Banff Primary School nursery inspection report praises all aspects
A positive inspection report has been published for a school’s nursery with it being assessed as “Very Good” across all the evaluation areas.
The Care Inspectorate carried out an unannounced inspection of the Banff Primary School nursery last month.
The report outlined that the inspectors found that the children were cared for by kind and caring staff; staff knew the children well and were skilled in supporting their care needs; and children had fun and were engaged in their play.
It was also concluded that the environment was inviting and spacious, with plenty of room for children to play and move freely; self-evaluation and quality assurance processes were effective to ensure high-quality care and learning opportunities; and staff worked well together and were enthusiastic and motivated in their professional development.
In the How good is our care, play and learning? evaluation it was rated as Very Good.
The report outlined: “Children experienced caring and loving interactions. A parent commented: ‘The staff are super friendly supportive and provide help whenever it is needed. My child loves to attend nursery. They feel safe and cared for.’
“Child-centred planning approaches were effective to support children's progress and development.
“Skilled staff used high-quality observations of children at play to develop individualised next steps to support their learning.”
In the How good is our setting? evaluation it was rated as Very Good.
The report stated: “Children were cared for in a bright and comfortable environment. The setting was well maintained, and furnishings and equipment were of good quality.
“The welcoming foyer and cloakroom were spacious and supported children's independence and self-help skills.
“Information to support parents was attractively displayed and a community trolley with a range of food items could be easily accessed.
“This promoted a sense of inclusion and belonging for children and families.
“The playroom was spacious and well considered. Children were able to move freely and safely and choose resources independently.
“Developmentally, appropriate spaces were inviting with resources which reflected children's current interests.”
In the How good is our leadership? evaluation it was rated as Very Good.
The report said: “The service was well led by an experienced manager who was well supported by the head teacher and lead practitioners.
“Staff told us the management team were very approachable and helpful. This contributed to ongoing change and improvement.
“The aspirations of families were reflected in the caring and inclusive ethos. Families and children had been consulted and their opinions sought when developing the service vision, values and aims.
“Children and families were meaningfully involved in the development of the service.”
In the How good is our staff team? evaluation it was rated as Very Good.
The report outlined: “Staff were very committed and enthusiastic. Some staff had additional responsibility and leadership roles to promote high-quality care and provision.
“All staff had undertaken training opportunities to refresh their skills, keep up to date with new ideas and learn new knowledge.
“Staff felt valued for their strengths and experiences which led to a very happy team where children and staff had fun together.
“Staff were proud of the strong relationships built with children and their families.”
The report found that areas of improvement that had been made in the last report in December 2019 have been achieved.
