Integrated Inspection by the
Care Commission and
HM Inspectorate of Education of
Heathery Knowe Primary School
Nursery Class
South Lanarkshire Council
15 June 2005
Heathery Knowe Primary School Nursery Class
Whitehills Terrace
East Kilbride
G75 0NG
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 Coordinator
Headquarters
Care Commission
Compass House
Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
Hazel Dewart
HM Inspectorate of Education
Denholm House
Almondvale Business Park
Almondvale Way
Livingston
EH54 6GA
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
Heathery Knowe Primary School
Nursery Class
South Lanarkshire Council
Introduction
Heathery Knowe Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in
February 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 60.
The environment
Standard 2
The nursery was located in the main primary school building.
Staff made good use of the accommodation. Displays of
children’s art work and photographs in the entrance area
contributed to the welcoming environment.
The nursery provided an appropriate range of resources which
were accessible to the children. Children played and worked
independently, in small groups and in larger group settings. Staff
should continue to develop the risk assessment systems for the
rooms and play equipment. Appropriate measures were in place
to control the spread of infection.
The outdoor play area had a soft surface and was safely
enclosed within the school. The headteacher and staff had
identified the need to review and improve the use of the outdoor
play area to enhance children’s learning experiences.
The nursery had a secure entry system. All fire prevention and
safety checks were being undertaken and records maintained. A
number of the light fittings should be repaired. The fire risk
assessment was in the process of being updated.
Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5
Staff were well informed about children’s development and
learning. They were patient and caring and made effective use of
praise to encourage and promote children’s self esteem and
confidence.
Children were happy and enthusiastic learners. They had access
to a good range of learning experiences and were able to make
choices. The majority of children concentrated well on their
chosen activities. However, staff needed to review and improve
the pace and balance of the day to provide additional
opportunities for children to become more absorbed in play
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activities. This would also allow staff to engage more effectively
with children to support and further extend their learning.
Staff had developed good procedures for planning, assessment
and reporting. They planned a range of themes and seasonal
activities. Plans set our clearly what children were expected to
learn. Staff made regular observations of children at play.
However, they needed to make more effective use of assessment
information to ensure that the needs of all children were being
met at all times.
Features of the programmes for children included the following.
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•
The programme for emotional, personal and social
development was good. Children had good opportunities to
learn about and celebrate festivals throughout the year. They
were making friends and learning to share with one another
during play. Most children were familiar with the daily
routines and the rules of good behaviour. They were
developing good hygiene practices in washing hands before
snack and brushing teeth. Staff encouraged children to take
some responsibility for simple tasks such as tidying away
toys.
•
The programme for communication and language was good.
Children enjoyed reciting familiar rhymes and listening to
stories being read by an adult. They spoke well to each other
and to adults. However, they would benefit from more
opportunities to develop talking and listening skills in a variety
of situations. Some children could recognise their own name
in print. They would benefit from further opportunities to
extend their skills in early reading and writing through play
activities.
•
The programme to develop children’s knowledge and
understanding of the world was good. Staff made effective
use of visitors to extend children’s knowledge of the
environment. They offered children good opportunities to
observe seasonal change. However, there was scope for
more learning opportunities using the outdoor environment.
Children had opportunities to play in sand and water and they
made good use of the computer. They were learning to count
and to recognise patterns. However, they needed more
stimulating activities to encourage them to explore,
experiment and investigate.
•
The programme for expressive and aesthetic development
was good. Children played imaginatively in the home corner
and with the dolls’ house. They had regular opportunities to
dance and sing songs. A few children used percussion
instruments to make their own music. Staff provided children
with a variety of art and craft resources to develop their skills
in painting, printing and gluing. Children would benefit from
more opportunities to develop their own ideas in art.
•
The programme for physical development and movement
was good. Staff gave children frequent opportunities to use a
range of tools and small construction toys. Children were
developing good control of their fingers and hands. They had
daily opportunities for indoor physical play in one of the
playrooms. They were learning to balance and jump. They
also had access to the school gym once a week for physical
activity. They participated in all indoor physical activities
enthusiastically. Staff needed to provide children with more
regular opportunities to take part in energetic play outdoors.
Support for children and families
Standard 6
Staff offered very good support to children and families. They
responded well to individual needs and circumstances. Parents
who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were very
satisfied with most aspects of the nursery’s work. Staff received
very good support from parents. They worked with parents to
support the work of the nursery and had recently been able to
purchase laptop computers to support children’s learning at
home.
There was a good planned programme for children transferring to
primary school. Information on children’s progress was shared
with parents and with the receiving P1 teachers.
The nursery provided very good support for children who required
additional support in their learning. Staff were developing
individualised educational programmes. The headteacher and
staff had established very good links with support agencies and
other professionals.
Management
Standard 14
The headteacher and depute headteacher provided very good
leadership. The management team had a clear vision for the
continuing development of the service. The depute headteacher
had day-to-day responsibility for the nursery.
The staff team were approachable and supportive. They were
respected and highly valued by parents and the headteacher.
The management team kept staff informed about all matters
relating to the nursery through regular meetings.
The nursery had effective systems in place to maintain records
and they had developed a range of appropriate policies and
procedures. Staff were clear about their responsibilities and
duties and felt well supported by the management team. They
followed the local authority child protection guidelines and were
aware of the Scottish Social Services Council’s codes of practice.
The management team carried out an effective system of staff
review. Staff had appropriate qualifications in education and
childcare and took part in a range of relevant development and
training activities. The ratio of staff to children was in line with
guidelines. However, there was a need to ensure that the ratio
was maintained during each nursery session. Parents
volunteered with a range of activities including assisting in the
playrooms, trips and visits. The management team should review
the use of volunteers in line with local and national advice.
The management team had developed procedures for monitoring
and evaluating the work of the nursery. These included seeking
the views of the staff team and parents on aspects of provision.
They made effective use of the information to improve the quality
of children’s experiences. An appropriate development plan was
in place and priorities were being addressed and implemented.
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Key strengths
•
Happy children who were enthusiastic learners.
•
The very positive relationships between staff, children and
their families.
•
The very good leadership provided by the headteacher and
depute headteacher.
Other Issues
Response to
recommendations or to
requirements made at
previous inspection
Six areas for improvement which included one requirement and
five recommendations were identified at the last inspection. An
Action Plan was received subsequent to the inspection detailing
how these issues would be addressed. The requirement and four
of the recommendations have been met. The recommendation
with regard to the vetting of all volunteers had still to be fully
implemented.
Recommendations for improvement
•
The management team should review and improve the pace
and balance of the day to allow staff to engage more
effectively with children at all times.
•
Staff should make more use of assessment information to
ensure that all children were appropriately challenged at all
times.
•
Staff should improve the programmes as mentioned in the
report.
•
The management team should review the use of volunteers.
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.
Kuldip Dhesi
Care Commission
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Sheona Moore
HM Inspectorate of Education