Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of
Kinloss Primary School Nursery Class
The Moray Council

14 June 2006

Kinloss Primary School Nursery Class
Burghead Road
Kinloss
Moray
IV36 3SX

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:

Very good : major strengths
Good : strengths outweigh weaknesses
Fair : some important weaknesses
Unsatisfactory : major weaknesses

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

If you would like an additional copy of this report

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.

If you wish to comment about integrated pre-school inspections

Should you wish to comment on any aspect of integrated pre-school inspections, you should write in the first instance to Kenneth Muir, HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to either:

If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You can write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS. You can also telephone 0870 011 5378 or e-mail enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.scottishombudsman.org.uk.

A copy of the HMIE complaints procedure is available from the HMIE website at www.hmie.gov.uk or by telephoning 01506 600 258.

Crown Copyright 2006

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.

Introduction

Kinloss Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in March 2006 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. It was registered for 20 children attending at any one session. At the time of the inspection the total roll was 20.

The environment

Standard 2

The nursery, which was accommodated in a classroom within the primary school, offered a safe, secure and welcoming environment for children. It shared an entrance and cloakroom area with the P1 class. The cloakroom area was limited in space. Staff needed to review this area and organise an effective system to minimise congestion. Children had access to additional facilities within the school, including the gym hall, library and computer suite.

The nursery was very well resourced and the playroom had recently been refurbished to a high standard. There was space for children to work independently, and in small and large groups. However, there was limited space for indoor energetic physical play, and the layout of the playroom did not offer children enough opportunities to access resources by themselves.

An appropriate range of health and safety procedures, including infection control, was in place and staff encouraged children to adopt good hygiene practices. Staff carried out daily safety checks of the premises, but had not yet carried out full risk assessments of the indoor and outdoor play areas.

Children had access to areas of the very large school playground and to their own enclosed play area, which had a soft surface and a fixed climbing frame.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Staff knew the children very well. They valued children’s efforts and praised them appropriately, which helped develop their confidence and sense of their own worth. Staff made very effective use of explanation, dialogue, discussion and questioning to develop children’s ideas and encourage them to think for themselves. They organised a broad range of activities for children. However, the structure of the session did not allow some children to persevere with their chosen activities. As a result, some children lost interest and became restless. Others needed to be challenged more.

