Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of
St Vincent’s Primary School Nursery Class
Dundee City Council

31 August 2005

St Vincent’s Primary School Nursery Class
Pitkerro Road
Dundee
DD4 8EP

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

St Vincent’s Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in March 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 43, five of whom attended the nursery full-time.

The environment

Standard 2

The nursery was located within the primary school building and provided a bright, warm and stimulating environment. The main playroom was comfortable and had space for children to play both together and independently. Another smaller playroom was appropriately used for indoor physical activity and offered challenging, energetic play for children. The enclosed nursery garden had both paved and grassed areas and children benefited from a fixed play structure for energetic activity. However, the area was not free from glass fragments in the soil.

Children had been involved appropriately in developing displays. Their work was attractively displayed through photographs and other work which reflected their nursery experiences. Play equipment was well maintained and children were effectively supervised by staff when using it. Staff had purchased rest mats for those children who attended on a full-time basis.

The location and system for children’s use of the toilets did not guarantee children’s safety, privacy and security within the nursery. Radiators and pipes in the corridor and the small playroom were too hot.

Overall, staff had a good infection control policy and implemented effective hygiene practices. However, they needed to ensure these procedures were consistently implemented when children went to the toilet on their own. Staff needed to review procedures for recording accidents, incidents and the administration of medicines. They did not have a complaints procedure which made appropriate reference to the Care Commission.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Staff had very positive, caring relationships with children. They knew children well and used praise to develop their confidence and self esteem. Staff were gentle and made very effective use of interventions. They discussed issues of value or interest to children, leading to high-quality interactions. Staff made very good use of questioning to develop and challenge children’s learning.

Staff planned a very good range of experiences for children. Children influenced the programme greatly as staff observed and responded to their learning and appropriately addressed their needs. The organisation and pace of the session enabled children to exercise choice and engage deeply in their learning. Children were motivated and were making good sense of their learning. They were relaxed and happy.

Staff were developing procedures for planning and keeping children’s records. They needed to streamline planning and focus on evaluating children’s learning. Key workers recorded children’s achievements, but did not make enough use of observations to identify what children had learned and where they needed to go next in order to progress.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for children’s emotional, personal and social development was very good. Children were encouraged to be independent at snack time and when changing to go outside. Staff sensitively and effectively supported children, promoting their confidence. Children were making friends and were kind to each other. They were well mannered. Children were interested in their learning and persevered as they completed more challenging activities. Staff had created a very positive, calm ethos in the nursery.
• The programme for children’s communication and language was very good. Children listened and talked very well for a range of purposes. They asked questions to make sense of their learning. They used the book corner independently and asked staff for stories in the comfortable, book corner. Staff made very good use of meaningful, environmental print around the nursery, including photographs and printed words. Children communicated very effectively with each other in the home corner. The writing table was very well used and children were developing early writing skills. Most children recognised their own name in print and many wrote it.
• The programme for children’s knowledge and understanding of the world was good. Children were investigating and learning a great deal about capacity and weight through sand and water play. They learnt about their own and other cultures through their play and when celebrating festivals. They were learning about changes of seasons through the experience of outdoor play. Children enjoyed talking about other countries as they looked at a globe. Children were learning to count and to measure. They needed more support to use numeracy in their play. Children did not have enough access to visitors and outings to learn about their local environment.
• The programme for children’s expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Staff provided very good opportunities for children to be creative. Children expressed their ideas well through painting. They were given a good range of materials from which to choose as they covered boxes and decorated them. Staff valued children’s work and took time to praise them. They mounted children’s work attractively. Children displayed their own work in the house corner. Their role-play was creative and staff supported children well. Staff organised an attractive music corner for children to invent their own music. Children enjoyed singing a range of songs as the teacher played the guitar.
• The programme for children’s physical development and movement was very good. Children had daily access to a playroom which was appropriately resourced for a range of large physical play. Children accessed this play in small groups. They had regular outdoor play and went out as a whole class, choosing from a good range of toys. Children took appropriate risks on large equipment. They had very good opportunities to develop fine control of fingers and hands through activities such as drawing, cutting, making jigsaws and using construction toys.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff knew children and their families well and were sensitive to their needs through being very flexible and responsive. Parents were informed about the nursery through a parents’ handbook, notice boards, newsletters and two annual parents’ meetings. Staff also organised formal meetings for parents to discuss children’s progress. Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were satisfied with the work of the nursery. A few wanted more information about their children’s progress and development. Parents were made welcome in the nursery and had good opportunities to talk to staff informally.

Nursery staff liaised with early stages teachers to ensure a smooth transition for children moving from nursery to P1. Information on children’s progress was effectively shared with the receiving P1 teacher. Staff had established contacts with a range of agencies. They had a policy to support children with additional learning needs and the nursery teacher had a good working knowledge of this. Staff were trained in first aid and were knowledgeable about child protection.

Management

Standard 14

The headteacher provided good leadership and was committed to the ongoing development of the nursery. She helped new staff to become familiar with nursery practices. She had established positive and effective working relationships with children and staff. The headteacher was experienced, knowledgeable and had a supportive management style. She had direct contact with children and supported staff through regular visits to the nursery and at weekly planning meetings. The headteacher had some knowledge of the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice and the implications regarding her role as manager. She had not ensured that all regulatory policies and procedures were reviewed regularly.

Nursery staff were approachable and well informed. Appropriate adult-to-child ratios were in place. Staff were qualified in education and childcare. The nursery teacher was responsible for the day-to-day running of the nursery. She worked effectively with nursery nurses, establishing good teamwork. The headteacher ensured that staff attended relevant ongoing training to meet their needs and improve practice. She had encouraged staff to visit other nurseries to gather more information. Nursery nurses had not yet been formally reviewed.

She had a whole-school monitoring policy in place which included the nursery. Nursery priorities were appropriately included in the whole-school development plan. These priorities were being addressed and were improving nursery practice, including the development of the music programme and the garden area. The headteacher needed to improve arrangements for direct observation of the work of the nursery. She needed to develop and provide more formal feedback to all staff on their practice.

Key strengths

• Relaxed, happy and confident children.
• The engagement of the interested children in their learning.
• Very good structure of the curriculum.
• Effective staff teamwork and the high quality of their interaction with children.

Other Issues

Response to recommendations or to requirements made at previous inspection

The nursery was responsive to the recommendations made as a result of their previous Care Commission Inspection on 3 March 2004. The nursery provided an action plan to the Care Commission detailing how they planned to action the recommendations. Evidence was noted at the joint HMIE and Care Commission inspection that action had been taken in all areas.

Recommendations for improvement

• Staff should review planning and assessment procedures to focus on children’s development and learning to ensure that they make appropriate progress.
• The headteacher, along with staff, should develop more evaluative procedures for monitoring the work of the nursery.
• The nursery should review procedures for recording accidents, incidents and administration of medicines.

Requirements

• The nursery is required to risk assess the toilet area of the nursery ensuring the security and safety of children as well as ensuring their dignity. The Regulation of Care (Requirements as to Care Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 (Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002/114), Regulation 10(1).
  Timescale for Implementation: Immediately.

• The nursery is required to ensure that the heating system is safe. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002/114, Regulation 10(1).
  Timescale for Implementation: Immediately.

• The nursery is required to have a complaints procedure which includes Care Commission details. Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002/114, Regulation 25(1). Timescale for Implementation: 3 months.

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.