Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Canisbay Rainbow Nursery
The Highland Council

5 October 2005

Canisbay Rainbow Nursery
Canisbay Primary School
Canisbay
Wick
KW1 4YH

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 Canisbay Rainbow Nursery The Highland Council

Introduction

Canisbay Rainbow Nursery was inspected in June 2005 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. The nursery catered for pre-school children aged three to five years. At the time of the inspection the roll was 14.

The environment

Standard 2

The nursery class was located within the primary school building. The local toddler group used the playroom a few afternoons each week when the nursery was not operating. The accommodation was well maintained and provided a bright and welcoming environment for children. There were attractive displays of photographs and children’s work available for parents and carers.

Children had access to a main activity room and had occasional access to the school gym hall which was also used as the dining hall. The headteacher had worked effectively to provide a very attractive and well resourced secure outdoor area.

Children had opportunities to play and work independently or in groups within the limited play space. Access to the nursery for those with disabilities was limited.

Staff ensured the facilities and resources were safe, clean and hygienic and had a good range of effective procedures to control the spread of infection.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Staff had good relationships with children and families. They knew children well and praised their contributions developing their confidence and self esteem. Children were eager to learn and cooperated well with each other. There was a good variety of activities that children could choose for themselves or directed by adults. Staff interaction to extend children’s learning was good. However on a few occasions children needed better direction to become fully involved in purposeful play activities.

Staff planned together as a group and were currently developing their planning procedures. They observed children regularly to record their progress. Staff needed to make better use of the information gained to plan more effectively for individuals and small groups.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Children were happy and secure with nursery routines and simple rules. Most children cooperated well with each other and had established friendships. They were able to share and take turns. Staff used the computer well to remind children of their activities and achievements by showing a wide range of photographs on screen which children accessed daily. Children had good opportunities to be independent particularly at snack time.
• The programme for communication and language was good. Staff encouraged children to talk and listen to each other and in a larger group. Children were able to recall a favourite story using helpful props. They were able to tell the difference between fiction and non fiction books in the attractive story corner. Staff provided a well resourced writing table and some children were interested in writing their names. Children had more limited opportunities to practise their early writing skills in different play situations.
• The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world was very good. Staff provided very good opportunities for children to learn about their local environment by a wide range of visits and discussions with local people. For example, children were learning about fish and were interested in making fishing nets. Children attempted to make their own net with the help of a member of the local community. They were learning about early number and could understand more and less. They had planted flowers in the attractive garden and understood how to care for plants.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was good. Staff provided a pretend beach area for children’s imaginative play. There were too few resources available and children did not make the best use of this area. Staff needed to provide a wider range of items for children to extend and develop their play. Children had good opportunities to paint, model make and choose from a wide range of collage materials. Children sang enthusiastically and had regular opportunities to use simple musical instruments.
• The programme for physical development and movement was good. Children had regular access to the very attractive outdoor play area. They had good opportunities to use large physical equipment outdoors but had more limited opportunities for energetic activity in the playroom. Staff needed to consider how best to use the space available for children to experience a wider range of physical opportunities. Children were learning good control of their fingers and hands using construction toys, games and puzzles.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff had very good relationships with children and parents. They supported their needs well. Parents and carers who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were happy with all aspects of the nursery.

There were very good arrangements in place to support children transferring to primary school. Visits are arranged for the P1 teacher and children to visit the class on a regular basis for several months prior to the start of term. The headteacher had established a buddy system for children starting school with P7 pupils to get used to the playground at the morning interval.

Children requiring additional help with their learning were well supported. The headteacher had established good links with external agencies and had designated support staff for individual children. Parents were fully involved in all aspects of this support. This included attending regular meetings with staff to discuss short term targets in children’s individual educational programmes.

Management

Standard 14

The nursery class was established in August 2004, as part of the primary school. It had previously been a voluntary group within the small local community. The headteacher showed sensitivity and very good support to staff in managing the change of status for the group. She displayed commitment, a high degree of professional knowledge and skill and many personal qualities. She had very good relationships with staff, parents and children. Overall leadership was good at this early stage of development.

Nursery staff had been recruited in line with local authority guidelines. They were hard working and enthusiastic and worked well as a team. The nursery teacher visited staff once each week and gave good support to staff. As a team they were undertaking new developments, for example planning and recording of children’s progress. Nursery staff would be better supported from increased contact with the nursery teacher.

Comprehensive policies and procedures were in place for children’s care and welfare. Aims and objectives were clearly laid out. Accident reports needed a parental signature.

Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the nursery were at an early stage of development. Well documented notes of monitoring visits were maintained by the headteacher. Staff had begun to use performance indicators to evaluate the work of the nursery. They used the information gathered to create appropriate priorities in the nursery’s first development plan.

Key strengths

• Very good relationships among staff, families and children.
• The very good programmes for emotional, personal and social development and knowledge and understanding of the world which were extending and supporting children’s learning.
• The effective procedures for children requiring additional support with their learning.
• The commitment of the headteacher in the establishment of the new nursery provision.

Recommendations for improvement

• Staff should carry out more focussed observations of children’s learning to better inform the planning process.
• Staff should further develop procedures for monitoring and self-evaluating the work of the nursery.

Requirements

• Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 Number 114 Regulation 10 Fitness of Premises. The nursery is required to ensure that there is appropriate disabled access to the nursery. Timescale — 9 months from receipt of report.

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.