Beverley Manor Nursery School

Beverley Manor Nursery School Inspection report

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Age group 3–5 Inspection date(s) 12–13 March 2012 Inspection number 379455 Unique Reference Number 117698 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 379455 Inspection dates 12–13 March 2012 Lead inspector Lesley Clark

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Nursery School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–5 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 135 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nicola Bailey Headteacher Yvonne Norvock Date of previous school inspection 1 April 2009 School address Manor Road Beverley HU17 7BT Telephone number 01482 882631 Fax number 01482 882631 Email address beverleymanor.nursery@eastriding.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed 14 sessions, observing a total of five hours’ teaching taught by nine key teachers (teaching staff, nursery nurses and higher level teaching assistants). Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, staff, parents and carers. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. She observed the school's work, and looked at a range of documentation including: a selection of ‘My special folders’ (assessments and examples of children’s learning and development); the school development portfolio (which includes the school improvement plan and self-evaluation); and documentation relating to safeguarding. Questionnaires returned from staff and pupils, and 80 questionnaires from parents and carers were analysed.

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Information about the school

This nursery is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It offers flexible provision, including mealtimes. The very large majority of children are of White British heritage. A very small minority speak English as an additional language. An average proportion of children have special educational needs. The proportion of children who have a statement of special educational needs or who are disabled is high. The headteacher is part time, supported by two assistant headteachers.

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Information about the school

The nursery has Healthy School status and holds the Basic Skills Quality Mark. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is an outstanding nursery school. Everything that it does is of high quality. Its major strength is the exceptional provision for and the progress of disabled children and those with special educational needs. Children with specific needs, including those learning to speak English as an additional language, flourish because the nursery enables them to participate fully. They access exactly the same opportunities as everyone else because the planned curriculum is outstanding.

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Key Findings

 Children achieve extremely well from starting points that are generally below expected levels. By the time they leave the nursery to go to primary school, most children’s attainment is well in advance of that typical for their age. This profile of outstanding achievement has been maintained for over 10 years.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is highly effective across the nursery. Staff have high expectations of children’s capacity to learn. They make sure that children have rich, challenging and enjoyable learning experiences. They teach children new skills every day.

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Key Findings

 Children feel very safe and their parents and carers wholeheartedly agree. Children behave with exceptional maturity. They quickly learn to be independent young people who make sensible decisions for themselves. They are very sociable, happy learners. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

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Key Findings

 Senior leaders set extremely high standards which they meet. They lead and manage teaching extremely effectively ensuring that practice throughout the nursery is of high quality. Staff receive ample opportunities to develop their skills further through regular training and professional development. Members of the governing body make a major contribution to development planning. The school is very clear about the way ahead despite having a very large number of aims that are time-consuming to evaluate when checking overall effectiveness. Performance is closely monitored. The nursery continues to sustain outstanding performance, as a result.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Streamline the school’s aims in order to provide a concise agenda for monitoring and evaluating the school’s effectiveness. 

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Achievement of children

Parents and carers have an accurate view of their children’s excellent achievement because they regularly help them to complete TASC (Together Adults Sharing with Children) activities which cover all areas of learning. When they first start school, the very large majority of children are below expected levels, especially in communication, language and literacy and in their social and physical development. Their attainment, including that made by pupils with special educational needs, disabled pupils and those learning English as an additional language, outstrips that expected of their age. Any gaps in performance are negligible by the time they leave the nursery.

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Achievement of children

Children make outstanding progress in early reading skills. Learning is effective in lessons and after one term, children use stories in their play, for example putting on special high-pitched voices as they squeak, ‘Your straw house is stronger’. They follow the text while listening to stories being read, joining in with repeated phrases. They use letters and sounds accurately to play ‘I spy’ and recognise words and phrases such as ‘roll’ or ‘not roll’.

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Achievement of children

Children make equally fast progress in early writing skills. They ‘write’ stories which they read back expressively. They use writing to think and reflect, revealing the extent to which spiritual, moral, social and cultural development infuses most activities. In lessons, children enjoy sharing their skills. For example, a higher attainer read part of her story, ‘She got told off because she didn’t actually tell her mummy she was going to the woods.’ Another commented, ‘If you were going to the woods on your own it would be scary.’ They write for a purpose. For instance, an average attainer decided to write a sign ‘keep out’ for his building site because, ‘It’s not safe, could fell down there’. Similarly lower attainers use writing expressively as demonstrated by one who explained that the fierce scribbles represented a storm.

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Achievement of children

Children make outstanding progress in short skills sessions which develop key skills such as early numeracy. As a result, higher attainers successfully complete 16-square Sudoku puzzles, average attainers play board games together and lower attainers identify different numbers accurately. This is because they learn through exploring and finding out for themselves and they are used to solving two- or three-step problems. As a result, children predict whether cars would move quickly or slowly across different surfaces and give reasons for their views.

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Achievement of children

Disabled children and those with special educational needs make exceptional progress. They learn as independently as others because staff ensure that they have the equipment and the support they need to enable them to do so. For example, those with physical difficulties are able to transport bricks in wheelbarrows. Non- talkers make rapid progress in acquiring speech because skilled staff interpret their idiosyncratic sign language and pre-speech babble accurately, talking to them all the time. This high level of talk, signs and interpretation also enables those learning English as an additional language make rapid progress. At the same time, the highly inclusive curriculum makes learning in this way a very natural part of all children’s progress. Thus, all children learn to count to 10 in Japanese, for example, using actions to help them remember the sequence.