Staff had very good arrangements in place for planning for children’s learning. They met regularly to plan, discuss and evaluate the quality of these experiences. Written plans showed clearly how and what children were expected to learn. Children were involved in planning some of their own learning. Staff observed children at their play activities and used their observations to compile detailed assessment records for each child and identify areas for future development. Parents received written reports on their children’s progress and had opportunities to meet with staff informally and at two parents’ evenings.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was good. Children were confident, happy and had settled well into nursery routines. Most were comfortable with simple rules. Staff provided effective opportunities for children to share resources and take turns during play activities. Children were learning to work cooperatively and some concentrated for extended periods on their chosen activities. They were developing independence in a variety of tasks such as tooth brushing, personal hygiene and dressing for outdoor play. Staff encouraged children to take responsibility for tidying up around the playroom. However, children needed more opportunities to help with specific tasks such as preparing snack and selecting resources and activities.
• The programme for communication and language was very good. Staff provided very good opportunities for children to listen and talk to adults and to each other. Children enjoyed describing the objects they had brought to nursery to show their friends. Staff encouraged children to ask and answer questions about the weather, the days of the week and the seasons. Children enjoyed listening to, and participating in, stories staff read to them. They used language well to predict what would happen next. Staff provided a very good range of fiction and information books which children could access easily. Children enjoyed their regular visits to the school library to choose books. Staff used a good variety of signs and labels around the playroom to help children make the link between the written and the spoken word. Children recognised their own name in print and some could write it.
• The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world was good. Staff planned an interesting range of topics throughout the year. They made good use of outings and visitors to the nursery to help children find out about the local and wider community. Children had effective opportunities to find out about their own and other cultures through the celebration of a variety of festivals. They were developing simple science skills using a range of materials and activities including sand, water, baking and cooking. However, children needed more opportunities to explore and investigate a wider range of materials, and to solve simple problems. Staff provided an effective range of activities for children to develop their knowledge of colours, shapes and numbers. Children enjoyed comparing their own heights with those of friends. However, they needed more opportunities to develop an understanding of simple mathematical process such as sorting and grouping.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was good. Children enjoyed very imaginative play in the ‘dental surgery’ where staff supported them very effectively with well-timed interventions and a very good variety of props. Some children enjoyed creating very imaginative and detailed drawings at the well-equipped drawing table. Others created expressive collage work cards for Mother’s Day. However, the range of materials and media offered was limited and chosen by staff. Children needed access to a wider range of materials to help them express themselves freely and creatively. Staff provided regular opportunities for children to explore sound and rhythm. They used percussion instruments and sang a variety of songs. However, they needed more access to music and musical instruments to enable them to develop their own creative ideas in music making.
• The programme for physical development and movement was good. Children were developing control of their fingers and hands through using pencils, scissors, writing tools, small construction toys and jigsaws. Children had regular access to a range of outdoor play areas. These included the school garden, where children could develop an interest in nature. Children were developing skills in climbing, sliding, running and some enjoyed energetic, imaginative play. Children had opportunities to ride, push and pull a variety of wheeled toys. Staff provided regular opportunities for children to develop an awareness of space, to explore different ways of using their bodies and to enjoy exercise routines in the school gym hall. However, staff needed to ensure that all children experienced daily, energetic physical play.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff had created a caring environment with a strong inclusive ethos. They had established positive relationships with parents, carers and children. Staff knew the children very well and responded appropriately to their needs. Staff encouraged parents to support the nursery through helping with outings, assisting with the library scheme and fundraising. They kept parents very well informed about nursery life through informal discussions, formal meetings, regular newsletters and an informative handbook and notice board. Most parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were satisfied with almost all aspects of the provision. However, a few had concerns about the increase in class size and the congestion in the cloakroom area.

A well-planned programme of induction to primary school was in place. Children were familiar with the school setting and facilities and had opportunities to meet with staff prior to transfer. The depute headteacher was also a regular visitor to the nursery.

The nursery had developed very good links with a range of professional agencies including Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (S.S.A.F.A) as the school was near to an airforce base. Nursery staff received practical support and advice from the principal teacher of additional support needs within the school in supporting children who required additional help with their learning. These children were effectively supported within the playroom by support staff. Staff liaised appropriately with parents and other professionals in creating useful individualised educational programmes for these children.

Management

Standard 14

The overall quality of leadership and management of the nursery was good. The headteacher had delegated responsibility for the nursery provision to a depute. Both had a clear understanding of their roles and shared a vision of the nursery as an inclusive and integral part of the school. Together, they had successfully supported nursery staff through a period of significant change. The staff within the nursery were highly motivated and enthusiastic and worked effectively together as a team.

The nursery had an appropriate range of policies and procedures in place which provided clear and useful guidance to staff, and informed parents on all aspects of nursery provision. Child protection guidelines were followed appropriately and staff were aware of their responsibilities in protecting children. An effective system of staff review was in place which identified staff development and training needs. All staff were committed to ongoing professional development. Management and staff were familiar with the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice and the registration process.

An annual audit of the provision carried out by the depute head and the nursery staff identified priorities for improvement which were successfully being taken forward. The depute had established a programme for formally monitoring and evaluating the quality of children’s experiences and practice within the playroom. She now needed to build on this good practice and increase the frequency and range of these formal evaluations.

Key strengths

• The very bright, attractive and well-resourced playroom.
• The very high quality of interactions between staff and children.
• The very good programme in communication and language.
• The very inclusive ethos generated by management and staff.
• The highly-motivated staff team, supportive management and their overall commitment to improvement.

Other Issues

Response to recommendations or to requirements made at previous inspection

The requirement and recommendation made at the previous inspection had been satisfactorily actioned.

Recommendations for improvement

• The manager and staff should review the layout of the playroom and the structure of the day to meet the needs of all children more effectively.
• The manager should further develop systems for monitoring and evaluating practice within the playroom.

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.