2005 INSPECTION OF THE NURSERY EDUCATION PROVISION
FOR FUNDED THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS.

How effective is the nursery education?

At Richmond House School Provision is of high quality and children attending the nursery and reception classes make very good progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning.

The quality of teaching is very good and has significant impact on children's learning. Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and plan a broad range of rich learning experiences to ensure full coverage of the curriculum. Children benefit from additional specialist teaching for specific subjects. Staff have very good relationships with the children and good quality interaction encourages learning. They use ongoing assessments to identify individual needs and adapt activities to extend the more able children in nursery and reception. There are high expectations of behaviour in all classes and children respond positively to appropriate praise and encouragement.

Leadership and management is very good. Staff in the Foundation Stage work together effectively to ensure continuity between nursery and the two reception classes. They carefully monitor and evaluate the provision to provide good breadth and balance across the six areas. Training needs are identified and acted upon. Staff are continually looking for ways to improve the provision and to make the best use of limited space, particularly in the reception classes. There is a real commitment to encouraging all children to reach their full potential in working towards the early learning goals.

Partnership with parents is very good. Staff are welcoming and friendly and encourage parents to be involved in the life of the school. Parents are given useful information about the Foundation Stage Curriculum through presentations, booklets and written progress reports. There are formal and informal opportunities to share information about children's progress. The school works effectively with parents to support learning at home.

What is being done well?

• Personal, social and emotional development is prioritised. Children develop confidence and self-esteem through praise and encouragement. They have excellent opportunities to show care and concern for people in need.
• Staff provide a wide range of practical learning experiences for children to learn through play and exploration, especially in the nursery class.
• Very good progress is made in reading and writing by children in the reception classes.
• Staff extend children's learning through high quality interaction and effective questioning.
• Partnership with parents is strong and effective in supporting children's learning.

What needs to be improved?
• opportunities for children to use creative materials for their own purposes and with less direction.

What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the school were asked to develop planning for three and four-year-olds in nursery and reception classes to facilitate continuity in the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Very good progress has been made in addressing the key issue. Nursery and reception staff now meet on a regular basis to monitor the planning for both age groups and to ensure that full coverage of the curriculum across the six areas is delivered appropriately and children's progress is carefully monitored through the transition from nursery to reception

SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good

Children are confident and enthusiastic about learning. Behaviour is good; the older children in particular understand the need to co-operate, share and take turns. Independence is encouraged through making choices of activities and seeing to personal needs, such as changing for games. There are excellent opportunities within school for children to show care and concern for people in need and to develop an awareness of different cultures and beliefs.

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
Judgement: Very Good

Children have good understanding and use of language which they use to maintain conversations and discussions. There are good opportunities in nursery and reception to use language imaginatively in role play situations. Children begin to link sounds to letters in names and objects in the nursery and make very good progress with reading when they move into reception. Similarly, very good progress is made in writing for different purposes, such as observations from a visit to the museum.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good

Children count confidently during activities and routines and show good understanding of language such as 'how many now?' as they begin to add and take away numbers. Children in reception are able to record simple number problems. A wide range of practical activities supports mathematical skills. Learning about position, for example, is reinforced during physical activities and children learn about height and weight in the 'hospital'. Children sort and match objects and complete graphs.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Judgement: Very Good

First hand experiences support children's learning about the natural world, for example, visiting a farm and feeding the birds. Children use construction equipment and materials to find out how things work, such as making a 'windmill' in reception. Children show good understanding of the past as they talk about their families and events and compare old and new transport vehicles. Parents come into school to talk about their work in the community.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good

Children take part in a wide range of exciting physical activities. They develop climbing and balancing skills on large equipment in the hall and they ride wheeled toys with confidence and control. Children are taught to use space well during indoor games when they run, jump, skip and travel in different directions. Dance lessons encourage imaginative and expressive movement. Hand eye co-ordination develops well through daily use of small equipment such as scissors and pencils.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good

Children produce some very good observational paintings and drawings with good awareness of colour and shape. They enjoy specialist music lessons when they learn about different musical instruments, beat and rhythm. They are familiar with many songs and have opportunities to listen to different music styles. Imagination is encouraged through role play, stories and resources such as 'small world' equipment. Children use their senses well, for example, to describe the taste of Chinese food.

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:

increase opportunities for children to select from a wide range of materials to enable them to design for their own purposes and with more use of their own imagination.

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.