NURSERY INSPECTION REPORT

URN EY256340

DfES Number: 516194

INSPECTION DETAILS
Inspection Date	17/11/2004
Inspector Name	Brenda Joan Flewitt

SETTING DETAILS
Day Care Type
Setting Name	The Old Malthouse School
Setting Address	Langton Matravers Swanage Dorset BH19 3HB

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS
Name

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents.

If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

Information about the setting

The Old Malthouse School is an independent school set in the rural area of Langton Matravers, near Swanage, Dorset. The main school was originally founded in 1906. It offers boarding, flexi-boarding and day places for children aged from 7to 13 years. The pre-prep was established in 1983 and accepts children from the age of 3 years. It operates from dedicated rooms within the school, and the children have use of various areas of the school for outside play, and specialised activities.

There are currently 91 children on the school roll, which includes 25 in the pre-prep. Four of these are funded four year olds. None of these have special educational needs, or speak English as an additional language.

The pre-prep is open from 08:15 to 15:30, and all funded children attend five days a week. The children are taught mainly by one full-time teacher, who holds a B'Ed Honours in Early Years. She is supported by a teaching assistant, who has a Certificate in Education.

INSPECTION OF THE NURSERY EDUCATION PROVISION FOR FUNDED THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS.

How effective is the nursery education?

The Old Malthouse Schoolprovides high quality nursery education overall which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals.

The quality of teaching is very good. Staff use their clear knowledge of the Foundation Stage to plan a broad range of interesting activities that promote children's progress in all areas of learning. The high adult to child ratio contributes to effective support for each child. Staff continuously offer explanations and ask questions to encourage children to think and recall. The staff work well as a team, they are enthusiastic and present as good role models. They listen to the children and offer much praise and encouragement for effort and good behaviour. The extensive range of resources is well organised to allow children to select activities for themselves. The high adult to child ratios sometimes affects how often the children are able to extend independence skills and creative experiences for themselves.

Leadership and management is very good. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities, they communicate well on a daily basis, and meet weekly with other staff in the school, which leads to identifying strengths and weaknesses within the provision. Staff are well supported in developing their roles . They are encouraged to attend relevant training courses, and meetings with other providers to share good practice.

Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are supplied with comprehensive information about the setting through a variety of sources such as a website, parents handbook, notice boards and an annual curriculum evening. There are effective systems to keep parents well informed about their child's progress through the information supplied via book bags, termly progress reports, parents evenings and daily verbal communication.

What is being done well?

Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. They are confident, interested, keen to learn, and display good concentration levels. Staff are enthusiastic, they create a stimulating, yet relaxed learning environment. Children behave very well, the staff present as positive role models.
Staff plan a broad range of stimulating and interesting activities that promote development through all areas of learning, particularly knowledge and understanding of the world. Children enjoy meaningful, practical experiences that extend their awareness of the immediate environment, and of other cultures. Staff use everyday opportunities to encourage the children's understanding of number.
Good partnership with parents, which includes an effective system to monitor progress, supports each child's learning.
Consistent staff communication, together with support for development, contributes to an effective team.

What needs to be improved?

the opportunities for children to extend their own creativity and independence skills.

What has improved since the last inspection?

The school has made very good progress since the last inspection. Although there are no funded children currently attending with special educational needs, there is an effective assessment system in place for all children. This indicates that, together with the high adult to child ratio, particular needs would be identified. There is support from experienced staff within the main school to co-ordinate and implement any special provision required. The programme for creative development has been enhanced. Children can express themselves through dance and drama in planned sessions, using topics such as Diwali. Children enjoy 'acting out' the story and events connected with the festival to music, having explored various aspects in other activities.

SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement:	Very Good
Children are interested and keen to learn. They demonstrate good concentration levels to complete tasks, both in set or independently chosen activities. Children behave very well. They are polite and know what is expected of them, they co-operate in routine requests such as lining up, tidying away equipment and washing hands. Children are secure and confident, they willingly speak out in groups offering suggestions and ideas, and can competently select resources for themselves.

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
Judgement:	Very Good
Children use language well to communicate and for thinking. They are continuously learning new words in connection with topics such as 'nocturnal' creatures, and 'ingredients' and 'recipe' when cooking. They confidently describe previous activities and events. Children link sounds and letters on a daily basis, they read simple sentences both individually, and in groups from the 'big books'. Children learn to recognise and write their names. They confidently name their own work.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement:	Very Good
Children develop a good awareness of number through planned and everyday activities such as cooking, register time, and interactive number songs. They confidently count up to 10 and beyond, and successfully match the corresponding numeral. They are beginning to calculate through practical activities like measuring flour when making biscuits. Children become familiar with shape and comparative language through a variety of activities such as modelling, sorting, craft and construction.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Judgement:	Very Good
Children use their senses to explore a range of materials. They display a good sense of the environment around them, making spontaneous observations in relation to topics, such as light "bouncing off" various objects. Topics such as 'Autumn' encourage children to learn about time and place. Visits out of school help extend their understanding. Children are gaining an awareness of other cultures as well as their own by exploring many aspects of various festivals such as Diwali and Christmas.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement:	Very Good
Children move around with confidence, showing an awareness of others, both inside and outside. They learn about personal space and move from room to room in safety. They develop co-ordination skills during planned activities such as gymnastics and 'Lets Move' to music. Children develop fine motor skills using a wide range of small equipment in various activities like cooking, craft, and writing. During outside play they competently climb, slide, crawl and play racing games.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Judgement:	Very Good
Children explore colour, texture and shape through a range of topic based activities including craft, cooking and construction. They enjoy feeling the "sticky" consistency of a raw egg when making biscuits, and watch the red colouring turn the white icing pink. Children use their imagination well in role play, expressive dance and through miniature world activities. They think about 'what animal they would like to be' following an interactive story book activity.

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following:

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following:
the opportunities within the timetable for children to select activities independently and extend their own creativity
the opportunities for developing independence skills within everyday activities such as snack time and lunch time.