Well Place Day Nursery Ltd

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 12/01/2005 Inspector Name Melissa Tickner

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Well Place Day Nursery Setting Address Penshurst Tonbridge Kent TN11 8BH

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Well Place Day Nursery Limited 4614339

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Well Place Day Nursery Limited Address Highlands House, Holtye Cowden Edenbridge Kent TN8 7ED

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

Well place Day Nursery has been registered under new ownership since 2003 and has been in operation since 1993. The nursery is set in a rural location, in the grounds of Penshurst Place, near Tunbridge Wells. The nursery consists of two floors, offering baby care and pre-school care for children. There is a kitchen and office for staff use. Children have access to a large outdoor play area, as well as regular use of the rural setting surrounding the nursery. The nursery operates Monday to Friday 50 weeks of the year, offering full time care or term time care only. The nursery opens daily from 08:00 until 18:00. There are currently 29 children on roll. Of these 19 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area of the surrounding villages. The nursery welcomes children with special educational needs and children with English as an additional language. The nursery employs 15 staff. 10 of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate

p.2

Information about the setting

early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from early years advisory teachers and the Day Nursery Association.

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 of the nursery education offered by Well Place Day nursery is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. Very good progress is being made towards personal, social and emotional development, communication language and literacy, mathematical development and creative development. Staff offer children appropriate and effective learning opportunities. They strike a good balance between offering children the help and encouragement they may need, and allowing them the time to explore and develop their own independence. Currently they do not organise planning so that systems are consistent amongst staff and it is fully available to parents. Staff do not always manage children's behaviour consistently as a team. Children's individual needs are met very well and staff are skilled at recognising

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

children's individual abilities. The outdoor play area is used well as an extension on the indoors. Good use is made of this space to offer greater learning opportunities. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff are very well supported by the manager, who is committed to helping staff reach their full potentials. However systems for assessing strengths and weaknesses are currently minimal and could be developed to help them make further progress and developments. In addition staff do not always work as a team effectively and consistently. Partnership with parents is generally good. There is currently not enough information provided for parents, or clear systems in place to encourage parents to support their children's learning at home. However parents are kept well informed about their children's progress through daily discussions, informal parents day and regular newsletters.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff cover all areas of learning thoroughly through fun and realistic learning opportunities and activities. In particular very good progress is being made towards personal social and emotional development, communication language and literacy, mathematical development and creative development. Staff offer children frequent challenges and opportunities to solve problems for themselves and children respond to these well. • Children's individual needs are met very well and staff are skilled at recognising children's individual abilities in helping them make good progress towards the early learning goals. As a result children who are both more and less able are benefiting from good demonstrations and explanations and

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 challenges and extensions appropriate to them as individuals. • There is clear and effective leadership at Well Place day nursery. Clear systems to support staff and help them develop have been implemented, such as appraisals and staff meetings and staff are very well supported by the manager, who is committed to helping staff reach their full potentials. Staff are committed to developing, making changes and improving to offer the best quality and standards of care. They are currently seeking accreditation and welcome and encourage new ideas, such as recently implementing a music teacher.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• knowledge and understanding of the world to ensure children have full access to resources that promote technology and help them understand how to complete simple programmes • physical development to ensure children are developing a greater awareness of health and the effects of activity on their body • partnership with parents to offer a greater wealth of information to parents and encourage them to support their children's learning at home • methods for assessing strengths and weaknesses of the setting and monitoring the provision for nursery education • team working to develop consistency in planning, staff deployment, and approaches to behaviour management.

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 show high levels of confidence and self esteem. They initiate interactions with their peers and staff and contribute with confidence in group situations. They are well involved in, and persist at activities. Children have formed close friendships with one another and staff. They are developing extremely good levels of personal independence. They are encouraged to choose activities and tackle problems, such as being able to do up their own zips on clothing and help wash and dry up.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing an awareness of letters and letter sounds. They recognise that Wednesday begins with 'W'. They enjoy singing and music times. Children handle and use books correctly and many are able to re-tell stories by looking at pictures. Some can read simple sentences and all enjoy looking at books and story times. Children are developing very good mark making skills and many children can confidently write their own names, and some children are beginning to form basic sentences.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use and recognise numbers regularly, such as counting to 12 at group time. Most children can count at least to 10, and counting is incorporated throughout many activities. Children are beginning to understand simple mathematical problems. They are encouraged to compare numbers of objects and can work out how many more or less of something. Mathematical language such as 'bigger' or 'smaller' is used regularly. Children enjoy activities introducing shape, and can name many of them.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy exploring and investigating, such as looking at how magnets work. They do not always have full opportunities to explore programmable technology equipment. Children enjoy exploration activities such as digging in the garden area and playing with gloop. They enjoy exploring their local surroundings and learning about their world. Children do not always have sufficient access to a wide range of construction resources. They confidently talk about events that are significant to them.

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: Generally Good Children enjoy constructive physical play opportunities. They have access to a good range of physical play activities and equipment, which are used effectively on a daily basis. Children are not always developing a good awareness of health and changes to their body following exercise. They are developing small and large motor movements, and are able to move in a range of ways. Children have use of a good range of equipment, tools and materials. They enjoy local walks, and using the outdoor area.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore colour, texture and shape through a good range of resources such as painting, gloop and play dough. Children enjoy exploring music and musical instruments. They are developing confidence with rhymes and songs through weekly fun music sessions from a music teacher. Children enjoy imaginative play. They become absorbed in a good range of imaginative and role-play experiences. For example acting out 'Humpty Dumpty' as a group and encouraging children to make up their own stories.

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 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.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• Develop information for parents to include a greater range on the areas of learning and ways to help them encourage their children learn at home. • Develop systems for assessing strengths and weaknesses to help make further progress and developments within the setting. • Develop and enhance team working to ensure consistency in approaches to planning, behaviour management and methods of working/ staff deployment.

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7