Integrated Inspection by the
Care Commission and
HM Inspectorate of Education of
Valley Primary School
Nursery Class
Fife Council
8 June 2005
Valley Primary School Nursery Class
Valley Gardens
Kirkcaldy
Fife
KY2 6BL
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
Valley Primary School
Nursery Class
Fife Council
Introduction
Valley Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in
March 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. At the
time of the inspection the roll was 67.
The environment
Standard 2
The purpose-built, separate nursery accommodation, which
consisted of two playrooms, provided a safe and secure
environment. Staff displayed children’s work and organised
resources well. Space within the playrooms allowed children to
work independently and in small groups. Children had
opportunities for physical and energetic play in the gym and the
outdoor play area. The nursery should further develop the
outdoor area to extend the children’s learning experiences.
Facilities and equipment were clean and hygienic. However,
some health and safety issues were identified. Vinyl powder-free
gloves and disposable aprons must be used when changing
children or dealing with bodily fluids or spillages. The fridge
temperature was monitored and checked daily, but a written
record was not maintained. Crockery and utensils should be left
to drip dry, or dried with paper towels.
The daily risk assessments should be further developed to
identify what has been checked in the specific areas of the
premises. The risk assessments carried out for equipment and
activities should be reviewed and the date of the follow-up review
recorded. The first-aid boxes in both rooms should be restocked.
Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5
Staff had developed positive relationships with children. They
interacted with them in their play activities, building their
confidence and self-esteem. However, staff did not use
questions often enough to extend and challenge some children’s
learning when playing inside and outdoors. Staff used praise well
to encourage children to cooperate with them and one another.
Staff organised a range of activities which interested most
children. There was an appropriate balance between activities
children could choose themselves and those led by adults. The
depute headteacher and staff were improving their approaches to
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planning and assessing children’s learning to take greater
account of children’s needs and interests. Planning did not
always state clearly what children were expected to learn. Staff
did not yet make effective use of assessment information to plan
clearly the next steps in children’s learning. They shared
appropriate information about children’s progress with parents
through informal discussions and meetings.
Features of the programmes for children included the following.
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•
Staff provided a good programme for emotional, personal
and social development. Most children had settled well into
nursery routines. Staff encouraged children to follow rules
and show consideration towards others. Children were
developing appropriate social skills and most showed an
awareness of the rules of safety and hygiene. Staff did not
provide enough opportunities for children to express choices
and make decisions.
•
The programme for communication and language was good
overall. Staff provided regular opportunities for children to
listen and enjoy stories and rhymes. Some children listened
carefully and responded appropriately to questions. Children
talked to staff about their experiences and to one another
during play. They could recognise their name in print and
some children could write it. Use of worksheets however, did
not help staff to fully address the learning needs of children.
Staff were not consistent in their approach to developing
children’s early writing skills through play.
•
In knowledge and understanding of the world, the programme
was fair. Children were learning to match colours and
shapes and to count. They had opportunities to learn about
the weather and the changing seasons. Some visitors, such
as the oral hygienist, had visited the nursery and children had
visited a few local shops to extend their learning. Children
had access to the computer but other aspects of information
and communications technology, such as the digital camera,
were limited. Staff did not provide enough opportunities for
children to explore, to investigate or to solve simple
problems.
•
The programme for expressive and aesthetic development
was good overall. Children enjoyed role-play in the nursery’s
home corner and ‘shop’. They sang songs and rhymes and
had some opportunities to use musical instruments. Children
were developing skills in drawing, printing and gluing.
However, access to art and craft resources and musical
instruments limited children’s opportunities for choice and
creativity.
•
In physical development and movement, the programme was
good. Children were developing control of their fingers and
hands through activities such as rolling play dough, drawing
and putting on their coats and shoes. Staff were improving
children’s snacks to encourage healthy eating. Children had
regular opportunities for energetic play outdoors. They were
making progress in pedalling, steering, throwing and
catching. They had weekly visits to the gym hall. However,
children did not have enough opportunities to use large
equipment to develop skills in climbing and balancing.
Support for children and families
Standard 6
The caring staff provided good support to children and families.
They knew children well and responded very sensitively to
individual family circumstances. Staff were developing
communication with parents through daily conversations, notices
and parents’ meetings. They planned to introduce regular
newsletters. Initiatives to involve parents in their children’s
learning, such as story bags, had just been introduced. Most
parents seen on the day, and those who responded to the
pre-inspection questionnaire, were satisfied with the work of the
nursery.
A planned programme was in place to ensure the smooth
transition of children from nursery into the school. Information
was shared with parents and the receiving P1 teacher. Useful
links had been established with other schools and the local
playgroup. Staff were aware of procedures for supporting
children with additional needs. They had established effective
links with a range of agencies to provide good support to children
and families when required.
Management
Standard 14
The headteacher had delegated the management of the nursery
to the depute headteacher, who had been in post since
January 2005. In her short time in post, she had provided regular
support to staff and had fostered good teamwork. She was very
committed to working closely with staff to improve the quality of
provision. Leadership of the nursery was good overall. The
nursery teacher was responsible for the smooth day-to-day
running of the nursery class. The approachable staff team had
established very positive relationships with children and parents.
All staff were qualified in education and childcare. A system of
staff review had been implemented to support staff’s professional
development. Staff had access to a range of training courses
provided by the local authority to enhance their practice. They
were aware of their role in protecting children. However, staff
should be given the opportunity to update their training in child
protection. A range of policies and procedures was in place.
These should be reviewed and customised to reflect nursery
practice. They should be made available to parents and carers to
ensure that they are fully informed about all aspects of the
nursery. The method of recording accidents and incidents should
be improved. The headteacher had little knowledge of the
Scottish Social Services Council and its role in registering and
regulating the workforce and their education and training. Copies
of its Codes of Practice had not yet been received. Appropriate
staff-to-child ratios were in place.
The depute headteacher had made a good start to monitoring the
work of the nursery. She met with staff regularly and responded
to staff planning. She had identified appropriate priorities for
improvement. However, priorities identified previously had not
progressed fully. The management team should further develop
and implement a rigorous and systematic approach to monitoring
and evaluating the nursery to improve the quality of provision.
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Key strengths
•
Very positive relationships between staff, parents and
children.
•
Staff’s sensitivity to individual family circumstances.
•
Effective links with a range of agencies to support children
and families.
•
The commitment of the depute headteacher to work with staff
to improve the quality of the nursery.
Other Issues
Response to
recommendations or to
requirements made at
previous inspection
The recommendations from the previous inspection had been
addressed.
Recommendations for improvement
•
Staff should develop the outdoor area to extend children’s
learning experiences more effectively.
•
The depute headteacher and staff should, as planned,
improve further their approaches to planning and
assessment.
•
Staff should improve children’s learning experiences as
highlighted within the report, with particular emphasis on
knowledge and understanding of the world.
•
The headteacher should review and customise policies and
procedures to ensure they reflect nursery practice. She
should further develop the recording of accidents and
incidents.
•
The headteacher, in consultation with staff, should implement
a rigorous and systematic approach to monitoring and
evaluating the nursery’s work to improve further the quality of
provision.
•
The headteacher and education authority should address,
with immediate effect, the health and safety issues outlined in
this report. The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 114 4(a) (d).
Requirements
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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.
Ann Easton
Care Commission
Sheena McGhee
HM Inspectorate of Education
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