Haven Early Years Centre

Reference: HMI 1749

whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

p.2

Reference: HMI 1749

College inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

p.2

Age range of children: 0 to 5 years

Number on roll: Nursery school: 140 part-time Day nursery: 45 mixed part and full-time

p.4

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of the inspection is to assure the government, parents and the public that the Centre’s provision and services meet the criteria for Early Excellence Centres . Inspection also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that the Centre can improve the quality of care and education provision, and help children to achieve the best they can.

p.5

Team members

Susan Gregory HMI Reporting inspector Mike Sutton HMI Team inspector Anne Pitt HMI Team inspector Anne Culliford AI Team inspector Glenda Spencer AI Lay inspector

p.5

Team members

Services inspected: Haven Nursery school: part-time education for 3 to 5 year-olds including provision for 21 children with complex special needs Day nursery: mixed part and full-time provision for 0 to 5 year-olds, including education for funded three and four year-olds Community Unit: adult education; parents’ courses and support groups; out-reach support for children in reception classes; weekly play sessions for children with language delay; drop-in facilities; a Parents’ Link group.

p.5

included in the inspection:

The base for Portage Hampshire Children and Families’ Forum Worker; crèche facilities for adult courses; ‘Puff’ and ‘Early Bird’, support groups for parents; ‘Thomas out-reach’ and ‘Stepping Stones’ projects for children with complex special needs; and ‘Star Club’, a support group for brothers and sisters of children with complex special needs.

p.5

included in the inspection:

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

p.5

included in the inspection:

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

p.5

included in the inspection:

A copy of the summary of the inspection report must be made available free of charge to all parents. A copy of the full report may be obtained from the Centre. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for this.

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

How the Centre has improved since its last inspection 2

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

The education for 3 to 5 year-olds in Haven nursery school 2

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

The other aspects of the Centre’s provision inspected 2

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

What parents and children think about the Centre 3

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

About the Centre, its children and users 4

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

How high are standards and how effective are teaching and learning? 4

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

How well are children’s personal qualities developed? 6

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

How well does the curriculum meet children’s needs? 7

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

How well are children cared for, guided and supported? 9

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

How well does the Centre work with parents, carers and the community? 10

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

How well is the Centre led and managed? 13

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

What should the Centre do to improve? 14

p.6

PART B: COMMENTARY 4

What is the quality of learning in the six areas of learning for children aged 3 to 5 15 in the nursery school?

p.6

THE CENTRE AND ITS COMMUNITY

Haven Early Years Centre became an Early Excellence Centre in 1999. The Centre includes a nursery school with part-time places and provision for children with complex special educational needs (SEN). Two of the five qualified nursery teachers, one a senior manager, have been absent with ill health since last September. The Centre offers a day nursery that provides integrated care and funded nursery education. It has a community unit with a broad range of services for families and the community, including adult education, parents’ groups and a drop-in family group.

p.7

HOW SUCCESSFUL THE CENTRE IS

This is a successful Centre with some excellent features. The integrated services for families are excellent. Teaching in Haven nursery school is good, children often achieve standards above the expected levels and those with complex special educational needs (SEN) make very good progress. The Centre shares its good practice very effectively with others that work with children and families. It provides good value for money.

p.7

THE CENTRE’S MAIN FEATURES

• The leadership of the Centre is strong and determined and teamwork across the Centre as a whole has remained effective in spite of the ill health of senior staff. That said, the staff illness has meant that joint work between the day nursery and nursery school is not fully established.

p.7

THE CENTRE’S MAIN FEATURES

• Good quality nursery education and care combined with highly effective integrated services for children and families reduces parents’ isolation and enables them to give better support to their children at home.

p.7

THE CENTRE’S MAIN FEATURES

• In Haven nursery school the teaching is very good in the area of personal, social and emotional development, aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world and aspects of creative development. This results in very good achievement in these areas. Teaching and learning are not as strong in mathematical development because this area is not as well managed as the other areas.

p.7

THE CENTRE’S MAIN FEATURES

• All staff provide a high level of care and, in every aspect of the Centre’s activities, their approach to the inclusion of children with SEN is outstanding; the provision for these children is of high quality.

p.7

THE CENTRE’S MAIN FEATURES

• The more capable children receive a good level of additional challenge when they are taught directly in groups, but this level of challenge is not as evident in the routine activities.

p.7

WHAT THE CENTRE NEEDS TO IMPROVE MOST

• children’s achievement in mathematical development; • the level of challenge for the more capable children in the routine activities that children choose; • the collaborative work between the day nursery and nursery school.

p.7

WHAT THE CENTRE NEEDS TO IMPROVE MOST

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the management committee’s (governing body’s) action plan.

p.7

HOW THE CENTRE HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Haven Early Years Centre has not previously been inspected as an Early Excellence Centre. The day nursery was last inspected in May 2002 under the Children Act. It met all 14 National Standards and no written actions were needed. The Centre received Investors in People status in March 2002.

p.8

THE EDUCATION FOR 3 TO 5 YEAR-OLDS IN HAVEN NURSERY SCHOOL

Standards – the early learning goals in the six areas of the Foundation Stage for 3 to 5 year olds The language skills of the majority of children are below levels typically found amongst three-year-olds when they start in a nursery school. Even so, they make good progress and are likely to achieve national standards (the early learning goals) in communication, language and literacy by the end of the reception year in the primary school. In the other areas of learning, children, apart from those with complex special needs, are at expected levels for their age when they start in the nursery. All children progress well and the majority are likely to exceed the expected standards in their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Children make sound progress in their mathematics and are likely to achieve average standards. Some, particularly the more capable, could be

p.8

THE EDUCATION FOR 3 TO 5 YEAR-OLDS IN HAVEN NURSERY SCHOOL

doing better. Teaching and learning Good overall. One quarter of the teaching seen was very good. It is not as strong in mathematics as the other areas. Teamwork is a strength and ensures that all staff are consistent in their management of the children. Overall, staff make good use of assessments when they plan children’s activities, although the plans for the routine activities do not provide enough challenge for more capable children. Personal development Very good. Relationships between the staff and children are highly effective and consequently children are happy and confident learners. Staff attach great importance to developing children’s independence, to very good effect. The children’s behaviour and attendance are very good. They have good opportunities to learn about other cultures and their spirituality is promoted very effectively. Curriculum Good. The Centre provides an effective early years’ curriculum based on the

p.8

THE EDUCATION FOR 3 TO 5 YEAR-OLDS IN HAVEN NURSERY SCHOOL

Foundation Stage guidance. It is practical, focused on play and first hand experiences and, overall, has a good effect on children’s learning. Children with special educational needs The provision is very good. The teaching in this area is a strength. This, together with the exceptionally good early involvement of families and outside agencies, has a dramatic effect on children’s progress and enables almost all of them to take up places in mainstream schools. Care The high level of care for all children is a strength. The very effective key worker system ensures that staff know children very well. Overall, staff have established good assessment procedures to track children’s progress. Systems for tracking the progress of children with SEN are excellent. Links with parents and carers Very good. Parents and carers are very well informed about their children’s care and learning and about the Centre’s activities. Staff are skilled at motivating

p.8

THE EDUCATION FOR 3 TO 5 YEAR-OLDS IN HAVEN NURSERY SCHOOL

parents to attend courses, programmes and parenting groups.

