Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Charleston Primary School Nursery Class
Dundee City Council

9 March 2005

Charleston Primary School Nursery Class
Dunholm Road
Dundee
DD2 4NY

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 Charleston Primary School Nursery Class Dundee City Council

Introduction

Charleston Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in November 2004 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 56.

The environment

Standard 2

The nursery provided a safe and secure environment for children. The building was well maintained and play equipment was of good quality and in good condition. There was a secure and well-managed door-entry system in place. Displays were bright and stimulating and made good use of natural materials.

Policies, procedures and records were in place to support most aspects of health and safety. A fire risk assessment had been carried out in relation to the whole school, including the nursery. However, the nursery should record its own risk assessment in relation to the outdoor area and outings.

A record of incidents and accidents was kept. This should be further developed to include evidence that parents had been informed about the incident and were in agreement with action taken.

The nursery had an enclosed outdoor play area, and considerable work had gone into making an application for funding to develop this. The application for funding was with the education authority. The existing play area was under used. Space available for physical activity within the nursery was too limited. Children did not have enough opportunities for energetic physical play either inside or outside. The headteacher should ensure that the use of the indoor and outdoor space is reviewed to ensure that children have daily access to energetic physical activities.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Staff had created a warm, caring environment in which good use was made of praise to encourage effort and to make children feel valued. Key workers knew their children well and were sensitive to their needs.

Play and adult-led activities, including structured story and singing times, were organised across each morning and afternoon session. Children needed further opportunities to make choices, take responsibility for their own learning and access a wider range of learning opportunities across each daily session.

Staff planned their work well. They observed, assessed and recorded children’s progress well. They met together regularly to plan programmes of work, themes and seasonal activities which helped to support children’s learning. Plans were flexible to allow staff to respond to children’s interests. Assessment information was used to plan appropriate activities for most children’s learning and to inform each child’s transition record. Staff should continue to develop and implement the good systems in place for planning and assessment to include more specific next steps in children’s learning.

Features of the programmes for children included the following:

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was good. Children were happy, settled and familiar with daily routines. They were developing friendships and most cooperated well with each other. They showed consideration for others by sharing and taking turns. Many were able to take responsibility for personal hygiene and for tidying away materials. Staff needed to provide further opportunities for children to develop skills of concentration.
• The programme for communication and language was good. Children talked and listened readily during social activities, free play and in small group situations. They listened attentively to stories and were eager to involve adults and each other in conversation. Some children could recognise their name in print and a few could write it. Children needed further opportunities to extend their skills in early writing through play activities. There was scope for more appropriate use of print, signs, captions and displays to develop children’s skills in early reading through play.
• The programme for developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world was good. Regular outings were made in the local environment, including the school grounds, a local supermarket and to Camperdown Park. Most children could recognise basic colours, shapes and simple numbers. They were progressing well at sorting and matching. Regular use of the computer was offered to enhance skills in early mathematics. Children required further opportunities to develop skills of observation and investigation in the adjacent outside play area.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was good. Staff provided children with a range of appropriate materials to develop their skills in painting, gluing, printing and the use of play dough. Children took part enthusiastically in role-play activities. They enjoyed participating in singing and some action games, but needed further opportunities to make music using percussion instruments.
• The programme for physical development and movement was fair. Children were developing hand control by painting, cutting, rolling, stirring, using small world toys and the computer mouse. There were some opportunities for energetic physical play in the adjacent outside area. Weekly use was made of both the primary school gym and hall to further develop energetic activities. Staff needed to provide further opportunities for children to enjoy daily energetic activity, both indoors and outdoors. There were insufficient opportunities for children to use large-scale climbing apparatus.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff knew children well and intervened sensitively in play activities to support their learning. Parents’ relationships with nursery staff were good. Parents and carers who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were happy with almost all aspects of the nursery. A few felt that their concerns were not dealt with appropriately. Staff provided parents with useful up-to-date information through regular newsletters, parents’ meetings, informal discussions and attractive notice boards.

A Family Support Centre was situated adjacent to the nursery. Liaison with the newly appointed staff team was at an early stage and required to be further developed. There was a well-planned programme of induction for children transferring from nursery to P1. Information on children’s progress was regularly shared with parents and the education authority’s transition record was used when children transferred to P1. Nursery children had regular opportunities to visit P1.

The headteacher and staff liaised with relevant agencies and other pre-five establishments to ensure good support for children with additional needs. In addition, regular visits from a wide variety of support agencies provided effective support for children, as appropriate.

Nursery staff had received recent training in child protection policy and procedures.

Management

Standard 14

The headteacher provided good leadership overall. There were clear lines of communication between the experienced and committed nursery staff and the headteacher, and responsibilities were well defined.

Teamwork was strong. Staff had been recruited in line with local authority procedures and held appropriate education and childcare qualifications. Formal reviews had taken place with all nursery staff. There was a commitment to staff development, and training was well supported.

The headteacher was aware of the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice and demonstrated knowledge of the future implications.

Some good approaches to self-evaluation were in place in relation to the school as a whole, and one nursery priority had been identified within the whole-school development plan. A regular system of monitoring aspects of nursery performance was in place. However, approaches to monitoring and self-evaluation needed to be improved further, and should involve all staff. There was also a need to develop effective ways of involving parents and children in the evaluation of the nursery.

Key strengths

• The good interaction of staff with children.
• The effective and sensitive support of the nursery staff for children and their families.
• The experienced and committed nursery staff team.

Other Issues

Response to recommendations or to requirements made at previous inspection

In relation to the requirement in the previous inspection report under SSI 2002/114 Regulation 13(a), the nursery had altered the system of staff breaks to ensure that staff/child ratios were maintained throughout the session.

The recommended increase in opportunities for outdoor play remained outstanding, and is the subject of a further recommendation as detailed below.

Recommendations for improvement

• Aspects of health and safety and risk assessment, as detailed in this report, should be improved.
• The headteacher must ensure that the use of the indoor and outdoor space is reviewed to ensure that children have daily access to energetic physical play.
• The headteacher and staff should revise the daily programme to ensure that all children are able to choose independently from the full range of activities, both inside and out.
• Staff should continue to develop approaches to planning and assessing children’s progress. They should make better use of assessment information to plan more specific next steps in children’s learning.
• Staff should improve the programme in physical development and movement.
• The headteacher should develop more systematic and rigorous procedures for monitoring and evaluating the work of the nursery. She should involve parents and children in the self-evaluation process.

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.