Castle Nurseries at Willow Avenue

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/11/2004 Inspector Name Janet Fairhurst

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Willow Avenue Community Nursery Setting Address Greenway Fenham Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 9TU

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Willow Avenue Community Nursery Address Greenway Fenham Newcastle NE4 9TU

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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

Willow Avenue Community Nursery has been registered with Ofsted since February 2002. It operates from a purpose-built building consisting of four group rooms, a communal area, an office and staff room, kitchen and laundry facilities. The nursery is situated on a residential housing estate close to the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne. The nursery serves both the immediate and wider areas surrounding the city. The nursery is registered for a maximum of 56 children and there are currently 46 on roll. This includes 14 funded three-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special needs. There are no children attending who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days for 51 weeks a year and is open from 08.00 until 18.00 each day. There is a manager, deputy and eleven nursery officers who work full time. All staff have early years qualifications and have opportunities to attend further relevant

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Information about the setting

training. There are also three support staff consisting of a cook and two domestics. The setting receives support from an advisory teacher from the local authority.

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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?

Willow Avenue Community Nursery offers very good quality nursery education overall. Children's progress in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development is very good. Children also make very good progress in creative development, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage of learning and use this effectively in their teaching and to plan for all areas of children's learning. They are sufficiently flexible within their planning to respond to children's needs and interests. Plans are based on previous experiences and what children know, understand and can do. Staff are well deployed to support and encourage children's individual learning. They interact warmly with the children and have developed very good relationships. They question

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How effective is the nursery education?

skilfully to gain information and encourage the children to reflect and think. The indoor learning environment is stimulating, well organised and easily accessed by the children. Staff manage children's behaviour well; they are good role models and use a calm approach. Staff give children very good levels of support and those with special educational needs are actively involved in all activities. The leadership and management of the setting is very good. Clear, open lines of communication ensure that staff are very clear about their roles and responsibilities. Effective systems are in place to support and encourage staff development and teaching methods. Teaching is monitored and evaluated well using rigorous methods that include all staff. Partnership with parents is very good. They are kept well informed, both formally and informally, about their children's efforts, achievements and progress. Good

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How effective is the nursery education?

information is given to parents regarding the early learning goals, enabling parents to be involved in their children's learning.

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What is being done well?

• A strong emphasis is placed on learning through play and first hand experiences. Children are encouraged to learn in all areas through well thought-out, fun, tactile and sensory activities such as baking, making dough, discovering the change water makes to cornflour. Children are eager to learn and are always purposefully engaged. • Staff know children as individuals. They use an effective key worker system to clearly monitor what children know, understand and can do. They use this information well as they plan to take children's knowledge, understanding and skills forward towards the early learning goals. • Children are confident, independent and well behaved. Their speaking and

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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 listening skills are well developed through the many interactive activities used with them by the staff. • The indoor environment is organised creatively, giving children plenty of space to play and learn in comfort and safety. Good quality resources are arranged at child height, allowing easy access by children.

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What needs to be improved?

• There are no key issues to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • opportunities for children to use a range of technological resources.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress with the points for development identified at the last inspection. The quiet area now provides a comfortable and spacious area for children to enjoy looking at books. Activities are well planned to encourage recognition of patterns in words. They have very good opportunities to use a variety of writing tools in many spontaneous activities such as recording their name on their work and in the role play area. A manageable and successful system for recording achievement against the early learning goals is in place to inform future planning, supported by regular individual assessments which monitor individual learning effectively. The indoor learning environment is organised well. It has been divided into defined areas with easy access to equipment and, as a result, children are more independent and are able to concentrate and persevere when engaged at an activity. Parents are now provided

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What has improved since the last inspection?

with good and varied information about the education provision, including both verbal and written information and also through the use of effective displays around the nursery. Plans are prominently displayed outside the room, allowing parents time to read and be aware of the topics which are covered. This provides parents with an opportunity to take an active role in their children's learning.

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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 are confident, happy and motivated to learn. They have good relationships with adults and each other. Children are eager to join in activities, they play amicably together, sharing and taking turns. Children show growing confidence and independence as they select resources and in matters of self care, such as putting on coats and washing their hands. Children behave well, following the simple rules and responding to praise.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children interact and talk to their peers and adults with confidence. They are beginning to learn the skills of writing and will readily make marks, demonstrating their growing awareness that print carries meaning. Children listen carefully to stories and sound games and are able to carry out simple verbal instructions. Children are beginning to recognise their own name. They are confident speakers and will confidently commentate on what they are doing.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children receive regular opportunities to practise counting. They practise and consolidate their skills in fun ways and are beginning to use mathematical and positional language confidently and in the correct context. Some children are beginning to sort and compare groups of objects by colour and volume. Many of the children are able to count accurately up to nine. Children recognise and name simple shapes and enjoy creating patterns using a variety of resources.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children talk confidently and spontaneously about people and events. The computer is used confidently by the children and they are beginning to show increasing control in the use of the mouse. Children are developing an understanding of their environment through topic work, visits and visitors to the nursery. They successfully build and construct with a wide range of materials. Children are encouraged to explore and discover for themselves through many tactile and sensory experiences.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently and safely, showing a good awareness of space and others. They use large and small equipment to develop a range of skills and movements. They climb, jump, balance and negotiate pathways carefully when riding wheeled toys. Children are developing fine motor skills well as they manipulate dough, use equipment in the water and pegs boards. They use a range of tools, writing implements, cooking utensils and scissors confidently and safely.

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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: Very Good Children are encouraged to express their creativity freely in art, stories, music and role play. They explore the properties of materials confidently, apply paint in different ways and draw freely. Children draw on their experiences and imagination as they play in the role play area and act out familiar roles such as policeman and parents. They know a good repertoire of songs and rhymes and participate enthusiastically with them.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no key issues to report, but the following is raised as a point for consideration: • increase the opportunities for children to use a range of technology to continue to develop and extend their skills.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

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

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