Integrated Inspection by the
Care Commission and
HM Inspectorate of Education of
Inchture Primary School
Nursery Class
Perth and Kinross Council
3 May 2006
Inchture Primary School Nursery Class
Main Street
Inchture
PH14 9RT
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
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the acting 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.
If you wish to comment about integrated pre-school inspections
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of integrated pre-school
inspections, you should write in the first instance to Kenneth Muir,
HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House,
Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first
instance to either:
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
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of
our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. The Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman is fully independent and has powers to investigate
complaints about Government departments and agencies. You can
write to The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4-6 Melville
Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS. You can also telephone 0870 011 5378
or e-mail enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk. More information
about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website:
www.scottishombudsman.org.uk.
A copy of the HMIE complaints procedure is available from the HMIE
website at www.hmie.gov.uk or by telephoning 01506 600 258.
Crown Copyright 2006
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
Inchture Primary School
Nursery Class
Perth and Kinross Council
Introduction
Inchture Primary School Nursery Class was inspected in
January 2006 as part of the integrated inspection programme by
the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education. An
inspection of the primary school was carried out at the same time
by HMIE and is the subject of a separate report. The nursery
catered for pre-school children aged three to five years. It was
registered for 20 children attending at any one session. At the
time of the inspection the total roll was 22.
The environment
Standard 2
The nursery was an integral part of the primary school. The room
was open plan and had easy access to the P1 and P2
classrooms. This layout encouraged and supported good
working relationships with P1.
The nursery had a secure entry system and staff managed the
arrival and departure of the children effectively. The playroom
was in an adequate state of repair and equipment was clean and
well maintained. Appropriate measures were in place to control
the spread of infection.
Staff had set out a wide range of play experiences but access to
resources was restricted by the layout and organisation of some
areas. The space available enabled children to work in small
groups but there were limited opportunities for large-group work.
Children had direct access to an enclosed outdoor play area
which had been developed to offer more space.
Improvements in the supervision of children when moving to
other play areas, the height of computer furniture and a clear
written system to manage and implement infection control issues
were required.
Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5
Staff had good relationships with children and had created a
caring environment in which children were happy. They knew the
children well and used praise and encouragement to develop
children’s self esteem and confidence. Children had access to a
wide range of activities and most made effective use of them.
Staff did not always intervene effectively enough to extend
children’s play and make it more challenging. They should
improve the balance of free and more structured activity. Early
1
literacy and numeracy activities were set firmly in the context of
play.
Staff plans included the key aspects of children’s learning and
development and stated clearly what children were expected to
learn. Observations of children at play in the activity areas were
carried out, but staff should now concentrate on more regular
observations of children and use the information to inform their
planning. Folders containing samples of children’s work were
kept to help identify progress. The local authority tracking system
was also used to help prepare reports to parents and the P1
teacher.
Features of the programmes for children included the following.
2
•
The programme for emotional, personal and social
development was good. Children were happy and familiar
with the daily routines of the nursery. They were learning to
share and take turns by playing games and using a timer at
the computer. They were developing friendships and most
cooperated well with each other in play situations. Staff
encouraged children to be independent in their personal
tasks and children were learning basic rules of hygiene.
However, some children required more encouragement to
persevere with tasks and help at tidy-up time.
•
The programme for communication and language was good.
Children listened well at story time and talked to one another
during play and in small-group situations. Staff had provided
a range of fiction and non-fiction books in the book corner but
children did not choose to use this area very often. Children
had numerous opportunities to recognise their name in print
and all could do so. Children’s interests and skills in early
writing were being developed through a well-equipped writing
area.
•
The programme for knowledge and understanding of the
world was fair. Children used computer programmes to
develop their skills in information and communications
technology and mathematics. Staff had provided simple
sorting and matching activities which children used at various
times throughout the session. However, more adult
involvement would have added to the challenge of these
activities. Children were becoming familiar with their local
environment and the changing of the seasons through nature
walks. They were learning to use their senses to appreciate
the world around them. Children had access to sand and
water play. Staff should now provide more challenging
opportunities for children to develop their skills of
investigation and simple problem solving.
•
The programme for expressive and aesthetic development
was fair. Staff provided children with a range of suitable
materials to develop their skills in painting, gluing, drawing
and the use of play dough. Children enjoyed taking part in
some role-play but would benefit from a different layout to
this area and a wider range of contexts for imaginative play.
Staff had made a book of a wide selection of children’s songs
and also provided a very good selection of musical
instruments. They should now ensure children have the
opportunity to access this resource on a regular basis.
•
The programme for physical development and movement
was good. Children were developing good control of their
fingers and hands through use of pencils, brushes, scissors,
jigsaws and small construction. Staff made regular use of the
school gym to provide opportunities for energetic play.
Children also benefited from visits by the physical education
teacher. They had daily access to the outside area and good
opportunities to develop their confidence and skill using large
apparatus and wheeled toys.
Support for children and families
Standard 6
Staff had good relationships with children and responded well to
individual needs and circumstances. The majority of parents who
responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were happy with
most aspects of the provision. The nursery used newsletters, a
notice board, informal daily discussions and parents’ open nights
to communicate with parents. However, parents wanted more
information about the work of the nursery and their child’s
progress, and more challenging activities for their children. They
also wanted the inappropriate behaviour of children better
managed.
Staff were familiar with the arrangements necessary to provide
support for children with additional needs. They had established
useful links with a range of agencies.
Management
Standard 14
The recently-appointed acting headteacher provided good
leadership. She was supportive of nursery staff and committed to
the future development of the nursery. She had a very good
professional knowledge of early years education and had
correctly identified areas needing further development. Staff had
access to a comprehensive set of policies to assist them with
their work and these were also made available to parents. Staff
needed to follow more closely the procedure for recording
complaints. Systems for professional review and development
provided good opportunities for staff to discuss their professional
needs and access further training. All staff had been trained in
child protection procedures and all were aware of the implications
of the Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice.
The acting headteacher had developed a systematic programme
of monitoring and evaluation which included all areas of the
curriculum. She carried out formal monitoring twice a term and
informal monitoring when possible. She monitored the
medium-term plans and provided written feedback to staff.
Nursery staff were included in the self-evaluation process and the
issues identified formed part of the school development plan.
Key strengths
•
The welcoming and caring environment and the good
relationships between staff and children.
•
The good relationships formed between headteacher and
staff.
3
Recommendations for improvement
•
Staff should review and develop the layout of the room to
improve supervision, access to resources and opportunities
for learning.
•
Staff should improve the quality of their observations and
assessments of children’s learning and use assessment
information to plan appropriate next steps.
•
Staff should improve the balance between free play and more
adult-led activities.
•
Staff should provide more challenging activities for some
children and improve aspects of programmes as set out in
the report.
•
Staff should address the issues raised by parents in the
pre-inspection questionnaire.
•
Staff should ensure that the computer furniture is a suitable
size for children.
•
The acting headteacher should ensure that all staff are
familiar with and implement infection control procedures.
•
Staff must ensure safety systems are in place to ensure that
all children are accounted for when moving to another area of
the school. This is in order to comply with: Scottish Statutory
Instrument 2002 Number 114 Regulation 4(1)(a)
Timescale for implementation: immediate action required at
the inspection.
•
Staff must record complaints and the action taken. This is in
order to comply with: Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002
Number 114 Regulation 25(4)
Timescale for implementation: One month from receipt of the
inspection report.
Requirements
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.
Kiran Sirpal
Care Commission
4
Hazel Danskin
HM Inspectorate of Education