Greenfields Nursery School and Children's Centre

Greenfields Childrens Centre Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 101862 Local Authority Ealing Inspection number 355082 Inspection dates 12–13 July 2011 Reporting inspector Madeleine Gerard

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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 120 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gill Borg Headteacher June McHugh Date of previous school inspection 1 October 2007 School address Recreation Road Southall UB2 5PF Telephone number 020 8813 8079 Fax number 020 8571 5944 Email address admin@greenfieldschildren.com

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Age group 3–5 Inspection dates 12–13 July 2011 Inspection number 355082 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 123 4234, 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 123 4234 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. The inspectors spent approximately six hours observing teaching and learning led by eleven teachers and additional staff, and held meetings with senior leaders and managers and with a representative of the governing body. They observed the school's work and looked at records of observations of children's learning and progress and tracking data showing children's attainment and progress. The school's development plans and policies, and records for safeguarding children, were also examined. Inspectors considered the 120 responses to the questionnaire received from parents and carers, and the 31 responses to the staff questionnaire. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  How consistently teachers' planning ensures that all groups of children are suitably challenged in their work.

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Introduction

 The extent to which children's personal development is a strength of the school.  How accurately the school monitors the quality of its work and ensures consistency of provision throughout.

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Information about the school

Greenfields Children's Centre is a larger than average-sized nursery school. Early Years Foundation Stage children are taught in one Nursery class. Most children attend either the morning or the afternoon sessions, while a few attend both sessions. The school also has a specialist unit that provides for a few children with autistic spectrum disorder and social communication difficulties. The proportion of children from minority ethnic groups is well- above average. The proportion with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. Most of these children have speech, language and communication needs, or specific learning difficulties. Almost all children speak English as an additional language, but none are at an early stage of learning English. The school has achieved a number of nationally recognised awards including National Healthy Schools Status. The school organises and manages before- and after-school care, including a breakfast club during

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Information about the school

term time, and full-day care during the school holidays. The provision for children up to age three years and the work of the other children's centre that shares the school site are the subjects of two separate inspections. The school recently moved into newly-built accommodation.

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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

Greenfields Children's Centre provides an outstanding quality of education and serves its local community exceptionally well. Working together as a very strong team, the staff ensure that all the children are valued and each individual child is known extremely well. Children, including those in the specialist unit, thrive in the school's outstandingly safe and caring environment. This contributes enormously to children's very positive attitudes to learning and their outstanding behaviour throughout the indoor and outdoor accommodation. Children follow well-established routines very readily so that no time is wasted and their independence is fostered strongly. For example, they know to keep scooters, tricycles and balls outside and to sit sensibly in small groups on the carpets ready for group work. They make an excellent contribution to the community, for example by tending the plants and vegetables in the garden and taking responsibility for tidying

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Main findings

toys and equipment away at the end of the sessions. Regular attendance and good punctuality are promoted through newsletters and discussions with parents and carers. Consequently, attendance is improving and is broadly average. All groups of children, including those in the specialist unit, make similarly good progress. Very detailed records of individual children's learning and progress are kept. Observations of their interests are used extremely well to plan activities that promote their curiosity and enable them to deepen their knowledge. Project work on a very wide variety of themes, including recycling, electricity and earthquakes, enables children to develop an understanding of the world in which they live and fosters very caring attitudes towards their environment. Occasionally, planning does not use the information from ongoing assessments to plan activities sharply tailored to children's specific needs so that the

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Main findings

children make even faster gains in their literacy and numeracy skills. Through perceptive self-evaluation, the school has a very clear understanding of its strengths. Leaders and managers constantly strive to enhance provision and outcomes for children. The school has successfully managed the move into new buildings, doubled the number of children on roll at the school, built very effective partnerships with parents and carers and ensured they are involved in supporting their children's early learning experiences. The school has established excellent links with the day care and children's centre on site, and with a very wide range of outside agencies. Resources and facilities are of a very high quality and are extremely well managed and maintained to ensure they serve the school and local community fully. The school has maintained outstanding overall effectiveness since the previous inspection. This powerful track record of outcomes and

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Main findings

provision shows the school's outstanding capacity for sustained improvement.

