Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre

Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 100315 Local Authority Hammersmith and Fulham Inspection number 354834 Inspection dates 3–4 November 2010 Reporting inspector Natalia Power

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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 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alice Harlan Headteacher Michael Pettavel Date of previous school inspection 8 October 2007 School address Australia Road London W12 7PH Telephone number 020 8743 7339 Fax number 020 8749 7723 Email address admin@randolphberesford.lbhf.sch.uk

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Age group 3–5 Inspection dates 3–4 November 2010 Inspection number 354834 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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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. They observed the three class teachers, and the early years educators and learning assistants in the three indoor rooms and in the outdoor learning areas. The inspectors also observed the provision for the under-threes in their indoor and outdoor areas. The inspectors talked to parents and carers, members of the governing body and staff. They observed the school's work, and looked in particular at its self-evaluation and plans for improvement and the data collected on children's progress, safeguarding information and governing body minutes. They considered the responses in 63 questionnaires that had been returned by parents and carers. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  What is the quality of learning and the progress made by different groups of children, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those

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Introduction

who speak English as an additional language?  What is the school doing to encourage regular attendance?  How successfully does the school promote community cohesion?

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Information about the school

Most of the children start in the September or January after their third birthday and stay until they move to the Reception Year in a range of different primary schools. The children attend full time and most eat lunch provided by the school. Around three quarters of children are known to be eligible for free school meals, and this proportion is higher than usual. Most children come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Over half of children speak English as an additional language and most of these are at an early stage of learning English. One third of children either have, or are being assessed for, a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children with speech, language and communication difficulties form the largest group. The school also incorporates a Nursery with up to 24 full-time equivalent places for children from 18 months to three years referred by the local authority. The school forms part of an early excellence children's

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Information about the school

centre, which is managed by the governing body and is subject to a separate inspection.

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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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Main findings

 The hallmark of this outstanding school is the thorough planning for the needs of each individual child. The children are carefully watched to ensure that they are learning well, and their progress is discussed daily, so that any necessary support can swiftly be put in place. As a result all children, whatever their needs, make excellent progress in their learning.  The children are exceptionally well cared for. They develop excellent relationships with the adults, and enjoy eating their lunch in family-style groups. This supportive ethos enables the children to grow in confidence and benefit fully from the many opportunities offered. The under-threes also benefit from an exceptionally caring and protective environment.  The children are set a wealth of exciting and enriching tasks, both indoors and outdoors. These provide excellent opportunities for them to become absorbed in topics and build their powers of concentration.

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Main findings

 The school works in outstanding partnership with outside organisations to bring art, drama and music to the children. However, children have too few opportunities to develop their singing and instrumental musical skills.  The school is a much-loved hub of its neighbourhood, and community cohesion is one of its strengths. Children from a wide variety of backgrounds get on very well together. Leaders and managers ensure that children gain an excellent understanding of their own and other people's faiths and cultures.  The children develop outstanding personal qualities. They are encouraged to make decisions about what they are going to learn, and this enables them to grow in confidence. Their behaviour is excellent overall, and any small incidents are calmly dealt with by the adults.  Teaching is outstanding. The adults extend children's learning through well-targeted questioning and support, based on their full understanding of individual children's

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Main findings

progress.  A few children miss too much school for reasons other than illness. These children make slower progress than others, because they have less access to the full curriculum.  The headteacher and his team are highly ambitious for the school and continually seek ways of improving it. All leaders and managers have an excellent understanding of the school's strengths and are relentless in their focus on improvement. Their plans for the future are excellent. They have fully met all the recommendations from the last inspection. For example, the monitoring of children's interactions with the

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

adults is now exemplary. As a result, the school has an excellent capacity to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that children develop better accuracy in singing and harmony through greater access to music-making.  Work closely with parents and carers to improve the attendance of the few children whose current attendance patterns give cause for concern in order to raise their achievement.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

One parent commented, 'This is a brilliant school that has helped my child to make fantastic progress.' Children make outstanding progress from their starting points which, in many cases, are well below those typical of three-year-olds. By the time they leave the school, children from all backgrounds have gained language and number skills that are typical of those of others of their age. Children who speak English as an additional language receive focused support in their play-based activities and make excellent progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive outstanding support, particularly in addressing language and speech delay, and make progress in line with others Children make excellent progress, because adults take the children's interests as their starting points. They then take every opportunity to extend the children's learning through thoughtful and well-targeted discussions and questions. In one activity, for example,

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

children helped to prepare hot chocolate to drink round a bonfire. The children were excited by this task, and the adult introduced them to scientific concepts very well, for instance, by asking them what the steam rising from the saucepan meant. The introduction to scientific concepts was also evident in the area for the under-threes, where the children developed their knowledge and understanding of the world, while building their vocabulary and powers of concentration when rolling toys down a pipe to see them emerge further down. Children feel exceptionally safe because the school environment is extremely well protected and there is always a trusted adult to turn to if they have any worries. They understand the importance of keeping healthy by washing hands after using the toilet, because otherwise, as one child explained, 'they'd always be dirty'. They enjoy the healthy lunches provided by the school and develop outstanding physical skills by climbing,

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

running and digging in the garden. Their emotional health is promoted exceptionally well. For example, they learn to respect one another's needs and feelings through discussing the consequences of their actions. Consequently their behaviour is excellent. Children from all backgrounds play well together and are ready to share and take turns. They make an excellent contribution to their community by tidying up and laying the table for their playfellows. Children learn about the values and traditions of others by celebrating a range of religious ceremonies. Children have excellent access to nature, both in the well-planned garden and in the newly-introduced 'forest school' walks in nearby scrubland. This benefits their physical development as well as inspiring in them a sense of wonder and awe at the world around them. The school prepares the children well for their future lives. By the

