milton of leys primary school childcare service · pdf filecontact details for the inspector...

Milton of Leys Primary School ChildcareServiceDay Care of ChildrenMilton of Leys Primary SchoolMilton of LeysInvernessIV2 6HF

Inspected by: Jill Macdonald

Type of inspection: Announced (Short Notice)

Inspection completed on: 13 June 2012

ContentsPage No

Summary 31 About the service we inspected 52 How we inspected this service 73 The inspection 114 Other information 255 Summary of grades 266 Inspection and grading history 26

Service provided by:Highland Council

Service provider number:SP2003001693

Care service number:CS2011297021

Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service:Jill MacdonaldTelephone 01463 227630Email [email protected]

Inspection report continued

Milton of Leys Primary School Childcare Service, page 2 of 27

SummaryThis report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas ofperformance which were examined during this inspection.

Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following otherregulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make theservice improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makesabout 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 wellA flexible childcare service is offered within a safe and stimulating environment.

The children enjoy a wide variety of play experiences and have direct access to theoutdoor play area.

The enthusiastic staff work very well together as a team and encourage parents andchildren to be involved in the work of the service.

The Head Teacher and Depute Head Teacher work hard to lead the staff, and set highstandards for the nursery and childcare provision.

What the service could do betterThe service is to:Continue to develop ways in which parents and children can be involved in assessingthe quality of the service and making improvements within the nursery and childcareservice.

Work with parents/carers to develop written plans detailing how their children's careand learning needs are to be met

Assist the nursery children to become more involved in planning and evaluating theirlearning and further develop links with children in Primary One.



Continue to develop the self evaluation processes within the nursery and childcareservice, involving parents, children, staff and other professionals and identify areas forimprovement.

What the service has done since the last inspectionThis was the first inspection since registration.

ConclusionThe quality of the service provided by all staff is of a very high standard. Parents andchildren are very happy with the service that is provided. The Head Teacher andDepute Head Teacher welcome new ideas and continue to lead improvements.

Who did this inspectionJill Macdonald



1 About the service we inspectedMilton of Leys Primary School Childcare Service was registered with the CareInspectorate on 10 August 2011 to provide a care service to a maximum of 60 childrenaged from 3 years up to primary school age. Nursery sessions in the morning andafternoon, Breakfast Club, Wraparound Care and Out of School Care are provided. Atthe time of the inspection there were 57 children attending the two morning nurserysessions, 24 children attending the afternoon nursery session and 108 children on theroll for Breakfast Club, Wraparound Care and Out of School Care.

The service is operated by Highland Council. The Head Teacher manages the childcareservice along with the Depute Head Teacher and there are Nursery Assistants andNursery Auxiliaries who work in the nursery and the Breakfast Club, Wraparound Careand Out of School Care . The Nursery is part of a cluster group of Nurseries and thereis a newly appointed Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education who provides support.The Childcare and Family Resource Officer supports the Wraparound Care and Out ofSchool Care.

The service operates during term time, with nursery sessions morning and afternoon;Breakfast Club, Wraparound Care and Out of School Care are also available duringterm time and on 'in -service days'.

The service is located within a designated area of Milton of Leys Primary School andchildren are also able to use other areas within the school, including the canteen,gym, library and community room. The designated area has a separate secureentrance to a cloakroom and there are two large open plan play rooms with integralkitchen areas and toilet facilities for younger children. Additional toilets are available,which are more suitable for older children and one has disabled access. The playrooms have direct access to a safe outdoor play area and children also use the schoolTrim Trail and MUGA pitch.

The overall aim of Highland Council Childcare Services is to:'Provide a safe, stimulating childcare environment that advances children's educationand provides facilities that promote enjoyment and social welfare, using recreationaland other leisure time activities that compliment those provided at school and in theirhome.'

The aims of nursery are to:'Develop an open, welcoming, caring nursery in which all children feel nurtured, safe,active, healthy, achieving, included, respected and responsible.Treat every child as an individual, recognising additional needs, gender, race,nationality and culture.Promote equality of opportunity and treat all children, parents and staff with respect.



