Integrated Inspection by the
Care Commission and
HM Inspectorate of Education of
Sacred Heart Primary School
Nursery Class
Midlothian Council
15 June 2005
Sacred Heart Primary School Nursery Class
Crockett Gardens
Penicuik
Midlothian
EH26 9BB
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
Sacred Heart Primary School
Nursery Class
Midlothian Council
Introduction
Sacred Heart 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 years.
At the time of the inspection the roll was 33.
The environment
Standard 2
Sacred Heart Primary School Nursery Class offered a welcoming
environment and was in a good state of repair. The playroom
offered areas for children to work independently or in groups.
Children’s work was attractively displayed around the nursery,
helping to make the playroom bright and welcoming for children.
The playroom was well furnished and equipped to meet the
developmental needs of all of the children. Staff had taken steps
to ease congestion at the entrance to the playroom. A secure
outdoor area provided a good environment for play. The nursery
had use of additional school playgrounds. The school gym hall
was also available on a timetabled basis. Two large containers
situated in the outdoor area provided storage space for indoor
and outdoor equipment.
Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5
Staff interacted positively with children. They encouraged and
supported them in their activities and were very caring in their
manner. Overall, staff made good use of questioning and, at
times, involved children in dialogue that helped to support and
develop their learning. A few children were not consistently
challenged in their learning. Occasionally, some found difficulty
concentrating on given tasks.
Children were able to choose freely from a wide range of
interesting and often stimulating activities. Most responded
positively and engaged productively in appropriate learning
experiences. Staff cooperated well in preparing long- and
short-term plans which aimed to address the needs of individual
children. As they continue to review how they plan to meet
children’s needs, staff should be clearer as to the intended
learning outcomes for children. Staff carefully observed and
recorded children’s progress in learning. The results of
observations should be used more effectively to help identify
future learning experiences for children.
1
Features of the programmes for children included the following.
2
•
The programme for emotional, personal and social
development was very good. Staff had established a very
caring and positive environment in which children were
secure and happy. They made good use of praise to
encourage children in their learning. Children were learning
to make friends and to cooperate in a range of different
situations. Almost all were well behaved and growing in
confidence in tackling new situations and activities. Most
were very independent in their approach to learning. Staff
should seek ways of developing children’s independence at
snack time.
•
In the good programme for communication and language,
children had a range of productive opportunities to talk and
listen. This included effective dialogue and discussion as
part of imaginary play and through, for example, informal
puppet shows. Most children were learning to listen well to
one another and to adults. A few found difficulty in listening
consistently well. Use of story sacks encouraged parents to
build on approaches to literacy used in the nursery. Children
responded well to starting the day by signing their name on
the nursery register. Story-time sessions needed to be
reviewed in order to ensure maximum benefit for all children.
•
The programme for developing children’s knowledge and
understanding of the world was very good. Staff planned and
organised a wide range of activities to stimulate children’s
interest in the world around them. Children chose freely from
numerous stimulating activities, including planting a variety of
bulbs and seeds. They had responded well to appropriate
topics such as aspects of the weather, healthy eating and
‘people who help us’. Their understanding of early
mathematics was developed through appropriate informal
activities. Nursery staff organised a variety of interesting
outings, including both a winter and a road safety walk.
•
The programme for expressive and aesthetic development
was good. Staff provided a good range of activities designed
to encourage children to express themselves freely. Children
responded well to opportunities to paint and glue. They
participated imaginatively in a variety of role-play activities.
Children were stimulated by opportunities to experiment in
their use of clay. A number expressed themselves through
imaginative role-play. Ensuring that children had a broad and
progressive range of experiences in music was now a priority
for development.
•
The programme for physical development and movement
was good. Children had appropriate opportunities to develop
control of their hands and fingers through, for example,
cutting activities and use of jigsaws. Staff ensured that
children had access to appropriate physical activities, through
regular access to the outdoor play area or through use of the
school’s gym hall. Activities included learning skills in
climbing and balancing. Staff should review the planning and
organisation of outdoor play to encourage children to
exercise some choice in when they could go outdoors.
Support for children and families
Standard 6
The nursery class offered good support to children and their
families. Strong staff teamwork was a key factor in the quality of
support provided for children and families. An effective
programme of parents’ evenings and meetings for new parents
was in place. Informative nursery class newsletters were issued
regularly, along with school newsletters. The nursery received
very good support from parents, including regular involvement of
parent helpers. Parents were also involved in the organisation of
story sacks, which were popular with children and families.
Parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire were
very satisfied with all aspects of the service.
The nursery class offered good support for children who required
extra support in their learning. Links with other agencies,
including occupational therapy, were well established.
Multi-agency review meetings took place on a planned basis.
Management
Standard 14
The headteacher was class-committed three days per week. He
had developed effective relationships with parents and staff, and
was approachable and supportive. The nursery teacher took
responsibility for the day-to-day running of the nursery and was
effective in doing so. The headteacher and nursery teacher
worked well together to ensure that the nursery was part of the
whole-school team. The headteacher monitored nursery plans
and met with the nursery teacher on a regular, informal basis to
discuss and plan nursery matters. Leadership of the nursery was
good, overall.
Appropriate, comprehensive and up-to-date policies and
procedures were in place for all aspects of the running of the
nursery. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge and
understanding of all policies and procedures, including the
education authority’s child protection policy. Professional review
was in place for the nursery teacher. This process should be
extended to involve all nursery staff. Staff were actively
encouraged to undertake relevant further development and
training.
Annual questionnaires to parents were used to gather the views
of parents on a range of relevant matters. Priorities for
improvement were established and reviewed within the school
development plan and Standards and Quality report. More
rigorous approaches to ensuring support and further
improvement in nursery practice were needed.
The headteacher was not fully aware of the Scottish Social
Services Council Codes of Practice.
Key strengths
•
Very good links with parents.
•
The commitment of the nursery team.
3
•
The happy and effective ethos for learning established in the
nursery.
•
Very effective experiences to enhance children’s knowledge
and understanding of the world around them, and the
commitment to undertake outings to enhance children’s
learning.
Recommendations for improvement
•
Further improve adult-child interaction to ensure that the
individual learning needs of all children are fully met.
•
As identified, continue to develop the programme for music.
•
Improve self-evaluation and monitoring process within the
nursery.
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.
Linda Smith
Care Commission
4
Peter McNaughton
HM Inspectorate of Education