Holy Cross Primary School Nursery Day Care of Children Craighall Road Edinburgh EH6 4RE Telephone: 0131 552 1972 Inspected by: Frankie Lumsden Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 10 September 2012
Contents Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 6 3 The inspection 10 4 Other information 21 5 Summary of grades 22 6 Inspection and grading history 22 Service provided by: City of Edinburgh Council Service provider number: SP2003002576 Care service number: CS2003017033 Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service: Frankie Lumsden Telephone 0131 653 4100 Email enquiries@careinspectorate.com Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 2 of 23
Summary This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following other regulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make the service improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makes about the service. We gave the service these grades Quality of Care and Support 5 Very Good Quality of Environment 5 Very Good Quality of Staffing 5 Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership 5 Very Good What the service does well The children benefited from: A playroom which was effectively planned and resourced to promote active engagement of children. High quality staff interactions providing encouragement, support and comfort when needed. Effective systems gathered information that informed relevant and meaningful experiences to meet children's development and learning needs. What the service could do better Outdoor opportunities to promote physical challenge should be increased. What the service has done since the last inspection The nursery is developing Talking and Thinking Floorbooks as a method of involving children in planning and reviewing their own learning. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 3 of 23
Conclusion Inspection report continued Holy Cross Nursery provides children and families with a welcoming and caring environment. Children benefit from a range of activities to stimulate and engage them and staff provide a high level of support to encourage development and learning. Who did this inspection Frankie Lumsden Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 4 of 23
1 About the service we inspected Before 1 April 2011 this service was registered with the Care Commission. On this date the new scrutiny body, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS), took over the work of the Care Commission, including the registration of care services. This means that from 1 April 2011 this service continued its registration under the new body, SCSWIS known as the Care Inspectorate. Holy Cross primary school nursery is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 40 children aged three years to Primary School age at each session. The nursery is open Monday - Friday between the hours of 9:00am - 3.00pm The Aims and Objectives of the nursery include the following: We aim to : "Provide a safe and stimulating environment where children can feel happy and secure and where they have opportunities to play. To encourage emotional, physical, creative and intellectual development of the children in our care by providing a range of appropriate experiences and materials. To place great emphasis of the importance of equal opportunities for all children. To develop positive partnerships with parents and other agencies." Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the following grades: Quality of Care and Support - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Staffing - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership - Grade 5 - Very Good This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You can find the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our website www.careinspectorate.com or by calling us on 0845 600 9527 or visiting one of our offices. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 5 of 23
2 How we inspected this service The level of inspection we carried out In this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out these inspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provide consistently high standards of care. What we did during the inspection We made an unannounced inspection to the nursery on 10/9/12 and gathered evidence for this report through: observation of staff's interactions and practice with the children review of room layout and play resources provided for children watching children play and their use of the resources provided Speaking with the Teacher about systems in place to plan for children's learning speaking with the staff team about the service they provide speaking with management about the service provided speaking with the children looking at children's personal folders review of accommodation and garden area in respect of cleanliness and safety reference to the questionnaires returned to us by parents. Grading the service against quality themes and statements We inspect and grade elements of care that we call 'quality themes'. For example, one of the quality themes we might look at is 'Quality of care and support'. Under each quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should be doing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the quality themes and statements. Details of what we found are in Section 3: The inspection Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs) In any year we may decide on specific aspects of care to focus on during our inspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we make during inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspects of care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we will clearly identify it under the relevant quality statement. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 6 of 23
Fire safety issues Inspection report continued We do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible for checking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, we will alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action to take. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety at www.firelawscotland.org Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 7 of 23
