Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of
Woodlands Primary School Nursery Class
North Lanarkshire Council

1 September 2004

Woodlands Primary School Nursery Class
Melrose Road
Greenfaulds
Cumbernauld
G67 4BA

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 Director of Education. 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 2004
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

Woodlands Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in March 2004 as part of the integrated inspection programme by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. The nursery catered for children from age three to entry to primary school. At the time of the inspection the roll was 60.

The environment

The accommodation offered a safe, stimulating and hygienic environment suitable to meet the needs of all users. The building was in a good state of decoration and repair. Security within the nursery was good. The notice board in the entrance area provided parents with a good range of information. Attractive displays of children’s artwork, curriculum information and posters contributed to the very welcoming environment.

The playroom offered opportunities for children to play alone or in small and larger groups. Effective use was made of space and all activity areas were appropriately used. The nursery had a good range of well-organised and easily accessible resources. An area of the playroom was allocated for physical play and the enclosed outdoor play area offered opportunities for more energetic play.

The nursery needed to review the procedures for collecting children at the end of each session to ensure their safety.

Appropriate systems were in place for maintaining equipment and ensuring a high standard of hygiene and infection control. However, the hot water temperature in the children’s toilet was too high.

Quality of children’s experience

Staff had developed very good relationships with children and responded well to their needs. They interacted very effectively with them to support and extend their learning. Children were highly motivated and concentrated well on their chosen activities.

The nursery had developed very good procedures for planning, assessing and recording children’s progress. Staff took account of children’s interests and clearly identified their next steps in learning. Staff met regularly with parents to discuss their children’s progress. Written reports were provided at the end of the pre-school year. Staff recognised the need to develop this further and provide more frequent written information on children’s development.

The nursery provided a wide range of interesting and stimulating learning experiences. Staff were developing a programme of more challenging opportunities to ensure that the needs of all children were met fully.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Staff encouraged children to be independent and to show initiative. They made very good use of praise and encouragement. Children were happy, confident and comfortable with the nursery routines. They enjoyed helping at snack time.
• The programme for communication and language was very good. Staff provided a range of opportunities for children to develop their skills in talking and listening. They encouraged children’s interest in books and stories. Children made very good independent use of the library area and had been making their own books. They had many opportunities to develop their early writing skills through play. Most could recognise their own name in print and a few could write it.
• The programme for knowledge and understanding of the world was very good. Staff provided a wide range of opportunities for children to learn about their environment. Children were learning about planting and growing. They were making good progress with early number work and could recognise simple shapes and colours.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Staff provided many opportunities for children to listen to music and to sing. Children enjoyed using percussion instruments to make their own music. Staff provided a good variety of art and craft materials. Children enjoyed experimenting with new techniques and expressing their own ideas and feelings. They were encouraged to use their imagination in role-play and dressing up activities.
• The programme for physical development and movement was good. Staff provided regular opportunities for energetic play. They needed to extend the use of the outdoor area to ensure the development of a wider range of skills. Children were developing good control of their fingers and hands using pencils, scissors, jigsaws and small construction toys.

Support for children and families

Staff had very good relationships with children and their families. A keyworker system, where staff were responsible for small groups of children, enabled staff to get to know children well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very satisfied with most aspects of the work of the nursery. Some parents wanted more information on their child’s progress and on how they could work together with the nursery to support their child’s learning. There was a planned programme of parents’ meetings and workshops. Parents were actively encouraged to become involved in the life of the nursery.

There was a planned programme of induction for children transferring to primary school. Staff had very good links with primary school staff and schools in the area.

Staff provided very good support for children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. They had developed very effective working relationships with a range of other agencies. Individual educational programmes had been developed in full consultation with all staff and parents.

Management

The headteacher provided very effective leadership. She was very approachable and had fostered supportive and effective working relationships with staff, parents and children. She was highly committed to developing her own knowledge and expertise.

A comprehensive range of policies and procedures had been written with particular attention given to meeting the National Care Standards. Staff and parents had been involved in establishing the development plan and good progress had been made in addressing the priorities for action.

The headteacher regularly monitored plans and provided helpful feedback to staff. Staff used self-evaluation materials to identify areas for development. The headteacher and staff should implement the plans to develop the procedures for monitoring and evaluating the work of the nursery.

Opportunities existed for staff to discuss their continuing personal development with the manager. Staff and management worked well together as a team and contributed to the positive ethos of the service.

Key strengths

• The attractive, welcoming and stimulating environment.
• The very good programmes in emotional, personal and social development, communication and language, knowledge and understanding of the world and expressive and aesthetic development.
• The very effective interaction between staff and children.
• The very good support provided for children with special educational needs.
• The very effective leadership of the headteacher and the commitment and hard work of the staff.

Recommendations for improvement

• The headteacher and staff should improve the approaches to reporting on children’s development and progress.
• The nursery should take steps to ensure a safe water temperature for children.
• Staff should review procedures for the collection of children from within the nursery class to ensure their safety.

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.