p.8

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

Day nursery – provision for 0 to 5 year-olds Provision for children aged 0 to 5 is sound overall. The staff strongly care for children and, as a result, they are settled and happy. Their personal, social and physical skills are being developed well. The children make satisfactory progress in the other aspects of their learning. Adult education Good. Teaching is effective and the learning facilities are good. Students’ educational and social needs are well met, their confidence is boosted and they achieve well. Students are very clear about why they are participating in the courses and benefit from the tutors’ regular monitoring of their personal targets. Parents - support groups

p.8

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

courses Excellent. In particular, the support groups for parents of children with SEN are exceptional. They improve parents’ understanding of their children’s needs and provide them with much needed help to manage the daily lives of their children and families.

p.9

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

Parenting skills are developed very well in a relaxed, supportive environment. The programmes enable parents to give their children very good support. Out-reach -

p.9

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

support for children in schools The quality of out-reach work is excellent.

p.9

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

The well-managed drop-in family group is extremely effective in providing a point of contact in the local community and in reducing parents’ isolation.

p.9

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

The Centre’s continuing support for children that have complex special needs, and have moved on to reception classes in primary schools, is highly successful. These children are coping very well and are making very good progress. Leadership

p.9

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

Management The head of the Centre is an effective leader. She is particularly good at developing teamwork, securing the help of outside agencies and, encouraging staff and parents to try out new ideas. The head is well supported by her senior managers. In the last eighteen months, the management committee has made many improvements in the ways in which it works. It governs the Centre well.

p.9

THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CENTRE’S PROVISION INSPECTED

The Centre is managed well. In spite of the absences caused by ill health, the senior staff are developing the curriculum and teaching methods effectively. This benefits children and means that they make good progress. Links have been strengthened between the day nursery and the nursery school, but more needs to be done. How well the Centre shares its good practice Very good. Staff have developed very effective ways of sharing their expertise in providing for children with special needs, with schools and pre-schools. As a result, the Centre is helping the local authority to meet targets for children with SEN and for raising achievement. There are effective links with the local college and universities.

p.9

WHAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN THINK ABOUT THE CENTRE

Children’s views The parents are highly satisfied with the Centre. Some parents said, “It’s a shame there aren’t more places like this, every child should have this opportunity!” . A few parents have established the Parents’ Link support group because they ‘want to give something back’.

p.9

WHAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN THINK ABOUT THE CENTRE

The children like coming to the nursery. Several parents said that their children do not want to go home at the end of sessions and some said their children dislike Saturdays because the nursery is closed!

p.9

ABOUT THE CENTRE, ITS CHILDREN AND USERS

1. The Centre serves the local and a large naval community. At the time of the inspection, many families were under considerable stress because parents had recently been dispatched to prepare for possible military action against Iraq. Even during peacetime, nursery children from naval families often live with one parent for much of the year. Although the places for children in the day nursery are fee paying, a number that attend the Centre live in low income, socially disadvantaged circumstances. Well over half the children in the nursery school were aged three during the inspection. Almost all of them are from white British families. Three out of ten children have special educational needs (SEN). Twenty-one children have complex special needs. They come from a wide geographical area.

p.10

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

2. The teaching for children in Haven nursery school is good. In one quarter of the sessions seen, teaching was very good or better. There are no major weaknesses and several areas of significant strength.

p.10

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

3. Even though the children are not at the expected levels in their language and communication skills when they start in the nursery school, they are likely to meet the early learning goals in this area by the end of the reception year. They achieve well. In the other aspects of their learning, children, except for those with complex SEN, start at the expected levels for their age. Children are likely to exceed the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development because they are taught effectively. In mathematics, they make satisfactory progress and are likely to meet the early learning goals but some, particularly the more capable, could be doing better. The table below summarises the progress of children aged three to five years in the nursery school and the quality of teaching and learning in each Foundation Stage area.

p.10

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

Areas of Learning Personal, social, and emotional development Teaching is very good and, as a result, children make especially good progress. They are happy and confident and have very good levels of self-control. They are interested in what they do, concentrate well and learn to take responsibility for themselves. Communication language and literacy Teaching is good and children progress well. They listen carefully and almost all children, including those with complex SEN, have a go at communicating with each other and adults by talking, signing, or using visual cues. The older, more capable children know a good range of letter names and initial sounds and they can write their names and one or two simple words. Mathematical development Teaching is satisfactory and children make sound progress. They can recognise basic shapes and are aware of differences between the number of sides and corners. The majority can count sets of objects up to five. Older, more capable children count

p.10

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

accurately to numbers greater than ten but are not as confident in talking about similarities and differences in numbers. Knowledge and understanding of the world Teaching is good overall. Children make particularly good progress in some aspects. For instance, they show good levels of curiosity and often want to investigate further. They have well-developed skills in joining things and making models. Physical development Teaching is good. Children make good progress in developing their physical skills both outside and inside. They are very adept at riding bikes and rarely bump into each other. They are also good at handling small tools and pieces of equipment. Creative development Teaching is good overall. Children make particularly good progress in their imaginative play. They use their imagination well to play with others in the ‘fish and chip shop’ and in the ‘photographer’s studio’. They have learned a good range of skills

p.10

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

for applying paint and for cutting and sticking materials of different textures.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

4. Staff have a good understanding of all the areas of children’s learning. They have a strong collaborative approach to their work and, in the main, plan well together, making good use of a stimulating range of resources. Resources for role-play are exceptional. In the ‘fish and chip shop’ and the ‘photographer’s studio’ the staff make the most of visually attractive props to develop children’s learning, especially their creative language. They successfully encourage children to interact and play together. The ensuing dialogue is realistic and relevant, drawing from children a wealth of responses, which extends their use of language and promotes new learning.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

5. There is an appropriate balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities and a good mix of teaching methods ensures that children learn in a range of different situations. The planned activities present good levels of challenge to the majority of children and this ensures that they work productively and make generally good progress over time. The outstanding teaching of children with SEN in the short, well-paced sessions is the most effective.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

6. The intensive one-to-one teaching for children with particular needs is highly effective. The staff assess the children in a way that reveals their precise needs so that the work is carefully planned to maximise their learning. Children’s progress is systematically evaluated on a daily basis to construct new programmes. This ensures that learning is consistently secure. Simple activities are used to focus directly on the child’s needs and what they need to learn next. The sharp focus on communication skills and understanding results in children being able to express their needs to others and to engage in activities. One child made rapid progress in learning to understand the language for ‘on top’ and ‘underneath’ and as a result, was more able to take part in daily routines.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

7. Sessions in which children are taught as a group are generally used well to promote investigation, such as what happens to ice as it warms up or what water and flour feel like when mixed by hand. However, the use of time, whilst satisfactory overall, is not always effective in some of the taught mathematics groups where activities are sometimes rushed towards the end of sessions. This means that the planned activities are not always covered in sufficient depth and staff cannot build consistently on what children have learned.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