Work within the Curriculum for Excellence framework, providing a broad range oflearning experiences enabling all children to become successful learners, confidentindividuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.Ensure that all children's learning is most effectively supported through interactionwith adults and other children and through play and active exploration of theirenvironment.Provide support and acre for all children and their families, and make every effort toidentify where support may be needed at the earliest possible stage.Encourage parents to be fully involved in the life of our nursery and in their children'slearning.Ensure smooth and effective transitions for all children with continuity andprogression across the curriculum.Build on continuous professional development for all staff to ensure we are offeringhigh quality learning experiences for all our children.'

Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the followinggrades:

Quality of Care and Support - Grade 5 - Very GoodQuality of Environment - Grade 5 - Very GoodQuality of Staffing - Grade 5 - Very GoodQuality of Management and Leadership - Grade 5 - Very Good

This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas ofperformance which were examined during this inspection.

Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You canfind the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our websitewww.careinspectorate.com or by calling us on 0845 600 9527 or visiting one of ouroffices.



2 How we inspected this service

The level of inspection we carried outIn this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out theseinspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provideconsistently high standards of care.

What we did during the inspectionThis report was written following a short notice announced inspection which tookplace on 08 and 13 June 2012. The inspection was carried out by inspector JillMacdonald. At the end of the inspection the findings were reported back to the HeadTeacher, Depute Head Teacher and Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education.

We contacted the Head Teacher to arrange the inspection date, giving a short periodof notice.

We asked the Head Teacher to give 20 Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQ) toparents/carers, on behalf of the Care Inspectorate; six were completed and returned.

The Head Teacher sent us an Annual Return and Self Assessment Form before theinspection, as requested.

During the inspectionIn this inspection we gathered evidence from a number of sources including:Policies and procedures relevant to the Quality Statements being consideredAims and Objectives of the serviceNursery Handbook and Childcare Information SheetChildren's Learning Records and portfoliosAccident and Incident RecordsRegistration and Insurance certificatesInformation for parentsDiscussion with the Head Teacher, Depute Head Teacher, Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education, Childcare and Family Resource Officer, Principal Teacher inAdditional Support Needs and staffObservation of staff working with childrenStaff training recordsExamination of the environment and resourcesInformation from parents who completed Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQ) andnursery questionnairesDiscussions with parents and children.



All of the above information was taken into account during the inspection process.

Grading the service against quality themes and statementsWe 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'. Undereach quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should bedoing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the qualitythemes 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 ourinspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we makeduring inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspectsof care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we willclearly identify it under the relevant quality statement.

Fire safety issuesWe do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible forchecking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, wewill alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action totake. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety atwww.firelawscotland.org



What the service has done to meet any recommendations we madeat our last inspectionThis was the first inspection of the service.

The annual returnEvery year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure theinformation we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we willinspect the service.Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic

Comments on Self AssessmentEvery year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us howtheir service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate.We received a completed self assessment document from the service. We weresatisfied with the way the service had completed this and with the relevantinformation they had given us for each of the statements that we grade them under.This contained information on what they thought they did well and how they thoughtthings could be improved.

Taking the views of people using the care service into accountThe children were observed to be actively engaged in a wide range of activities in theplay rooms and in the outdoor play area and whilst practicing for their Sports Day inthe gym. Children were also observed having a healthy breakfast and lunch whilstattending the Breakfast Club and Wraparound Care. Children were enjoying theirnursery experience and the staff interacted very well to extend children's learning.Some children were keen to show us what they liked doing at nursery.

Taking carers' views into accountThe parents/carers who completed the Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQ) werehappy or very happy with the care being provided. Comments included: 'Milton ofLeys Nursery has provided a fantastic environment for my child to learn. He is bothhappy and confident.' 'I am very happy with the level of care my child receives.

During the inspection visit we spoke with a number of parents/carers who werecollecting their children from nursery and Wraparound Care. They were all very happywith the high standard of care being provided; stating that the facilities were'brilliant' and that staff were 'good at changing the environment to keep children



motivated.' Parents also told us that they felt involved and used the school andnursery internet blogs to keep up-to-date. Other comments will be included withinthe inspection report.



3 The inspectionWe looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes andstatements. Here are the details of what we found.

Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and SupportGrade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good

Statement 1We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving thequality of the care and support provided by the service.

Service strengthsWe found the service gave children and their parents/carers very good opportunitiesto give their views and make suggestions about the care and support they received.The service was continuing to make improvements in this area.

