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Providing Inspection Services for
Department of Education
Department for Employment and Learning
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Education and Training Inspectorate
Report of a Short Inspection
Lisnagelvin Nursery School
Londonderry
Inspected: May 2003
STATISTICAL INFORMATION - NURSERY SCHOOLS
School: Lisnagelvin Nursery
Ref No: 211-6233
Date of Inspection: W/C 19 May 2003
Number of teachers (including Principal and part-time teachers):
(Full-time equivalent = 32.4 hours)
2
Number of nursery assistants (including part-time assistants):
(Full-time equivalent = 30 hours)
3
Total Enrolment:
78
Number of children attending full-time:
27
Number of children attending part-time:
51
Average attendance for the previous school year: (this should
be calculated from the date when the intake is complete)
93.35%
Percentage of children entitled to free school meals:
48%
Full-time:
9.00 am-1.30 pm
Part-time:
9.00 am-11.30 am
12.30 pm-3.00 pm
Duration of sessions:
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
The children who attend Lisnagelvin Nursery School come from the housing near to
the school and also from surrounding towns and villages such as Claudy, Limavady,
Drumahoe and Eglinton. Fifty-one children attend the school on a part-time and 27 on a fulltime basis. Some 48% of the children are entitled to free school meals.
1.2
The arrangements for the inspection of pastoral care included the completion of
questionnaires by the parents as well as meetings with parents and governors. Approximately
92% of the parents returned the completed questionnaire; of these, almost half also submitted
a written comment about the nursery. The comments and responses from both the
questionnaires and the meetings indicated a very high level of satisfaction with all aspects of
the nursery's provision, particularly with the dedication and commitment of the staff, the
management of the school, the supportive, caring and stimulating environment, and the
involvement of the parents in the life and work of the school.
2.
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
2.1
There is a settled, caring atmosphere in the nursery and relationships between the staff
and the children are excellent. The staff are hard-working and dedicated to the welfare of the
children; they create a secure, supportive environment which contributes to the development
of the children's confidence and self-esteem. The children are relaxed and happy in the
school; they settle quickly and confidently to their chosen activity and co-operate well with
one another. The standards of behaviour are excellent.
2.2
The nursery is bright and interesting. Good use is made of a wide range of the
children’s art work to create colourful displays around the playrooms and the entrance area.
Interest areas, supported by a range of appropriate objects, books and pictures, stimulate the
children’s curiosity and increase their knowledge of the environment. The children and their
parents show a particular interest in the photographs which are on display around the school.
2.3
The parents are welcomed into the nursery. An attractive parents’ room is used
extensively for courses, meetings and as a social area. The communication with parents is
excellent. There are good opportunities for the parents to talk to the staff informally at the
beginning and end of sessions and also at two formal meetings each year when the parents
can discuss their child's progress with the teacher. A detailed monthly newsletter, and
additional information posted on the parents’ noticeboard, keeps the parents informed about
what is happening in the nursery, and how they may help their child at home. The school
maintains a very interesting and informative website.
2.4
The school has in place procedures in line with guidance given in Department of
Education Circular 1999/10 on Child Protection. These procedures are outlined clearly in the
school policy; all the staff have received appropriate training and are aware of their
responsibilities. Parents are informed of the procedures through a well-presented leaflet and
through notices around the school.
2.5
The teachers prepare carefully for their work and they are supported well by the
nursery assistants. They have worked hard as a team to provide written planning to support
the work of the nursery and to develop a programme of themes and topics which relate
closely to the time of year and the interests of the children. The guidance in the policy
1
documents is detailed and appropriate, and is reflected clearly in the work and ethos of the
school. The planning outlines a broad, balanced programme which takes appropriate account
of all the main areas in the pre-school curriculum. The potential learning is identified clearly,
and detailed evaluations of the children's individual responses and interests provide helpful
information which informs future planning.
2.6
The thoughtful and unobtrusive organisation of the daily routines provides an
appropriately extended period of free play during which there are good opportunities for the
children to make choices for their play. The snack routine allows appropriate opportunities
for the children to take responsibility and to develop independence.
2.7
The play areas are laid out attractively at the beginning of the sessions and the wide
range of activities helps to promote interesting and stimulating play. The activities make use
of some unusual and interesting resources to stimulate the children's imagination. The staff
intervene imaginatively in the children's play; they participate skilfully in the activities to
promote the children's development and learning. The staff are very supportive of the
children; the sustained support they provide results in quality interaction between the adults
and the children; this effective interaction encourages the children to observe and to think and
provides very good opportunities for the staff to engage the children in valuable discussions
about their play experiences and what they are learning.
2.8
The nursery's programme promotes effectively the children's personal, social and
emotional development. The children show sustained levels of concentration in their play.
They work well with the adults and other children, listen attentively to others and they share
materials agreeably. They help to clear the toys at the end of the sessions and do so
efficiently.
2.9
The outdoor area is very attractive and is a feature of the school. The potential of this
area is exploited fully to extend the children's learning opportunities; excellent use is made of
