NURSERY INSPECTION REPORT
The Mount School, Huddersfield.
URN EY245406/IST/PAD
DfES Number 510711
INSPECTION DETAILS
Inspection Date 04/03/2005
Inspector Name Trudy Scott
How effective is the Nursery Education?
The Mount School provides a welcoming, secure environment where children enjoy learning. This ensures they make very good progress towards the early learning goals.
The quality of teaching is very good. Staff fully understand the requirements of the foundation stage and plan an effective curriculum which engages children and sustains their interests. Good use is made of topics to compliment and enhance the long term provision for children's learning. There is an appropriate balance of teacher-led and child-initiated activities. The high priority given to personal, social and emotional development underpins children's learning in all six areas. Staff have very good relationships with children and manage them very well. They successfully engage with children to foster very good communication skills.
Staff know individual children well and make good use of observations to plan for their individual learning needs and provide challenge for more able children. They regularly monitor and assess children and produce clear reports about their progress. Children with special needs are well-supported and fully included in the provision.
Leadership and management are very good. Senior staff work well together and have developed a committed staff team who have a collaborative approach to their work. Clear aims for the children's care and learning are reflected in the staff's work practice. There is a strong commitment to continual development, reflected in the very good progress since the previous inspection and the co-operative working with relevant professionals.
Partnership with parents is very good. Parents have many opportunities to be involved in their children's learning and receive guidance to support children's learning at home. They are provided with good quality information about the provision and frequently talk with staff to share information about their children's progress.
What is being done well?
Staff have secure knowledge of the foundation stage which they use to plan an effective curriculum. They use their knowledge of how individual children learn to plan activities which engage children and sustain their interest.
The high priority given to personal, social and emotional development ensures children develop enthusiasm for knowledge and confidence in their own abilities. This provides a firm foundation for learning in other areas.
Children's language development is effectively fostered through skillful engagement of staff in their play and conversations. Staff speak clearly to children, listen to and value what they have to say and encourage them to listen and contribute in group discussions. This ensures children become confident speakers and listeners.
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Children with special needs are well-supported and fully included in all aspects of the provision. Staff find out all they can about children's specific needs and work in partnership with parents and outside agencies to ensure children gain as much as possible from their activities and experiences in school.
Good quality information is provided for parents in a variety of ways. These include a prospectus containing information about the foundation stage, regular newsletters about school activities and events and guidance sheets with suggestions for continuing learning at home.
What needs to be improved?
The range of tools for design and making, to extend children’s skills in using different techniques for joining materials.
The presentation of book areas.
What has improved since the last inspection?
Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. A number of effective measures have been introduced to extend the ways in which children record their work and to encourage children to explore different media and materials
In the area of mathematics, various ways are planned for children to record number work, according to their individual learning needs, ability and interest. These include younger children drawing pictures of their findings and older children making graphs and writing numerals. Children access writing materials such as pencils, crayons, chalks independently. They draw and sometimes write about their pictures on paper, in books and on chalk boards and wipe boards.
Good opportunities have been introduced in the curriculum which have been successful in encouraging children to explore a variety of media and materials. They regularly use paint, recycled and collage items and malleable materials. They are allowed time to explore the materials at their own pace, which helps them find out what they can do with them and use them successfully to represent their own ideas.
SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children are interested, excited and motivated to learn. They show a sense of belonging to the school as they eagerly greet their friends and teachers. Behaviour is very good and reflects the high expectations of staff. Children share, take turns, co-operate and show consideration for others. They understand boundaries and have real responsibilities, such as tidying up and helping teacher. Children confidently share information about themselves and are learning to appreciate the views of others.
COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
Judgement: Very Good
Children have very good speaking and listening skills. They use language confidently for many purposes, such as planning their work and readily participating in conversations. They enjoy rhyming activities and are learning to recognise sounds in words. Children recognise their names, some 4-year olds read a range of familiar words and sentences. Children are successfully developing their skills as writers as they regularly see and practice writing for different purposes.
MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children have very good counting skills, many count reliably beyond 10. They are interested in numbers, use number names in play and see numerals displayed in the environment. When participating in number rhymes, 3-year old children successfully use their fingers to represent numbers and practise simple addition and subtraction, while 4-year olds attempt more complex number problems. Children hear and use mathematical language and are developing good awareness of space, shape and measure.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Judgement: Very Good
Children use all their senses effectively as they explore and investigate in a good range of activities. They regularly observe and talk about changes in the natural world. They are developing skills in using tools and techniques for design and making, for example they use scissors safely and accurately. Children operate the computer confidently, with varying degrees of skill. They learn successfully about their own community and are introduced to the wider world in well-planned topics.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children move confidently and safely, indoors and outdoors, successfully negotiating space and obstacles. They show consideration for the personal space of others in group activities. They co-ordinate and control their bodies well as they balance on beams, jump on the trampet and imitate the actions of the teacher in movement sessions. When using equipment such as balls and hoops, children show an increasing range of skills. Children are developing independence in matters of personal care.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children explore colour in many ways, such as colour mixing, printing and selecting colours for their pictures. They use a range of different media, for its own sake and to communicate and represent their own ideas. Imaginative play is well-developed. Children confidently move resources around as they act real life experiences and enact stories they have listened to. They use language imaginatively to describe what they see. For example, a 3 year old describes heavy rain as ‘A giant’s shower’.
Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately. YES
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
(Key issues or points for consideration for improvement in nursery education)
There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following:
the range of tools for design and making, to further extend children's skills in using different techniques for joining materials
the presentation of the book areas.
The registered person must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents, and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next combined inspection.
Designs on the future
Design plays one of the most important roles in today's world. The better a design the more likely we are to be attracted to a brand, product or service. Understanding how to use design also gives children heightened awareness of the world around them. So welcome to the new Design Club run by Mrs Shaw. If you want to join our band of designers speak to form teachers.
More singing winning ways!
Hot on the heels of the Holmfirth success the Choir also took first place at the Haydn Wood Music Festival - come and inspect the winners' fantastic platter proudly displayed in the Entrance Hall.
The Mount Technology Drive Gathers Pace!
Hot on the heels of the recent broadband access and wireless networking the interactive white board has now been installed in the Library/Internet Cafe. Featuring sound and images, pupils and teachers will be able to enjoy a multi media experience and surf the Internet in w i d e s c r e e n. Check it out next time you are in school.
First Prize to The Mount School Choir!
Fantastic performances of "Look for the Silver Lining" and "Inchworm" earned The Mount School Choir first place in the Holmfirth Music Festival. That makes it two years running - can we do the triple?
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