The service had very effective systems for involving parents/carers in their child's careand support, which included formal and informal methods. A Nursery Handbook hadrecently been developed and would be provided to all parents/carers prior to childrencommencing nursery, this included useful information about nursery and how parentscould be involved. A Highland Council Childcare Service leaflet was also available,which gave details of how to register for Breakfast Club, Wraparound Care and Out ofSchool Care. Booking arrangements, opening times and charges were also included inthis leaflet. Effective settling in procedures were in place to support children startingnursery and children were well supported in the transition to school. Staff workedwith parents to gather relevant information about children's needs prior to attendingnursery, to ensure quality and consistent care for children.

Policies and procedures relevant to the care and support for children were availablefor parents to read.

Parents of children in nursery were kept informed of their child's progress throughday to day informal discussions and we observed parents collecting their children atthe end of the session when there were exchanges of information. More formalmeetings with parents/carers took place annually, or more frequently if needed.Parents received a written record of their child's progress in the summer. Parentswere able to use the comments sheet attached to this to give feedback on thenursery provision. Learning Records and Learning Portfolios had recently beenintroduced and these were available to parents. The school and nursery internet blogswere used to share information with parents about forthcoming events, activity plans,



photographs and the policy of the month. Parents were encouraged to add commentsand to be involved in supporting their child's learning. Parents were also encouragedto speak to staff about any suggestions for improvement that they had. Informationabout the nursery and the Wraparound Care and Out of School Care was alsodisplayed on the notice boards in the cloakroom. Photos of recent nursery activitiesand Learning Story Books were available for parents to look at. A Key Worker Systemassisted with communication with parents of children attending nursery and systemswere in place to share information with parents of children attending WraparoundCare.

Parents/carers of children attending nursery were encouraged to participate inactivities such as sharing skills, stay and play sessions, outings within the communityand the Parent Forum, from which representatives were chosen to join the ParentCouncil. Some parents had volunteered to take on the role of 'Room Parents' withinnursery and they assisted in organising events such as the Christmas parties andrepresented the views of other parents at meetings. Story/activity sacks wereavailable for nursery children, providing a link between home and nursery. Childrenwere encouraged to tell their Key Worker Group about the activities they had enjoyedfrom the Story Sack and parents were able to give comments via the nursery internetblog.

Appropriate systems were also in place for sharing information between staff, parentsand the Head Teacher.

Nursery staff consulted with children through together time and group discussionsand questionnaires and their ideas formed the basis of future planning sessions. Staffused mind maps and floor books to record children's thoughts and ideas and parentswere encouraged to look at these and make comments. Parental questionnaires hadbeen issued in December 2011 and these had been evaluated and any necessaryactions taken. Parents had also been encouraged to take part in the school LearningPortfolio evaluation week. A successful Coffee and Chat event had also been heldwhere parents had been able to meet informally with the staff and the Head Teacherand Depute Head Teacher.

Children attending Out of School Care were encouraged to be involved in the serviceby giving ideas for activities and snack choices, on their suggestion board. Someexamples of ideas being taken forward were nail painting sessions and the purchaseof new outdoor equipment.

The service had distributed Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQs) to parents/carers.The service had a Complaints Policy and information was available to children andparents/ carers on the notice board and in the newly developed Nursery Handbook.

Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQs) were very positive and parents felt they were



kept informed about what was happening in the service. Parents who spoke with usduring the inspection visit also felt there was very good communication.

Areas for improvementThe Head Teacher told us during the inspection visit and in the self assessment formthat they hoped to provide more opportunities for parents to be involved in the life ofthe centre. New initiatives included:The installation of a large plasma screen within the cloakroom area of the nursery,which and this would provide another way of sharing photographs and other nurseryinformation with parents/carers.An internet blog was also now available for Out of School Care and this would start tobe used to share information with parents/carers.

A Nursery Handbook had recently been developed, which would be given to newparents at the Induction meeting. This Handbook is to be further developed to includeinformation about the role of the Care Inspectorate and also to raise awareness aboutthe childcare service. Consideration is also to be given to developing a leafletspecifically for the Milton of Leys childcare service, in addition to the Highland Councilleaflet.