8. There are one or two other relative weaknesses in the teaching of mathematics. Occasionally, staff do not take full advantage of every-day situations and fail to exploit the mathematical content of routine activities. For example, whilst the chat and snack times provide very effective opportunities for social development, some staff miss opportunities to teach mathematical elements of learning like counting. In child-initiated mathematical activities, the questioning by staff is sometimes directed at one or two children and does not successfully engage all children in the group.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

9. Overall, the use of questioning is good. Open-ended questions such as “Why do you think that happened?” or “What do you think we should do next?” encourage children to think and to give answers using more than one word. In turn this leads to steadily developing skills of communication. The use of questions to establish and maintain a dialogue when adults are taking part in role-play activities during the child-initiated ‘work time’, is particularly good. It is better than that seen in mathematics. The reason for this is two-fold. Staff have worked hard at this area and they have developed clear straightforward planning guidance for role-play. This includes very good prompts for questions and for making the most of opportunities in other aspects of learning. The guidance on planning offers a good blueprint for promoting even better teaching in other activities.

p.11

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

10. The teaching for personal and social development is a marked strength of the Centre. The clear and consistently applied behaviour policy, coupled with a strong emphasis on developing communication skills ensures that behaviour is very good and that children understand and respect each other’s needs, making it an inclusive environment.

p.12

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

11. The Centre fosters children’s independence very well. The way in which the different areas in the nursery are set out is one of the main reasons for this. Games, tools and materials are readily accessible and very well labelled with print and visual images that the children have been taught to recognise. The staff also teach specific skills very well. They show children how best to use tools like scissors and equipment like tape, and encourage them to look very carefully at what they are doing. “Good looking” is a phrase frequently heard, when staff encourage concentration on cutting or sticking. The careful thought given to developing children’s independence means that all children, including those with the most complex needs, are able to prepare for activities with minimal help from adults.

p.12

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

12. The high quality work the staff do with parents and particularly those parents whose children have complex special needs underpins teaching. Daily contact allows for the exchange of routine messages and information. The training that the parents have received in communication strategies helps them to work with their children in similar ways to the staff. Simple record books support communication and all parents are fully involved in the periodic review of their children’s progress.

p.12

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

13. The procedures for assessing what individual children can do are generally good. When children start in Haven nursery school they are assessed thoroughly to identify any particular needs. The staff regularly observe children and keep parents well informed of their progress. Staff discuss what they have noticed about children during the twice daily reviews and make detailed notes in on-going records. These records help to build a comprehensive profile of each child. In addition, every child in the Centre has a useful ‘Look what I have done in nursery’ portfolio, which provides annotated samples of ‘work’ and photographs of the children engaged in different activities.

p.12

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING?

14. However, the records and portfolios are not used effectively to identify the next steps of learning for more capable children in the child-initiated, routine activities. As a result the planning for these activities is not specific enough and the activities do not challenge the more capable children as much as the taught group times. The children’s records are well linked to the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage but not to the early stages of Key Stage 1, and this also limits the learning of the more capable children. Good foundations are in place for planning and record keeping though, which, with a little further refinement, could contribute to even better achievement.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

15. This area is at the heart of the work of the Centre. Children’s personal qualities are nurtured and developed very well. They are on course to exceed the expected goals in personal, social and emotional development by the end of the reception year in primary school.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

16. It is clear that children enjoy coming to the Centre. They leave their parents confidently and busy themselves happily with the many interesting activities available to them. Parents value the thorough induction programme, which helps their children to settle quickly into nursery life.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

17. Moral development is very good. The staff help children to resolve conflicts, and teach them about the difference between right and wrong. As a result, children behave very well and enjoy the best of relationships. Boys and girls are encouraged to play and chat happily together, everyone gets on and there is a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. This is because the staff give well-deserved praise and encouragement and ensure that there is plenty to interest the children so that they never get bored. The enthusiasm of adults makes activities enjoyable, and this helps children to sustain their concentration well.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

18. All children are treated with respect. Staff make it a priority to talk and listen to children; their interest and affection for them shines through. The integration of children with special educational needs is excellent. Their involvement in all aspects of nursery life helps them to develop an appreciation and tolerance of others.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

19. The staff work hard to encourage children to take responsibility and to develop independence. This is helped by activities that catch the children’s interest and routines that ensure the children know what is expected of them and where things are. Most children can put on aprons, coats, shoes and Wellington boots without adult support. They show real concentration and a determination to succeed, for example, when struggling to do up zips. Tidying up is efficient and quick. Tasks are performed cheerfully and with good will.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

20. Children develop very good social skills. They share, take turns, wait patiently and help each other. Staff present good opportunities for children to talk to each other. Signing is used well to integrate children with communication difficulties. There is a strong sense of community; children look after each other and are polite. Phrases such as “Excuse me”, “Good afternoon”, “Please” and “Thank you”, are frequently heard.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

21. The Centre promotes cultural diversity well. Children eat foods from different countries, and experience Indian dancing; they use resources in role-play that reflect a variety of cultures, such as dressing-up clothes and cooking implements. The Centre has a good number of dual language books.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

22. Spiritual development is very good. The nursery has quiet places like the book corners where children can sit and reflect. Staff plan imaginative activities that often elicit a sense of wonder. Blowing bubbles, looking at sparkling mobiles hanging from a tree, watching ice melt and seeing sizzling sausages were all special moments that children experienced. These moments brought about a sense of wonder and beauty.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN’S PERSONAL QUALITIES DEVELOPED?

23. Attendance is very good. Parents are conscientious about bringing their children on time. Most parents inform the Centre of reasons for children’s absence. The staff follow up absences very efficiently.

p.13

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

24. The curriculum is effective. It is firmly based on the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage and on learning through play. It is broad and, in the main, securely balanced; it prepares children well for primary school.

p.13

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

25. The senior staff have made a concerted effort to improve planning and to ensure that all staff are involved. As a result, the curriculum overall is well planned. What children are taught captures their interests and imagination and they learn eagerly. The staff provide a good range of practical experiences both indoors and outside. Planning for role-play and personal development is particularly effective. Planning for routine activities for more capable children and for the use of taught group time in mathematics is not as strong.

p.13

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

26. High priority is given to including all children in activities. The Centre is sensitive to the need for all children to have equal opportunities and full access to the curriculum. As a result, the staff target certain groups of children for additional support and in most cases, extra challenge. These groups include those that need help to develop social skills or extra support to maintain good behaviour and improve levels of concentration. Overall the children benefit well from this additional support. The senior staff plan successful extension work for ‘fast track’ or more capable children in taught group times, although in mathematics the additional taught group time is not yet as effectively managed as in the other areas of learning.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

27. The Centre offers a good range of activities that enrich the curriculum. Visitors to the Centre such as the artist in residence, writers, illustrators and dancers help broaden experiences for the children, especially their creative development and communication and language skills. Walks and visits to places outside the Centre, such as the local shops, further broaden children’s knowledge and understanding of the outside world.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

