Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/02/2005 Inspector Name Janice Clark

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Gatehouse Nursery Setting Address Gatehouse Centre Hareclive Road,Hartcliffe Bristol BS13 9JN

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Hartcliffe & Withywood Ventures (HWV) 293417

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Hartcliffe & Withywood Ventures (HWV) Address Gatehouse Centre Hareclive Road,Hartcliffe Bristol BS13 9JN

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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

The Gatehouse Nursery has been registered since 2002. It is situated within the Gatehouse Centre building in Hartcliffe, Bristol. It is managed by Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures (HWV) and primarily offers places to children of parents living in the BS13 area if Bristol. The nursery operates in two rooms. Children under two years of age are cared for in the Caterpillar room. Children from two years and above are situated in the Butterfly room. An additional room is available for pre-school children. There is a secure garden for children to play. The group opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 08.00 - 17.00, except for bank holidays and the Christmas period. The nursery offers care for children under 5 years of age. There are currently 82 children attending throughout the week on a variety of sessions. There are nine children receiving funding for nursery education; of these, eight are three-year-olds. The group currently support children with special

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Information about the setting

educational needs and children who have English as an additional language. There are 15 members of staff working with the children. Eight staff have a level three qualification in child care and two are working towards this. They receive support from the Early Years Childcare Partnership. HWV is a registered charity primarily set up to offer training to local people. It also overseas and develops projects in the locality.

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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?

Gatehouse Nursery provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is particularly well planned and children are making very good progress in this area. Teaching is generally good. All staff are involved in the planning. Plans are topic based, inform staff of resources required and language that children should learn. However, they are not always linked to the stepping stones or used effectively to ensure that all aspects of communication, language and literacy, mathematical and creative development receive adequate, regular attention. Staff observe and record children's progress and development using photographs to support this. The current system is not totally effective as it is not used to inform the planning resulting in insufficient support and challenges in the areas of personal, social and emotional,

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How effective is the nursery education?

communication, language and literacy, mathematical, physical and creative development. Children with special needs and their families are supported well. All children are included in all activities. Children's behaviour is generally good. Leadership and management is generally good. Regular staff meetings ensure that there is good communication between management and staff. They are able to recognise some of their strengths and weaknesses. However, there is no clear method in place to monitor and evaluate the provision for nursery education. There is a commitment to improve the setting through staff development. Staff are keen and enthusiastic to take part in courses to extend their knowledge. They work well together as a team and are willing to share ideas. Partnership with parents is very good. They receive good information about the setting. Information about the Foundation Stage is promoted through displays and

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How effective is the nursery education?

regular news letters. They are well informed about their children's progress and development.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are enthusiastic in their teaching, they interact well with children, listen to them and question them appropriately. They provide interesting and fun activities for children to enjoy. • Staff have a positive attitude for caring for children with special educational needs. They work with parents and outside agencies to ensure that children's individual needs are being met. Staff support children well to ensure that they are able to join in all activities. • Parents are given good information about activities that they can share with their children. This enables them to promote children's learning in the home and parents are encouraged to share this information with the staff. Parents

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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 of different cultures and traditions are happy to share their expertise within the group. • Staff use a consistent and positive approach to behaviour management. They are good role models. They speak calmly to the children creating a supportive learning environment for children. They continually use praise and encouragement to reward good behaviour. • Staff offer good support to children with English as an additional language and their families. Children have access to resources and activities reflecting the diversity of the families attending and the community that the nursery serves.

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What needs to be improved?

• system for monitoring and evaluating the educational provision • monitoring and evaluation of children's assessment and development records and how they are used to inform the planning of children's future to provide sufficient support and challenges. For example to sustain children's concentration during free play, further develop their independence, write for a purpose, solve mathematical problems in every day routines, extend their physical skills and be inventive in their creative development • curriculum plans to ensure that all aspects of the six areas of learning receive sufficient and regular attention. For example, opportunities to recognise sounds of letters, practice their writing skills, count in their play and access tactile materials and paint freely.

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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 eager to come to the group and leave their parents with confidence. They develop a good sense of self and belonging. Photographs of the children, their peers and their families help to promote a good self-image. They learn to concentrate in large group situations but their concentration is not always sustained in self chosen activities. Children learn to share and to take turns. They develop independence through managing their personal hygiene but this could be further developed.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy listening to stories and are able to predict the outcome. They use language for thinking and talk in their imaginative play. They enjoy rhymes and songs but do not regularly recognise sounds of letters. They learn to handle books carefully in a comfortable well stocked book corner. They can recognise their names and some children are attempting to write their names. However, they do not regularly practice their writing skills or the write for a purpose in their play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn to count beyond 10 and add one more as they count the number of children attending but do not spontaneously use number operations in their play. They begin to solve simple problems through rhymes. However, older and more able children do not regularly solve mathematical problems through everyday routines or through play. They look at and copy patterns and explore 3 dimensional shapes. Children are beginning to use language for position and size as they build bridges for trains.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children find out about similarities, differences and patterns of change through observing the weather and making dough. They show curiosity as they plant seeds and watch for them to grow. Children are learning about technology as they practice 'mouse' skills and reinforce their learning through a maths programme. They find out about the local environment through various visits to the group from people who work in the community. They observe a map of the area and build their houses from 'junk'.

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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 learn to climb, jump and slide using large play equipment and as they explore a tree in the garden. They do not regularly extend their physical skills through balance. They use wheeled toys with safety and care as they manoeuvre around play equipment. They learn about health and bodily awareness through managing their personal hygiene, discussions about healthy eating and what to wear to keep warm. Children explore and manipulate dough and clay using a wide range of tools with care.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore and enjoy a range of media through various painting and collage techniques. They do not regularly access tactile materials such as sand, water and gloop. They are not always creative in their art work or paint freely. Children imitate and create movement in response to music and explore sounds of instruments. They pretend to be fish swimming in the sea to soft, calm music and try to escape from a shark when the music gets louder. Children enjoy imaginative role play situations.

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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 an effective system to monitor and evaluate the education provision • develop curriculum plans to ensure that all aspects of the six areas of learning receive sufficient and regular attention • monitor and evaluate children's assessment and development records and use them to inform the planning of children's future learning to provide sufficient support for younger children and challenges for older and more able children.

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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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