Childrens House Nursery School

Childrens House Nursery School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 100882 Local Authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 354908 Inspection dates 17–18 November 2010 Reporting inspector Arnalena (Nina) Bee

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–5 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 95 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Oliver Rice Headteacher Miss Chris Lewis Date of previous school inspection 19 May 2008 School address 92 Bruce Road London E3 3EU Telephone number 0208 9804662 Fax number 0208 9812503 Email address head@childrenshouse.towerhamlets.sch.uk

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Age group 3–5 Inspection dates 17–18 November 2010 Inspection number 354908 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. Nine parts of lessons were observed over a period of four hours and all staff were observed teaching. Meetings were held with staff and a governor, and discussions were held with a number of parents. The inspectors observed the school's work and looked at policies, evidence of internal monitoring, academic performance data, teachers' planning and safeguarding documentation. The inspectors analysed questionnaires from 44 parents and carers, and 15 staff The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following.  How effectively is children's progress tracked?  How good is the provision for children who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language?

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Information about the school

Children's House Nursery offers full-time or part-time places to 97 children. The large majority of children come from Bangladeshi backgrounds. A few other minority ethnic groups are represented. Very few children are from White British families. The proportion of children who speak English as an additional language is high. An above average proportion of children enter school with little or no English. Almost a third of the children are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities. Most of these children have speech and language difficulties. Breakfast club provision, managed by the governing body, is available for all children. The Nursery has recently received a 'higher standards level' award for sustainable travel.

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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 nursery provision at Children's House is outstanding. It is a magical place for children to learn and play. Each session, children and parents are warmly greeted by staff as they enter the building. The learning environment, both inside and out, is stimulating, and the staff are very caring and supportive of the needs of every individual child. It is no wonder that children settle quickly into school life and thoroughly enjoy all that is on offer. Children's House fully deserves the excellent reputation it has with its parents because staff do an outstanding job to engage parents in their children's learning. Everyone works together in a loyal and very dedicated team, their aim being that the children receive the best provision possible. Excellent learning and progress are the result of adults expertly focusing on developing basic language skills whatever the children are doing. As a result, by the time they leave,

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Main findings

most children reach the levels expected for their ages. In communication, language and literacy, levels are often lower due to the high proportion of children who enter the Nursery with little or no English. In addition, an above average number of children start with speech and language difficulties. Children have many opportunities to make marks on paper. However, when they start to write recognisable letters and words, opportunities are missed to reinforce and develop the correct way to form letters. Children have excellent opportunities to help them to count and recognise shapes. Younger children begin to recognise two-dimensional shapes such as circles and squares while older ones count the sides of shapes. The way children are cared for is exceptional. They thrive in this safe and secure environment and develop in confidence and self-esteem. The support and guidance they receive to develop personal and social skills are outstanding. Lunchtimes are sociable

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Main findings

occasions where children sit and eat their lunches with an adult. They respond enthusiastically to high expectations relating to developing good table manners as well as engaging in conversations. Children were seen excitedly talking about what they did during Eid celebrations. Others spoke about healthy foods which are good for them and make them grow big and strong. The success of the Nursery is down to the excellent leadership of the headteacher, and her senior team. They have been instrumental in enabling all adults to develop the skills needed to achieve this high quality provision. Self-evaluation is accurate, and partnerships with others are excellent and have developed well. A link with a school in Bangladesh has contributed greatly to children's cultural awareness. The Nursery has gained a 'higher standards level' award for sustainable travel because they very successfully engaged with parents and encouraged children to walk and not be driven to school. These successes,

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Main findings

along with the impressive high quality provision that children receive, mean that 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

Nursery is exceptionally well placed to maintain the excellent quality care and education it provides.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop a writing policy which ensures that, as children gain confidence in mark marking and start to write recognisable letters and words, they are taught to form letters correctly.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

Adults successfully ensure that activities are based on children's interests and specific needs. Consequently, children develop positive attitudes to learning and work hard. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress in relation to their starting points, which are generally below those expected for their ages and low for communication, language and literacy. Similarly, children who speak English as an additional language and start Nursery with little or no language make excellent progress because they are very well supported in all they do. Relationships between adults and children are exemplary. Enjoyment is evident whether children are taking part in adult-focused activities or those which they initiate themselves. Achievement is good. During adult-focused activities, learning is always good and often outstanding as children are encouraged to discover new things and are given many opportunities to

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

articulate their own thinking. Understanding is consistently checked to reinforce and develop learning. All children have many opportunities to learn basic literacy and numeracy skills. Name cards are used effectively to show children what their name looks like when written down. However, when children start to write recognisable letters and words, such as their names, they are not always given enough guidance to write letters correctly. Children have many opportunities to count and recognise shapes. Behaviour is exemplary. Children develop very well physically, showing an excellent awareness of safety as they use climbing apparatus, take part in dance activities and ride bikes. They walk up and down the stairs in the Nursery sensibly and very safely. Children's contribution to the community is outstanding. They take on responsibility enthusiastically when they are asked to tidy up. Children quickly learn that not all people are as lucky as

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

they are. During the inspection, children were seen receiving excellent support as they made cakes to sell to raise funds for Children in Need. There was an absolutely magical moment as they cracked eggs into their cake mixture. The names of the ingredients were very well reinforced and so language specific to cooking was expertly developed. Planning clearly showed that the different abilities within the group had been identified and so were suitably challenged. Consequently, learning was excellent for all. Children's excellent creative development is promoted through many opportunities for role play and music. They develop a growing knowledge of other cultures and festivals. Older children speak confidently about Muslims celebrating Eid and Christians celebrating Christmas.

