Stork Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/03/2005 Inspector Name Alison Edwards

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Stork Day Nursery Setting Address 7 Stoke Road Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 0EA

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Ashok Kumar Shinh and Kiran Gian Shinh

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Ashok Kumar Shinh and Kiran Gian Shinh Address 7 Stoke Road Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 0EA

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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

Stork Day Nursery opened in 2002 and is one of three privately-owned nurseries run by joint proprietors in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. It operates from a converted detached bungalow on the outskirts of Hinckley and serves the local community. It offers full day care to children aged under 8 years including nursery education to funded three and four year-olds. A maximum of 24 children under 8 years may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30 to 18:00 throughout the year. Children attend a variety of sessions. There are currently 33 children on roll of whom 5 receive nursery education funding. Children aged under two are based in one room, with older children based in two inter-connecting playrooms. There is a further lobby area with adjacent toileting and nappy changing area and kitchen, office and utility rooms also available. There is an

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Information about the setting

enclosed garden for outdoor play. There are six regular childcare staff including the manager of whom five hold recognised childcare qualifications. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries' Association and is working towards the Investors in People award.

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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?

Stork Day Nursery provides good quality nursery education where children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff are calm in their dealings with children and help them understand what behaviour is expected. They spend time working directly with children and show a fair knowledge of the foundation stage of children's learning. However longer term planning systems do not yet ensure fully balanced coverage across all aspects of learning. Staff are developing more systematic arrangements to observe and assess children's progress. As yet they do not use these assessments to best effect to ensure planned activities match children's stage of learning. Staff use a variety of generally appropriate teaching methods. However resources, routines and activities are not always well-planned and organised to extend children's sustained and purposeful independent learning.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management are generally good. Clear roles and responsibilities are being established following recent staff and management changes. Systems of staff appraisal are in place to identify agreed areas for professional development, including further training on aspects of special educational needs and specific aspects of the foundation stage. The nursery's involvement in programmes such as the Investors in People award demonstrates a commitment to continued evaluation and improvement of its provision. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents receive some useful and concise information about the nursery and its provision, including a brief outline of the foundation stage. They have ready access to children's developmental records to supplement informal discussion with staff. More systematic arrangements to share information on individual children's progress and ways to support planned learning at

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How effective is the nursery education?

home are currently being introduced although are not yet established.

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What is being done well?

• Staff link group stories to topic-based activities, for example using a story about a hospital visit to help children learn about aspects of health care and make links with their own experiences. • Most children show enjoyment in their regular use of the enclosed outdoor play area, freely using the fixed climbing frame and swings with confidence, as well as making use of other equipment such as wheeled toys and balls brought out on different occasions. • Staff are usually directly involved with children and use various generally appropriate teaching methods including indoor and outdoor play, group and individual activities and opportunities for child-chosen play as well as adult-led 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

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What needs to be improved?

• organisation and use of resources, activities and daily routines to more effectively promote children's sustained and purposeful independent learning and exploration of their own ideas • use of children's assessment records within short-term planning to identify clear learning objectives which are well-matched to children's abilities and offer appropriate challenge and progression • more effective use of longer-term planning to ensure all aspects of learning receive appropriate balanced coverage.

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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 generally settle readily. They have regard to what behaviour is expected of them, for example handling resources carefully. They are usually independent in simple self-care skills such as handwashing. Topic-based activities help them learn about aspects of their community, such as people who help us. They are often busy in their activities. However, resources and routines are not always well-organised to extend their purposeful independent learning.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children usually listen carefully to adults in small groups and individually and sometimes talk about their own experiences. They less frequently use spoken language to explore and extend their thinking by predicting or explaining. They often enjoy listening to stories, although more rarely choose to use books independently. They start to develop purposeful mark-making, for example making lists in simple pretend play, and often recognise familiar words such as their own names in print.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children often begin to count in sequence and recognise numbers up to and above 10 in adult-led activities and play. They often use simple 2D and 3D shapes in construction play and adult-led craft activities. They begin to talk about position and direction, for example when using jigsaws or wooden rail layouts. Activities and daily routines are not consistently well-planned to help them develop their understanding and skills in simple calculation and practical number problems.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children sometimes use items of everyday technology in simple pretend play or when using the computer. Topic-based activities introduce aspects of change over time, the local environment and different cultures. Children often handle substances like sand, playdough or ice, experiencing the properties of different materials. They use commercial construction sets and found materials to build. However, resources and activities are not always well-organised to extend purposeful independent learning.

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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: Generally Good Children begin to learn about hygiene and self-care in daily routines and topic activities. They use simple tools such as scissors, cutlery and pencils with increasing control. Most use large equipment such as the slide, climbing ladders and swings with confidence and enthusiasm in their free play. However indoor and outdoor activities are not yet consistently well-planned to ensure balanced and challenging coverage of all large movement and co-ordination skills.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Adult-led craft activities introduce a selection of materials and techniques, such as collage and printing, helping children learn about colour, texture and shape. However children less frequently take part in well-planned activities encouraging them to explore and express their own imaginative ideas. They enjoy using simple props in pretend play, though resources are sometimes not well-presented to promote more sustained co-operative role play. They handle simple musical instruments with care.

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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

• develop organisation and use of resources, including available space activities and daily routines, to more effectively promote children's sustained and purposeful independent learning and exploration of their own ideas • develop use of children's assessment records within short-term planning to identify clear learning objectives which are well-matched to children's abilities and offer appropriate challenge and progression • develop more effective use of longer-term planning to ensure all aspects of learning receive appropriate balanced coverage.

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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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