28. The Centre is well staffed and resources are good overall. There is a wide variety of very good resources indoors which are stored well and used very effectively to support the rich and varied curriculum. Information communication and technology (ICT) resources and equipment outdoors are good and in the process of being improved further.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

29. The provision for children with special educational needs, including those with complex needs, is very good indeed and in many aspects is outstanding.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

30. The approach to identifying children with special needs and supporting them and their families is well-organised, coherent and widely understood within the Centre’s community. Communication between parents, the Centre and outside agencies is excellent. This ensures that little is missed in providing continuity of support.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

31. Children whose complex needs are known before they reach nursery age get a wide spectrum of support. The work of the peripatetic Portage group is valued immensely by parents. Likewise, the ‘Earlybird’ scheme for families with children on the autistic spectrum provides many parents with a ‘lifeline’. The parents are helped sensitively to come to terms with the challenges posed by their children’s communication difficulties.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

32. The wide-ranging assessments administered soon after children are admitted to the nursery ensure that children’s needs are identified quickly. They also form the basis of a plan of action for each child. The children’s individual education plans are excellent. They provide clear, short-term targets and guidance on how these might be achieved. High quality on-going assessment shows that the great majority of these children make very good progress.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE CURRICULUM MEET CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

33. The staff’s determination to adapt the curriculum and their methodology to meet the needs of children with special educational needs is exceptional. The day to day classroom activities provide carefully structured routines for children with learning needs. They learn to choose different activities and overall, are very well supported in their play. Staff have learned to use successful communication strategies which they have taught to parents. By communicating in the same way in the nursery and at home, learning is consistently reinforced and this has been of great benefit to the children.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN CARED FOR, GUIDED AND SUPPORTED?

34. All staff provide a high level of care in every aspect of the Centre’s activities. This is a strength of the Centre’s work. Relationships between children and adults are excellent and promoted very well through the key worker system. The staff are committed to the well-being of the children in their care. They create a supportive environment within which the children develop very good levels of self-esteem and confidence.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN CARED FOR, GUIDED AND SUPPORTED?

35. Induction arrangements are very good and strongly appreciated by the parents. Home visits are offered; they are carried out sensitively and are used well to identify areas where children might need support. The special needs co-ordinator works hard to ensure that all staff know about the difficulties that individual children might encounter. She also enlists the support of outside agencies such as the speech and language therapists. In this way, parents and their children have early access to provision such as the ‘Chit Chat’ group for families of children under three years of age with language delay.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN CARED FOR, GUIDED AND SUPPORTED?

36. Staff monitor the progress of individual children thoroughly. They know them very well and are available to discuss concerns with parents at any time. Overall, the children’s records are good and are passed on when the children transfer to primary schools. The Centre asks for feedback about how useful the records have been. The response from primary schools is that they are both informative and helpful.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN CARED FOR, GUIDED AND SUPPORTED?

37. Procedures for child protection are in place and staff are kept aware of their responsibilities. Other aspects of health and safety are monitored well.

p.15

Day nursery

38. The day nursery for babies and children up to the age of five provides a sound service overall. The staff are calm and sensitive to the children’s needs, providing a good level of care. The provision for children’s personal and physical development is good and they make good progress. In the other aspects of children’s learning, they make sound progress. The educational provision for funded three and four year-olds is reported in Annex 1.

p.15

Day nursery

39. Staff develop effective relationships with the children and provide good role models. They are unfailingly polite and set clear boundaries for children’s behaviour. Consequently, the children behave well and are polite to each other. Adults also encourage them to become independent and teach them how to take care of themselves.

p.15

Day nursery

40. With the help of the senior management team, the staff are trying to develop a consistent level of provision for the children across the Centre. They are working together to improve curriculum planning and are reviewing assessment and record keeping procedures. This work is bearing fruit. For instance, children in the day nursery now have records like the children in Haven nursery school and a ‘Look what I have done in nursery’ portfolio. This work has started well but senior staff recognise more needs to be done, for example, in improving early literacy and mathematics (see Annex 1) .

p.15

Day nursery

41. Developments, such as job shadowing between the staff in both nurseries spring from a clear rationale to share skills and expertise. The absence of senior staff has resulted in some of the planned arrangements being postponed; this has slowed the process of joint improvement work. However, with the goodwill of the parents, the Centre has been able to arrange day nursery closures so that all staff can train together. This has been of great benefit to staff involved and is having a good impact on joint work.

p.15

COMMUNITY?

42. The Centre has developed highly effective links with parents, carers and the community. It has a very good reputation indeed.

p.16

COMMUNITY?

43. The ‘plan, do, review,’ routines shared by parents, carers and their children at the start of each nursery school session enable parents to be involved with their children’s learning on a very practical level. They are kept up to date very well with their children’s progress, often through unobtrusive informal chats with staff. Parents are very relaxed about approaching the Centre with any concerns and are confident that they will receive good advice. The staff also arrange twice yearly formal parents’ meetings and provide an informative written report towards the end of the year. Staff and parents speak highly of events, like a recent mathematics curriculum evening, as a means of sharing information and ideas.

p.16

COMMUNITY?

44. The support for parents of children with SEN is outstanding. At the very earliest opportunity the staff at the Centre offer help, advice and training. Parents speak with some emotion about the exceptional quality of support given to them. In many cases it has given them a clear understanding of their child’s difficulties and needs and how they can help. This has led to improved self-confidence amongst families that have often been stretched to breaking point. A strong desire to ‘give something back’ has led a group of these parents to establish the ‘Parents’ Link’. This provides very good support, especially to new parents.

p.16

COMMUNITY?

45. The Centre’s resources are shared well with the wider community. For instance, the ‘Chit Chat’ group is a resource available to children with identified language delay from around Gosport. ‘Chit Chat’ very effectively helps parents to understand their children’s early language difficulties and successfully focuses on the importance of playing with and talking to them.

p.16

COMMUNITY?

46. The Centre’s work extends to other schools through high quality ‘out-reach’ work. This service is very well organised and provides invaluable support to children with complex needs who have moved on to nearby schools. It provides helpful strategies for their teachers. Resources and advice are tailored to the children’s needs and lead to sustained progress when they are in their mainstream schools. Where children have moved on to special schools, the liaison is of the same high quality.

p.16

COMMUNITY?

