Kay Rowe Nursery School

Kay Rowe Nursery School Inspection report

p.1

Unique Reference Number 102701 Local Authority Newham Inspection number 355238 Inspection dates 7–8 December 2010 Reporting inspector Kathryn Taylor

p.1

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

p.1

Type of school Nursery School category Community Age range of pupils 3–5 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Williams Headteacher Anne Kibuuka Date of previous school inspection 8 May 2008 School address Osborne Road Forest Gate, London London E7 0PH Telephone number 020 85344403 Fax number 020 85199177 Email address info@kayrowe.newham.sch.uk

p.1

Age group 3–5 Inspection dates 7–8 December 2010 Inspection number 355238 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.

p.1

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 .

p.2

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

p.2

Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. The inspectors made 11 observations of children working on adult-led activities taught by five teachers as well as nursery nurses and other support staff. They also observed children working independently. They held meetings with members of the governing body and staff as well as talking to the children as they worked. Inspectors spoke to parents and carers who were bringing their children to school. They looked at a number of documents, including the school development plan, attendance and pupils' progress data, children's portfolios, local authority reports on the school, safeguarding information, and staff and parental questionnaires. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following.  What are the attainment, progress, learning and development of different groups of children.  How well the school is addressing the inconsistencies it has identified in teaching and

p.3

Introduction

assessments.  The contribution that leaders at different levels make to evaluate the school's work so as to plan for improvement.

p.3

Information about the school

The school provides 10 full-time and 110 part-time places. It also provides additional daycare within the nursery setting as well as daily breakfast care, after-school care and holiday provision for up to 10 children. The school is designated as a children's centre. The children's centre was inspected separately. Nursery children come from a wide range of backgrounds. Around two out of every three are from homes where English is not the first language. An increasing number enter the Nursery with either limited or no previous knowledge of English. One in every ten children have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children's needs include autism, learning difficulties, social emotional and behaviour needs, and speech, language and communication difficulties. Children enter the Nursery at the start of the term which follows their third birthday. They transfer to primary school either in January or

p.3

Information about the school

September, depending on when their birthday falls.

p.3

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

p.4

Main findings

Kay Rowe Nursery School provides a good standard of education and highly effective care and support for children. Staff, the governing body and leaders remain committed to meeting the needs of families within the local community, to extending what the school provides, and engaging those who are as yet new to the locality or harder to reach. Together with strong teamwork and good leadership, this demonstrates that the nursery has a good capacity to continue improve. The school forges excellent partnerships with families, and parents' and carers' views of the school are also very positive. They really appreciate the fact that their children enjoy coming to school and are very well cared for in this very inclusive nursery. Children feel extremely safe, settle well and make friends quickly. They grow in confidence and are not afraid to try new things or to be adventurous. Good teaching and provision, combined with

p.4

Main findings

the strong focus placed on children's personal and social development, and their language development, ensure that children of all abilities make good progress. Senior leaders, some of whom are fairly new to their current post, work very well together. They successfully galvanise staff and ensure a shared vision and commitment to the school. The progress of individual children is reviewed regularly so that the school can intervene to support them as necessary. The collation of data has improved since the last inspection. This is beginning to help the school to analyse the attainment and progress of different ethnic groups and ability groups, but less well for groups such as those children who attend full time and part time. Because monitoring of day-to-day provision and teaching is largely informal and evidence is not always well documented, this poses some limitations on leaders' and the governing body's ability to fully and critically evaluate the impact of some of the school's policies and

p.4

Main findings

the incisiveness of school improvement planning.

p.4

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the way the school monitors and evaluates its work and plans precisely for improvement by: ensuring that formal monitoring of day-to-day teaching and provision is more regular, more widely distributed and that evidence is well documented. using the information gained from monitoring of teaching and learning and the school's data to more robustly evaluate how well the school is meeting the needs of different groups .

p.4

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

p.5

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

reviewing the impact of the school's policies more rigorously.