the grounds to promote the children's interest in their environment. The physical
development of the children is given a high priority and there are very good opportunities for
a wide range of energetic outdoor play which develops effectively the children's physical
skills. The designation of an area for wheeled toys and the addition of traffic lights, petrol
pumps and zebra crossings gives purpose to this activity. The children use a wide range of
large and small equipment and tools with increasing skill and confidence, and an awareness
for safety.
2.10 The children enjoy a very good variety of creative art activities; they take a pride in
seeing their work displayed around the school and in making pictures and three-dimensional
objects for their parents. The children sing with enjoyment and use percussion instruments
well; they have acquired an extensive repertoire of songs and rhymes which they clearly
enjoy singing and reciting.
2.11 There is strong encouragement for the children to develop an interest in books, for
example, through the prominent displays of books in the interest areas, which are relevant to
current topics. They pay close attention during story sessions, browse frequently in the book
corners or explore the information books during their play. The parents are encouraged to
take library books home to share with their children. The principal, with the help of the staff,
has compiled ‘Story Bags’ which contain a story book and related resources, as well as
information leaflets outlining useful advice to parents on the value of reading with their
2
children. A high level of interest is generated in writing and drawing by the provision of
different kinds of paper, white boards, writing tools and office equipment; many children
experiment with writing as a natural part of their play. During the inspection, there were
many examples of the staff intervening to promote language through the use of thoughtful
questions and discussion or to take time to read to the children.
2.12 The staff use appropriate mathematical language when participating in the children's
play and promote an interest in counting, matching and making comparisons. The children
are being encouraged to talk about and to understand early concepts of number, size and
quantity. Good use is made of matching and counting games, wet and dry sand, water and
dough play to develop the language of mathematics. The children learn number rhymes and
songs and listen to stories which have a reference to number.
2.13 Good use is made of seasonal and environmental topics which have extended the
children’s knowledge of, and interest in, the world around them. The children's curiosity
about the natural world is fostered effectively and they care for and respect living things.
They have a good knowledge of topics related to nature and the changing seasons. An
interest in nature is being fostered through, for example, observation of frogs and butterflies
and discussion about the seaside and the vegetables, herbs and flowers which the children
have planted. There are well-planned opportunities for the children to learn about the
properties of various materials through well-structured play experiences with, for example,
water and sand.
2.14 The staff monitor the children's progress regularly and maintain detailed records of
the children's development and their identified needs; these records cover all the areas of
development. The staff know the children well and they use the outcomes of their
observations to help plan activities.
2.15 The children identified as having special educational needs (SEN) are integrated well
into the activities provided in each playroom; the staff make very good efforts to identify,
address and monitor the particular problems faced by these children. Education plans outline
clearly the progress made and the appropriate targets for development. The staff provide
good levels of support for these children, while at the same time encouraging integration and
independence. There is close co-operation with the parents, as well as health and other
education professionals.
2.16 The school is very well-organised and managed effectively. The principal brings a
high level of skill, commitment and enthusiasm to her work and promotes a strong sense of
team-work among the staff. She has a vision, and establishes clear goals for the nursery. She
receives very good support from the assistant teacher and the other members of staff. The
school development plan sets realistic targets for the development of the curriculum and
related areas such as the acquisition of resources; this plan is reviewed regularly to ensure
that the priorities are being implemented. The staff participate in a good range of in-service
training (INSET) and staff development within the school in order to develop the work of the
nursery and their own understanding of current issues in nursery education.
2.17 The quality of the accommodation is very good. It has been improved recently with
the refurbishment of a parents' room. The school has a good supply of resources which are
used well to support learning in all aspects of the curriculum.
3
2.18
The strengths of the nursery include:

the happy, caring, supportive and welcoming atmosphere;

the excellent relationships between the staff and the children;

the very settled and friendly behaviour of the children;

the very many instances of concentrated play, at which the children are cooperative and happy;

the thoughtful organisation of the nursery day which allows for long periods of
uninterrupted play;

the wide range of interesting and imaginative activities which stimulate the
children’s curiosity and imagination;

the dedicated leadership of the principal and the very good team-work among
the staff;

the effective communication between the school and home;

the level of support for children identified as having special educational needs;

the well-maintained and stimulating outdoor environment.
2.19 Overall, the quality of the education provided in this nursery school is excellent; the
needs of the children are being well met.
4
 CROWN COPYRIGHT 2003
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for
commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or
advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are
stated.
Copies of this report may be obtained from the Inspection
Services Branch, Department of Education, Rathgael House,
43 Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down BT19 7PR. A copy is also
available on the DE website: www.deni.gov.uk