It would be beneficial for children attending Out of School Care to be more involved inrunning of their Club, for example, choosing a name or developing a newsletter.Parents/carers should also be provided with opportunities to give their views on thechildcare service, through a questionnaire or other means.

Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good

Number of requirements: 0

Number of recommendations: 0

Statement 3We ensure that service users' health and wellbeing needs are met.

Service strengthsWe found the service made very good provision for the health and wellbeing needs ofchildren.

A detailed statement of aims and nursery policies covered all aspects of children'shealth and well being. Policies were reviewed regularly, involving parents and staff inthis process. Individual educational plans and programmes of care and support forchildren and the provision of support staff, if needed, were used for children withidentified additional support needs.

Infection control guidelines were in place and staff carried out very good practice suchas using disposable gloves when dealing with any bodily fluids and ensured good



hand hygiene. Children were also evidenced to be encouraged to follow good hygieneprocedures, such as tooth brushing, washing hands before eating and after using thetoilet. Children had suitable opportunities to rest, using the quieter areas, particularlyfor children attending Wraparound Care and Out of School Care.

There was a policy on child protection and staff understood their responsibilities toprotect children from harm and all members of staff had attended training relating tothe protection of children. The service had copies of the Children's Charter,Framework Standards for Child Protection and the Area Interagency Child ProtectionCommittee Guidelines. Children aged four year olds attending the nursery were ableto participate in the Safe, Strong and Free initiative, which was available to parents/carers and children. Children were encouraged to demonstrate safe and caringbehaviour through the modelling of this by staff, the use of Nursery Rules and Out ofSchool Care Rules and the appropriate use of praise. Children had been involved indeveloping these rules.

Staff used assessment information and children's interests to plan and extendactivities for children attending nursery and the nursery promoted an ethos ofachievement for all children. Records were kept of children's development needs andtheir achievements and this was shared with parents through meetings and LearningRecords and Portolios. Pictoral symbols were used to support some children in makingchoices. Individual Education Plans were utilised as necessary and parents, nurserystaff and appropriate professionals were involved in developing these. Professionalsvisited the nursery e.g. Oral Health Educator, Orthoptist and Health Visitor to supportgood practice. Pre-school vision testing and the Childsmile programme were offeredand the children attended the Tooth Fayre.

A policy on storage and administration of medication was in place.

A healthy eating policy was in place and staff accessed best practice guidance,including 'The Nutritional Guidance for Early Years: Food Choice for children aged 1 - 5in Early Education and Childcare settings' (Scottish Executive) and the nutritionalguidelines for Out of School Care. Healthy meals were available during the BreakfastClub and Wraparound Care and healthy snacks were provided in nursery and Out ofSchool Care. Menus were available for parents. Children's dislikes and allergies werenoted and taken into account. Children were involved in setting the table for snack,helping to clear up after snack and made suggestions for the snack menu. Childrenwere also able to be involved in cooking activities. Staff stayed with the children atmeal time and snack time to promote good table manners, eating behaviour andappropriate socialisation. Staff had attended food hygiene training. Fridgetemperatures were checked and recorded. Information about what children had eatenfor lunch was provided to parents of children attending Wraparound Care.

Appropriate accident recording systems were in place and these were shared withparents. Children had daily access to energetic play and also had regular access to



fresh air and exercise and enjoyed playing outside and exploring the school Trim Trailand using the MUGA.

Areas for improvementFollowing the implementation of the new regulations association with The PublicService Reform (Scotland) Act 2010; all children should have a written plan detailinghow their care and learning needs are to be met. These plans are to be developedwith parents and should be reviewed every six months.

During the inspection visit it was noted that some children would have benefited frommore support during snack time, staff should ensure that there is adequate supportand supervision of all children to ensure safe food hygiene practices.

We were informed during the inspection visit that the use of Visual Timetables wouldbe extended next school year, to assist children with making choices and these wouldalso be beneficial for children with additional support needs.






Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment

Grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good

Statement 2We make sure that the environment is safe and service users are protected.

Service strengthsWe found that safety provision within the environment was very good.

