Rocking Horse Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/02/2003 Inspector Name Beryl Baggs

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SETTING DETAILS

Setting Name Rocking Horse Nursery Setting Address The Old Brewery House, Bath Road Melksham Wiltshire SN12 8EF

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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

Rocking Horse Nursery has been established in a detached house at Shaw, just outside Melksham in Wiltshire. It is sited on the main road, with its own parking area inside the surrounding garden wall. There are six play rooms providing areas for under twos, two-threes and three-fives. There is provision for children who have attended the nursery to come after school and in the holidays. A separate room can be available. The nursery is registered for 39 children aged under eight years of whom ten children can be aged under two years. Of the 42 children on roll, there are seven funded children of whom none have identified special needs or use English as an additional language. The owner Mrs Fiona Milner lives in the attached house. She employs a manager and staff who are also qualified. The nursery has a large garden, fenced and secure, providing a play area on a dry surface, a large grassed area and a woodland walk. The nursery is open from 8 am to 6pm all year round and

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Information about the setting

receives Nursery Education Grant. The nursery provides learning through play. There are seven staff of whom six hold or are working towards a childcare qualification. The nursery receives support from the Preschool Learning Alliance and a lead teacher from the Early Years Team in Wiltshire.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Children's progress towards the early learning goals has significant weaknesses Children are confident, explore new ideas with enthusiasm and ask questions. They respond well to praise and to requests to tidy up and line up. The children are happy and well behaved. They observe changes in life and understand about the passage of time. They show delight in the changes in nature The teaching of children has significant weaknesses. Staff are supportive and responsive to the children's delight in their achievements. They smile and make the children feel welcome and safe. Staff praise the efforts of the children and use a variety of approaches to teach. A system of assessment of children's achievements has been started. However knowledge and understanding of the early earning goals is not secure in all staff, so the potential learning in children's play is not realised. Curriculum planning has insufficient preparation for structured activities and does not identify how to extend

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How effective is the nursery education?

the activity for the more able child. The management of play space limited the variety of activities and did not prevent interruption of learning activities Partnership with parents has significant weaknesses. Parents feel welcome in the nursery and feel they can talk to staff at any time about their child's progress. They are aware that assessment records are kept and know how to access them. However parents are given insufficient information about what their children are learning. The notice board has limited information and displays are not easy to read. Leadership and management is generally good. The manager is developing a team approach to planning activities and assessment of children. She supports training, based on staff's previous experience. However the impact of the limited space, numbers of children and wide age range had not been realised. Manager and staff are unaware of missed opportunities for extending children's learning and developing the early

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What is being done well?

Children are confident and trusting of the staff at the nursery. They build good relationships with other children and adults and are enthusiastic to learn. Children move confidently with good co-ordination. They use equipment and tools well. Children respond to music and express themselves in movement Children enjoy stories, join in well known phrases and concentrate very well. The manager has a clear sense of purpose for the children

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What needs to be improved?

-the understanding of the purpose of the activities and the early learning goals in all staff and the implementation of the assessment system for children securely linked to the planning based on the early learning goals - the ability of staff to use routine practical opportunities to use writing skills, identify names and words, to connect words in sound and print, to count, to compare numbers and to use number to solve practical problems. - the planning and provision of activities to include access to information and communication technology and opportunities to learn about children's' own and other cultures. - the management of play space, resources and the age grouping of the preschool group to enable funded children to benefit fully from a wider choice of activities within an adequate play space. - the information for parents about the early learning goals to enable parents to understand and support

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in personal, social and emotional development. They are confident, trusting and enthusiastic to learn. They can concentrate, sit quietly and are aware of the feelings of other children. Children work well together, sharing and taking turns. Children have some personal independence in self care and selecting resources. Children need more opportunities to learn about the beliefs of their own cultures and others'.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's development in communication, language and literacy has significant weaknesses. Children talk to each other and to adults and respond with enthusiasm to stories, joining in familiar phrases. Children are beginning to associate letter sounds and the spoken word. Opportunities are not included in the provision to allow children to develop writing skills. Children do not have opportunities to recognise their name or make the link between the spoken and the written word.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Significant Weaknesses Children's development in mathematics has significant weaknesses. Children are beginning to recognise numerals and can count verbally with confidence. They have learned about shapes and their application in a variety of activities. Although the practical use of number was included in a structured role play, the ideas were not fully followed through to ensure children understood. There were no opportunities for children to compare number, or to introduce concepts of addition and subtraction.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. Children are enthusiastic about exploring their environment. They use all their senses well. They remember changes over time, and are interested in how things change. They enjoy design and construction using a variety of tools and materials. Children do not have opportunities to use information and communication technology or programmable toys.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in physical development. Children have many opportunities to develop physical skills on a large and small scale. There are opportunities to run and climb in the garden and to develop fine motor skills with tools and messy play materials. Children do not have opportunities to develop an awareness of healthy living and eating, or to understand what happens to their bodies when they are active

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in creative development. Children are able to explore materials and to express their experiences and ideas. They move confidently to music, able to express their preferences. They enjoy familiar songs and join in with enthusiasm. They have opportunities to be creative in role play. However the range of materials to choose for creative play is limited by what is set out by the staff.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: Y

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable but has some significant areas for improvement. Children 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

Develop the understanding of the purpose of the activities and the early learning goals in all staff and the implementation of the assessment system for children securely linked to the planning based on the early learning goals Develop the ability of staff to use routine practical opportunities to use writing skills, identify names and words, to connect words in sound and print, to count, to compare numbers and to use number to solve practical problems. Develop the planning and provision of activities to include access to information and communication technology and opportunities to learn about children's' own and other cultures. Improve the management of play space, resources and the age grouping of the preschool group to enable funded children to benefit fully from a wider choice of activities within an adequate play space. Improve the information for parents about the early learning goals to enable parents to understand and support what children are learning

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