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Education and Training Inspectorate

Report of a Follow-up Inspection

St Patrick’s Primary School Nursery Unit Newry

October 2006 REPORT OF A FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION IN ST PATRICK’S PRIMARY SCHOOL NURSERY UNIT, NEWRY, CO DOWN (503-1158)

The inspection in St Patrick’s Primary School Nursery Unit highlighted strengths in the nursery ethos, the relationships between the staff and the children, the children’s settled and sustained play and the commitment of the staff, and identified the need for improvement in the following key areas, the:

 monitoring and evaluation of the children’s learning;

 organisation of the daily routines to ensure maximum quality adult interaction; and

 outdoor environment.

In the interval since the inspection, the following actions that affect the work of the nursery unit have taken place:

 a new nursery teacher was appointed;

 there has been a change in classroom assistant staffing; and

 some additional resources for outdoor play were purchased and necessary maintenance work to the garden carried out.

This report was compiled following the inspection visit on 17 October 2006.

The following are the most important improvements brought about by the staff and the management group, the:

 staff have designed an appropriate system for monitoring and recording the children’s progress and development. Good efforts are made by the staff to address the learning difficulties experienced by some of the children. The information gained is used to inform the planning and is also shared with the parents;

 thoughtful organisation of the daily timetable provides a good balance of free play and activities organised by the staff. The children are actively involved in the activities and the staff use every opportunity to promote language and learning; and

 staff have made valuable changes to the outdoor area which the children clearly enjoy and have plans to develop the area further. The careful arrangement of activities, and the teaching of safe play, help the children to gain appropriate physical skills and to use a variety of equipment and tools with confidence.

The nursery unit has made good progress in addressing the key areas for action. The parents and broader community can have confidence in the staff’s commitment to improvement and the effectiveness of their action in response to the findings of the inspection. ã CROWN COPYRIGHT 2006

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 are available on the DE website: www.deni.gov.uk or may be obtained from the Inspection Services Branch, Department of Education, Rathgael House, 43 Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down BT19 7PR.