The service was provided from safe, secure accommodation within the newly builtMilton of Leys Primary School. There was a separate secure entrance used by parentsand children. Parents completed signing in and out sheets for their children and carewas taken to ensure children were collected by the designated person. Visitorsentered by the main school entrance and used a signing in book. Procedures were inplace to ensure students and visitors did not have unsupervised access to children.The play rooms were spacious and bright and well maintained. There were welcomingnotice boards in the cloakroom area with appropriate displays of information aboutthe nursery and childcare service. In the Care Standards Questionnaires parentsconfirmed they were very happy with the safety, security and cleanliness of theaccommodation.

Health and safety procedures were in place and reviewed accordingly. Maintenancecontracts were in place and repairs were undertaken quickly. Risk assessments hadbeen completed for the premises. Risk assessments were also carried out for activitiesand trips. Staff had cleaning checks in place to maintain a clean and healthyenvironment and routines were in place for cleaning of equipment and toys. Theenclosed outdoor play area was checked prior to children playing outside. Disabledaccess was available, including toilet facilities.

Facilities Management operated a CCTV monitoring system in different zones withinthe school, including the nursery and childcare entrance and cloakroom area. Signsdisplayed where this was in operation; information was recorded and could be viewedby the Head Teacher, if necessary.

Areas for improvementDuring the inspection visit a number of issues were observed which need furtherconsideration:The cloakroom area was small and it was difficult to accommodate parents andchildren attending nursery in the mornings. The staff had already used variousstrategies to try and ease the congestion (see recommendation).

The toilet provision within the play rooms was limited to two toilets within each room



and it would be beneficial if another toilet in each play room was available to ensurethere are sufficient for the numbers of children attending. This is particularlyimportant as the school role is continuing to increase (see recommendation).

The system of 'free flow', where children can access resources in both play rooms,using the cloakroom area corridor could be a potential safety issue in the afternoonswhen one of the play rooms is used for Wraparound Care and parents are collectingchildren at this time (see recommendation).




Recommendations

1. A review of the use of the cloakroom area is to take place to ease congestion andensure the safe arrival and collection of children.National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16,Standard 2: A Safe Environment

2. A review of the toilet provision within the play rooms is to take place, to ensurethere are sufficient toilets available to meet the future needs of children attendingthe service.National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16,Standard 2: A Safe Environment

3. A review of the 'Free Flow' system is to take place for the afternoon nurserysession, to ensure this is appropriate and that children are kept safe.National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16,Standard 2: A Safe Environment

Statement 3The environment allows service users to have as positive a quality of life as possible.

Service strengthsWe found that the environment provided very good opportunities for children to takepart in a wide variety of activities.

The nursery and childcare service was well resourced and provided a bright andstimulating environment for children. Photographs evidenced a wide range ofactivities undertaken in the daily life of the nursery. The play rooms were wellorganised to maximise the play opportunities available to children. These includedmulti-cultural materials, imaginative play and ICT resources which were used tosupport children's learning and development. Interactive Smart Boards were availablein both play rooms and were used by children attending the nursery, Wraparound Careand Out of School Care, children were observed to be confident in using these. There



were varied resources to ensure that children with different needs and interests couldbe challenged and resources were stored in a way that allowed children to makeindependent choices.

Children had direct access to the outdoor play area and were able to take part in avariety of energetic activities there and also used the school Trim Trail and MUGA.Additional outdoor equipment had recently been obtained, these included bikes,hoops, tyres and balance equipment and planting boxes. Children's interests weretaken into account when purchasing new resources. Nursery children had welcomedvisitors into nursery and had enjoyed taking part in the Little Dribblers football skillscourse and OJ Sports activities. They had also taken part in the Eden Court MusicFestival and had an end of term trip to the Play Zone booked. Nursery children wereinvolved in school assemblies and had joined the school children for activities relatedto special events, for example World Book Day and the Queen's Diamond Jubileecelebrations. Nursery staff had also been involved in the recent very successfulSummer Fayre. The children were encouraged to be 'responsible citizens' and nurserychildren were involved in school Citizenship Groups, along with their Key Worker. Allchildren were involved in recycling, as part of the Eco Schools project.

We observed very good interaction between staff and children. Staff and childrendiscussed issues at together time and staff were observed to encourage children toexpress their views and ask questions and responded appropriately and gave praise.

