Safe 'n' Sound Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 19/07/2004 Inspector Name Tracy Ward

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Safe 'n' Sound Nursery & Kindergarten Setting Address Featherstone Lane Featherstone Pontefract West Yorkshire WF7 6LS

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Automatic Process Ltd Address 18 Hillcrest Drive Castleford West Yorkshire WF10 3QW

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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

Safe and Sound Day Nursery and Kindergarten is located off Featherstone Lane in Featherstone. The nursery has been owned and operated by the current proprietors (a private company) since January 2004. They have been registered to offer funded education from the same date. The nursery provides full day, sessional and out of school care and education for children aged from birth to 11 years. The children who attend are primarily from the local community and surrounding areas. The accommodation consists of a single storey purpose built construction standing in it's own grounds. There are three main play areas and children are organised by age. Each area has access to it's own toilet and cloak facilities. Children have access to a to a fully enclosed play area, directly off the main playroom, with grassed, paved surfaces and a veranda area. A kitchen on site provides meals and snacks. There are approximately 97 children on roll, of which 14 are funded, 2 of whom are

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Information about the setting

four-year olds. There are currently no funded children attending with statements of special educational needs (SEN) or who have English as an additional language (EAL). The nursery currently operates for 51 weeks per year Monday to Friday between 07:30 and 18:00 hours. There are 14 members of staff in total, 13 of who have appropriate childcare qualifications. The nursery receives regular support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) including the teacher advisor, and is affiliated to the National Day Nursery Association. They are also working towards a 'quality counts' quality assurance scheme.

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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?

At Safe and Sound Nursery provision is acceptable but has some significant areas for improvement. Children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals (ELGs) in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and personal social and emotional development. In other areas of learning, progress is limited by some significant weaknesses in the provision. The quality of teaching has significant areas for improvement. Staff's knowledge and understanding of the ELGs is developing well, however they are not yet secure in their knowledge of providing appropriate first hand experiences in some areas of learning and sufficient challenge for more able children. Staff are successful at interacting with children and use good questioning techniques. Methods ensure three-year olds make good progress, however the teaching of four-year olds is less effective and staff expectations of their capabilities are not high enough. The use of

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How effective is the nursery education?

accommodation and resources is not consistently effective in extending older children's ideas or problem solving skills. A new system for assessing children's progress has been developed and is working well. This is not yet used to inform the planning. Leadership and management has significant areas for improvement. Current management has only been in place and registered for funding for six months. The staff are receiving guidance, support and access to relevant training. New systems for monitoring staff development are in place and working well. There is not yet a system for monitoring the effectiveness of the provision for nursery education and this has an impact on the ability of the setting to be aware of its strengths and weaknesses. Partnership with parents has significant weaknesses. Staff regularly encourage parents to share what they know about their child. Parents do not receive sufficient

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How effective is the nursery education?

information regarding the Foundation Stage provision, ELGs or about the progress that their children are making.

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What is being done well?

• Children's spoken language is developing well. Three-year old children effectively negotiate with each other and older and more confident children have good conversational skills. They express wants and interests clearly to adults and other children. • Children effectively learn to count and recognise basic shapes, colours and size. They use mathematical language appropriately during play and older children successfully calculate simple addition and subtraction through songs and rhymes. • The staff interact with children and question them well. They use open ended

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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 questions that encourage children to think and talk about what they are doing. They work directly with the children at the activities provided giving generally good quality support. • Staff know children well, they encourage self confidence and give them opportunities to contribute their own experiences and ideas to activities that are both adult led and child initiated.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning of the outdoor provision, particularly to promote children's physical development and support their progress in all other areas of learning • the information that parents receive regarding the early learning goals, educational provision, and progress that their children are making so that they may more effectively support their child's learning • the opportunities for children to have first hand experiences in knowledge and understanding of the world, particularly the support of children's knowledge and understanding of the local and wider external environment including people with familiar roles • the use of children's individual assessments to inform the planning so that staff present effective challenges for older and more able children in all areas of learning. • the opportunities for children to recognise and experiment with familiar words, letters, letter sounds and numerals in everyday practical experiences

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What needs to be improved?

• the resources that support children's opportunities to experiment with music imaginatively and extend their imagination in role play by continuing the sequence of an imaginative story line.

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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 separate from carers confidently and have begun to form relationships with adults and other children. They approach each other for play and adults for support. Behaviour is generally good; children respond positively to boundaries set by adults, however lack of challenge results in older children becoming boisterous. Children are developing a sense of community and help to tidy away. All children have opportunities to make independent choices regarding their play.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Language is developing well, children speak to each other and adults confidently and clearly. Four-year olds are developing language to explain real and imagined experiences. Children are developing an enjoyment of books. Three-year olds are beginning to listen and respond to stories appropriately. Older children are beginning to form recognisable letters, however they have insufficient challenges to practice linking sounds to familiar letters in everyday activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Many four-year olds are effectively counting objects in sequence to 10 and three-year olds to 5. Older children count in reverse sequence successfully. Children are developing an awareness of size, shape and position and use appropriate language in their play. Children develop an awareness of pattern and basic addition and subtraction through planned practical activities including songs and rhymes. There are insufficient opportunities to use numerals and number in practical everyday activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses All children are developing an awareness of their own and other cultures and make clear links between past and present. They use information technology with support and increasing skill. Opportunities to learn about the local area, features of their surroundings and have community visitors are significantly weak. They have limited opportunities to explore the natural world through first hand experiences.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children move confidently and safely. They show an awareness of space and others and negotiate obstacles successfully for example, when moving around the room. Children effectively handle small tools. There is insufficient emphasis on supporting children's understanding their own needs relating to health and body awareness. Challenges and opportunities for children to move imaginatively and gain skills in using large construction apparatus, balance and agility are insufficient.

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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: Significant Weaknesses Children are enthusiastic and join in with songs and rhymes; they add appropriate actions and gestures. Children's confidence in exploring colour, texture and form in two and three dimensions is good. Older children have insufficient opportunities to experiment with music imaginatively and extend their imagination in role play by continuing the sequence of an imaginative story line due to resources being too narrow.

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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 but has some significant areas for improvement. Children's progress towards the early learning goals is limited by some significant weaknesses. The next inspection will take place in one to two years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• ensure that the assessments of children's responses to activities provide the basis for the next stage of planning and informs the teaching for individuals and the whole group • develop the planning to include a broad range of experiences, including the outdoor area, that promote children's physical development and knowledge of the world and supports all other areas of learning • improve the range and quality of information that parents receive regarding the early learning goals, the educational provision and the progress their children are making • improve the challenge and opportunities for four-year olds and those who are more able, to build on and extend skills in all areas of learning; for example using familiar text and numerals in everyday practical experiences and following a sequence of actions in an imaginative storyline.

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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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