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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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure detailed assessment information is used to match work even more consistently to children's needs to enhance their skills and attainment.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

Rates of learning and progress and children's overall achievement are good. Children join the school with low levels of skills and capabilities for their age. By the time children leave at the end of the Nursery year, they are closer to the expected levels in all aspects of their learning and their attainment is broadly average. Children enjoy the activities they can choose; they often think and concentrate well. This was illustrated in a sandwich-making session where children were proud to harvest and wash salad from the vegetable garden. Working with an adult, they made choices for themselves between white and brown bread, practised using knives to spread butter on their bread and selected healthy fillings for their sandwiches from a variety of salad choices. They particularly enjoyed cutting their finished sandwiches into a variety of geometric shapes and talking about them with the adult. They worked hard and sustained their interest in the task. They happily shared their

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

sandwiches with other children when they had finished. Children learning to speak English as an additional language made similarly good progress to that of others in the group because adults used signs and gestures to support their understanding of new language. Children were developing confidence and skills in using technology by taking photographs of the sandwiches with digital cameras. Children who speak English as an additional language progress well because they practise their listening and speaking skills very regularly with the adults. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those in the specialist unit, make good gains in their skills. They enjoy working and playing with adults and other children. Children in the unit develop their communication skills well by selecting their own snacks and using images to record what they choose. They also benefit from additional sessions,

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

tailored to their individual needs, with specialist therapists. Children are friendly and welcoming. They take turns and share resources very well. They settle swiftly and are happy because parents and carers spend time at the school with their children before they join and at the beginning of each session. Children are extremely confident that the adults will help them should any problems occur and demonstrate a very strong awareness of how to keep themselves from harm. For example, they know the importance of applying sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn. Children thoroughly enjoy using a wide variety of resources and equipment to promote their physical development, including the school's gothic tree house, climbing frames and the six-hole golf course. Children that stay for lunch benefit from eating the healthy food prepared in the school kitchen. This, together with children's appreciation of the fresh fruit

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

they have at snack times, reflects their positive attitudes to keeping fit and healthy and the school's success in achieving National Healthy Schools Status. Through visits to a very wide variety of places of worship, learning about many religious festivals from a variety of faiths, and opportunities to explore the lives and experiences of others, children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Their exceptional social skills and behaviour, improving attendance and good learning and progress prepare them well for the next stage in their education.

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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 2

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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?

In the school and the specialist unit, staff manage sessions very successfully and ensure children can choose a very wide variety of resources, toys and equipment in the inside and outdoor spaces. There is a particularly good balance of adult-led tasks and self-selected activities. Records of ongoing observations of children's learning are kept very regularly and used to plan suitably challenging tasks that are motivating and capture their interest. Adults often extend children's learning through discussion and questioning. Occasionally, adults do not make the best use of assessment information to ensure children make even faster gains in their skills through closely planning the next steps in their learning. Adults pay meticulous attention to how children's interests in topic themes develop to ensure that all learners can explore their ideas fully. For instance, children have explored electricity using circuit boards, made and launched their own hot-air balloon, worked with

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How effective is the provision?

artists to build a large fish using recycled plastic bottles and floated it on the sea. They have also explored the best materials to design and make their own bricks, and built a small house. Visits and outings are extremely popular and regularly involve parents and carers in shared experiences with their children. Through regular philosophy sessions in

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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

small groups, children are encouraged to use their imaginations, ask questions to help them to evaluate their own ideas and those of others. Children receive excellent care, guidance and support and as a result, their personal skills develop extremely well. Staff work successfully to establish very positive relationships and create an environment where children can grow in confidence and self-esteem. Strong links with a wide range of outside agencies are used very effectively to provide additional help for children experiencing difficult circumstances and promote their learning and well- being. Through partnerships with the day care, children socialise with younger children, for example during the morning breakfast club, where they enjoy a calm and healthy start to the school day together.

