Integrated Inspection by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education of
Jessie Porter Nursery School
Dundee City

20 April 2005

Jessie Porter Nursery School
Ambleside Avenue
Dundee
DD3 0AD

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 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 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

Jessie Porter Nursery School was inspected in November 2004 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 organisations and consulted the Care Commission about its findings. The nursery catered for pre-school children aged three to five years. Extended hours care was available. At the time of the inspection the roll was 85.

The environment

Standard 2

The purpose-built accommodation provided a safe, secure, attractive and stimulating environment. Playrooms were in a good state of decoration and repair. Staff had displayed children’s work attractively to celebrate their successes. They made very good use of displays to extend children’s learning. Staff had organised playroom areas well so that children had space to play independently and in groups. Staff made some use of the garden area for physical play and to encourage children’s interest in nature. However, they needed to improve the area and increase its use. Staff had carried out risk assessments and ensured the facilities were clean and hygienic. Resources were plentiful and well organised.

Quality of children’s experience

Standard 4 & 5

Staff interacted very well with children to support and extend their learning. They consistently encouraged positive behaviour and allowed children to make choices within the activities offered. There was a good balance between free play and adult-led activities. The nursery offered children a wide variety of stimulating learning experiences.

Staff had a good system of assessment, recording and reporting which included observing children at play. They also carried out planned observations to assess the progress of all children at specific activities and used their observations to identify next steps for individual children. They planned very effectively for groups and were flexible in their approach. Children’s interests were valued and extended. Profile reports were completed for all children entering P1, and these were shared with parents. Written reports were given to the parents of younger children two months after entry to nursery.

Features of the programmes for children included the following.

• The programme for emotional, personal and social development was very good. Staff encouraged children to cooperate with one another and ensured regular opportunities for group construction activities. They praised achievement and gave children opportunities to make choices. Staff promoted cultural diversity through celebration of a wide variety of appropriate events and displays. They promoted a strong ethos of caring for others. Children were secure and confident within routines. They were very independent in serving their snacks, tidying up and putting on coats.
• The programme for communication and language was very good. Staff helped children understand the link between the written and the spoken word by writing captions to accompany models and sharing ‘letters from teddy’ with the children. Children were confidently using symbols and early writing in the nursery post office. Most children were able to recognise their name and some initial sounds. They listened well to instructions at small group games and almost all spoke confidently. They were very enthusiastic about having stories read to them throughout the day and enjoyed library visits. Staff ensured that books were available on loan to encourage reading at home.
• In the very good programme for knowledge and understanding of the world, staff made good use of technology to encourage children’s enquiry skills. Children were using the digital camera independently to record their achievements. They used computer programmes to learn about shape and number. Children observed change through seasonal activities such as growing bulbs and plants and watching caterpillars change into butterflies. A wide range of visitors helped develop children’s knowledge of people’s jobs. These included a hairdresser, community artist and countryside ranger. Staff gave children many opportunities to design, particularly using modelling and construction toys.
• The programme for expressive and aesthetic development was very good. Staff encouraged children to express their thoughts and feeling through painting, collage and modelling. Children had made clay tiles for a nearby wildlife centre and mosaic butterflies for the exterior of the nursery building. Children enjoyed playing instruments. They sang enthusiastically and used instruments to accompany singing at group time. They enjoyed taking part in dance activities, for example a dragon dance at Chinese New Year. Children were developing their ideas through role-play in the home corner and at group drama sessions.
• The programme for physical development and movement was good. Children were learning to manipulate using their fingers and produced very detailed work at the construction area both as individuals and when working cooperatively. Staff encouraged children’s awareness of the importance of eating healthy food and protecting themselves from too much sun. Staff encouraged children to develop their motor skills through the use of a wide range of equipment including wheeled toys, balance beams and a basketball net. However, there was insufficient challenge offered to older children, who needed more regular opportunities for energetic play outdoors.

Support for children and families

Standard 6

Staff supported children and families well. They provided extended hours care, according to families’ needs, for any period during the nursery day. Staff were flexible in their approaches to meeting the needs of individual children and families. The majority of parents expressed a high level of satisfaction with the nursery. Staff encouraged parents to stay as long as was needed in nursery to help settle children and used photographs and video clips of children at play to reassure parents. They welcomed parents into the nursery and held a weekly pop-in session. Staff communicated effectively with parents through a comprehensive parents’ pack and regular newsletters. Some parents, particularly parents of younger children, felt they needed more information about their child’s progress and daily activities.

Staff had developed effective links with appropriate agencies to support children with additional needs. Nursery staff and other professionals met monthly to discuss children’s individualised educational programmes. Parents were involved in review meetings. The head of service now needed to ensure that parents were more regularly involved and that children’s learning targets in individualised plans were more detailed.

Management

Standard 14

The head of service worked very closely with the nursery teacher to manage the nursery. They met weekly to discuss management issues and were both involved in weekly planning sessions with all staff. The head of service showed a high level of commitment and skill. She had a clear vision for the development of the nursery. Teamwork was strong and the head of service communicated effectively with staff and parents. Staff needs were identified regularly and appropriate training sought. The nursery had appropriate child protection measures. However, training of all staff on child protection issues now required to be updated in partnership with the education authority. The nursery had an appropriate range of policies. The head of service was aware of the Scottish Social Service Council Codes of Practice.

Staff and parents had been involved in evaluating the work of the centre. The nursery had produced an appropriate development plan update for the current school year, and was making steady progress in implementing its priorities.

Key strengths

• The high-quality accommodation and the good use of display to extend children’s learning.
• The high-quality experiences for children in all aspects of the curriculum.
• Very good interaction of staff with children to extend and support learning.
• Staff’s commitment to accommodating individual routines and supporting working parents.
• The effectiveness of the head of service’s leadership.

Other Issues

Response to recommendations or to requirements made at previous inspection

The requirement in the previous report regarding staffing ratios had been met and was being regularly reviewed by the local authority.

Recommendations for improvement

• Staff should increase daily information given to parents.
• Staff should improve the outdoor area and make greater use of it to allow children better opportunities for energetic play.
• The head of service should involve parents more regularly in planning for children with additional educational needs and make learning targets more detailed.
• The head of service and education authority should ensure that all staff are appropriately trained in child protection procedures.

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.

Jan Wardlaw
HM Inspectorate of Education