What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at our last inspection It is recommended the service develops a system to evidence that safety check lists are checked on a regular basis. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 2 A Safe Environment. The above recommendation was made at the last inspection under 1.3 Health and Wellbeing and was still to be progressed. We have carried this recommendation forward under 2.2 - safety of the environment and anticipate that the nursery will complete an Action Plan to tell us how they will address this recommendation. The annual return Every year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure the information we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we will inspect the service. Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic Comments on Self Assessment Every year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate. The nursery provided a brief outline of how they felt they met the quality statements of this inspection process. A few areas for further development were identified. This document was used to inform the inspection process. Taking the views of people using the care service into account Children attending the nursery were settled and played happily throughout our visit. They spoke enthusiastically about their activities and we could see that they were confident in their relationships with staff. Taking carers' views into account We sent twenty questionnaires to the nursery to distribute to parents and nine were returned to us. In response to the question "overall I am happy with the quality of Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 8 of 23
care my child receives" five parents 'strongly agreed and three parents 'agreed' with this statement. Comments from parents included: "My child has really enjoyed her time at this nursery" "I think the service provided at Holy Cross Nursery is fantastic." "My child is happy, secure and stimulated whilst there and always keen to go to nursery." Further comments are contained within the body of this report. Inspection report continued Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 9 of 23
3 The inspection We looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes and statements. Here are the details of what we found. Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and Support Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the care and support provided by the service. Service strengths There were a range of systems in place to enable children and parent's views to inform the service provided for them. A welcome leaflet was given to parent's which provided a range of information about the service and explained how parents could be involved in the life and work of the nursery. For example, parent volunteers were welcomed for help with activities such as the Lending Library. They could come in and read a story or share a particular talent or skill with the children if they wished. The Teacher spoke with parent's when they were settling their child into the nursery so that they could share their views on how they felt staff could best support their child's development. Parent's were given All About Me packs to complete when their child started nursery. They could provide information about their child's interests and personality and any other relevant information they felt would help staff to get to know their child and support their development. Parent's could also suggest what skills and knowledge they would like to see their child develop at nursery. Parent's were encouraged to speak informally with staff should they have any questions or wish to ask about their child's day at the nursery. The Teacher told us that there was "very much an open door" and that parent's could make an appointment to speak with her at the end of the session if they wished. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 10 of 23
There was an opportunity for parents to discuss their child's progress with staff at consultation meetings in December and May. Children's Personal Learning Plans (PLP) were shared with parents and they were encouraged to contribute their views and comment on their child's progress. All parents who returned our questionnaire agreed that the nursery shared information about their child's development and learning. A parent representative from the nursery was invited to join the Parent Council enabling their views to be represented in the wider forum of the school management team. We saw that staff were responsive to parent's suggestions. For example, the Teacher had responded to a request that photo's and information about nursery staff be displayed in the cloakroom area. We saw that staff's child-centered approach to practice responded to children's ideas and interests and informed plans to support children's development and learning. This responsive approach was one of the way's in which children could influence the activities, resources and learning experiences provided for them. The development of Talking and Thinking Floorbooks was a further way of enabling children to influence what was provided for them at nursery. We felt this was a very positive development promoting a range of opportunities for children to discuss and review their ideas and contribute to plans for developing experiences and learning. During our visit children were encouraged to reflect on their learning at circle time and to share their views and ideas with the group. Children's comments were noted by staff and contributed to plans for developing experiences which reflected their ideas and interests. Areas for improvement Parent's are currently included in whole school evaluations. We spoke with the Management Team and Teacher about providing parents with an opportunity to complete an evaluation that was specific to the nursery. We outlined the benefits of putting this in place and suggested that it should reflect the four quality themes of this inspection process. See recommendation 1. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1 Inspection report continued Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 11 of 23
Recommendations 1. We recommend that parent's have an opportunity to complete an evaluation of the nursery which reflects the four Quality Themes of this inspection process. Standard 13: Improving the Service - National Care Standards early education and childcare. Statement 3 We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met. Service strengths We found that a very good quality of care and support was provided by staff to promote children's health and wellbeing while attending nursery. The settling in process was flexible to meet the needs of the child and a keyworker system provided each child with an identified member of staff who got to know them well. The Teacher gathered information about each child's development needs from parents when they started at nursery. During the settling in process she spoke with parents about their child's development and gathered information covering areas such as language development and social skills. We saw detailed records of these discussions and the Teacher told us the information was helpful when planning support for individual children's development and learning. Children were supported to succeed and praised for their efforts and achievements. The 'Good News' initiative aimed to promote children's self-esteem by acknowledging their achievements in nursery and at home. Staff noted when children had been cooperative or