47. The staff manage the community unit’s work very effectively and provide exceptionally well-integrated services for parents and families.

p.16

Parents’ support and out-reach work

48. Senior staff are highly skilled at motivating parents to attend courses and support groups. Very good resources are provided, such as a designated parents’ room and free crèche facilities, making the services accessible to all. Parents are confident that their children are well cared for and are full of praise for the staff. The benefits of the Centre’s services are clear. The isolation of many families is reduced, and parents are helped in very practical ways to give better support to their children.

p.16

Parents’ support and out-reach work

49. The excellent parenting courses like ‘Early Start’ and ‘Confident parents, confident kids’ are highly valued. They offer sociable, friendly, open and honest opportunities for parents to gain knowledge of how to help their children at home. The ‘Early Start’ course is designed to assist parents in helping their children with literacy and numeracy. Parents make books and learn how to encourage early reading skills. ‘Confident parents, confident kids’, encourages parents to share useful strategies and to come up with their own solutions for managing behaviour. The quality of teaching for parents learning communication and behaviour management strategies is very high. This is evident from the parents’ feedback and the rapid progress their children make when their parents apply the knowledge and skills they gain from these courses to helping their children at home.

p.16

Parents’ support and out-reach work

50. Parents’ support groups are equally well run. ‘First Steps’, a spin-off from the Parents and baby group, is very well attended. Parents feel that the support they receive is ‘life saving’ and helps them cope at times of stress.

p.17

Parents’ support and out-reach work

51. The off-site drop-in family group is very well planned and managed. It is a good point of contact in the local community, and offers parents a good chance to talk with others about matters such as sleeping patterns, safety in the kitchen and money management.

p.17

Adult education

52. The Centre provides good quality accredited and non-accredited adult education in collaboration with St Vincent’s College. The adult education programme is well led and managed. It is meeting its core objectives, to provide adult education for those seeking skills and qualifications for employment. Several parents have gained qualifications which have led to employment. The programme is resulting in a sound record of examination results. Adult learners have been successful in Computer Literacy and Information Technology (CLAIT), City and Guilds courses and, General Certificates in Secondary Education (GCSE) courses.

p.18

Adult education

53. Adults, including parents of children in the Centre, make good use of the courses and the facilities. They value the good relationships developed with staff through the teaching and the individual support they receive. The Centre is flexible in accommodating unexpected family circumstances. Parents are very clear about what they want to achieve:

p.18

Adult education

“I did GCSE maths last year and am working towards employment; I’d like to work in a school office.” “I want to be able to help my child with homework.” “It’s years since I had to work my brain like this. I am really enjoying it!”

p.18

Adult education

54. Adults learn effectively, gaining greatly in knowledge, skills and self-esteem. The Centre’s managers are keen to provide what learners need and want, including computer courses, workshops and numeracy and literacy courses. Adults who had disliked their school days have had their desire to learn rekindled. The effect the Centre has had on their attitude to learning is clear.

p.18

Adult education

55. Teaching is good overall. The best sessions were: well planned; structured with a degree of flexibility; challenging, in that students had to think hard; and effective in linking theory and practice. For instance, a taught session about grammar was followed up with tasks imaginatively matched to the needs of the learners; one student filled in an application form and another wrote a response to a bill she had received. Tutors give constructive feedback and frequently check students’ progress towards their personal targets. In one successful session, students willingly discussed their mistakes and were given helpful and encouraging advice on how to improve.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

56. The Centre is led and managed well. As a result, it is effectively meeting the objectives it has agreed with the Department for Education and Skills.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership of the Centre is strong and determined. The head is well qualified and has considerable expertise. She has clear aspirations for high-quality, integrated childcare, early education and family support services and has single-mindedly pursued the Centre’s main aim. Her vision is widely shared throughout the Centre. With the staff team, and more recently the management committee, the head has maintained good quality nursery education overall, developed very successful provision for children with SEN and outstanding integrated services for families. The senior managers have successfully created very good staff relationships and have motivated and maintained an effective team despite the long term illnesses of some senior staff and the loss of a manager to a post outside the Centre.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

58. Two of the five senior managers are in temporary roles, but, none the less, the senior team provides effective leadership. Through active encouragement from the head to try out new ideas, the team has worked with enthusiasm and a commitment to maintain and develop the Centre’s provision. With the head they have accurately identified the most important priorities. They have taken forward many of the changes initiated by the substantive deputy head of the Centre (before she was taken ill) to improve the nursery education. Good examples of this are: the targeting groups of children such as the more capable, for additional direct group teaching; the considerable effort put into improving the quality of the nursery school’s curriculum planning; and, the steps taken to ensure that staff are better involved in these. More work is needed for example, to increase the challenge in the routine activities chosen by the more capable children and to strengthen

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

joint work between the day nursery and the nursery staff. However, the senior management team is clear about what needs to be done.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

59. The management committee governs well. It is a fully-constituted and well-established governing body and, unusually for a Centre with a nursery school, has had a devolved budget for several years. The management committee has carried out a careful appraisal of its role and put a number of improvements in place. The impact of this work is evident in the way that the roles of the sub-committees and their ways of reporting have been clearly defined. The committee represents the interests of the local community well; the main local authority services, and local initiatives such as Sure Start, are represented. Agencies providing for children with special needs have enhanced the development of the Centre’s policies, the curriculum and family support.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

60. The management committee members are kept well informed about developments and now play an important role in monitoring the Centre’s work. They are also aware that whilst they are moving in the right direction, they still have further work to do. As a result of the improvements in the ways they operate, the management committee now has a secure awareness of what the Centre does well and where improvements are needed. It supports the head well in taking decisions about existing and future services

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

61. The effective management of the Centre is underpinned by the clarity of the staffing structure. All staff are clear about their roles and are confident about ways in which they can contribute to the development plan. They recognise the value of reviewing their training against targets for improvement. Overall, a thorough monitoring programme is in place to keep a check on the quality of teaching and the children’s learning. The progress of individual children is tracked thoroughly by key workers and monitored by the senior teachers and the head. In particular, the progress of children with SEN is followed extremely well. Some of the planned monitoring of teaching has not taken place this year, because of the staff absences. There are plans to redress this, focusing on the quality of mathematics in the nursery school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

62. The performance management cycle for teachers and the appraisal system for other staff are securely in place and targets relate directly to the strategic plan. Responsibility for the head’s performance management is also in place, having been passed recently from the LEA to the management committee. There are very good opportunities for the professional development of staff. The training plan is clear and has successfully led to improvements in performance.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

63. The Centre has a relatively low income compared with many Early Excellence Centres but uses its funds well. Day to day finances are managed very well and monitored carefully by the head and finance sub-committee. The Centre’s approach to best value principles is good overall. The consultation of parents with children in the nursery school is very effective.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

64. The Centre very successfully meets the DfES expectations for sharing its good practice. The staff have found effective ways to disseminate their expertise in special educational needs through training and out-reach support. The impact of their work is seen through the increased confidence of staff in schools and pre-schools in identifying and supporting children with SEN. These practitioners have also been well supported to find better ways of approaching and working with parents. The training and high quality resources that the Centre’s staff provide, are helping the local education authority (LEA) and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) to meet their targets for raising children’s achievement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

65. The tenacity of the head has enabled the Centre’s staff to develop links with a good number of local and national initiatives like Sure Start and projects arising from Single Regeneration bids. Their involvement with the LEA and EYDCP is effective although the recent absences have temporarily prevented more staff from being involved. Aspects of the Centre’s work such as the approaches to inclusion, the development of children’s independence and their creativity have been supported well by LEA officers and are well- regarded by them. The Centre now ‘leads the local field’ in its provision for children with SEN and their families.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE CENTRE LED AND MANAGED?

