16. Education Scotland Inspection of Kilbarchan Community Nursery ECSPB 21 08 25
Renfrewshire Council · 21 August 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 21 August 2025 and its agenda
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Page 2 of 5 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 21 August 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Education Scotland Inspection of Kilbarchan Community Nursery ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Education Scotland Inspection of Kilbarchan Community Nursery was inspected by Education Scotland in March 2025 as part of a national sample of education. Education Scotland uses different models of inspection, a short model inspection approach was adopted at Kilbarchan Community Nursery. Inspectors assessed the Nursery with a focus on two quality indicators which are referenced in How Good is our Early Learning and Childcare, the national quality improvement framework for early learning and childcare: Quality Indicator 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment. Quality Indicator 3.2 Securing children’s progress. 1.2 This was a positive inspection which evaluated quality indicators in the Community Nursery as: Quality Indicator 2.3 - Good Quality Indicator 3.2 - Good 1.4 As part of the inspection model the following area was also reviewed: Quality Indicator 2.1 Safeguarding and child protection 1.5 Education Scotland do not attach an evaluative grade to this. Instead in the Summary of Inspection Findings there are evaluative statements provided which are positive and contribute to the overall Community Nursery ratings. The inspection report in the form of a letter to parents, published by Education Scotland on 27 May 2025 can be accessed via the following link: Kilbarchan Community Nursery | Inspection Report | Education Scotland 1.6 The letter to parents identified three key strengths of the Community Nursery: • Nurturing, respectful relationships permeate the nursery and create a gentle relaxed environment. This enables children and their families to settle quickly and feel valued. The quality of teamwork amongst managers, practitioners
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Page 3 of 5 and staff and their openness with families creates a strong sense of community. • Children are enthusiastic and benefit from warm friendships. This enables them to play cooperatively and take forward their interests together. They choose from a wide range of attractive learning spaces indoors and outdoors in the garden and local area. • The dedication and willingness of the new management team to collaborate with practitioners and outside professionals to improve outcomes for children. 1.7 The following two areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the nursery manager and a representative from Renfrewshire Council: • Continue to improve further the quality of interactions between practitioners and children to ensure greater engagement, support and challenge for all children. • With the guidance of managers and local authority representatives continue to improve the quality of observation, planning for learning and tracking children’s progress. This will ensure all children make the sustained progress they are capable of. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to note and celebrate the key strengths and recognise the areas for further improvement in the Education Scotland report on Kilbarchan Community Nursery. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Renfrewshire Council has a statutory duty to provide early learning and childcare places to eligible children. To meet this requirement, Renfrewshire Council’s Flexible Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Places, reference RC-CPU-20-113 (“Council’s Framework") enables the Council to purchase placements in private and voluntary sector nurseries and with childminders (these private and voluntary services and childminders are identified as “Approved Funded Providers” or “AFP”). Kilbarchan Community Nursery is an approved Funded Provider on the Council’s Flexible Framework. 3.2 Children’s Services welcomes the process of audit undertaken by Education Scotland as supportive to continuous improvement in Renfrewshire’s education establishments. The team at Kilbarchan Community Nursery were positive about the inspection process and embraced it as a professional learning opportunity in partnership with colleagues at Education Scotland. 3.3 The report includes two areas for further improvement, and progress in addressing this will be monitored by Children’s Services officers through the Council’s Flexible Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Places and the Quality Improvement Framework. 3.3 The inspection report will inform planned improvement activity and will enable
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Page 4 of 5 the Community Nursery to build on the recognised strengths and focus further development on areas for improvement to enable the Centre to continue to deliver a quality educational provision. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – No financial implications 2. HR & Organisational Development – No HR implications 3. Community/Council Planning – engaging with, and learning from external inspection, ensures that our Renfrewshire is thriving. High standards of early learning and childcare provision ensure that children and young people are given the best start in life so that they promote and contribute to a more prosperous, fairer society. It also ensures our Renfrewshire is well – by providing an environment which encourages care, welfare and development, establishments play a crucial role in developing children and young people so that they become responsible citizens. The inspection process also supports delivery of the Council Plan crosscutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families as well as other Council Plan key strategic outcomes. Economy Equipping all children and young people to achieve success in life Fair Creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for children and young people. Embedding children’s rights in our decision-making processes 4. Legal – no implications 5. Property/Assets – No risks to property/assets. 6. Information Technology – No information and technology risks. 7. Equality & Human Rights – No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because the sustainable rate is being increased. If required, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – No negative impacts on health and safety. 9. Procurement – No procurement risks 10. Risk – No risks identified. 11. Privacy Impact – No impact on privacy.
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Page 5 of 5 12. Cosla Policy Position – N/A 13. Climate Risk – None. 14. Children’s Rights - This links to, Article 3 (best interests of the child) - the best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children. Article 28 (right to education) - every child has the right to an education. Article 29 (goals of education) - education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) - every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities. List of Background Papers - The inspection report and additional evidence is published on the Education Scotland website. __________________________________________________________ KMcD 23 July 2025 Author: Kathleen McDonagh, Education Manager, Telephone Number 07799034553 kathleen.mcdonagh@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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1 | Kilbarchan Community Nursery, Independent, 8633312 © Crown Copyright 27 May 2025 Dear Parent/Carer In March 2025, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Kilbarchan Community Nursery. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and worked closely with the manager/head of setting and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the setting’s work. • Nurturing, respectful relationships permeate the nursery and create a gentle relaxed environment. This enables children and their families to settle quickly and feel valued. The quality of teamwork amongst managers, practitioners and staff and their openness with families creates a strong sense of community. • Children are enthusiastic and benefit from warm friendships. This enables them to play cooperatively and take forward their interests together. They choose from a wide range of attractive learning spaces indoors and outdoors in the garden and local area. • The dedication and willingness of the new management team to collaborate with practitioners and outside professionals to improve outcomes for children. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the manager/head of setting and a representative from Renfrewshire Council. • Continue to improve further the quality of interactions between practitioners and children to ensure greater engagement, support and challenge for all children. • With the guidance of managers and local authority representatives continue to improve the quality of observation, planning for learning and tracking children’s progress. This will ensure all children make the sustained progress they are capable of.
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2 | Kilbarchan Community Nursery, Independent, 8633312 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the setting’s work using quality indicators from How good is our early learning and childcare?. Quality indicators help learning and childcare settings, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Kilbarchan Community Nursery Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Securing children’s progress good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Kilbarchan Community Nursery | Inspection Report | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the setting has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. Renfrewshire Council will inform parents/carers about the setting’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its settings. Shona ES Taylor Assistant HM Inspector