Wendy House Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/07/2003 Inspector Name Valerie Craven

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Wendy House Day Nursery Setting Address 28 St. Helens Road Dringhouses York North Yorkshire YO24 1HR

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Wendy House Day Nursery Address 28 St. Helens Road Dringhouses York North Yorkshire YO24 1HR

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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

Wendy House Day Nursery opened about thirteen years ago and provides full day care for the locality and wide surrounding areas. It is located in an urban area in Dringhouses, on the outskirts of York, in North Yorkshire. This privately owned nursery is managed on a day-to-day basis by the owner. Care takes place in a converted flat roofed bungalow building, previously used as a doctor's surgery. The funded children have access to three main rooms in the nursery, including the 'Wendy House' room, the 'table top' room and the 'quiet room'. They have supervised access to a secure outdoor play area. Staff ensure there are opportunities for children of all ages in the nursery to spend some time together. The nursery has 36 children on roll, and is currently registered to care for a maximum of 18 children from birth up to five years old. This includes 11 three-year-olds in receipt of funding, and 10 four-year-olds in receipt of funding.

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Information about the setting

None of the funded children have been identified as having special educational needs. Two of the funded children are learning English as an additional language. The nursery provides full-time and part-time places, and is open throughout the year, closing only for Bank Holidays and the Christmas week, including New Year's Day. Daily sessions start at 8.15 am and close at 5.45 pm. There are six permanent members of staff who work with the nursery children, including four who are full-time and two who are part-time. Staff are very experienced at working in a nursery setting, all holding recognised qualifications in childcare and early years education. Staff receive support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, including opportunities for them to attend locally organised training courses. The nursery staff have established close partnership links with the local primary school, and are members of the Pre-School

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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?

Wendy House Day Nursery is a well established setting that serves the locality and wide surrounding areas well. It provides a welcoming and very stimulating environment for children to settle and learn. Children who are three-years-old and four-years-old are making very good progress overall towards the achievement of the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a very secure knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals in all of the six areas. This is highlighted well in staff's detailed and comprehensive plans for the curriculum, including short-term, medium-term and long-term plans, evaluated regularly to help inform

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How effective is the nursery education?

future plans. They use a range of methods to help all children to progress, such as children who are learning English as an additional language, with the implementation of individual educational plans. Leadership and management is very good. There is a very clear commitment by the owner and the staff, to improve the care and education for all children. This includes frequently encouraging all of the staff to develop and up-date their knowledge and understanding, through attending training courses, and through 'in-house' training and sharing. Partnership with parents and carers is very good. They are given a wide range of very good information about the nursery and its provision, well featured in the entrance part of nursery, including helpful information attached to the parents noticeboard. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning, such as helping their child to further practice a skill at home, are well informed about their

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How effective is the nursery education?

child's achievements and progress, and are encouraged to share what they know about their child.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's very secure knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals in all of the six areas. This is highlighted well in staff's detailed and comprehensive plans for the curriculum, including short-term, medium-term and long-term plans, evaluated regularly to help inform future plans. They use a range of methods to help all children to progress, such as children who are learning English as an additional language, with the implementation of individual educational plans. • The very clear commitment by the owner and the staff, to improve the care and education for all children. This includes frequently encouraging all of the

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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 staff to develop and up-date their knowledge and understanding, often through attending training courses, and through 'in-house' training and sharing. • Children's relationships with each other and the staff, shown well when working as part of a group, such as during practical 'table top' activities, including when they worked together to make their own models using natural materials, such as a model of a 'feather tree', sharing the resources fairly and taking turns. • Children's early reading skills, fostered well during captivating and enjoyable story times, including the use of 'story sacks', 'story boxes', 'story boards' and puppets. • Children's ability to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, promoted well during a practical 'mini-beast hunt' outdoor activity. This included all of the

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What is being done well?

children who helped to search for thirty hidden pictures, each one showing a picture of a mini-beast. They were able to take turns to count out how many mini-beast pictures they had found altogether, recording this amount on a large graph. • Parent's access to a wide range of very good quality information about the nursery and its provision, well featured in the entrance part of the nursery, including helpful information attached to the parents noticeboard.

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What needs to be improved?

• Children's access and use of technology items to help support their learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Wendy House Day Nursery staff have made very good progress since the last inspection, and this has had a positive impact on children's learning. There are two main improvements linked to the previous key issues: Staff have further familiarised themselves with the current Code of Practice with regards to the identification and assessment of children with special educational needs, and have developed and fully implemented a suitable special educational needs policy. Parents are provided with more helpful information about the nursery and its provision.

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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 make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Children have formed good relationships with each other and the staff, shown well when working as part of a group during practical 'table top' activities, including when they worked together to make their own models using natural materials, such as a model of a 'feather tree', sharing the resources fairly and taking turns. They are developing their self-care skills, particularly as part of daily routines.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in communication, language and literacy. Children are developing their early reading skills, fostered well during captivating and enjoyable story times, including the use of 'story sacks', 'story boxes', 'story boards' and puppets. They are encouraged to speak clearly and to show an awareness of the listener during 'circle time', and their vocabulary is extending when they learn new words linked to a current theme focus, such as 'mini-beasts'.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in mathematical development. Children are able to count reliably up to 10 everyday objects, promoted well during a practical 'mini-beast hunt' outdoor activity. This included all of the children helping to search for thirty hidden pictures of mini-beasts, taking turns to count out how many they had found altogether, then recording this amount on a graph. They are encouraged to use mathematical language, particularly to describe and compare different shapes.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. Children are developing their ability to explore and investigate, especially when finding out about and identifying some features of living things, such as mini-beasts. They are able to show a sense of place when talking about 'people who help us' in the locality, including their uniforms, and are able to use a range of technology items to help support their learning, with planned opportunities in the future.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in physical development. Children are developing their small muscles through handling a varied range of tools, objects, construction and malleable materials, including art and craft tools, mark-making and writing implements. They are skilful when involved in threading activities, such as when they made a frame for one of their pictures. Children are able to show an awareness of space, sometimes when following instructions, such as 'stop' and 'move slowly'.

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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 make very good progress in creative development. Children are encouraged to explore texture, sometimes as part of collage work, and when handling natural materials when making models, including feathers, twigs and leaves. They are able to use their imagination through stories, particularly when stories are presented in a captivating and enjoyable way, and can respond in a variety of ways using their senses, such as their sense of touch, when handling and describing natural objects.

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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: • Staff should address the following point for consideration in their action plan: • Continue to encourage children's to access and use technology items to help support their learning.

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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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