Integrated Inspection by the
Care Commission and
HM Inspectorate of Education of
Humbie Primary School Nursery Class
East Lothian Council
12 January 2005
Humbie Primary School Nursery Class
Humbie
East Lothian
EH36 5PJ
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 2 – A Safe Environment
Resources
Standard 4 – Engaging with Children
Development and learning through play
Standard 5 – Quality of Experience
Curriculum
Children’s development and learning
Support for children and families
Standard 6 – Support and Development
Standard 14 – Well-managed Service
Management, Leadership and Quality
Assurance
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
Good
Fair
Unsatisfactory
:
:
:
:
major strengths
strengths outweigh weaknesses
some important weaknesses
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.
Complaints Co-ordinator
Headquarters
Care Commission
Compass House
Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
Hazel Dewart
HM Inspectorate of Education
Saughton House
Broomhouse Drive
EDINBURGH
EH11 3XD
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
Humbie Primary School Nursery Class
East Lothian Council
Introduction
Humbie Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in
September 2004 as part of the integrated inspection programme
by the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. The
nursery catered for children aged three to five. At the time of the
inspection the roll was 10.
The environment
Standard 2
The nursery, which was located within a small rural primary
school, offered a welcoming, safe and secure environment. The
nursery was in a good state of decoration and repair. Play
equipment was clean and well maintained. Toilets, which were
shared with primary classes, were in need of refurbishment.
Staff made good use of the restricted space available to enable
children to play independently and in small groups. The size of
the room limited the range of indoor energetic activities. An
enclosed outdoor play area was used daily to provide interesting
and stimulating play opportunities. A room in the school was also
available for children to take part in energetic activities.
The nursery had effectively carried out and recorded risk
assessments of the nursery room. The outdoor play area surface
was uneven. Staff should continue to risk assess this area. The
headteacher and local authority were in discussion with
contractors to have this fault repaired. Children had to pass an
unattended door which led outdoors, when accessing toilets
which were some distance from the nursery. Staff should now
consider any potential risks in allowing children to go to the toilet
on their own. Toilets were not well maintained and were in need
of refurbishment. Staff were not always able to communicate with
one another when children had access to the indoor and outdoor
areas at the same time. Good measures were in place to control
the spread of infection.
Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5
Staff had developed very good relationships with children. They
interacted well in children’s play activities. The nursery teacher
used questions very effectively to extend children’s understanding
and ensure an appropriate pace of learning. Staff organised
activities and resources very well to meet children’s needs. They
planned a broad and balanced programme of activities. Most
children were enthusiastic and motivated in their play. Children’s
progress was regularly assessed. Information gathered was used
effectively to plan next steps in children’s learning. Staff provided
helpful written reports to parents.
1
Features of the programmes for children included the following.
•
The programme for emotional, personal and social
development was very good. Children were encouraged to
take responsibilities, develop independence and show
consideration for others. They had settled well into the
nursery and had a good understanding of daily routines.
Children were developing appropriate social skills, good
manners and showed good awareness of simple rules and
hygiene practices.
•
In communication and language, the programme was good.
Staff provided a range of opportunities for children to talk,
listen and enjoy books in different contexts. Children were
learning to listen carefully to stories and instructions and to
talk in groups. They were beginning to understand the
meaning of print in books. Effective use was made of books
in play areas, labels on pictures and simple posters. Staff did
not provide enough opportunities for children to develop
effective early writing skills in a range of different play
contexts.
•
Staff provided a good programme to develop children’s
knowledge and understanding of the world. Children had
very good opportunities to learn about their environment
through effective and regular use of the woodland and garden
areas. Children grew, harvested and ate their own
vegetables. They had good opportunities to develop skills in
recognising number, shape and colour. Most children used
the computer and printer appropriately. Staff were beginning
to develop children’s awareness in information and
communications technology.
•
In expressive and aesthetic development, the programme
was very good. Staff provided a range of interesting
opportunities for children to express themselves through art
and craft activities. Children were developing skills in
painting, printing and collage making. They had regular
opportunities to sing songs and rhymes and enjoyed playing
simple musical instruments. The nursery’s home corner
provided good opportunities for role-play.
•
Staff provided a very good programme for physical
development and movement. Children were developing good
hand control using a variety of toys, tools and equipment.
Staff organised very good activities for daily energetic play
indoors and outside. Children were developing skills in
steering, pedalling, running and balancing. Staff were
encouraging children to be fit and healthy by, for example,
eating healthy snacks and participating in regular exercise.
Support for children and families
Standard 6
2
Staff knew children very well and provided effective support for
their families. They responded appropriately and sensitively to
children’s individual circumstances. Parents and carers
expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the service provided.
They commented on the positive relationships and
approachability of all staff members. Parents were well informed
about the work of the nursery through regular newsletters and
informative notices and photographs. Information on children’s
progress was appropriately shared with them. They had regular
opportunities to talk informally with staff, who responded
positively to any concerns raised. Parents were encouraged to
take an active part in the life of the nursery particularly through
sharing their skills and knowledge.
Staff planned a very good programme of induction for children
transferring to P1 in the school to ensure continuity in their
learning. Links were also made with other schools and
information was passed on to support children as they moved to
other establishments. Staff understood procedures to support
children with additional learning needs. They contacted
appropriate agencies when required and shared information to
support individual children.
Management
Standard 14
The headteacher provided very effective leadership and was
committed to the development of the nursery. She had
established very good working relationships with children, parents
and staff and promoted very effective teamwork. The nursery
staff were hard-working and committed. The nursery teacher
provided very good support to the headteacher.
The nursery had an appropriate set of policies for all aspects of
the curriculum and for health and safety. These were available
for staff and parents. Staff followed local authority child protection
guidelines. They had formal meetings to discuss their work. The
nursery teacher was very experienced and qualified in education
and childcare. The nursery auxiliary was taking part in a relevant
early years education and childcare course. Appropriate
staff-to-child ratios were in place.
Staff had effectively contributed to evaluating the quality of the
nursery and in identifying priorities for improvement. An
appropriate development plan was in place and priorities were
being addressed and implemented. The headteacher monitored
the quality of children’s learning on a regular basis and met
regularly with nursery staff.
Key strengths
•
Very positive relationships between staff, children and
parents.
•
Very good experiences for children in emotional, personal
and social development, expressive and aesthetic
development and physical development and movement.
•
The wide range of opportunities to develop children’s
knowledge, interest and care of the outdoor environment.
•
Effective links between the nursery and the P1 class within
the school to ensure continuity in children’s learning.
•
The enthusiastic and committed staff team.
•
Very effective leadership of the headteacher and the very
good support provided by the nursery teacher.
3
Other Issues
Response to
recommendations or to
requirements made at
previous inspection
Four recommendations and one requirement were made at the
previous Care Commission inspection.
Two of these recommendations have now been met. One
recommendation referred to the nursery outdoor play surface
needing repaired. The headteacher stated that she and the local
authority were attempting to have this addressed with the
contractors who laid the surface. One recommendation referred
to the nursery toilets being refurbished. This has not yet been
achieved.
The requirement made has been met.
Recommendations for improvement
•
To ensure health and hygiene standards, children's toilets
should now be refurbished. Staff should ensure that children
are safe and secure when accessing the toilets.
•
To ensure the safety of the children, the outdoor play area
surface should now be repaired.
•
Staff should provide more opportunities for children to
develop effective early writing skills in a range of different
play contexts.
•
Staff should continue to extend children’s skills in using
information and communications technology.
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.
Carole Meaney
Care Commission
4
Sheena McGhee
HM Inspectorate of Education