66. The Centre’s staff work well with large numbers of local visitors and those from much further afield. They have established good links with schools, St. Vincent’s Further Education College, University College Chichester, King Alfred’s College in Winchester (Teacher Training) and, Southampton University. The staff are committed to providing effective placements for pupils on work experience and for students studying for degrees, Qualified Teacher Status and National Vocational Qualifications. It says much for the commitment of the staff that they are prepared to spend a great deal of time mentoring and supporting pupils and students. The impact of the work with pupils from a local special school, is said by their teachers to make a significant difference to the young people’s lives.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE CENTRE DO TO IMPROVE?

67. In order to further improve the standards, the head of the Centre and Haven nursery

p.20

school staff should:

• raise children’s achievement in mathematics by making more effective use of taught group time, by maximising routine activities and, by using questions that engage the whole group (paragraphs 7, 8, 77, 78, 79, 81);

p.20

school staff should:

• provide more challenge for the more capable children in the routine activities, by ensuring that planning and assessment is well targeted (paragraphs 13, 58, 74, 78).

p.20

school the head of Centre and staff should:

• continue to develop planning and assessment in the day nursery (paragraphs 40, 41, 58);

p.20

school the head of Centre and staff should:

• continue to share expertise between the staff in both nurseries (paragraphs 41, 58).

p.20

school the head of Centre and staff should:

The management committee is responsible for drawing 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.

p.20

Communication, language and literacy

68. Teaching is good and children achieve well. When they are admitted to the nursery school they are not at the levels expected for their age in their communication and language skills. Even so, they make good progress because of effective teaching and they are on course to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

p.21

Communication, language and literacy

69. When children start, the staff make a thorough assessment of their language skills. This means that potential problems with speech and language development are identified at an early stage. Children are taught to listen and the majority respond well to simple instructions. The staff teach all children to use Makaton signs and give them lots of opportunities to reinforce and use these skills. As a result, even the youngest children are familiar with a few basic signs, and use them to communicate with others particularly in ‘Chat and snack’ times.

p.21

Communication, language and literacy

70. Adults are adept at helping children to develop their language. They use a mixture of commentary, visual cues and questioning to good effect. The commentary is used well to explain what is happening or how to do something and the questions that staff ask help to make children think. For example, open-ended questions posed to young children with delayed language challenged the children to say more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’; they elicited responses that allowed continued conversation with the member of staff. Very occasionally questions are posed too rapidly so that children have insufficient time to think before being expected to respond. However, the good level of support overall ensures that all children are willing to have a go at communicating, and most are confident speakers. Children with little or no speech are making very good progress in using either visual cues or signs to say “Please” and “Thank you” and to make their needs known.

p.21

Communication, language and literacy

71. Children are attracted to books by the imaginative use of high quality resources. Staff involve parents well in special events such as ‘Book week’ and every child regularly borrows a library book to read at home. Special visitors such as well-known authors, illustrators and storytellers enrich the provision. Recently, staff have made a concerted effort to enhance their story-telling skills and are making more use of attractive illustrations and props like ‘Kipper’ and ‘Spot the dog’. These approaches, together with the very well planned and resourced role-play areas, are helping to develop language skills and imagination.

p.21

Communication, language and literacy

72. The staff create frequent opportunities to teach children letter sounds and names. As a result, older, more capable children make good progress in linking sounds with letters and symbols. They can ‘sound out’ the letters of their own names and letters in some simple words. They are challenged in group time to sound out new words. For example, when a four-year-old successfully sounded out ‘my’, the teacher encouraged him to have a go at sounding out ‘garden’. With the aid of her prompts, he was able to do this with relative ease. A published scheme to develop children’s phonological awareness is usually introduced during the second half of the spring term. A few more capable children would benefit from a more systematic approach and greater challenge slightly earlier than this.

p.21

Communication, language and literacy

73. Children are provided with worthwhile opportunities to have a go at writing. For instance, in ‘Haven’s Plaice’ - the fish and chip shop - and in the photographer’s studio, children have a go at ’writing’ customers’ orders and letters, which they post in Haven nursery’s post box. They also make books in the ‘office’. Staff regularly encourage children to try to write their names. The best learning takes place when children are reminded to look at their name cards and, in the early stages, to focus on forming the first letter. Those who can write their own names are usually reminded to use a capital letter first.

p.21

Communication, language and literacy

74. The more capable children are provided with good levels of challenge in small groups taught by an adult, but this is not always the case in the routine daily activities where they consolidate rather than further develop their skills. For example, children with a good pincer grip and well able to orientate letters correctly are not shown how to correct mistakes. Those that are starting to write simple words receive lots of praise and encouragement, but are not given sufficient guidance to practice and extend their skills. This is because the staff have not thought through precisely enough what the children should learn next.

p.22

Mathematical development

75. Teaching and learning in mathematics are sound. Children’s achievement is generally in line with that expected for their ages and they are on course to meet the early learning goals. Whilst this represents satisfactory progress, some are capable of doing better.

p.22

Mathematical development

76. The majority of children can successfully count sets of objects up to five and a few can count accurately beyond ten. Discussion with the older, more capable children revealed that they have more difficulty with comparison. For example, when faced with 4 candles in one cake and 2 in another, a group of children could count the candles but were unsure about which cake had the most. They know basic shapes such as square, circle and triangle and are aware that there are differences between the number of sides and corners.

p.22

Mathematical development

77. Staff plan a broad range of interesting mathematical experiences and these are backed up well with very good quality resources. They know how to plan the teaching of mathematical concepts but they sometimes miss opportunities to exploit the mathematical content of everyday situations. For example at snack time, some staff do not reinforce counting or the mathematical language of ‘more’ and ‘less’ to compare two numbers, with clearly targeted questions.

p.22

Mathematical development

78. Staff generally ask well-focused questions of individuals to ensure that ideas are understood, but they are less successful at engaging the whole group. For example, during a very interesting activity to improve children’s knowledge of numbers and their ability to count, the adult focused intently on one boy to ensure he was counting correctly. The quality of teaching he received was very good and he clearly learned and retained new facts. However, the rest of the group were insufficiently involved during this time. They became distracted because they were not drawn into the activity.

p.22

Mathematical development

79. In the taught group activities towards the end of the morning and afternoon sessions, time is not always well managed. In one case a group session started late because the previous session had over-run and it was curtailed before children’s learning about shapes had been reinforced. The activity, a fishing game, brought eager responses from the children, but its potential was not fully realised. On another occasion when children were sorting objects into sets, again, after a good start, the session was cut short for a story. Not enough time was given to developing the activity and this inhibited the learning of the children, especially the more capable.

p.22

Mathematical development

80. Computers are used appropriately to practise and reinforce basic counting and number recognition. Adults help individual children to understand how programs work and guide them well in controlling the mouse and in counting. 81. Songs and rhymes are used well to practise and extend counting. The physical actions accompanying songs such as ‘ten little ducks went swimming’ engage interest and the repetition of the refrain reinforces understanding. Singing sessions that have substantial time devoted to them have much greater impact on creative and mathematical learning than short sessions where songs are ‘tagged on’ at the end of other activities.