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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 2

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher provides very strong leadership. All the staff and members of the governing body have a shared vision for the school and work with determination to put children at the centre of all the school's work. The school tackles discrimination and promotes equality well so that rates of learning and progress are good for all groups of children. Leaders and managers communicate ambition outstandingly well and bring about sustained improvements. These include impressive development of the curriculum, making sure that children's attitudes and behaviour are outstanding, and ensuring that detailed records and tracking systems are in place to check the progress all children are making. Leaders have proved themselves highly effective in sustaining the quality of teaching and children's learning has greatly benefited. Teaching and learning sessions prove very successful because of the excellent relationships among teachers and children.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Consequently, children's personal development is enhanced very successfully in these sessions. However, the use of assessment to match work even closer to children's learning needs is a refinement not yet fully implemented. Together with staff, members of the governing body receive regular training on safeguarding and have a robust and comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues. Procedures are constantly updated and reviewed very regularly. Risk assessments and audits of safeguarding and of health and safety arrangements are extremely rigorous. This ensures that all aspects including site security, policies, documentation and staff training are outstanding. The governing body works very closely with leaders and managers and is keenly challenging the school to raise attainment and academic outcomes for children. There are harmonious relationships between different groups of children and differences

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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

are respected because the promotion of community cohesion is outstandingly effective. This ensures the school is a very happy community. Children have a very strong awareness of the school and local community. Regular visits to contrasting communities in the United Kingdom, such as seaside towns, and project work, for example exploring life in Japan following the earthquake, develop children's strong awareness of those who live in national and global communities. Regular newsletters for parents and carers, as well as meetings about their children's learning and progress, keep them informed about what their children are learning. Parents and carers also appreciate the opportunities the school makes available to them, in partnership with the children's centre, to attend a range of courses, including computing, parenting skills, knitting and English.

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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

All parents and carers responded to the questionnaire. This is a remarkably high rate of response compared with that usually found nationally. In the survey, all the parents and carers confirmed that their children enjoy their time at school. The vast majority is confident that the school keeps their children safe. All are happy with their children's experience of school. The overwhelming majority evaluates the quality of the school's work to promote children's personal development very positively. Almost all agree that their children's needs are well met and that they are well taught at the school. The inspection findings endorse the views of parents and carers regarding children's personal development. Inspectors found rates of learning and progress, children's academic outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning at the school to be good. Other aspects of the school's provision, including the curriculum and the quality of the care, guidance

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Views of parents and carers

and support that the children receive, were judged to be outstanding.

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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 Greenfields Children's 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.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspection team received 120 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 96 80 24 20 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 94 78 25 21 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 88 73 29 24 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 78 65 36 30 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 85 71 34 28 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 81 68 36 30 3 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 75 63 43 36 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) 72 60 43 36 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 71 59 46 38 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 67 56 48 40 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 70 58 44 37 3 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 77 64 39 33 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 96 80 22 18 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 2010 to 31 December 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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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 Greenfields Children's Centre, Southall UB2 5PF

Greenfields Children's Centre is outstanding. Thank you for your warm welcome when we visited your school recently. We really enjoyed our visit and seeing all the interesting things you do there. We particularly enjoyed hearing about the shelters you have built and taken to the beach at Littlehampton. This letter is to tell you what we found during our visit. We know that you enjoy coming to school very much because you behave so well and get along very well with one another. This makes Greenfields Children's Centre such a happy place to be. Your parents and carers told us they like the school very much too. All the adults work so very hard and look after you really carefully. They make sure you have many exciting activities to do every day and plan interesting outings and visits for you. Because of this, you are all doing well in your learning. Those of you who need extra help are very well supported so that you make good progress. We could see how much you

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Inspection of Greenfields Children's Centre, Southall UB2 5PF

love learning both inside and outside. We liked how sensibly you used the outdoor equipment, and helped to sweep the floor and tidy toys away before home time. Your headteacher, the staff and members of the governing body are always looking for ways to make your school even better. We have asked them to make even more use of the notes they keep about how well you are progressing so that they can help you learn even more quickly. All of you can help by coming to school every day, especially the few of you who struggle to do so, and continuing to enjoy all the exciting things you are learning. Finally, I would like to thank you again and wish you well in 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 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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