Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Shieldhill Primary School Nursery Class
Falkirk Council

23 March 2005

Shieldhill Primary School Nursery Class
Main Street
Shieldhill
Falkirk
FK1 2HA

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.

Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of Shieldhill Primary School Nursery Class

Introduction

Shieldhill Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in December 2004 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. An inspection of the primary school was carried out at the same time by HMIE and is the subject of a separate report. The nursery catered for pre-school children from age three to five years. At the time of the inspection the roll was 40.

The environment

Standard 2

Children were cared for in purpose-built premises with well designed interior and exterior layouts. This allowed children to play independently, in small groups or as part of a large group. The playroom was safe and secure and was in a good state of decoration and repair. The playroom had direct access to a garden area that was safely laid out with very good play opportunities for all children. Infection control procedures were practised with risk assessment undertaken as required. Service users were reminded about personal safety in the premises through the use of signs and pictures. Appropriate fire safety procedures were implemented.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Children in the nursery were happy, relaxed and familiar with daily routines. The children’s experience over the year was well documented in very good photographic displays. The activities were stimulating and challenging, with staff involved in continuous evaluation of the activities. Children investigated and made discoveries for themselves. Staff were alert to the changing interests of children and planned and adapted activities accordingly. They intervened sensitively to support and extend children’s learning. The pace and organisation of sessions enabled children to take responsibilities for their own learning and make their own choices. Staff interaction with children was exemplary and served as a model for effective communication and development of social skills.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Children were making very good progress. They showed consideration for others, took responsibility for preparing snack and responded well to simple rules and routines. Children were developing independence and self esteem and were learning to express their ideas confidently. They were making and expressing choices. Children were learning to plan and make decisions and demonstrated perseverance, for example in wrapping presents for Christmas. They took responsibility for their environment and cared for the trees and plants in the outdoor area. The children regularly took part in activities to raise funds for a range of charities.
• The programme for communication and language was very good. Children listened very well to adults and other children during play activities. They talked confidently to other children and adults about themselves and their activities. Children used expressive language to describe items in a ‘feely game’ and had fun describing ice. They took part in both short and extended conversations. Children could re-tell well-known stories and discussed them during snack. They enjoyed comparing and examining the winter theme books on display. They were developing an awareness of letter names and sounds and played with cards and envelopes in the playroom post-office. A few wrote their own names.
• The programme for developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world was very good. Children used their senses well and actively explored, experimented and investigated the outdoor environment. They were learning about the life cycles of plants. Staff made effective use of visitors including the health visitor and librarian. Children visited the park at different times of the year to observe seasonal changes. They recognised patterns and shapes around them and described the colours of Christmas decorations. Children were learning to count and measure and had worked out how many days until their party. They had good access to information and communications technology (ICT) and used the computer mouse with confidence.
• The programme in expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Children expressed themselves well in paintings and models using various materials including clay and sparkly materials. Staff displayed the children’s work very well around the nursery. Individual choice and talent was evident. Children had access to musical instruments both indoors and outdoors and enthusiastically joined in singing and action games. Staff provided a good range of activities and opportunities for children to role-play. They selected music on cassette and performed dance and drama for each other using the fairy tale costumes and props provided as a stimulus.
• The programme in physical development and movement was very good. Staff and children made very effective use of both the indoor and outdoor learning environments. Children enjoyed a feeling of well-being through vigorous activity outdoors. They could run and jump with increasing skills and stamina. They used the climbing frames and swings safely and with confidence. Children were developing very good control of their fingers and hands by using tools and scissors for craft activities. Catching and throwing was practised indoors with balloons and outdoors with a range of balls and hoops. The children undertook regular visits to the school gym to develop skills in the large space available.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff knew children and families very well and provided effective support to them. They responded sensitively to children’s individual circumstances. Parents were kept very well informed about nursery life through informative newsletters, notice boards, parents’ workshops and meetings. Visiting speakers at these events promoted healthy eating, literacy and positive behaviour management. All parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very pleased with the work of the nursery. Staff shared regular written progress reports and folios of children’s work with parents and passed them on to the P1 class teachers.

Good arrangements were in place to support children with additional needs. The headteacher had allocated staff time from the school to support the needs of children in the nursery. She accessed a range of agencies and professionals to meet children’s needs and had very good relationships with speech therapy and psychology services.

The Management

Standard 14

The headteacher and staff provided very good leadership and were strongly committed to the further development of the nursery. The principal teacher and nursery teacher managed the day-to-day running of the nursery very well. The whole team was well organised, approachable and highly respected by parents and staff. They communicated effectively with parents in their daily greetings and in all written communication.

A comprehensive range of policies and procedures provided helpful guidance to staff and parents. Staff had undertaken suitable training which was enabling them to further support children’s development.

There were good systems in place to monitor the work of the nursery. Staff were given good verbal and written feedback on their work. A system of staff review was in place. All staff had been involved in evaluating the work of the nursery and parents and children were also involved in planning for improvement.

Staff qualifications were appropriate and there was an awareness of the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice.

Staff had a clear understanding of their role and procedures in relation to child protection.

Information regarding the complaints policy and procedure was displayed and available for carers. However, it did not include details of the Care Commission.

Key strengths

• The very good relationships between children, parents and staff.
• The very good programmes in each of the five key aspects of children’s learning and their positive impact on children’s progress.
• The high-quality indoor and outdoor learning environments.
• The very good support for children and families.
• Effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of the work of the nursery.
• The leadership and management of the nursery.

Recommendations for improvement

• The information contained in the information brochure for carers regarding the complaints policy should be extended to include details of the Care Commission.
• Continue to provide a high-quality experience for all pupils and further develop the nursery through the ongoing evaluation of provision as identified by staff, parents and children.

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.