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

21 September 2005

Rosebank Primary School Nursery Class
Lodgehill Road
Nairn
IV12 4RB

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

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.

Introduction

Rosebank Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in May 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 58.

The environment

Standard 2

The nursery was located within Rosebank Primary School. The children had access to a large playroom and occasional access to a smaller playroom. Staff had worked effectively to provide a stimulating, bright and welcoming environment. There were attractive displays of photographs and children’s work and a wide range of appropriate equipment and materials to support children’s learning. Children had opportunities to play and work independently or in groups.

Staff made sure that children did not have access to inappropriate materials, including screening access to the internet. Staff took appropriate measures to control the spread of infection. Toilet facilities were appropriate. The water temperature in the large playroom was not regulated to a safe temperature.

The children had access to an outdoor play area adjacent to the nursery. A section of the play area which was not enclosed was beside an access road to the school. This presented an unacceptable risk to the children.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Staff had very good relationships with the children and knew them well. They chose resources to meet the needs and interests of the children. Staff engaged them in high-quality interaction to promote thinking and develop their learning. Children had a good balance of free play and group activities. They had very good opportunities to express their creativity using a wide range of arts and crafts materials. They enjoyed experiences which encouraged them to use all their senses to explore their environment. The children were given the time and space to enjoy and explore a range of activities. They were challenged, stimulated and actively involved in the learning process. Children were enthusiastic and well motivated by tasks which were well matched to their interests and needs.

Staff maintained folios of children’s work and recorded their achievements. They were developing procedures for planning, assessment and reporting. They observed children at play and noted their progress. Staff now needed to make better use of this information to plan the next steps in children’s learning more effectively and more clearly track children’s progress in their learning and development.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Staff had created a warm and purposeful environment for the children. They made appropriate use of praise. The children were happy and secure with the nursery routines and rules. Staff encouraged them to be independent at snack time. Children enjoyed tidying resources away to a favourite piece of music. Many were developing friendships and showed caring attitudes towards each other. Children cooperated very well with each other in their play. Some children persevered with more challenging tasks such as art work. They were able to take turns and share resources.
• The programme for communication and language was very good. The children listened well to adults and to each other and made appropriate contributions during discussions. They were able to express themselves well and talk about their interests and experiences. Many children took part well in extended conversations. They listened attentively to stories. Staff gave the children well-planned and purposeful opportunities to develop early reading and writing skills at the comfortable book corner, writing table and role-play corner. Staff developed children’s understanding of the link between print and the spoken word effectively. Some children were "writing" letters to relations. Many children were recognising and writing their own names.
• The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world was very good. Staff made very good use of outings and visitors to help children to learn about their local environment. They were carrying out simple experiments into the properties of sponges and soapy water. Children had a good understanding about the care of plants. They helped in the design of a planned sensory garden and planted shrubs in this area. They were encouraged to explore and learn using their senses. They used mathematical language in their play and were developing their problem solving skills.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Children expressed their thoughts and feelings very effectively through a range of media. Staff valued their work and displayed it attractively. Children used a good range of materials to design and make pictures. They were encouraged to be creative and to use materials to make collages. The children used musical instruments in the music area and they enjoyed singing activities. A pre-school music specialist had supported children’s learning. Children’s role-play was highly imaginative. They invented stories in the ‘travel agent’s’ and through the use of small world play.
• The programme for physical development and movement was good. The children had access to the hall four days a week. They cooperated well and enjoyed playing with the parachute in the hall. Children were confident and enjoyed outside physical play. However, these experiences were limited as the nursery outdoor play area was being redesigned to become a sensory garden and physical play area. This needs to be completed to impact on the children’s experiences. Children were developing very good control of their fingers and hands using a wide range of equipment such as the writing materials, play dough, jigsaws and construction toys.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff were responsive to the children’s needs and those of their families. Parents were able to talk to staff daily and they had formal and informal opportunities to discuss their children’s progress. Parents were consulted through questionnaires about the work of the nursery. The parents who returned the pre-inspection questionnaire were positive about the work of the nursery. Some would have liked more information on their child’s progress.

The staff had a good knowledge of the children. They needed to use assessment information to plan more fully to meet the needs of some children. Staff knew the procedures for working with other agencies and would contact them if appropriate. There was a good induction programme to ensure a smooth transition from the nursery class to P1. Staff gave the pre-school children good opportunities to meet their next teacher. They had good links with local playgroups.

Management

Standard 14

The nursery was managed effectively. The senior management team valued the commitment of nursery staff highly. Parents and children were encouraged to make a full contribution to the life and work of the nursery. Records, plans and policies were properly made and kept in accordance with national and local guidance.

Communication between the senior management team and the nursery staff was limited, partly due to lack of regular meetings with nursery staff. Nursery staff were not effectively supported by the management team due to poor communication.

The senior management team did not monitor effectively the quality of work of each member of staff and the service as a whole.

Key strengths

• The children’s motivation and excitement in their learning.
• The breadth and quality of the curriculum on offer to children.
• The very good relationships between staff, parents and children within the caring and supportive environment.
• The hard work and commitment of staff and the effective teamwork led by the teacher.
• The effective use of the attractive playroom to extend children’s learning.

Recommendations for improvement

• Senior management team to conduct regular meetings with nursery staff.
• Senior management team to monitor effectively the quality of work of nursery staff and the service as a whole.

Requirements

• The provider of the service is required to regulate the temperature of the water in the large playroom to a safe temperature. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 Number 114 Regulation 4(1)a. Timescale within one month of receipt of this report.
• The provider of the service is required to fully enclose the outdoor play area adjacent to the nursery. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 Number 114 Regulation 4(1)a. Timescale within nine months of receipt of this 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.