5 September 2007
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.
National Care Standard |
Child at the Centre Quality Indicator |
Standard 4 — Engaging With Children |
Staff/child interaction |
Standard 5 — Quality of Experience |
Structure of the curriculum |
Standard 6 — Support and Development |
Meeting children’s needs and care routines |
Standard 14 — Well-managed Service |
Leadership and Self-evaluation |
Evaluations made using HMIE quality indicators use the following scale, and these words are used in the report to describe the team’s judgements:
excellent |
outstanding, sector leading |
very good |
major strengths |
good |
important strengths, some areas for improvement |
adequate |
strengths just outweigh weaknesses |
weak |
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.
Introduction
West End Montessori Pre-school was inspected in May 2007 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. HMIE carried out this inspection on behalf of both organistions and consulted the Care Commission about its findings. The nursery catered for pre-school children aged two-and-a-half to five years. It was registered for 22 children attending at any one session. At the time of the inspection the total roll was 60.
Key strengths
How good is the quality of children’s experience?
Standard 4 & 5
Staff knew children very well and were responsive to their individual needs. They made very good use of discussion and questions to extend children’s learning and to encourage them to think for themselves. Staff had high expectations of children and used praise effectively to develop their self esteem. They made effective use of assessment information to ensure that children made appropriate progress in their learning. Staff consulted children and respected and valued their contributions. They provided a very good balance of activities which were helping to develop key aspects of children’s learning.
Children were making very good progress in all aspects of their learning. They were cooperating well and some were developing friendships. Children were developing independence when serving snack and tidying the playroom. They persevered well at activities. Staff involved children in planning to ensure their interests and needs were met. Children were confident when talking and listening to adults and each other. They enjoyed listening to stories and could recall situations and predict outcomes. Children could recognise their own name in print and many were learning to write some letters. They participated in a wide range of simple mathematical processes such as sorting and matching. Children were developing a sound understanding of shape, colour and number. Many made good use of mathematical language as they played. Children were able to operate simple programs on the computer. They experimented with torches and binoculars. They took pleasure in investigating their natural environment in the nearby garden. Children engaged in imaginative play for sustained periods of time. Many children were engrossed in junk modelling and painting activities. They participated enthusiastically in singing and were developing a sense of rhythm through clapping and use of percussion instruments. Children enjoyed very good opportunities to develop their hand and finger control using a good range of resources. They were involved in regular yoga classes and were developing a very good awareness of how to control their bodies.
How well are children supported?
Standard 6
Staff had very good relationships with parents and families. All children were treated fairly and with respect. Staff kept parents informed about the life of the nursery through the nursery handbook, notice boards, the use of displays and regular newsletters. They met formally with parents throughout the year to discuss children’s progress. Most parents who responded to pre-inspection questionnaire were very satisfied with the quality of care and education provided for their children. Staff followed child protection guidelines appropriately and were all aware of their responsibilities in protecting children.
The nursery had an effective programme of induction to support children when they moved to primary school. The transition records detailed children’s progress and provided very good information for school staff. Staff had developed effective links with the local community. They were aware of their responsibilities in supporting children with additional support needs and had access to a range of appropriate support agencies. Staff worked well to ensure that children made appropriate progress in achieving their short- and longer-term learning targets.
Leading and improving the centre
Standard 14
The principal provided very good leadership. She had established very positive and supportive relationships with staff, parents and children. She was enthusiastic and committed to the nursery and had clear plans for its future development. She fostered very good team work. All staff were committed to the further development of the provision.
A good system of staff development and review identified and addressed staff training needs. Staff had good opportunities to attend training and the principal encouraged them to further develop their knowledge and skills. The manager and staff were familiar with the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice and the implications for their work.
The nursery’s arrangements for evaluating its work were good. Staff had been involved in an annual audit of the nursery provision to identify key priorities for improvement within the development plan. They were committed to taking these forward. Parents’ views were sought through a questionnaire. The information gathered informed the agenda for improvement. The principal had informal approaches for monitoring and evaluating the quality of children’s experiences and practice within the playroom. However, she needed to formalise these procedures.
Issues from previous inspections
Response to recommendations or to requirements or enforcement action made at previous inspection.
At the last Care Commission singleton inspection there were five recommendations. Four recommendations had been addressed and one was ongoing.
Recommendations for improvement
As a result of the high performance, the strong record of improvement and the very effective leadership of this centre, HM Inspectors will make no further reports in connection with this inspection. The centre and the education authority have been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report, and to share that plan with parents. Within two years of the publication of this report the education authority, working with the centre, will provide a progress report to parents.
Jacqueline Milliner
HM Inspectorate of Education
HOW TO CONTACT US
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the head of service, 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 any aspect of 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:
Complaints Coordinator |
Complaints Manager |
You can also e-mail HMIEComplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk. A copy of our complaints procedure is available from this office, by telephoning 01506 600200 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
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 (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330 (fax 0800 377 7331) or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk.
Crown Copyright 2007
HM Inspectorate of Education
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