Areas for improvementDuring the inspection visit the Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education told us aboutthe proposed areas for development that had been identified for nursery for the nextschool year. These included development of an Early Level Working Group; to improvelinks between nursery and primary 1 and involving children in identifying their ownlearning targets.

Observation of the play rooms and discussions with staff identified a number of areasfor review, including: improving the role play areas, reviewing the play room used forthe Out of School Club and the provision of additional resources needed for the nextterm.

During the inspection visit the Head Teacher told us that the school library had nowbeen officially opened and it was planned that children would have greater accessand would be able to borrow books to take home.






Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing


Statement 3We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to NationalCare Standards, legislation and best practice.

Service strengthsWe found that staff were very professional and motivated and operated within theNational Care Standards, legislation and best practice

Nursery policies and procedures were in place, which included recruitmentprocedures, training and appraisal, complaints and whistle blowing. Staff participatedin a full induction when starting employment in the nursery or childcare service andthey were mentored by senior staff to ensure they learned routines appropriately.

Staff were very enthusiastic and experienced and all permanent members of staff hadachieved the necessary qualifications and were registered with the Scottish SocialServices Council (SSSC). Staff were aware of and worked with best practice guidanceand had received copies of the SSSC Codes of Practice. Staff had worked very hard toovercome the many challenges they had faced in setting up and operating a newnursery and childcare service. Staff received regular support from the Head Teacherand Depute Head Teacher and nursery staff had commenced regular meetings withthe newly appointed Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education. Nursery staff receivedregular group supervision at their weekly meeting which was attended by the DeputeHead Teacher and also had the opportunity of individual meetings. Learningdiscussions had also taken place with nursery staff. Out of School Care staff were wellsupported by the Childcare and Family Resource Officer, who visited the service on aweekly basis.

Staff had attended training in child protection, first aid and food hygiene and nurserystaff also attended school in-service training events. Staff communicated effectivelywith the Depute Head Teacher and Head Teacher through regular contact.

Communication with other services and agencies was very good.

Areas for improvementDuring the inspection visit the Head Teacher told us of the staffing challenges theyhad faced and how these had been overcome. It will be important to ensure thatstability is achieved for the new school year to allow staff to focus more on furtherdeveloping the nursery and Out of School Care. The newly appointed Principal Teacherof Pre-school Education was settling into her role and was enthusiastic about



working with staff to further develop the nursery.

Annual reviews and Learning Visits would be commenced in the new school year andthese would be used to identify training needs for staff.




Statement 4We ensure that everyone working in the service has an ethos of respect towardsservice users and each other.

Service strengthsWe found that everyone in the service had an excellent ethos of respect towards thechildren and each other.

Policies and procedures were in place, which included equality and diversity,participation, complaints and whistle blowing.

Staff were aware of best practice guidance and had copies of the SSSC Codes ofPractice. Staff had worked very hard to overcome the many challenges they had facedin setting up and operating a new nursery and childcare service. Staff had alsoworked flexibly and been supportive towards one another and worked very welltogether as a team. All were enthusiastic about continuing to develop and improvethe service, involving parents and children in any changes. Most staff had previouslyworked in other nursery or childcare settings and were willing to share good practice.Staff from another local nursery had visited and it was hoped that this sharing ofideas could be increased.

A whole school staff survey 'The Story So Far' had been carried out in December 2011and staff had been asked to identify the positives and the challenges and wishes.These had been evaluated and the Head Teacher had used this information to informdecision making. The Depute Head Teacher provided regular weekly support tonursery staff and both the Depute and Head Teacher were available to provide supportto staff when needed.

Observations of staff working with children during the inspection visit demonstratedthat staff were very attentive to the needs and views of children. Staff alsoencouraged parents to be fully involved in the service.



Areas for improvementThe Head Teacher and Depute Head Teacher are to continue to support staff todevelop the provision and are to consider alternative ways of involving parents andchildren in any developments.

Grade awarded for this statement: 6 - Excellent





Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership


Statement 2We involve our workforce in determining the direction and future objectives of theservice.

Service strengthsWe found the service provided very good opportunities for staff to be involved indetermining the direction and future objectives of the service.

All staff were involved in making improvements and in reviewing the policies andprocedures of the service. The new Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education visitedthe nursery every two weeks to provide regular support to staff and staff were in theprocess of adjusting to this new role. Staff working in Out of School Care receivedregular support from the Childcare and Family Resource Officer.

