Integrated Inspection by the
Care Commission and
HM Inspectorate of Education of
Inverallochy Primary School
Nursery Class
Aberdeenshire Council
31 August 2005
Inverallochy Primary School Nursery Class
School Street
Inverallochy
AB43 8XZ
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 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.
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
Inverallochy Primary School
Nursery Class
Aberdeenshire Council
Introduction
Inverallochy 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 40.
The environment
Standard 2
The nursery was situated in a classroom within the school. It
provided a bright and welcoming environment for the children.
The nursery also used the gym hall, community hall, and library.
Resources were very good. Staff made effective use of the
space available, allowing children to meet as a group or play
individually. There were attractive displays of children’s work and
photographs in the playroom and entrance. The outdoor play
area was not fully enclosed. As a matter of priority this area
should be made secure.
Appropriate policies and procedures were in place. Overall, the
accommodation and facilities were well suited to the needs of the
service users. The toilets and changing facilities were situated
downstairs. Staff should address fully the need to ensure the
children’s safety when accessing these facilities.
A range of appropriate policies and procedures was in place to
ensure the health and welfare of children. Staff carried out
appropriate risk assessments and maintained useful records of
accidents and incidents, medication, fire tests and drills, cleaning,
maintenance and infection control.
Quality of children’s experience
Standard 4 & 5
Staff interacted very well with children to support and extend their
learning. They consistently encouraged positive behaviour. Staff
were very warm and enthusiastic. They had a good knowledge
and understanding of the children’s development and observed
them carefully as they played. Staff kept some dated examples
of children’s work to help monitor progress but did not keep
systematic records to help identify appropriate next steps in
learning for all children. Staff planned a good variety of activities
appropriate to the abilities of most children. They valued
children’s contributions and were flexible in their approach.
However, planning was too complex and important information
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was being missed particularly with regard to the needs and
progress of more able children.
Staff implemented the five key aspects of children’s development
and learning well. They provided good opportunities for children
to play individually and in groups. Children were well motivated
by the activities on offer. The balance of time spent on free play
and adult-led activities was good overall but timetables indicated
that too much time was spent on adult-led activities.
Features of the programmes for children included the following.
2
•
The programme for emotional, personal and social
development was very good. Staff made very good use of
praise to extend and support learning. Children were secure
and comfortable with routines. They cooperated well during
group activities or when playing together. Children were
confident and were building friendships. Staff helped children
to be independent in self-help skills at snack and when
tidying toys. They encouraged children to share toys and to
develop an awareness of the needs and feelings of others in
everyday activities. They celebrated a range of festivals to
help children develop an awareness of other cultures.
•
The programme for communication and language was very
good. Staff provided a good selection of fiction and
non-fiction books which were well used. All children were
fully engaged at group story time and many could name
books by their favourite author. Children were encouraged to
borrow books from the library. Staff interacted well with
children to help them link the written and spoken word, and
labelled drawings and models with the children’s own
descriptions. Children were practising early writing and most
could recognise their own name. Staff encouraged talking
and listening skills by helping children to recall events or
predict what might happen next. Almost all spoke confidently
to friends and adults and some children were able to follow
complex instructions.
•
The programme for knowledge and understanding of the
world was very good overall. Children benefited from the
information provided by a wide selection of visitors including
a dog warden, community policeman and Sunday school
teacher. They were encouraged to develop an awareness of
natural beauty on walks in the local area. Children observed
changes in the seasons. They learned about growth through
a wide range of planting activities. They enjoyed baking and
the changes created by cooking. They experimented at
water and sand trays and with wooden bricks. Staff used
games well to support children in extending their
understanding of number, shape, colour and opposites.
However, children needed greater access to the computer
and other forms of technology throughout the year.