p.22

Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. Teaching is good and children do well. They are on course to reach a higher standard than is typical by the end of the reception year. Children do particularly well in the aspects that lay the foundations for science and design and technology.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

83. Staff provide a rich programme of ‘hands on’ experiences. They expect the children to explore, investigate and use different tools and materials. They effectively encourage the children’s natural curiosity and interest in new things and successfully step in at key times to teach new skills or to increase the challenge. For instance, in one well-taught group session for more capable children, there was real delight when the children found out for themselves how to complete an electrical circuit to light a bulb. The adult extended the activity well by challenging the children to investigate whether they could light more than one bulb and make the bulbs flash.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

84. A strength of the nursery’s work is the focus on ‘making and doing’. Children are taught new skills well, in particular how to join materials. This was seen when children were given clear instructions and shown carefully how to use a spanner, screws and bolts to join building blocks together. Children with special needs are supported well in their play with wooden bricks. For example when a child had built a boat and was invited to see if she could strengthen it, she collected tape and was helped to fasten the blocks together.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

85. The daily routines help children to develop a sound sense of time, for example, they compare old and new objects and measure themselves to find out how much they have grown over the year. There are frequent opportunities for children to get a feel for the sequence of events. For instance, children are constantly reminded about the rhythm of the nursery session: work time - garden time – tidy-up-time - chat time - snack time - group time - story time and home time.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. Children have regular access to computers and everyday technology. The use of ICT is an integral part of the nursery session. Many children use a mouse confidently to ‘click and drag’. They are taught effectively to use simple equipment. Cameras, telephones, laptops and a microwave are available for them to touch, explore and investigate. Adults explain very well how to operate a tape recorder using the ‘on’ and ‘off’ button and, how to load the tape. Learning is reinforced through practice when children use the tape recorder in music sessions, or when they listen to story tapes.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

87. Children show a lively interest in their local environment. Worthwhile, relevant and enjoyable visits stimulate their curiosity, which is fuelled by the enthusiasm the staff have for this work. A stimulating experience that built exceptionally well on the imaginative role-play children had encountered previously was a trip to the local chip shop. Passers- by stopped to exchange waves and greetings with the children. The children chatted about the houses, fences, the route they were taking, the shops and even the puddles! They also thought about what might happen when they got there. Three-year-olds showed a lively interest in their local environment and were able to point out the differences between the newsagents, the hardware shop and the chip shop.

p.23

Knowledge and understanding of the world

88. Staff encourage children’s understanding of their own cultures and those of others. Children eat foods from different countries and experience Indian dancing. The resources in role-play such as dressing up clothes and cooking implements and a good range of dual language books reflect a variety of cultures.

p.23

Physical development

89. Children achieve well because the teaching is good. They are likely to exceed the expected standards at the end of their reception year.

p.24

Physical development

90. The large garden area allows for a broad range of activities and plenty of space for running, jumping, hopping and skipping. Staff use the wide range of garden equipment and logs, ropes and tyres imaginatively. As children play, adults often pose simple problems and extend the children’s skills by encouraging them to find out things, for instance, how they can fit extra logs onto their trailers. The children handle the wheeled toys skilfully, moving trucks, trolleys, buggies and wheelbarrows deftly around the paths. They pedal bikes adeptly, showing a good awareness of space; they rarely bump into each other. These activities enable the children to develop their physical skills well. The climbing apparatus is a little limited and does not offer the children the same scope to develop their skills as other equipment. However, plans are already underway to remedy this.

p.24

Physical development

91. Indoors, large physical movements are taught well through different activities. For instance, in a music session, children were helped to improve their co-ordination as they jumped, clapped and tapped out rhythms on percussion instruments. On another occasion, children shook their instruments in time to music responding well to the teacher’s signs for ‘stop’ and ‘go’.

p.24

Physical development

92. From an early stage the children are effectively taught the physical skills needed to manipulate small tools and equipment. As a result, children make very good progress in this aspect. Staff expect children to learn to do things for themselves from an early age. They are taught to dress themselves, to undo their own straws and milk cartons, and gather aprons and pre-cut paper. Children are taught to prepare to paint or ‘glue’ and so have little difficulty in organising this themselves.

p.24

Physical development

93. In each session there are many opportunities like ‘painting’ fences with water, painting and printing patterns on paper, bubble blowing, weaving, moulding clay and cutting up small pieces of paper, to regularly practice and refine skills. Consequently, all children, including those with special needs, are confident enough to tackle most physical tasks. Gentle, unobtrusive persuasion by staff ensures that the majority of children persist until they succeed. This was exemplified by a child with profound physical needs who, like the rest of the group in a music session, got off his chair, collected his own percussion instrument without help and sat back on his chair.

p.24

Creative Development

94. The teaching is good overall. In particular, children’s imaginative play is very well promoted. Their creative development is better than that expected for their ages and they are on course to exceed the early learning goals. They achieve well during their time in Haven nursery school.

p.24

Creative Development

95. Children are taught a good range of skills for mixing and applying paint as they create patterns and pictures. Techniques that they learn include, bubble printing, dribble painting, marbling, applying both brush and roller and, creating mosaics. Children are shown how to improve their skills in cutting, sticking and joining a variety of media to create models. They enjoy a range of tactile stimuli for instance when they use water and flour mixtures or when they make handprints using mud! Modelling clay provides good opportunities for shaping and making impressions. The overall result is that children learn a wide range of new skills well and this helps to develop their creativity. The good teaching and range of experiences is extended by the resident artist. Her work has led to children experiencing dyeing, designing mosaics and creating large wall hangings.

p.24

Creative Development

96. The stimulating, high quality role-play situations created by staff such as a ‘photographer’s studio’ and a ‘fish and chip shop’ provide a starting point for a wide spectrum of imaginative scenarios. Staff support children very well in these activities by entering into character role with enthusiasm. Real life experiences, such as the visit to the local chip shop, further enhance their understanding of the world around them.

p.25

Creative Development

97. Musical activities are well-prepared and fun and the children enjoy group sessions during which they sing familiar songs and explore the sounds made by percussion instruments. They have been taught a suitable repertoire of simple songs, particularly number rhymes,

p.25

Creative Development

98. A wide range of good quality resources are to hand to support this area of learning. The children’s work is well displayed and this helps to create attractive areas around the nursery.

p.25

year olds

Name of setting: Haven Day Nursery Haven Early Years Centre

p.26

year olds

Address: Harris Road Gosport Hants PO13 0UY

p.26

year olds

Persons responsible for the Sharon Weeks day-to-day management of Julie Caldwell

p.26

the setting:

Date of inspection: 5 th - 6 th March 2003

p.26

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.

p.26

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

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.26

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

This inspection took place alongside an Ofsted inspection of the Haven Early Years Centre under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 . This report is included as an annex to the inspection report of the whole Centre.

p.26

1. Information about the setting

Haven Day Nursery is part of Haven Early Years Centre which opened in 1997. The day nursery is a self-contained unit. It is open each day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. for 50 weeks of the year. There is a large room for children aged two and over and a much smaller one for younger children. All children have access to a large, secure outdoor play area.

p.27

1. Information about the setting

The day nursery is mainly self-financing; most costs are met from fees paid by parents. Currently 43 children aged between five months and five years attend throughout the week. They are drawn from a wide catchment area and most of their parents work in and around Gosport. Four children receive funding for nursery education; one is aged three and the others are four-year- olds.

p.27

1. Information about the setting

Nine staff work in the day nursery. The hours worked by some staff fluctuate according to the number of children on role. One member of staff, who is working towards NVQ 3: Early Years Care and Education, is responsible for planning group activities for the funded children.

p.27

1. Information about the setting

2. Inspection of the nursery education provision for funded three and four year olds.

p.27

How effective is the nursery education?