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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 children's outcomes

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

Taking into account: Children's attainment¹

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

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 2

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?

Adults work very effectively as a team and have an excellent understanding of how young children learn. Activities are planned to meet the needs of all children and assessment is thorough. The school thoroughly tracks all children's progress in each area of learning. School data clearly show the good and often outstanding progress that children make. Provision for children who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language is excellent. They are assessed regularly and detailed records are kept showing the good and often excellent progress they make. Similarly, those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive excellent quality provision. They have their needs very well documented and records show the good or excellent progress they make towards their individual targets. Children have many good opportunities to develop information and communication technology skills. Children were seen having a wonderful time working

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How effective is the provision?

together using the large interactive whiteboard to produce a colourful picture using an art program. They were keen to talk about the many colours they had used and moved the cursor around the screen with great confidence and care. Resources are plentiful and of good quality and support all areas effectively. The outside area is used well to promote learning. There is a very strong focus on developing personal and social skills. The parent support partner works closely with children and their families and this contributes significantly to

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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

children's progress in all areas. External agencies are used very effectively to support children with specific needs. A few children use the breakfast club which especially promotes the importance of a healthy breakfast. Care during this time is of high quality and parents really appreciate this provision. Transition arrangements into Nursery are thorough and allow children to settle in quickly and easily. Excellent links with feeder schools ensure that when they leave, children transfer easily into their new setting.

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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?

Staff and governors are extremely ambitious in their work to ensure that all provision is of high quality. They are very reflective about their practice and, through weekly meetings about individual children, continually seek ways to adapt and extend the already outstanding provision. Children's House is a fully cohesive community for all who learn and work there. This is evident in the children's enthusiasm for learning and confidence in their safety and the high morale of staff. Children have excellent opportunities to begin to develop an awareness of life outside the Nursery through an extensive range of visits out and interesting visitors being invited in. The effort that is taken to support the needs of each child and their families means that the equality of opportunity that is provided is excellent. Governors are generally well informed and so are able to support and challenge the work of the Nursery. Their involvement in analysing information regarding children's

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How effective are leadership and management?

progress is less strong. The health and safety of the children are taken seriously and, at the time of the inspection, the Nursery fulfils all safeguarding requirements. Staff and governors work well together to ensure that children work and play in a safe environment.

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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

Parents who returned questionnaires are extremely happy with the work of the Nursery. All state that they are happy with the experiences their children receive and the way the Nursery is led and managed. Discussions with parents and written comments on the questionnaires show that parents are impressed with the effort the Nursery makes to involve them in their children's learning. They particularly enjoy the workshops that are offered to them. During the inspection, parents were invited in to learn more about healthy eating. This event was well attended and enjoyed by all. Other parents spoke about the excellent care that is offered and how all children are treated as individuals and so adore coming to school. A number of mothers said that their children even want to come to Nursery at the weekend or when they are poorly.

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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 Childrens House Nursery School 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 44 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 97 children registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 38 86 6 14 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 35 80 9 20 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 34 77 10 23 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 33 75 11 25 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 36 82 7 16 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 31 70 13 30 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 32 73 12 27 0 0 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) 30 68 14 32 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 36 82 7 16 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 29 66 15 34 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 33 75 11 25 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 36 82 8 18 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 40 91 4 9 0 0 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 include 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 Children's House Nursery School, Bow E3 3EU

Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to visit you. We thought your behaviour was excellent. Your parents think that you go to an excellent Nursery and we agree with them. These are the good things we found out about your school.  The way you are looked after and cared for is excellent.  You make excellent progress because teaching is outstanding.  By the time you leave the Nursery the levels you reach are similar to those expected for your ages.  Adults are really good at linking with others to make learning interesting and lots of fun.  You have good opportunities to learn about school life in Bangladesh. We were told how excited you were when the Eid parcel arrived from Bangladesh.  You learn lots about how important it is to eat healthily and keep fit. We were impressed by how many of you walk to school.  You certainly know how important it is to keep yourselves safe. You have lots of

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Inspection of Children's House Nursery School, Bow E3 3EU

stairs in your Nursery and we were very pleased to see how careful you are when you use them.  Adults arrange many visits for you and your families to museums and art galleries, so that you can see lots of interesting things. Lots of your visits help to keep you fit. I loved looking at the photographs of you ice skating. What fun you had! We have asked the school to do one thing to improve the education you receive.  Make sure that when you start to write letters, you are shown how to form them correctly. All of you can help by continuing to do your best as you enjoy learning.

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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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