p.5

Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 2

Children enter Nursery with a very wide range of skills, which are overall below age- related expectations, largely because a high proportion have additional needs in learning English. They achieve well and enjoy their learning. Irrespective of their starting point, children of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make good progress across the areas of learning. They make very good progress in their speaking and communication skills and in their personal and social development. As a result, attainment is in line with what is expected by the time they leave. More-able children are challenged to reach standards that exceed age-related expectations in some areas. Children learn well when taught in small groups, for example in the sensory room where they explore light and pattern and respond creatively to music and imagine life in the sea. Similarly, when sharing books with an adult, children enjoy looking at pictures. They

p.5

Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 2

quickly join in when words and phrases are repeated and can accurately suggest what might happen next. Later, children incorporate stories they have heard into their imaginative play and mark-making activities. During independent activities, children often learn well and sustain good concentration because staff join in fully and model activities. Very occasionally, staff do not intervene quickly enough when some of the children working independently go off- task. Children have a very good understanding how to stay safe. They learn what it means to be healthy, for example through eating healthy snacks, growing food and cooking. They understand the need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Outdoors, they are both keen to explore and be energetic, as seen for example when children were quietly scrutinising a ladybird they had found on the ground, building shelters, riding bikes, running and climbing, or learning to catch, throw and play tennis.

p.5

Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 2

Children develop a good understanding of cultural diversity and life beyond school through the celebration of festivals, contributions from parents and carers and

p.5

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

p.6

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

These are the grades for children's outcomes

p.6

Children's achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

Taking into account: Children's attainment¹

p.6

Children's achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

The quality of children's learning and their progress 2

p.6

Children's achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

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

p.6

2

Taking into account: Children's attendance¹

p.6

The extent of children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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

p.6

How effective is the provision?

The nursery is well staffed and well resourced and provides very secure, spacious accommodation. The outdoor areas are well used throughout the year to promote learning across all six areas. The planned project to revamp these has been thoroughly researched so that the garden is set to become an excellent place for children to work, play and explore. Nursery provision meets children's wide range of needs and abilities well. Children who have special educational needs are identified early on, often before they start Nursery, either through their involvement in the children's centre services, or through home visits. Staff can then intervene quickly and provide appropriate support. The school is also very adept at ensuring that children new to learning English are very well supported and receive additional small group or individual teaching. In addition, all staff make an effort to learn and use familiar phrases in children's home languages. A number also speak

p.6

How effective is the provision?

community languages and therefore can converse with children and families very effectively. Staff understand how young children learn best, know their children well and have high expectations of them. The school has worked successfully since its last inspection to provide better challenge for the more-able children. A good example was seen when

p.6

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

p.7

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

children were working with a teacher on a focused number activity. Children were able to build on their knowledge of ordering numbers to 20 and beyond, then were asked to estimate how many items were in different boxes, count these to check their estimates, and use the answers to create number stories and sets. Day-to-day assessment of children's learning through observations, skilled questioning and staff's involvement in activities are very good. Ongoing assessments are then used very well to plan to amend activities regularly, often daily, to reflect children's interests, build on their previous learning and extend it. The current school priority to strengthen assessment means that more detailed baseline assessment is taking place, staff's understanding of the new, revised Early Years assessments is developing and parents' and carers' and extended school's staff's comments are being incorporated into children's

p.7

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

portfolios. Parents and carers agree with inspectors that the nursery provides exceptionally good care for the children and families. One noted, 'The school goes outs of its way to provide support for my child and also the whole familiy.' Children settle very quickly because staff already know many of the families and work hard to find out about their interests before they start. Similarly, the school works hard to prepare children for transfer to the next school. Monitoring and promotion of good behaviour and attendance are very robust. Good quality additional before- and after-school care and lunchtime provision make a significant contribution to children's welfare, learning and development. Extended provision is well planned to ensure a seamless transition from Nursery into extended school care. Children are cared for by known adults and staff are flexible and responsive to children's day-to-day needs, interests and energy levels at different times in the day.

p.7

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

These are the grades for the quality of provision

p.7

The quality of teaching 2

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

p.7

How effective are leadership and management?

