Mount Carmel RC Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 28/06/2004 Inspector Name Malini Parmar

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Noah's Ark Nursery School Setting Address The Bristol Huts, Birchington Primary School Park Lane Birchington Kent CT7 0AS

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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

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?

The provision at Noah's Ark Nursery is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress in most areas with some significant weaknesses in their physical development. The quality of the teaching is generally good. The core staff has a secure knowledge of the foundation stage, and they plan and provide an interesting range of practical activities. Staff make regular observations on the children's participation of activities and these contribute to children's individual learning programmes. This system is currently being reviewed in order to refine the process and ensure observations consistently inform plans. Staff work closely as a team and are deployed effectively to support and extend opportunities. They consistently employ useful questioning techniques to enable meaningful learning to arise from opportunities provided. Children select freely from the environment and make choices about their play. Staff

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How effective is the nursery education?

are developing further opportunities for self-selection. The pace and routine of the session does not always retain children's interest and motivation and they become restless and bored in the whole group situations. Occasionally, children receive inconsistent opportunities. Staff are respectful to the children and have high expectations of their behaviour, their sensitive support and encouragement is reflected, in the children's generally good behaviour. There are systems in place to provide support for children with Special Educational Needs. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff attend regular training. The leader has identified strengths and highlighted the setting’s weaknesses and has an action plan in place to implement changes to the educational programme. The group are working towards monitoring practice. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents have opportunities to access

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How effective is the nursery education?

records at consultations. The group are working towards sharing individual learning programmes.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide a range of interesting opportunities in a friendly and secure environment. • Staff are deployed effectively to support and extend children learning and consistently employ open ended questioning techniques to enable meaningful learning to arise from opportunities provided. • Opportunities for self selection. Children are encouraged to select freely form the environment and make choices about their play. Children move freely from activity to activity. • Children have daily opportunities to experience a variety of creative activities.

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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 They clearly enjoy hand painting, bubble painting, corn flour and collage materials. Children respond with delight and disgust to the range of sensorial opportunities available. • Systems in place to review and evaluate the settings strengths and weaknesses. Staff work closely and the team are committed to ensuring the children experience worthwhile opportunities.

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What needs to be improved?

• planning to ensure observations identify children's next steps in learning and these are used consistently to inform future plans • the pace and routine of the session to ensure children spend less time waiting in whole group situations and retain motivation and interest • opportunities for children to develop a good sense of space and avoid collisions and regular opportunities for vigorous physical exercise • suitable challenges and consistent opportunities for all children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group agreed to: Improve the provision for language and literacy through (i) the introduction of a scheme to support the recognition of alphabet letters and sounds and (ii) ensuring that children have more opportunities to associate sounds with patterns and rhymes in syllables and words. Improve the quality of assessment, and enhance the partnership with parents, by providing summaries of children's achievements and development when they leave the nursery. The nursery have made very good progress in enhancing the partnership with parents and provide regular summaries of children's achievements. Children have sufficient opportunities for rhymes however receive inconsistent opportunties to associate sounds with patterns in syllables and words.

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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 confidently make choices about their play and take initiative. Firm relationships are established as children learn to share, take turns and work co operatively. They show good levels of concentration and motivation in their chosen tasks for example when threading beads. Children behave well. The pace of the routine does not consistently retain interest and children become restless and bored in whole group situations. Occasionally challenges set for more able children are insufficient.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children speak clearly and confidently as they engage both adults and their friends in conversation. They listen attentively to stories and one another. They successfully identify their names through the daily routine. Children develop writing skills at the mark-making table and through creative activities. Children are not sufficiently encouraged to link sounds to letters, naming and sounding letters of the alphabet. Children receive inconsistent opportunities to label their own work.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently. They benefit from the consistent use of mathematical language and receive good support to recognise shapes and sizes. Children learn about space and measure through practical activities such as sand and water. Children have opportunities to be aware of simple ideas of addition and subtraction through practical activities and songs. Children ably compare "long" and "longest". Children receive inconsistent opportunities to recognise numerals in the environment.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children successfully build and construct with a wide variety of objects. They receive good support to notice change for example to colours when painting and sand when water is added. There is a programme of visitors to the nursery. Children clearly enjoy examining natural objects such as logs and rocks with magnifying glasses. They experiment with torches and are fascinated as feathers slowly drift to the ground. Children receive inconsistent opportunities to develop a sense of time.

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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: Significant Weaknesses Children successfully manipulate small objects to strengthen and refine small motor movements. They regularly use tools. Children move freely, they ably kick balls and practice catching to develop gross motor control. Children ably pedal bikes in the garden. However, children often collide as they try to manoeuvre around objects and show a limited awareness of space. Children receive inconsistent opportunities to raise their health and bodily awareness and for vigorous exercise.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are provided with regular opportunities to explore a range of materials. They eagerly paint and play with sand to communicate their thoughts ideas and feelings. They respond in a variety of ways expressing delight and disgust, to the mixture of pasta, rice and oats used for collage. Role play activities are varied, although the quality of their play varies with the amount of support they are given. Children receive daily opportunities for song.

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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

• continue to develop the planning to ensure observations identify children's next steps in learning and these are used to inform future plans • ensure the routine and pace of the sessions effectively retains children's interest and motivation particularly during whole group times • ensure all children consistently experience suitable challenges including opportunities for daily vigorous physical exercise and opportunities for children to develop a greater sense of space.

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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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