OFSTED REPORT FOR HARDINGSTONE DAY NURSERY

1.MAIN FINDINGS OF THE INSPECTION

The strengths and weaknesses of the educational provision

Hardingstone Day Nursery provides a good range of interesting and worthwhile activities in a happy and relaxed atmosphere. The children are likely to achieve the desirable learning outcomes in all six areas by the time they are five years old, although there are minor weaknesses in mathematics.

The personal and social development of the children is very good and is given high priority in the nursery. The behaviour of the children is very good. Staff set clear guidelines and are consistent in their approach, giving gentle reminders to help children to become aware of right and wrong. Many opportunities are provided for the children to work in large and small groups and individually, sharing and taking turns. During the inspection this was particularly noticeable in the role-play area where the children took it in turns to be the doctor. Staff encourage children to develop good independence skills, for example by fetching their own work and putting on aprons for painting. The children are very kind to each other and have a good understanding of how to look after the nursery pets.

The programme for language and literacy is very good. The children listen very attentively to stories and each other during circle times. They talk very confidently about events in their lives. Many opportunities are provided for the children to use their imagination and make up stories in the role-play area with good intervention by staff at times. The children have a real love of books and freely chose this activity - sometimes telling each other the story from the pictures. This is developed further by the introduction of reading groups. The children are beginning to recognise letters by shape and sound and there is some very good individual work to support their learning.

The programme for mathematics is satisfactory overall. The children are encouraged to use good mathematical language of shape, size and position in their play. Many opportunities are provided for children to sort, match and sequence using a variety of resources. The children can recognise and write the numerals, but there are missed opportunities during the routines of the day to become aware of number operations such as addition and subtraction and through practical activities to begin to solve problems. There are also very few planned activities to recognise and make patterns.

The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world is good. The children talk very confidently about the attractions in the area where they live and about their families. They have opportunities to explore the features of living things by growing plants and seeds and looking after the nursery pets. They observe patterns of change when they watch caterpillars develop into butterflies, and cut vegetables in different ways for printing. Staff question children very effectively, making them think more carefully about what they are doing, and encourage them to use technology well to support their learning.

The programme for physical development is good. There is a wide range of equipment which the children are able to use competently. They use the space around them well and are aware of others. Many opportunities are provided for children to develop their handwriting skills.

The programme for creative development is very good. Many activities are planned to give the children experience in using different materials for different purposes, and the children are very confident and independent in their use of these. Good opportunities are provided for the children to use their imagination and make up stories, particularly in the role-play area. Staff intervene well to support and lengthen their play. Singing features regularly in the programme and children sometimes use percussion instruments to accompany the singing.

Planning is good overall. All six areas are covered, although not enough emphasis is placed on mathematics. Planning covers the activities linked to the theme, but the extra activities which are regarded as free play are not included in the plans, nor are the learning objectives for these, thus leading to the current minor weaknesses in mathematics during child-initiated play. As a result of good planning, staff are deployed effectively at all times and children are grouped appropriately for activities.

Teaching is generally good. Staff are cheerful and work well together as a team and really enjoy their work. They give clear instructions and interact well with the children, questioning them effectively. They are well led by senior staff and have a secure knowledge and understanding of the desirable learning outcomes. Assessment is very good and ongoing and this is an area which has improved since the last inspection. Assessments are used for planning future activities. Staff review the activities daily and also at the regular staff meetings. Training needs are discussed and identified at appraisals and individual needs are met where possible.

Activities are available to all children and are monitored closely by staff. Good differentiation of work occurs, particularly in the written work for mathematics and language and literacy. The officer in charge has an understanding of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and has supported children with individual needs.

There are sufficient resources to cover all six areas of learning, although the resources for mathematics are not used effectively at times and opportunities for learning are missed. The inside and outdoor accommodation is used effectively.

The partnership with parents and carers is strong. Parents receive good information on the routines of the day in the nursery brochure, but there is no information on the desirable learning outcomes. They are welcomed into the nursery at the beginning and end of the sessions and are well informed of their children's progress daily on an informal basis and three monthly by way of written reports. They are able to add their own observations of their children's learning on the report sheet. They are encouraged to join in with activities such as sports day and concerts and bring topic-related items to nursery. Children take home books regularly to read to their parents and parents are encouraged to write their comments on the record sheet.

The implementation of the action plan resulting from issues arising from the last OFSTED inspection is satisfactory. The free play activities are generally added to the planning sheets at the end of the session, but no learning objectives have been included. This remains a key issue. The staff include observations on the children's learning in the review of the day and use these comments to plan extra activities. More staff are outside at times to monitor the children and to encourage them to take part in all activities. More assessments of physical development have been added to the record sheets. This key issue has been fully met..

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