward. They are supported by the committed staff team. They are very well supported by Portsmouth University. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents value the caring, welcoming staff. They have access to a very good range of information and

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

appreciate the very good opportunities to be informed of children's progress and to be involved in children's learning.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children are very well motivated and interested in the attractive and stimulating learning environment. They show confidence in what they do and can sit and concentrate. • Relationships are very good and children behave well. They make good progress learning to take turns and share. • Children are confident talkers and like to talk about what they do. They speak clearly in planning and recall time and listen well. They respond to well told stories and use books for enjoyment. They make good progress recognising and writing their name and attempting their own writing and drawing and they

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 count reliably. • Children make good progress building and constructing using a good range of resources and develop their imagination in role play and imaginative games and use a range of small tools with increasing skill. • Staff are caring and supportive and relate very well to the children. The friendly, welcoming atmosphere is a strength of the nursery. Planning and assessment are effective and well linked to the stepping stones of the early learning goals. They underpin learning and ensure that there is good coverage of the curriculum and that children make consistent progress. • The joint leaders are a very effective team and have created a very well organised learning environment. They have very good understanding of the early years curriculum. They monitor and evaluate the provision and have

p.3

What is being done well?

clear aims and objectives. They are well supported by the committed and well established staff team and all are committed to improving the care and education for all children. The very good relationships with parents are valued and parents appreciate the quality provision and feel very well informed.

p.4

What needs to be improved?

• more opportunities for children to access and select their own resources and work independently especially in creative development so that they can respond to their senses and express their own ideas, thoughts and feelings • more regular fun opportunities to hear, say and link sounds to letters • more consistent opportunities for children to develop mathematical language and ideas through number rhymes, in everyday situations and practical activities • the interaction between the staff and the children so that staff support and manage children effectively at all times, develop activities and extend learning by effective questioning and build on what children already know.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been generally good progress since the last inspection.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery was asked to plan a range of activities suitable to meet the needs of all children and to ensure that the differing needs of the three and four- year-old children are reflected in the planning. Planning has been completely revised and is regularly reviewed. It is now an effective system based on the stepping stones of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. All planned activities relate to the stepping stones and this ensures good coverage over time of the curriculum and children make good progress. Children's individual needs are met through planned key worker activities. Sometimes in practice the staff do not extend activities sufficiently to meet the needs

p.4

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 of all of the children all of the time. Generally good progress has been made. The nursery was also asked to plan for and extend the opportunities provided for children to develop their skills in reading and writing. Children now make progress recognising and writing their names and become aware from a wealth of attractive print in the environment that print carries meaning. Children respond to well told stories and listen to story tapes. In the book corner they enjoy books independently and share with a friend or adult. Children attempt their own writing in the writing area and begin to develop handwriting skills. Opportunities are missed to enable children to hear, say and link sounds to letters and the range of books available although improved has limitations. Overall there has been generally

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

good progress. The third issue was to improve the provision and quality of outdoor play. The nursery has acquired a new secure outdoor area and children now have daily planned opportunities to develop their physical skills. They also have good opportunities to explore the outside environment. Some opportunities are missed to develop activities and extend learning. Generally good progress has been made.

p.5

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

p.5

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are interested and motivated by what they do and are confident to try new activities. They can work independently or in small groups and make good progress learning to share and take turns. They sit and concentrate very well. Relationships are very good and children behave well. They have some good opportunities to develop personal independence but some opportunities are missed for children to self select their own resources and develop their own ideas.

p.6

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk very confidently, speak clearly and can listen well. They use speech to organise their ideas and explore real and imagined experiences as in the sand or when discussing rainbows. They respond to well told stories and use books for enjoyment in the book corner. They learn to recognise and write their name and show confidence attempting their own writing. Children have insufficient fun opportunities to hear, say and link sounds to letters and have access to a limited range of books.

p.6

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children say and use numbers in familiar contexts and can count reliably and recognise numbers. They have some good opportunities to develop mathematical language and ideas through number rhymes and in planned activities, puzzles and games and over time children make good progress across the mathematical curriculum. However children lack consistent opportunities to extend and build on their learning in everyday situations and in practical activities and from the regular use of number rhymes.

p.6

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children investigate and explore in the sand. They build and construct using a good range of resources and they make good progress confidently supporting their learning using a computer. They learn about past and present discussing events in their own lives and they identify and find out about features of the local area and environment from visits and visitors. They begin to know about their own culture and the culture of others. Opportunities are sometimes missed to extend learning.

p.6

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

p.6

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move confidently and imaginatively and are developing control and co-ordination in the indoor and outdoor space. They begin to show awareness of their own space and that of others. They develop their physical skills over time through planned opportunities to use a good range of small and large equipment. They make good progress handling a range of small tools with increasing skill. Sometimes children do not always move safely or with sufficient control in the outdoor space.

p.7

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children make good progress developing their own drawings and responding to what they see and feel. They enjoy musical activities and sing songs from memory and match movement to music. They develop their imagination in role play and in imaginative games and set up their own puppet show. Children have insufficient opportunities to independently explore colour and media using their senses and to select their own resources so that they can develop and express their own ideas and thoughts.

p.7

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

p.7

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.

p.8

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• continue to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching in order to support staff so that they are able to maximise opportunities to interact, develop activities and question effectively so that children are enabled to extend their learning and build on what they know • provide more regular fun opportunities for children to hear, say and link sounds to letters and to develop mathematical language and ideas through the consistent use of number rhymes as well as in everyday activities and practical activities • provide more opportunities for children to self select their own resources and make independent choices so that they can express and communicate their own ideas, thoughts and feelings in creative activities when exploring colour and media.

p.8

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.

p.8

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

p.8