Southampton University Early Years Centre

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 08/03/2004 Inspector Name Olive Sumner

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Southampton University Day Nursery Setting Address Building 41 University Road Southampton Hampshire SO17 1BJ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Southampton University

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Southampton University Address 58-64 University Road Highfield Southampton Hampshire SO17 1TP

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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

Southampton University Day Nursery opened in 1976, and moved into new premises in May 2003. It is situated in the centre of the Highfield Campus and provides a service for staff, students and the local community. There are currently 129 children on roll. These includes 40 funded 3 year olds and 21 funded 4 year olds and none of these children have special educational needs. There are 14 funded children for whom English is an additional language. The setting opens five days a week for 50 weeks a year, according to the university calendar. Sessions are between 08:00 and 18:00. There are thirty-one full and part time members of staff working with the children. Most staff are qualified to the NVQ Level III or the equivalent standard in childcare. Three staff have also completed the Advanced Diploma (ADCE). There are on-going training programmes available to all staff throughout the year and the nursery has

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Information about the setting

close links with Southampton's Early Years Development Partnership and local schools and nurseries. The active Parent and Staff Association, which is valued by the nursery, contributes to the management meetings of the Business and Community Services of Southampton University which has overall responsibility for the setting.

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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?

The provision for nursery education at Southampton University Day Nursery is generally good overall. Children are making very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative development and generally good progress in all other areas. Quality of teaching is generally good. They provide a well organised and resourced learning environment with many interesting activities which motivate the children. Relationships with staff are good. Children work independently or as part of a group. Most children's behaviour is satisfactory but all staff do not consistently adhere to the behaviour policy and so a small minority of children can become over boisterous and do not always listen and follow instructions. There are effective planning and assessment systems in place which are linked to the stepping stones of the early learning goals and ensure coverage of all areas of the Foundation Stage. However

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How effective is the nursery education?

there are insufficient, consistent opportunities for children to build on what they already know in some areas of mathematics and communication, language and literacy. Effective systems are in place to support children with special needs. Children with English as an additional language make good progress. The nursery celebrates and benefits from the cultural diversity of the children. The leadership and management is generally good. The Nursery Co-ordinator has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. She is well placed to move the setting forward and is well supported by the management team and staff. Systems and procedures are very good and most impact effectively on the provision. Appraisal, monitoring and training are well established and are useful tools for improvement. Partnership with parents is very good. They appreciate the friendly, caring, welcoming atmosphere. They have access to a very good range of information

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How effective is the nursery education?

including policies and procedures. There is an active parent and staff association.

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What is being done well?

• Children are lively and motivated and are learning in a wide range of activities. They are confident to try new activities and can think and talk about what they are doing and discuss their ideas. Staff support them well and provide good opportunities to extend the children's vocabulary and enable them to organise and explore real and imagined experiences through talk. • Children have good relationships with one another and with adults They have very good opportunities to learn and know about other cultures and to develop a respect for the feelings and beliefs of others in the rich cultural diversity of the nursery.

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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 respond to their experiences and explore and investigate using all their senses as for example smelling and tasting herbs. They are good at using their imagination and making up their own stories in exciting and role play situations such as the sea rescue. They explore texture and form making fire engines and sea rescue boats and experimenting with bubble painting. • Leadership is good and the staff work very well as a team in a well organised learning environment. Roles are clearly defined and very good systems and structures are in place to enable the nursery to move forward.

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What needs to be improved?

• application of the behaviour policy, to ensure it is consistently applied by all staff so that all children listen and follow instructions, look after resources and consider the feelings and needs of others; • more frequent planned opportunities for children to listen and learn the sounds of letters in every day situations and through games; • planned opportunities to extend the children's mathematical vocabulary and ideas and to experience adding and subtracting in everyday situations and practical activities in order to provide challenge and enable children to build on what they know.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Progress in children's learning since the last inspection has been generally good. There is an effective system of long, medium and short term planning which is linked to the learning objectives of the stepping stones of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. All staff contribute to the planning and develop activities focused on the learning objectives of the stepping stones for each topic. Daily accessible activity plans ensure that all staff are aware of the learning objectives for each activity. Children are learning enthusiastically across all areas of the curriculum from a good range of motivating and stimulating activities and the weekly planning ensures that all children have access to all activities and experiences as the week progresses. There is a balance of directed and independent activities and children are able to work independently or as part of a group. Parents are pleased with the nursery and feel confident that their children are happy

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What has improved since the last inspection?

and are learning and making progress. They feel welcome in the nursery. They know that keyworkers know the children well and are happy to share information on achievement and progress. Staff listen to parents and provide opportunities to share information about the Foundation Stage curriculum. Parent's and children enjoy opportunities to share together as family teas and theatre visits.

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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 are lively, confident and motivated to learn. They confidently choose from a range of stimulating activities and can work independently or as part of a group. Relationships with adults and other children are good and children have a growing awareness and respect for the culture and beliefs of others and this is a strength of the nursery. Most children's behaviour is satisfactory but a small minority can sometimes be too boisterous and do not act considerately to others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently talk and interact with others. They discuss their ideas well supported by staff. They enjoy listening to stories on the Book Bus and share and use books to find out information. Children are learning to draw and write about what they are doing and in role play situations. They write their name confidently and make letters in playdough or with bricks but some opportunities are missed to listen to the sounds of letters in everyday situations and activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently to ten and beyond and can recognise numbers around the environment. They experience a good range of mathematical activities and have good opportunities across the curriculum to use mathematical language and to learn ideas about size,shape and position but these are not always extended to challenge the more able children and to build on what they know. There are few opportunities for children to add and subtract in practical and everyday activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children explore and investigate using all their senses in the well resourced sensory room. They smell and knead cinnamon playdough and learn about features of living things when planting bulbs and herbs. They build and construct fire engines and rescue boats using blocks and found materials and learn about people who help us. Children grow confident using the computer to support their learning. They learn about past and present events in their own lives and those of their families.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move with control and co-ordination using a good range of resources including climbing apparatus and indoor soft play. They enjoy purposeful play with the parachute well supported by staff. There are good opportunities for children to use scissors, paste spreaders and malleable materials such as play dough with increasing skill. Opportunities for children to develop purposeful play with bikes or to use soft play safely are limited by the over boisterous behaviour of some children.

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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 explore colour and texture and use a very good range of media experimenting with bubble painting and mixing colours. They respond to the very good opportunities to use all their senses including smelling and tasting herbs. They develop their imagination in very good role-play situations acting out a sea rescue well supported by staff. They listen to the sounds musical instruments make and question why different drums make different sounds and they sing songs from memory.

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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

• to continue to develop and implement the positive behaviour policy already in place and ensure that all staff understand and consistently adhere to the policy for all children at all times; • provide more planned opportunities across the curriculum for children to extend their mathematical language building on what they already know and enable them to show a developing understanding of addition and subtraction through planned practical activities and in everyday situations; • provide more consistent opportunities for children to listen and recognise the sounds of letters and words.

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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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