St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/03/2004 Inspector Name Maureen Mullins

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Matilda Community Day Nursery Setting Address St Katherines Way London E1W 1LQ

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Matilda Community Day Nursery 02893215 1035872

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Matilda Community Day Nursery Address St Katharines Way London E1W 1LQ

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Matilda Community Day Nursery is in the inner city London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is run by a parent management committee and financed partly by parents' fees and partly by a grant from the Borough. The nursery occupies purpose-built premises in one of the inner courtyards of a large block of flats on the edge of a conservation area of redeveloped dockland. The nursery is open from 0800 to 1800 Mondays to Fridays throughout the year. The nursery is registered for 15 children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years. However, at the time of the inspection, of the 31 children on the roll, all except 1 were below 3 years old. The nursery regularly has 3 year-olds for whom funding is received, but there were none present at the time of the inspection. The families using the nursery come from a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds, and there are usually a significant number of children for whom English is an additional

p.2

Information about the setting

language. The children are cared for by a staff of five, of whom all are suitably qualified. They receive support from the local Early Years Service.

p.2

Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

The provision for nursery education at Matilda Community Day Nursery is of high quality. Children are making very good progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals in every area of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They plan a good range of activities to cover the six areas of learning, with clear teaching aims for the activities. A particularly good feature is the 'pre-school' session for which the children use a quiet room in small groups for suitable activities to foster their communication, language and literacy and their mathematics skills. Staff assess children's attainment and progress well, both formally and informally. Children are very well known to staff and activities are continually adjusted to be at the right level for each child. The staff interact well with children; they question them

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

effectively to extend their understanding. They have high expectation for children's behaviour and attainment. The leadership and management of the nursery are very good. The nursery has strong leadership from a well qualified and experienced manager. The staff are very willing to review their own practice and improve it, as has been demonstrated by the many improvements since the last inspection and particularly over the past year under the new manager. Staff and manager are committed to the improvement of the provision. The nursery staff have a very good partnership with parents and carers. The nursery gives parents good information about setting. Parents are encouraged to spend time in the nursery with their child before taking a place. There is a good flow of information about children between staff and parents and staff foster effectively parents' involvement in children's learning.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Staff provide children with a suitable programme of activities to foster their progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. • Staff foster children's personal, social and emotional development very well; children are well behaved and learn to work and play well together. • The programme of 'pre-school' activities develops children's learning very well in the areas of communication, language and literacy, and mathematics. • The partnership between parents and staff is strong and supports children's learning.

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• some opportunities to foster children's personal independence, for example at refreshment and meal times and in details of personal hygiene

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress since the last inspection. There have been significant improvements in various areas of the provision. Planning has improved and in particular, plans now indicate teaching aims for most activities. The quality of staff interaction with the children has improved. The assessment of children's attainment and progress is now effective. There has been an improvement in the partnership between staff and parents. Parents are now encouraged to be more involved in children's learning within the nursery.. All this has had a direct impact on the quality of children's learning.

p.4

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

p.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's confidence is well fostered. They learn to play well together, for example, taking turns with equipment and playing together in the home corner. Children's behaviour is very good. It is mature for their age. They are developing a sense of community through a suitable programme of festivals. Staff respect children's independence, for example, by asking for their ideas and cooperation, but can sometimes miss opportunities for fostering it at meal times or in details of personal hygiene.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's talk is well fostered, both through conversations with the staff and through their own role play. They have good listening skills, both in small group activities with a member of staff and when altogether for a story time. They are developing a keen appreciation of books. Children have 'written' and 'illustrated' their own books and spend much time looking at books, both in groups and in individual sessions with a member of staff. Children enjoy 'writing' in role play.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have many suitable opportunities to learn about number through matching, sorting and counting. They benefit from good planning of activities that are suitable for their age group, with some very good resources including Montessori materials. They develop mathematical language for shape, for example, 'triangle and circle' while working on puzzles. They learn terms for measuring when cooking or playing with sand and water.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have suitable activities to develop their investigating skills, for example, playing with magnets or measuring plant growth. They make daily use of technology, learning to handle electronic toys, for example, a recording unit with headphones. Staff give them suitable opportunities to learn about the everyday world around them, including walks round the local area and trips further afield in London. They learn about different cultures, particularly those represented in the nursery.

p.5

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

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently and imaginatively. They move well in the restricted space of the play room. They move confidently out of doors when balancing or climbing. They use a wide range of equipment, including the large equipment of the adjacent children's playground, and that of the children's gymnasium on their weekly visit. Children learn to use a range of tools, for example, scissors, hammers and knives, safely and with increasing skill.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have a range of suitable opportunities to explore colour and shape, using paints, playdough and collage materials. Staff foster children's imagination well through stories, picture books and role play, where they play alongside the children to extend their play. Children have suitable opportunities to express their responses to stories and situations. They respond to their senses through touching or smelling activities and respond to stories by retelling them using puppets.

p.6

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

p.6

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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • Although there are no significant weaknesses to report, consideration should be given to improving the following: • consider using all opportunities to foster children's personal independence, for example, at refreshment and meal times and in details of personal hygiene.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7