Haven Day Nursery provides a relaxed and caring environment in which children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning.

p.27

How effective is the nursery education?

The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff develop warm relationships with the children and effectively promote their confidence, independence and social skills. They have consistently high expectations of behaviour and, as a result, children behave well. Staff provide a variety of practical activities, both in and out of doors, and achieve a good balance between those initiated by themselves and by the children. The indoor areas are organised to ensure that children have easy access to resources, but the room in which group work takes place is bleak.

p.27

How effective is the nursery education?

Group activities for the funded children are carefully planned and are presented in an enthusiastic and lively manner. Plans ensure that the children are offered experiences in all areas of learning and make clear what they are intended to learn. Comprehensive records are kept to check their progress towards the early learning goals. However, activities are not extended to provide sufficient challenge for the children, particularly in aspects of communication, language and literacy, and mathematics.

p.27

How effective is the nursery education?

The day nursery is generally well led and managed. The supervisors ensure the smooth day-to- day running of the nursery and are committed to developing practice in liaison with the Centre’s senior staff. However, a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching is not yet in place.

p.27

How effective is the nursery education?

The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Staff have good informal relationships with parents and these contribute to children’s well-being. They keep detailed notes of what each child has done at nursery during the week, but the system of ensuring that parents receive this, is not fully effective.

p.27

What is being done well?

• Relationships between staff and children are good, and routines are very well-established. This helps the children feel safe, secure and self-confident.

p.27

What is being done well?

• There is a consistent and effective approach to managing children’s behaviour. • Activities are varied, practical and capture children’s interest.

p.27

What is being done well?

• Children’s listening skills develop well as they listen attentively to stories, music and instructions.

p.28

What is being done well?

• Children’s physical skills are promoted effectively through a stimulating range of outdoor activities.

p.28

What is being done well?

• Regular music and movement sessions are well paced and encourage children to use their imagination.

p.28

What needs to be improved?

• the attention given to increasing children’s awareness of print; of the sounds of letters and words; and, of the different purposes of writing;

p.28

What needs to be improved?

• the extension of activities to encourage children to use numbers and to solve simple mathematical problems;

p.28

What needs to be improved?

• the organisation and appearance of the small group room, and the provision of interactive displays to increase children’s knowledge of letters, words and numbers;

p.28

What needs to be improved?

• the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching;

p.28

What needs to be improved?

• ways in which information about what children have done at nursery is shared with their parents.

p.28

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children make generally good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Their confidence and self-esteem is built up by staff who are sensitive to their needs and know them well. Children’s social skills develop well. They learn to share and take turns, and to be polite and considerate to others. Children are encouraged to be independent. They take care of their personal needs, learning to dress themselves, wash their hands and brush their teeth. They choose between activities and select resources for themselves, but are not always challenged to use their initiative.

p.28

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children make generally good progress in communication, language and literacy. Children enjoy the stories staff read to them. They listen attentively and enthusiastically enact familiar stories such as ‘The Enormous Turnip’. However, they are not sufficiently encouraged to talk about the story, predict what might happen next, or to notice print or the sounds of letters and words. Children are able to read their first names and write these correctly with well-formed letters, but activities are not consistently extended to incorporate opportunities to write for different purposes.

p.28

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children make generally good progress in mathematical development . Staff give children some good individual support, helping children to count to 10 and to notice shape, colour and size. They reinforce ideas about numbers, as children take part in routine tasks such as working out the date, or laying the table for lunch or snack-time. Overall, there is plenty of potential to develop mathematical learning in a practical way, but it is not sufficiently exploited to encourage children to use their knowledge of numbers to calculate or to solve simple mathematical problems.

p.28

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children make generally good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. Effective use is made of the outdoor area to stimulate children’s interest in the natural world. They collect leaves, observe the weather and enjoy splashing in puddles. Planned activities help them notice the changes that occur, for example when porridge or icing powder is mixed with water; when crayons and ice are exposed to heat; or when water is mixed with oil, washing-up liquid or glitter. There are various opportunities for children to make things from construction kits and from natural and recycled materials.

p.29

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children make generally good progress in physical development . Outdoors children set challenges for themselves, balancing along planks, swinging from tyres and ropes attached to trees, riding tricycles, and rolling and pushing each other along in plastic barrels. Staff are on hand to give support and encourage new skills such as jumping and landing safely. Children learn to handle equipment such as scissors, pencils, paintbrushes and construction equipment with increasing control.

p.29

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children make generally good progress in creative development. They participate enthusiastically in music sessions, using their imagination to climb beanstalks or to walk like bears through forests. They can tap a simple rhyme and use their voices and percussion instruments to distinguish between loud and soft sounds. Children draw freely and learn to apply paint in different ways. Role-play is varied and the current theme is ‘hairdressing’. The quality of these activities is dependent on the amount of support children are given to put together a sequence of events.

p.29

Summary of judgements for the six areas of learning

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

p.29

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.29

What the setting needs to do next: the key issues

• increase children’s awareness of print; of the sounds of letters and words; and of the different purposes of writing;

p.29

What the setting needs to do next: the key issues

• challenge children to use number to calculate and to solve simple mathematical problems;

p.29

What the setting needs to do next: the key issues

• improve the organisation and appearance of the room used for group work and increase interactive displays of letters, words and numbers;

p.29

What the setting needs to do next: the key issues

• introduce a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching.

p.29

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.29

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know or N/A

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child likes coming to the Centre. 90 9 0 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I am happy with the way the staff handle behaviour. 83 15 0 0 2

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Staff talk to me about my child’s progress. 71 27 2 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I would approach staff if I had a problem or a question about what was happening. 93 7 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Staff care about my child and want him/her to do well. 86 14 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I believe that the Centre is well managed and led. 93 6 0 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The Centre is helping my child become confident and make friends. 85 13 1 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I think the Centre provides lots of good learning experiences for my child. 93 7 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The Centre provides good support for children with special educational needs. 71 8 1 0 20

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I feel involved in my child’s learning. 65 29 3 1 2

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I feel that my child is safe and well cared for. 92 7 0 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know or N/A

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The staff are welcoming, approachable and helpful. 91 9 0 0 0

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The courses/workshops/drop-in sessions are well run and organised. 84 12 0 0 4

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The environment for adults attending courses/workshops/drop-in sessions is appropriate. 83 13 0 0 4

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

I have benefited from the courses/workshops/drop-in sessions that I have attended. 78 18 0 0 4

p.31