•
The programme for expressive and aesthetic development
was very good. Staff provided very regular opportunities for
children to express their feelings and ideas freely through
painting, gluing and modelling. They encouraged children to
investigate and experiment with a range of materials and
textures. Children were learning role-play in activities which
included the ‘supermarket’ and the doll’s house. Children
had regular opportunities to use musical instruments and
sing.
•
The programme for physical development and movement
was very good. Staff were committed to ensuring that
children had regular opportunities throughout the year for
energetic play outdoors. They had a good range of large
equipment and used the apparatus in the school gym hall
well to offer greater challenge. Activities outdoors were
sometimes limited by the lack of a safely-enclosed area.
Staff encouraged healthy eating through a varied snack
menu. A tooth-brushing scheme and a reward programme
for brushing teeth at home were in use. Children had good
opportunities to develop hand control by using writing tools,
threading materials and construction toys.
Support for children and families
Standard 6
Staff provided very good support for children and their families.
They were flexible and responsive to their needs. They liaised
well with a wide range of support agencies including the speech
and language therapist, educational psychologist and school
nurse and had identified the need to build better links with social
workers. Staff had established strong links with other nurseries.
They supported parents well in understanding their children’s
behaviour. A positive parenting group had previously been held
for parents but was not available in the current year as this role
was to be undertaken by the new community schools team.
Parent interviews were held in September and April and
information was shared daily on an informal basis. Staff made
very good use of photographs to explain the work of the nursery.
Parents who returned the pre-inspection questionnaire expressed
a very high level of satisfaction with almost all aspects of the work
of the nursery. Nursery and P1 staff worked together effectively
to ensure that children and parents were prepared for the move
into P1.
Children with identified additional support needs were very well
supported by nursery staff. They were making good progress.
Staff worked closely with parents to ensure their views were
taken into account in planning. Appropriate individualised
educational programmes were in place for children with additional
support needs and implemented well by staff.
Management
Standard 14
The management of the nursery was very good. The acting
headteacher and nursery staff worked well together to ensure the
effective day-to-day running of the service. Staff were hard
working and demonstrated good teamwork, enthusiasm and
commitment. Positive working relationships between parents and
staff had been developed. Information regarding nursery
activities and policies was displayed on the nursery notice board.
Newsletters providing information on specific activities were
distributed to parents and carers.
A comprehensive range of policies and procedures was in place.
Staff followed the local authority child protection guidelines and
the acting headteacher had been identified as coordinator
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although she had not yet had training specific to this role. An
appropriate complaints procedure was available. All staff were
suitably qualified and an additional member of staff had been
appointed to improve provision for children with specific needs. A
formal system of staff review and continuous professional
development was in place. The acting headteacher and staff
were aware of the implications of the Scottish Social Services
Council Codes of Practice.
The acting headteacher had developed very good working
relationships with staff and made informal visits to the nursery to
liaise with them and to monitor all aspects of the provision. There
was evidence of a clear audit process which was taken account
of in the development plan. National and local guidance was
followed and used by staff to help them evaluate nursery practice.
Appropriate priorities had been identified and action to overtake
these was having a positive impact on the quality of provision.
The education authority had not informed the Care Commission
of the change of manager.
Key strengths
•
The quality of interaction between staff and children to extend
learning.
•
The very good experiences offered to children in all aspects
of the curriculum.
•
The effectiveness of support for children with additional
support needs and their families.
•
The commitment, enthusiasm and teamwork of all staff.
Other Issues
Response to
recommendations or to
requirements made at
previous inspection
Two recommendations made at the last Care Commission
inspection in January 2004 had been complied with fully.
Recommendations for improvement
•
The acting headteacher, with the support of the education
authority, should ensure the safety of children when
accessing the toilets, and enclose fully the outdoor play area.
•
Staff should develop assessment and planning further.
•
The Local Authority should give notice to the Care
Commission of the appointment of the acting headteacher.
Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002/114 Regulation 23(b).
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.
Phyllis Gentle
Care Commission
Jan Wardlaw
HM Inspectorate of Education
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