Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Armadale Primary School Nursery Class West Lothian Council

12 January 2005

Armadale Primary School Nursery Class
Academy Street
West Lothian
EH48 3JD

The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act, 2001, requires that the Care Commission inspect all care services covered by the Act every year to monitor the quality of care provided. In accordance with the Act, the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education carry out integrated inspections of the quality of care and education. In doing this, inspection teams take account of National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16, and The Child at the Centre. The following standards and related quality indicators were used in the recent inspection.

Evaluations made using HMIE quality indicators use the following scale, and these words are used in the report to describe the team’s judgements:

Reports contain Recommendations which are intended to support improvements in the quality of service.

Any Requirements refer to actions which must be taken by service providers to ensure that regulations are met and there is compliance with relevant legislation. In these cases the regulation(s) to which requirements refer will be noted clearly and timescales given.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher, staff and the education authority. Copies are also available on the Care Commission website: www.carecommission.com and HMIE website: www.hmie.gov.uk .

Should you wish to comment on or make a complaint about any aspect of the inspection or about this report you should write either to the Care Commission or to HM Inspectorate of Education at the address below. If you are still dissatisfied with our services, you can contact your member of the Scottish Parliament (or, if you prefer, any other MSP). You can also contact the Scottish Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and Agencies.

Crown Copyright 2005

Care Commission
HM Inspectorate of Education

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.

Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Armadale Primary School Nursery Class West Lothian Council

Introduction

Armadale Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in September 2004 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. The nursery catered for children from age three to five years. At the time of the inspection the roll was 68.

The environment

Standard 2

The nursery was located within Armadale Primary School. The accommodation provided a safe and secure environment which was in a good state of repair. The environment was well lit and ventilated and had been attractively decorated. There was plenty of space for children to play independently and in both large and small groups. The outdoor area was fully enclosed and provided children with a variety of play surfaces and activities. Appropriate measures were in place to control the spread of infection. Play equipment was clean and well maintained.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

The quality of play experiences for children was very good. Staff provided a stimulating and challenging range of activities. They encouraged children to make choices and express their views and opinions. Staff interacted very effectively with children to extend their learning. They made good use of questioning and gave clear explanations. Children were highly motivated by their activities and showed enthusiasm and good concentration. Staff had developed very good procedures for planning the curriculum. They observed children at play and noted their responses to activities. They had begun to assess children’s progress in each of the five key aspects of children’s development and learning. Staff made very good use of assessment information to plan next steps in learning for groups and individuals. Staff should continue to develop their procedures for recording their assessments and share these with parents.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Staff had created a caring and supportive environment for learning. They made very good use of praise to promote children’s self esteem. Children were happy and settled in the nursery. They were making new friends and most played well with other children. They showed independence in selecting and tidying resources and preparing and serving snack. Staff celebrated children’s achievements on a "Star Board".
• The programme for communication and language was very good. Children listened very well to stories and some could re-tell their favourite part. They spoke confidently to adults and to each other. Staff made very good use of print and labelling around the playroom. Children enjoyed writing and many could write their name and some alphabet letters. Children and their families enjoyed borrowing "Storysacks" to read at home.
• The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world was very good. Staff made very good use of the garden area and children had grown beans and potatoes which they had cooked and eaten. Children enjoyed exploring the properties of sand, water and other sensory materials. They took part enthusiastically in a spider hunt in the playroom and recorded their findings in picture form. Staff had created an attractive area where children could explore early mathematical activities in play contexts. Many children could recognise colours, numbers and shapes. Some children used the computer confidently to design patterns.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Children used props and costumes imaginatively in the home corner. They had access to a wide range of art and craft materials and they used these expressively to create attractive pictures, models and collages. Staff provided a good range of musical instruments for the children and they enjoyed singing songs and rhymes.
• The programme for physical development and movement was very good. Children were developing good control of their fingers and hands using pencils, scissors, paintbrushes, glue spreaders and small construction materials. Staff made daily use of the outdoor area and children enjoyed using wheeled toys and outdoor equipment. Staff had created an attractive area for a large climbing frame and chute indoors. Children used this confidently and safely.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff provided very good levels of care for the children. They were patient and kind and responded very well to children’s individual needs. They had very good arrangements for settling new children and supporting their families. Staff had developed very good links with parents and encouraged them to be fully involved in the nursery as parent helpers and mentors. All parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very pleased with all aspects of the nursery.

Children with additional needs were very well supported by staff. The nursery worked very effectively with a range of agencies to ensure that each child who required it had an individual educational programme. Staff also set short-term targets for some individuals and groups who needed support with particular aspects of their learning. The nursery had very good arrangements to ensure a smooth transition for children transferring from nursery to P1, including allocating each child a "buddy" to take care of them in the playground.

Management

Standard 14

The headteacher and her depute provided very good leadership. Both demonstrated a high level of professional competence. Senior management and staff actively promoted the aims and objectives of the nursery. Staff were committed and worked together very well as a team. Relationships between staff and parents were very good. Parents were valued, consulted and included in the life of the nursery.

All the appropriate policies and procedures including a child protection policy were in place. These policies and procedures were shared with staff and parents. Staff were suitably qualified and recruited in line with local authority guidance. They were deployed effectively to support children’s needs.

The senior management team had put in place effective measures for monitoring and evaluating the service. An annual system of staff appraisals was in place. All members of staff were committed to ongoing training. On the day of the inspection the appropriate ratio of adults to children was in place.

Key strengths

• The bright, stimulating playrooms and the very good use of the outdoor area.
• The skilled interaction of staff to extend children’s learning.
• The very good procedures for planning the curriculum.
• The very good programmes in each of the five key aspects of children’s development and learning.
• The very good support for children and families.
• The effective leadership and the teamwork of staff.

Recommendations for improvement

• Staff should continue to develop their procedures for recording their assessments of children’s progress.

Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors have asked the pre-school centre and Education Authority to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report. Where requirements are made, the action plan should include timescales to deal with these. The plan will be available to parents and carers. In liaison with the pre- school centre and Education Authority, Care Commission Officers and HM Inspectors will monitor progress to ensure improvements are in line with the main findings of the report.