thoughtful, or had persevered in an activity and been successful. Parents were encouraged to tell staff about their child's successes at home. Staff shared these with children at circle time so that all children and staff celebrated achievements together. Staff told us every child had an opportunity for their achievements to be celebrated. We felt this approach valued children's efforts and contributed to the development of their confidence and self-esteem. A member of staff described how observations of children's activities were used to inform plans to support development and learning. This enabled children's needs and interests to influence the activities provided for them. In addition staff were developing Talking and Thinking Floorbooks to further increase opportunities for children to influence their learning. The nursery was well organised and resourced to meet the varying needs and interests of the children. This promoted a positive environment where children were engaged in a range of activities including role play, creative play, construction activities and the story corner. Children were cooperating together and enjoying their play activities. We felt that this provision together with the planning strategies Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 12 of 23
described above, provided for children's play and learning needs and contributed to their overall wellbeing needs at nursery. There were very good opportunities for children to learn about healthy food. Each week staff supported a group of children to plan healthy choices for the snack menu. We saw children involved in preparing a snack of oatcakes, cheese and fresh fruit and helping to set out the snack table. Children were encouraged to tidy up after snack. We felt these approaches encouraged enjoyment of healthy food, and also promoted children's independence and social skills such as sharing and cooperating with others. Children's physical development and wellbeing was promoted through free flow access to the garden. Equipment provided encouraged active play in the fresh air and there was space for children to run around, play games and enjoy tricycles and wheeled toys. Resources in the nursery such as painting, puzzles and construction activities also encouraged the development of finer physical skills. Children were encouraged to follow personal hygiene routines such as washing their hands before eating or helping prepare snack. We saw that staff followed appropriate procedures to minimise the spread of infection when working in the kitchen. The nursery accessed specialists such as the psychological services, physiotherapists and speech and language specialists when additional support was required for a child's development. In discussion, staff showed a very good understanding of the process they would follow if they had concerns about a child's welfare. Staff knew where to access the Child Protection policy and relevant guidelines. The majority of staff had recently updated their Child Protection training. All parent's who returned our questionnaire told us that they agreed that staff had the skills and experience to care for their child and support their development and learning. A parent commented "I feel confident in the care and education that they provided for my child." From speaking with the staff team, observing practice and the approaches described above we felt that staff provided a high quality of support for children's emotional, personal and social development and promoted children's health and overall wellbeing needs. Areas for improvement Inspection report continued Opportunities for children's physical play outdoors could be further developed by providing climbing opportunities to challenge the children and promote their physical skills. We discussed this with the management team who advised that they would consider ways of addressing this. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 13 of 23
One parent told us in our questionnaire that they felt that the nursery was very busy and that 'quieter children' could be overlooked. We discussed this with the Teacher and the Management Team and agreed that this concern would be considered by the staff team. Effective use of systems in place as described under this statement and statement 1.1 should enabled staff to pick up on and address the individual needs and interests of children. See recommendation 1. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1 Recommendations Inspection report continued 1. Staff should continue to develop systems to ensure that the individual needs and interests of children are identified and met. Standard 3 Health and Wellbeing - National Care Standards early education and childcare. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 14 of 23
Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the environment within the service. Service strengths Parent's and children had opportunities to comment on this aspect of the service through the systems identified under Quality Theme 1.1. Areas for improvement The recommendation made under Quality Statement 1.1 also applies to this Quality Statement. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 2 We make sure that the environment is safe and service users are protected. Service strengths The nursery had a range of procedures in place to ensure that children were safe and protected. There was a secure door entry system and signing in and out sheets were used to monitor visitors to the school. Visitors were not allowed unsupervised access to the children. The accommodation provided adequate and suitable ventilation, heating and light. The nursery was well organised and managed and children could move freely around the room. Procedures were in place to identify and address any maintenance issues. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 15 of 23
The outdoor area was secure and equipment was well maintained. Staff told us that they made daily checks before letting children accessed the garden. Appropriate staffing levels were maintained outdoors. We saw that staff followed appropriate hygiene procedures in the kitchen and that they kept the toilet area clean throughout the day. Policies were in place to support this aspect of practice and staff had accessed relevant training such as a Food Hygiene course. Areas for improvement Although staff did daily risk assessments of the outdoor area there was no written assessment in place to provide guidance and show that checks had been made. We discussed this with the management team. See recommendation 1. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1 Recommendations Inspection report continued 1. We recommend that a written risk assessment is put in place for the outdoor area. Standard 2: A Safe Environment - National Care Standards early education and childcare. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 16 of 23
Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of staffing in the service. Service strengths The systems in place as identified under Quality Theme 1.1 provided opportunities for parents and children to comment on the quality of service provided. Areas for improvement We made a recommendation under Quality Statement 1.1 which also applies to this Quality Statement. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of recommendations: 0 Number of requirements: 0 Statement 3 We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to National Care Standards, legislation and best practice. Service strengths There was very good evidence to show how this quality theme was met. We saw that the staff team were professional in their approach and highly motivated to provide the best outcomes for children. This was evident from staff's interactions with children, the quality of support they offered and the well planned playroom providing a high quality of core play experiences. All staff held a qualification for working with children and were registered with the appropriate professional body such as the Scottish Social Service's Council and the General Teaching Council. Staff worked well together as a team and managed their keywoker groups effectively. Discussion took place before the afternoon session to ensure that the room was set up to meet the needs of the children due to attend. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 17 of 23
Staff we spoke to demonstrated a very good understanding of their role in supporting children. Their practice reflected good practice guidelines such as the National Care Standards which underpin this inspection process. There was a staff development strategy in place and staff had opportunities to attend a range of CPD opportunities throughout the year. They told us they had attend training to develop Talking and Thinking Floorbooks and a workshop on Autumn in the Early Years provided by staff at the Botanic Gardens. A member of staff attended Mindstreatchers training about developing outdoor experiences for children. Staff told us these training opportunities had been very worthwhile and felt they helped them to contribute to effective implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence. Staff told us that they felt well supported by the Teacher and management team. Parent's told us in our questionnaires that they agreed staff had the necessary skills and experience to care for their child and support their development and learning. One parent commented: "I feel that staff work really hard to make it a fun and interesting environment for play and learning. I could not be happier with the nursery." Areas for improvement The nursery intends to maintain these approaches and to continue to review practice to assess where further developments can be made. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 18 of 23
Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the management and leadership of the service. Service strengths Systems in place as identified under Quality Statement 1.1 enabled parents and children to comment on the quality of service provided. Areas for improvement The recommendation we made under Quality Statement 1.1 also applies to this Quality Statement. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 4 We use quality assurance systems and processes which involve service users, carers, staff and stakeholders to assess the quality of service we provide Service strengths The quality assurance systems in place enabled the nursery to review their practice and assess the quality of service they provide. Parents and children could contribute their views through a range of approaches as described under Quality Statement 1.1. The Head Teacher described how she encouraged staff to reflect on their practice and identify improvements. A process of 'Learning Rounds' facilitated evaluation of staff's practice leading to discussion and assessment in relation to providing the best outcomes for children. In addition, a process of 'Professional Enquiry' was also being developed in partnership with Edinburgh University to facilitate reflection and development of practice. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 19 of 23
Staff described the culture of management and leadership in the service as open and supportive. They said the Head Teacher visited the nursery regularly and was highly supportive of the staff team. The nursery contributed to the school's annual development plan. Staff told us that they felt included as part of the school and that their views were valued by the management team. Areas for improvement The nursery intends to maintain these approaches and to continue to develop systems that support ongoing professional development and practice. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 20 of 23
4 Other information Complaints No complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection. Enforcements We have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the last inspection. Additional Information Action Plan Failure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, including any agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made, will result in SCSWIS re-grading the Quality Statement within the Management and Leadership Theme as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme for Management and Leadership being re-graded as Unsatisfactory (1). Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 21 of 23
5 Summary of grades Quality of Care and Support - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 3 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 2 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Staffing - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 3 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 4 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good 6 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 18 Jan 2010 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment 5 - Very Good Staffing 5 - Very Good Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the former regulator of care services, the Care Commission. Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 22 of 23
To find out more about our inspections and inspection reports Read our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us to send you a copy by telephoning us on 0845 600 9527. This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can get more copies of this report and others by downloading it from our website: www.careinspectorate.com or by telephoning 0845 600 9527. Translations and alternative formats This inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request. Telephone: 0845 600 9527 Email: enquiries@careinspectorate.com Web: www.careinspectorate.com Holy Cross Primary School Nursery, page 23 of 23