Staff are fully committed to the governing body's and headteacher's vision to provide the best for the children and a good service for the local community. Staff morale is high. This is reflected in the staff questionnaire responses from which the following comment is typical, 'I feel very proud to say I am part of the Kay Rowe staff. All staff work well together.' The recently appointed assistant headteachers contribute well to leading school improvements and determining the next steps. Through strong teamwork, good training opportunities and leaders sharing their own good practice, other staff, including those new

p.7

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

p.8

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

to the profession, are well supported to develop their teaching. The lack of robust monitoring is a reason that the nursery is not outstanding. The nursery plans to extend the role of the assistant headteachers to address the recognised weaknesses in the monitoring of teaching and learning. The governing body is proactive, bringing a wide range of skills to the school, and ensures that statutory requirements are met. It supports and challenges the school well. More recently, an increasingly wider group of governors have become more involved, and make regular visits to see how well the school is doing and to make suggestions. An area for further development is for the governing body to bring greater rigour to the way in which it monitors and reports on the impact of some of the school's policies. Partnership with parents and carers from a wide range of backgrounds is outstanding. Staff encourage parents and carers to get involved in nursery activities, to share their

p.8

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

skills and experiences on a day-to-day basis. They support families, including some who are particularly vulnerable, especially well. They do this by making good use of the children's centre services, and the very strong links and partnerships with other schools, community groups and external agencies. Safeguarding, risk assessment and staff training, including that for child protection, are good. Staff and the governing body are rigorous in their efforts to promote equality and remove any barriers to learning. Children accept differences and staff ensure these are respected and celebrated. Consequently, children learn to take pride in who they are and to learn from others. The school makes a strong contribution to community cohesion at the local and wider community levels. Links with schools further afield are still developing.

p.8

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

These are the grades for leadership and management

p.8

2

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

p.8

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

p.9

Views of parents and carers

Overall, parents and carers overwhelmingly feel that this is a well-led, caring school where children are well supported and make good progress. The inspection confirms this.

p.9

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of children registered at Kay Rowe Nursery 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 70 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 120 children registered at the school.

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 47 67 22 31 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 49 70 19 27 0 0 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 39 56 27 39 2 3 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 35 50 32 46 2 3 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 39 56 24 34 2 3 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 38 54 27 39 3 4 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 37 53 28 40 0 0 0 0

p.10

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) 33 47 28 40 1 1 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 28 41 35 50 0 0 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 28 40 36 51 1 1 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 31 44 31 44 3 2 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 38 54 28 40 1 1 0 0

p.10

Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 44 63 23 33 1 1 0 0

p.10

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%.

p.10

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its children's needs.

p.11

Grade Judgement Description

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

p.11

Grade Judgement Description

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

p.11

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.

p.11

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 include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

p.11

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.12

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.

p.12

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.

p.12

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.

p.12

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.

p.12

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.

p.12

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.

p.12

Common terminology used by inspectors

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

p.12

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

p.13

Inspection of Kay Rowe Nursery, Forest Gate, London E7 0PH

I am writing you a letter to tell you what we found out when we visited your nursery. Thank you for talking to us, being kind to us and letting us look at your work. Your mums, dads and carers think the nursery is good and we agree. This is what we found:  You behave really well and work hard.  You are very happy in the nursery and make good friends.  You make good progress and learn to do lots of new things.  Your headteacher and staff lead the school well.  Staff make sure there are lots of different and exciting activities for you to do indoors and outside.  The adults know and understand you really well. They take notice of what you like to do and make sure they give you time to do it. They also encourage you to try new things.  Everyone in the nursery makes sure that you are very safe, happy and well looked after. We think the nursery does most things well but to help you to do even better, we are

p.13

Inspection of Kay Rowe Nursery, Forest Gate, London E7 0PH

asking the school to:  give some of the adults more time to check how well you are learning so that they can decide how they might make the nursery even better  use the information it has on your work to ensure that all groups make at least good progress. You can help by continuing to work hard and to play well together.

p.13

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 .

p.14