Forest Nursery Limited

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/02/2005 Inspector Name Doreen Forsyth

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Forest Nursery Setting Address Forest Lane Pewsham Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 3QU

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Forest Nursery Limited Address Forest Lane Pewsham Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 3QU

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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

Forest Nursery opened in October 1995. The nursery operates from a purpose built facility on the Pewsham estate, in Chippenham, Wiltshire. The nursery has a tarmac area for outside play. The setting is open Monday to Friday, from 08:30 to 17:30 throughout the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. At present there are 48 children on roll, this includes 34 children in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The nursery welcomes children with special educational needs or that speak English as an additional language. Six full or part-time staff work with the children, they all have a relevant early years qualification. The nursery receives support from the Wiltshire Early Years Partnership.

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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 Forest Nursery the provision is of good quality overall, children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goal in creative development and very good progress in the other five areas of learning. Teaching is generally good. The experienced staff plan a range of worthwhile activities that effectively promote all areas of learning. The setting provides a good balance between more formal activities, particularly in communication, language and literacy and mathematics, and opportunities for children to learn through their play. Staff ensure that both three- and four-year-olds are taught and progress appropriately. Staff are skilled at questioning and challenging children's thinking. Staff observe and record children's progress, but these observations are not based on the stepping stones towards the early learning goals, and are not used sufficiently when planning. The nursery has an experienced special needs co-ordinator who is

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How effective is the nursery education?

able to ensure the needs of all children are met. Staff encourage children to behave well; they have high expectations of the children; they praise and reward children's achievements and good behaviour. Leadership and management of the setting is generally good. The setting values and supports staff training and development. Staff meet regularly to discuss training and the future development of the nursery. They are very committed to the improvement of the care and education for all children, but do not have any processes in place to evaluate the provision they provide. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are well informed about the nursery and the curriculum that children follow. At parents' evening and when chatting informally they find out about children's progress and achievements. Parents are very involved in children's learning, for example they borrow books to read with their children, but they do not have many opportunities to share what they

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What is being done well?

• The programme used for communication language and literacy helps children to write and recognise letters and some words very well. Most children can link the correct sound to letters of the alphabet. Staff introduce children to new words and foster their interest in books and stories. • Children's mathematical development is very good. Staff use mathematical language constantly and pose children with simple problems to develop their mathematical thinking. • Staff interact very well with the children, they are skilled at questioning them and encouraging them to think.

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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 • The children's personal, social and emotional development is excellent. Children enjoy being at the nursery and are eager to learn. Staff encourage children to behave well, they have high expectations of children's behaviour and praise and reward children appropriately. • Children enjoy singing with a visiting teacher. They use different instruments and have good opportunities to move to music. The children can sing a range of different songs from memory.

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What needs to be improved?

• the children's opportunities to develop and express their own creativity through having free access to a wide range of craft materials • the assessment and observations of children's progress, so that they are based on the early learning goals and are used when planning to ensure children's individual educational needs are met • the parent's opportunities to share with the setting what they know about their children's learning at home.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the nursery was given one point for consideration, which was to ensure children have sufficient opportunities to practise upper and lower case letters correctly when writing their names, they have made very good progress in meeting this. Children practise writing and pencil control each day in small group work. Staff use this opportunity to encourage children's correct use of upper and lower case letters especially when writing their names. At this inspection children were seen writing using both upper and lower case letters as appropriate.

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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 arrive at nursery happily and well-motivated to learn. They concentrate very well on their chosen tasks. Children interact with each other and play well together. They co-operate, for example, when helping to tidy up. Children understand the rules and routines of the setting and behave very well. They share and take turns appropriately. They learn to consider others' feelings and be kind. They have some opportunities to be independent and choose their own resources and toys.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good The children are very good at talking and expressing their thoughts and ideas in words. They sit and listen quietly when necessary, for example at story or circle times. Staff help children extend their vocabulary, they talk about birds 'swooping and soaring'. Children learn to link sounds to words very well; there is a 'sound of the week' and staff help children to sound letters during daily activities. Children enjoy stories and rhymes, they predict and retell aspects of stories confidently.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children say and use numbers in their daily activities and play. They recognise numbers to ten and beyond and can count with confidence. Children sing number rhymes such as 'five little ducks', which help them to begin to understand addition and subtraction. They use appropriate language well to label and compare shapes, size and position. During their play, using construction toys or joining the train tracks for example, they solve simple problems and develop mathematical ideas.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Through weekly topics children learn well about their own and others' lives and environments. The staff take advantage of the pre-school's rural setting to take children on regular walks to help them learn about the natural world. Children have opportunities to investigate different materials and objects. They build and construct using different materials. They begin to learn about their own and others' cultures and beliefs, recently celebrating the Chinese New Year with fortune cookies.

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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: Very Good When outside children have good opportunities to move freely and use wheeled toys, which they navigate with good control and co-ordination. In music and movement or when using the parachute, children begin to learn an awareness of space. They enjoy learning to catch and throw balls. Children use a range of tools and materials, such as play dough, water, paint brushes and pencils with safety and good control. In their daily routines and activities children learn the importance of being healthy.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have many opportunities to paint, explore colour, form and different materials, for example, exploring the texture of shaving foam or cooked spaghetti. However some craft activities are too adult-directed, limiting children's developing creative imagination. They enjoy singing, especially with the visiting music teacher, they match movements to music and sing songs from memory very well. They use their imaginations in role and small world play, and enjoy dressing-up and 'pretend' play.

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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

• ensure parents have planned opportunities to share what they know about their children's progress with the setting • revise the observation and assessment system used, to ensure assessments are firmly based on the stepping stones towards the early learning goals; and are used to develop future planning • provide children with more freedom to develop and express their own creativity when taking part in craft activities.

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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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