Staff were involved in weekly planning meetings and developed activity plans usingthe ideas and interests of the children. Nursery plans were shared with parents andwere evaluated by staff and the Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education. Nurserystaff had been involved in an initial evaluation of nursery provision. The PrincipalTeacher of Pre-school Education had spent time observing the learning and teachingenvironment and had met with the Depute Head Teacher to identify proposed areasfor development for the next school year. These were due to be shared with staff, inorder to gain their views and ideas.

Staff told us that they felt involved in the running of the nursery and Out of SchoolCare and that their suggestions and ideas were valued and respected. They also toldus that they felt very much part of the school and were involved in makingimprovements at all levels.

A School Standards and Quality Report had been compiled, and this included areas forimprovement within the nursery. A Quality Improvement visit from Highland Councilhad been completed in May 2012 and this had included visiting the nursery.

Areas for improvementThe Head Teacher told us in the self assessment form that they would continue towork alongside staff in reflecting on current practice and take time to evaluate anychanges that may arise. More formal evaluation of nursery and childcare provisionwould need to be undertaken during the next school year.

The role of the Principal Teacher of Pre-school Education was still being defined and



nursery staff had begun to take responsibility for different areas of practice; this wasan area for further development.




Statement 4We use quality assurance systems and processes which involve service users, carers,staff and stakeholders to assess the quality of service we provide

Service strengthsWe found there was very good use of quality assurance systems and processes whichinvolved children, parents/carers and staff in assessing the quality of the serviceprovided.

The service used external and internal quality assurance systems to assess and reviewthe quality of the service provided. A Quality Improvement Visit by Highland Councilhad taken place in May 2012 and this had involved the nursery. The nursery was acentre for pre-school education and would be inspected by Education Scotland.

The school was still in the first year of operation and Quality Assurance Procedureswere continuing to be developed. At the time of the inspection systems includedevaluation of nursery plans, informal observation of the learning and teachingenvironment and beginning to formally evaluate the work of the nursery. The HeadTeacher and Depute Head Teacher worked alongside staff in reflecting on currentpractice and had identified proposed areas for development for the next school year.These were due to be shared with staff, in order to gain their views and ideas.

Questionnaires provided opportunities for parents and children to be involved in theassessment of the quality of nursery provision and suggestions were evaluated andideas taken forward.

A Standards and Quality Report had been developed and this was available to parents.A School Improvement Plan was in the process of being developed. Professionalsvisited the nursery e.g. Oral Health Educator, Health Visitor and Speech and LanguageTherapist to provide information on good practice.

Areas for improvementThe Head Teacher and Depute Head Teacher need to work with the Principal Teacherof Pre-school Education to lead and support staff to undertake self evaluation ofnursery provision, involving parents, children and outside agencies in this process.More formal evaluation of nursery and childcare provision would need to beundertaken during the next school year, using the National Care Standards, Quality



Themes and the Child at the Centre 2 documents.

Staff working in the Wraparound Care and Out of School Care will also need to besupported by the Childcare and Family Resource Officer to undertake more formal selfevaluation and find ways of involving parents/carers more.






4 Other information

ComplaintsNo complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld.

EnforcementsWe have taken no enforcement action against this care service.

Additional Information

Action PlanFailure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, includingany agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made,will result in SCSWIS re-grading the Quality Statement within the Management andLeadership Theme as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme forManagement and Leadership being re-graded as Unsatisfactory (1).



5 Summary of grades

Quality of Care and Support - 5 - Very Good

Statement 1 5 - Very Good


Quality of Environment - 5 - Very Good



Quality of Staffing - 5 - Very Good


Statement 4 6 - Excellent

Quality of Management and Leadership - 5 - Very Good



6 Inspection and grading history

All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the formerregulator of care services, the Care Commission.



To find out more about our inspections and inspection reportsRead our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us tosend you a copy by telephoning us on 0845 600 9527.

This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can get more copiesof this report and others by downloading it from our website:www.careinspectorate.com or by telephoning 0845 600 9527.

Translations and alternative formatsThis inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request.

Telephone: 0845 600 9527Email: [email protected]: www.careinspectorate.com



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