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

time they leave the school they have developed good oral and social skills, and are curious about the world and ready to learn.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for children's outcomes

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Children's achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 1

Taking into account: Children's attainment¹

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Children's achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 1

The quality of children's learning and their progress 1

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Children's achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 1

The quality of learning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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2

Taking into account: Children's attendance¹

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The extent of children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

The excellent and thoughtful curriculum enhances the children's learning of basic skills and widens their horizons. Teachers and other adults provide an enormous wealth of activities, with opportunities for developing all six areas of learning both indoors and in the stimulating outdoor play areas. The adults encourage the children to see their tasks through and, through skilful questioning, help them to explore links between different areas of learning. For example, the frequent bonfires develop the children's social skills and stimulate their imagination as they sit at a safe distance, watching the flames dancing. The bonfires produce charred logs, which the children then use to study the effects of fire. The logs provide opportunities for them to use simple cutting and sawing tools and this promotes their manual dexterity. They then use the bits of charcoal that they cut from the logs to begin making marks on paper, so preparing the groundwork for

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How effective is the provision?

writing. All the while, the adults build on the children's interests to promote their speaking and listening skills by continually questioning them and encouraging them to express themselves in complete sentences. The under-threes have a safe and welcoming

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

environment, with opportunities to join in a wide range of exciting play activities, and also to rest quietly when they are tired. The quality of care provided for the children and for their families is exemplary. Home visits ensure that children quickly settle into the school. When the time comes for them to move to the next stage of their education, they are prepared extremely well for the change. Vulnerable children are very well cared for and given excellent support. The children eat lunch in family-style groups with adults and this contributes towards their developing excellent manners and personal qualities. In this safe and supportive environment, the children grow in confidence and maturity. This is because, in the words of one parent, 'This nursery is a family and a community, fostering an ethos of friendship and confidence.'

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 1

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

A member of the governing body described the headteacher as 'inspirational', and this reflects the headteacher's determination to forge a highly professional workforce that shares his commitment to promote excellence in children's learning. Together with his highly effective management team, the headteacher's ambition has made the school stronger than at the time of the last inspection. Teaching and learning, for example, are now consistently outstanding. Leaders and managers promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination exceptionally well, enabling all children to succeed. They ensure that safeguarding procedures are robust and of the highest quality. The governing body provides outstanding support. Governors are fully engaged in the life of the school and share the leaders' high standards and determination to maintain the school's exceptional qualities. The school promotes community cohesion exceptionally

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How effective are leadership and management?

well, ensuring that the children respect and have an excellent understanding of many faiths and ways of life in local, national and global contexts. The school works in excellent partnership with a number of outside organisations. For example, links with nearby secondary schools provide enriched curriculum experiences for the children, and links with the parks service provide valuable guidance on running the 'forest school'. There are also excellent partnerships with external specialists such as therapy services to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and managers work in extremely effective partnership with parents and carers, keeping them fully informed about their children's progress and encouraging them to bring their skills into the school community.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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1

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Views of parents and carers

The proportion of questionnaires submitted during the inspection was typical of nursery schools in general. All the parents and carers who responded to questionnaires or who spoke to inspectors agreed that their children enjoy school and that it keeps them safe. All agreed that they were informed about their children's progress. Inspectors, too, found that children enjoy school and are kept very safe, and that parents and carers play a full part in the life of the school. A very few expressed minor concerns about the school. There was no specific trend or pattern to these issues. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers are happy with their child's experiences at the school. One commented, 'This is a brilliant school that has helped me as a parent and has been a lifeline for me.'

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of children registered at Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 63 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 120 children registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 53 84 10 16 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 45 71 18 29 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 41 65 20 32 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 39 62 20 32 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 34 54 28 44 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 34 54 25 40 3 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 31 49 29 46 2 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 28 44 28 44 2 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 27 43 31 49 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 31 49 28 44 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 32 51 25 40 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 37 59 23 37 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 45 71 17 27 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its children well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its children.

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Grade Judgement Description

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

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures in clude those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: in other phases of school, for example primary schools, attainment is the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons. However, there is no national average for three- and four-year-olds. Therefore, in inspections of nursery schools, inspectors take account of expectations in the age-related bands of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of children.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets children's needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which children are learning in nursery sessions and over longer periods of time.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre, London W12 7PH

Do you remember when two visitors came to your school to watch you play and learn? Thank you for making us feel welcome. We had a wonderful time at your school and found out all sorts of interesting things about it. Here are some of them.  You go to a fantastic school, and we call this outstanding.  The adults help you if you have any worries, and this makes you feel completely safe at school. They make sure that you stay healthy. You really enjoy your vegetables!  You learn an amazing amount for children of your age. This is because the adults watch you carefully and take the time to help you learn at your own pace.  Your school keeps you very safe. All the adults are kind and take good care of you. They help you to get on well with one another, and share and take turns.  Your school gives you a huge number of exciting activities to help you learn. You love the bonfires, and making hot chocolate and cooking chapattis. You love all the

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Inspection of Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre, London W12 7PH

chances you are given for running and climbing and digging and learning how animals and plants grow. You are also very keen on your forest walks, where you learn about nature. We heard you sing round the bonfire and we want you to have many more chances to sing and play instruments.  Your school helps you to learn new words so that you can chat about lots of different things. You are also doing very well in learning how to count and write. Some of you can even make letters out of dough!  There are so many good things happening at your school every day that we do not want you to miss a day unless you are really unwell. We know that most of you attend regularly, but we would like your school to make sure that everyone does. Even though you are very young, you can play your part by asking your parents and carers to bring you to school regularly. We wish you all the best for the future.

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www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please

telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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