Handsworth Community Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/12/2004 Inspector Name Glenys Swift

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Handsworth Community Nursery Setting Address Richmond Park Drive Sheffield South Yorkshire S13 8HH

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Handsworth Community Nursery 04314718

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Handsworth Community Nursery Address Handsworth Community Nursery Richmond Park Drive Sheffield S13 8HH

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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

Handsworth Community Nursery is a well established community run nursery, which opened on its present site in January 2003. It is accommodated in a purpose built single storey building in the Handsworth area of Sheffield. The group offers child care to the local community and the wider areas. It provides full day care for up to 62 children aged three months to five years. There are currently 85 children on roll including 49 who receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports several children identified as having special educational needs. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 - 18.00, for 50 weeks a year. It also offers sessional places from 09:00 - 11:30 and 13:00 - 15:30. A breakfast and out of school club offers places to 36 children aged four to eight years from 08:00 - 09:00 and from 15:00 - 18:00. The building has four play rooms, dining room, office and all appropriate facilities

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Information about the setting

including toilets, kitchen, laundry and storage space. There is a secure outdoor play space. There are 15 staff working on a full time basis and 4 are part time. Five of these staff work with the funded children and three of them hold a recognised early years qualification and one is working towards a qualification. There are two ancillary workers. The nursery is a member of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and Community Nurseries Network. The nursery is part of the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative, and is to be one of the Children's Centres initiative in Sheffield. They receive termly visits from the community teacher.

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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 Handsworth Community Nursery provision is of high quality and children make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the early learning goals and plan a programme with clear learning objectives. They provide stimulating activities and work well as a team to help children learn through play. Activities, such as wrapping presents, writing letters to Santa and measuring models, encourage them to think and solve problems. However some activities, involving worksheets, are not appropriate to children's levels of ability, particularly younger ones. Staff explain clearly, praise achievements and use many opportunities to develop children's language skills and understanding of mathematical ideas. They know individual children well and give good support to all, including those with special educational needs. Relationships and behaviour are

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How effective is the nursery education?

very good. Staff manage children in a calm, caring way and help them to consider the needs of others. They assess children's progress and record it clearly to plan further opportunities to promote learning. There is an excellent range of resources which are presented attractively to give a balanced programme of activities. Time is organised to give opportunities for individual, small and larger group work but is not used effectively when children have to sit and wait for activities, such as outdoor play. Leadership and management are very good. There is an operational plan to ensure that the nursery runs smoothly. Staff have worked extremely hard to improve the educational provision and are encouraged to obtain and further their qualifications. They receive good support from the community teacher and have good links with the local school. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are happy with the nursery and most

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How effective is the nursery education?

feel well-informed of their child's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children are happy, confident and eager to learn. They concentrate well on activities and co-operate well with each other. • Staff provide good opportunities and support children well to help them to develop skills needed for speaking, listening, reading and writing. • Children learn to count with confidence and are encouraged to use a variety of mathematical ideas to solve simple problems. • Staff plan practical activities to encourage children to think. They know individual children well and give appropriate levels of support to help all children, including those with special educational needs, progress in their learning.

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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 • Children enjoy play in the lovely outdoor area and use challenging equipment to develop their physical skills. • The well-resourced creative corner gives children wonderful opportunities to explore a range of materials and create their own interpretations in their work. • Staff work hard and have a strong commitment to improving the nursery.

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What needs to be improved?

• adult-led activities, involving the use of worksheets, which inhibit opportunities for children to create their own interpretations in their work and are inappropriate to their levels of ability organisation of activities, especially outdoor play and lunch times, so that children are using their time more effectively and not sitting waiting • opportunities for all parents to share information about their child with staff informally.

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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 happy, confident and eagerly join in the range of activities. They choose activities and resources independently and concentrate well. Relationships with staff and other children are very good. Children co-operate well, for example while building towers and sharing ideas and resources in sand play. Their behaviour is very good and staff encourage them to treat each other with respect. Children are encouraged to express their own ideas at group time and listen to those of others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk happily to staff and each other, recalling experiences, creating situations in their play and discussing their pictures. Staff support language skills well and help them to extend their vocabularies. Children enjoy books and listen intently to stories. Staff use name cards well to help children learn to write their names and learn letter sounds. There are excellent opportunities to use mark making materials and children use them confidently to write gift tags and letters to Santa.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children learn to count and use numbers with confidence in practical activities. Older children can count to high numbers with help. Numbers are displayed and children use resources to help recognise numbers. Staff introduce a variety of mathematical ideas and encourage them to solve simple problems. Children find out how many bricks they can add before their towers fall and how much paper to wrap presents. They explore shape and position making things with dough and size measuring their models.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children explore sand and see what happens as they use wheels and straws. They investigate an excellent display of natural items and learn about living things and the environment caring for birds and squirrels outside. Children build skilfully and use a computer competently. Staff encourage them recall past events to help their understanding of time. Activities such as the Nativity play and work on Hannukah help to raise awareness of their own and other cultures.

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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 Children are gaining good control and co-ordination using the lovely outdoor area to run, jump. climb and balance. There is challenging climbing equipment and a good range of large and small equipment to encourage their skills. Staff offer appropriate support and encouragement. Children move around confidently and imaginatively being reindeer pulling the sleigh with good awareness of space and each other. They develop manipulative skills rolling dough and cutting safely with scissors.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can choose from a wonderful range of materials for painting, drawing, collage and modelling. They can express their own interpretations in their work but some adult led activities inhibit their chances to do this. They create imaginative situations using puppets and while baking with dough in the home corner. Children enjoy singing and often sing spontaneously in their play. They sing carols beautifully, use musical instruments and listen and respond well to music.

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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 significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following; • ensure that activities are relevant to children's levels of ability and do not inhibit their opportunities to create their own interpretations in their work • improve time management so that children are not waiting for certain activities.

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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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