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Quality of teaching

Parents and carers have an accurate perception that their children are extremely well taught. The most effective features of teaching include skilled questioning and concise language that help children of different abilities to respond. For example, phrases such as ‘Tell me about...show me...give me’ elicit verbal responses and/or actions. Concise praise such as ‘good listening’ or ‘good looking’ encourage children but also enable staff to move on swiftly. Typically, in 15-minute teaching session, staff cover a great deal of material. In one such session, children clarified that numbers were different from letters, grouped them, went outside to find numbers, returned indoors and marked off numbers that were special to them on a 100 square, providing explanations.

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Quality of teaching

Free-choice activities are extremely well planned to promote and extend children’s learning based on their interests and needs. The curriculum promotes the development of basic skills across all areas of learning. It identifies high expectations with a focus on providing memorable experiences. The imaginative theme – May the force be with you! – was extended to include different constructions across the world to accommodate children’s current interests. Adults are adept at playing with children and extending their learning. Their high aspirations mean that children see no limit to what they can do. For instance, children confidently worked out how to construct a two-storey building, directing adults to help them make it safe.

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Quality of teaching

Key teachers use assessment outstandingly well to note down what children know and can do and to use the information to help them plan activities and to set children individual targets which are constantly reinforced then changed. Through these, staff ensure that children learn just what they need to. This is why children make fast progress. In addition, daily diaries keep parents and carers of disabled children and those with special educational needs well informed about their children’s developing skills.

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Quality of teaching

By providing such exciting activities teachers promote most effectively high quality spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children are enthralled with learning and every day provides experiences to enjoy. Relationships with staff promote social skills and ensure that children’s responses are valued, celebrated and extended.

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Behaviour and safety of children

Children quickly turn into responsible young people who look after themselves. Attitudes to learning are excellent. No time is wasted because the children know exactly what they are doing when. They plan their time, using planning sheets that match their stage of development, helped by their key teacher. Their mature behaviour is exceptional as when children, including disabled children and those with special educational needs, sat in pairs and asked each other how far they had got with their ‘choosing jobs’ while adults discreetly supported and made notes.

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Behaviour and safety of children

There is virtually no fractious behaviour because children are happily occupied. No one has a sleep during the day because there is so much to do that is interesting. Children know about personal hygiene practices and make sure they wash their hands before eating. Mealtimes are convivial occasions. Children choose what they wish to eat from illustrated menus and adults engage them in conversation. Children who find it hard to sit still for long are free to leave the table when they have finished because the nursery staff know exactly what each child’s special needs are. As a result, there are no tantrums because adults and children understand each other and have excellent relationships.

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Behaviour and safety of children

Children work well together because they soon learn to share and take turns. They concentrate for long periods of time, rarely asking for help. Children are well aware of how to play safely, taking care not to cycle into each other, for example, or climbing sensibly. Their tolerance of others is evident in their play. They respect each other’s family beliefs and are interested in different cultural traditions. Parents and carers comment positively on their children’s safety awareness.

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Leadership and management

Senior leaders set and maintain exceptionally high standards. Self-evaluation is stringent. The school development portfolio combines self-review with development planning to give a full picture of what needs developing further and why. It is a measure of the leadership and management’s attention to detail that the nursery has no fewer than 34 aims, each of which is evaluated rigorously. This tends to over- complicate the agenda for monitoring and evaluating the school’s effectiveness, given its track record of outstanding performance. The leading of teaching and learning is highly effective. Senior leaders monitor teaching quality regularly with a specific focus which is then checked, reviewed and further evaluated. Professional development is equally apposite. As a result, teaching constantly improves.

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Leadership and management

Members of the governing body are keenly involved in all that the school does. They support and challenge in equal measure. An example of this is the highly successful succession planning whereby the outgoing headteacher works part time with two assistant headteachers to ensure there is no loss in quality during an interim period of leadership. Safeguarding is first-rate from CCTV to ensure site security to rigorous staff checks and child protection procedures. Good quality equipment and rigorous hygiene procedures further ensure child and adult safety.

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Leadership and management

The nursery promotes equality and tackles discrimination most effectively, providing equipment, learning materials and advice to help parents and carers support their children at home. This is a contributory factor to the exceptional progress made by disabled children and those with special educational needs. The school provides an outstanding curriculum that is sensitively adapted to meet each child’s personal needs. It promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely effectively. The school demonstrates outstanding capacity to sustain improvement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its children’s needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its children well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its children. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its children. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a child in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the child’s work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of children at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well children behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Children’s punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well children acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which children are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the children's attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe children are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Children’s freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Beverley Manor Nursery School, Beverley, HU17 7BT

Thank you for your warm and friendly welcome. I very much enjoyed watching you learn and play. You go to an outstanding nursery. Your key teachers know just what to do to make sure you learn a lot as well as having fun at the same time. You are beginning to read and write well. Some of you do really difficult puzzles. I loved the two-storey building you were making outside.

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Inspection of Beverley Manor Nursery School, Beverley, HU17 7BT

You are very grown up. You plan what you are going to do and then you check what you have done just like older people. Your key teachers make sure that you are always busy and happy. Those of you who need extra help get just the right amount. This means that even if you cannot walk or talk very well you have just the same chance to learn and play as everyone else. I was impressed at how well you look after yourselves. You put on your coats and do special choosing jobs all by yourself.

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Inspection of Beverley Manor Nursery School, Beverley, HU17 7BT

Your parents and carers are so pleased that you come to this nursery. It helps them too. This is why it is so special. Your nursery has so much that it wants to share with you. Did you know that those in charge check 34 different things to make sure your nursery stays wonderful? I have suggested that they group these together to make it easier for them to check to make sure everything is just right for you.

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Inspection of Beverley Manor Nursery School, Beverley, HU17 7BT

You can help by coming to nursery ready to learn lots of new things. You should ask lots of questions so you learn to use as many different words as your key teachers. I hope you enjoy learning them!

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Inspection of Beverley Manor Nursery School, Beverley, HU17 7BT

Lesley Clark Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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