Ripley Nursery School

Age group 3-4 Inspection date(s) 27–28 September 2011 Inspection number 378492 Ripley Nursery School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 112478 Local Authority Derbyshire Inspection number 378492 Inspection dates 27–28 September 2011 Reporting inspector Georgina Beasley

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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 3–4 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 113 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Isobel Harry Headteacher Cathy Naim Date of previous school inspection 5 May 2009 School address Sandham Lane Ripley Derbyshire DE5 3HE Telephone number 01773 745014 Fax number 01773 745014 Email address info@ripley-nur.derbyshire.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 . 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 information 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’.

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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. Inspectors observed 14 lessons and nine early years practitioners were seen. Inspectors held meetings with representatives of the governing body and groups of staff. They observed the school’s work, and looked at progress data, assessment information, improvement plans, monitoring reports, safeguarding procedures, children’s work on display and their personal story books. Inspectors received and analysed 45 questionnaires from parents and carers and 18 from staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 How well do teaching and curricular experiences promote successful learning and development in all aspects of problem solving, reasoning and number?  How much progress do boys, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and gifted and talented children make in response to high-quality teaching and curricular experiences?  How well has the school maintained strengths in care, guidance and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and what impact do they have on children’s personal and academic achievement?  How well does the governing body challenge the nursery about its performance through its involvement in self-evaluation and school development planning processes?

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Information about the school

Ripley Nursery School is larger than average. Almost all of the children are from White British backgrounds. No children speak English as an additional language. The proportion of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The nursery manages specially resourced provision for special educational needs for 12 children with complex needs including cerebral palsy, hearing and visual impairment, autism, global delay and speech and language difficulties. Children start nursery in the September, January or April after they become three and leave in the July or December after they become four. The nursery has Healthy School status and a Silver Eco-award. The nursery provides on-site childcare that is not managed by the governing body. 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

Ripley Nursery is an outstanding school. Children thrive in the positive environment and are excited about their learning. Children are motivated to try new things because they feel safe and know that an adult is there to help them if they need it. Everyone has an acute understanding of how children learn and about each child’s personal learning needs. Consequently, adults plan and organise a varied range of purposeful and fun activities for the children to enjoy. Every child is busily engaged in learning from the minute they step through the door until they leave at the end of the session.

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Main findings

High-quality care, guidance and support give every child equal opportunity to be involved in all planned activities, including children with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities who receive enhanced resources. As a result, outcomes for personal and academic achievement are high for all children. Learning and progress are excellent. By the time the children start school, a large majority are reaching the expected levels for their age in all areas of learning. The proportion reaching expected levels in their knowledge and understanding of shapes and measures and skills in solving problems with numbers is slightly lower. A good number are exceeding expected levels, especially in their personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy.

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Main findings

Teaching and curricular experiences are excellent. Achievement is outstanding. Indoor and outdoor environments support and challenge learning extremely well. Children have excellent opportunity to choose what and where to learn. Most are excited when it is time to learn outdoors and especially when they take part in Forest School and Gardening Club. The opportunity for children to be constantly active while at nursery engages boys in particular. As a result, boys achieve as well as girls in all areas of learning. Adults meet regularly to evaluate learning and to make activities more challenging for individual children so that everyone can achieve higher levels. This benefits all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with the potential to exceed expected levels. Discussions always focus on the progress of children who receive enhanced resources for their

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Main findings

complex special needs to ensure that all adults know precisely what each child is learning and why. As a result, all adults intervene only when appropriate and so give the children freedom to try new activities with as much independence as possible. Excellent teaching, leadership and management, and highly-structured activities result in outstanding learning and progress and high attainment for this group of children. 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

Adults make careful and detailed notes about what children do and say and use the information to ask questions that give children the chance to show what they understand. Adults then explain this understanding in words so that the children quickly start to develop the language they need to talk about what they are thinking and learning. Children are fully involved in reviewing their own and others’ learning at the end of each session. They like receiving ‘Golden Sunshines’ that focus clearly on what the children have achieved for the first time. These are taken home so that parents and carers have good information about what their children have learned that day.

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Main findings

Leadership and management are outstanding. Staff work together highly effectively to plan and organise learning that meets the individual needs of every child. The governing body is fully involved in evaluating the nursery’s work and subsequent improvement planning. Safeguarding procedures are excellent. Members of the governing body have attended training and work closely with staff to review all policies and procedures to ensure children’s safety and welfare. All adults are diligent in following procedures and are clear about what to do in an emergency. Children and their families who occasionally find themselves in challenging circumstances receive excellent support to ensure children’s welfare. Attendance is good and absence is always followed up. Reasons are not always recorded with sufficient clarity for the school to be clear whether this is due to the absence of particular children or groups of children, or due to usual childhood illnesses.

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Main findings

The nursery has excellent capacity to improve. Adults constantly reflect on their practice and are always looking for ways to improve. The nursery has a clear and accurate view of its improvement priorities, has a detailed plan of how to implement these and is clear about how it will know when it has been successful. The high- quality outcomes and provision have been sustained since the previous inspection and the nursery continues to improve. The nursery gives excellent value for money.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Give children more opportunities to solve problems with numbers and learn about shapes and measures and so ensure that they make consistently excellent progress in all aspects of problem solving, reasoning and number.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Analyse absence to identify trends and to find out the precise reasons for the occasional fall in attendance at different times of the year.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

A large proportion of children start nursery with skills, knowledge and abilities below the level expected for their age. This is especially so in their speaking and emotional development. Learning and progress are excellent and exemplary in personal, social 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

and emotional development and speaking, listening, reading and writing. Children confidently talk about and act out their favourite stories. Older children write some words themselves to record their learning, including writing their names on paintings and drawings. During the inspection, children were observed spelling words to describe the different textures of trees, grass and plants they found around the outside area. Because of the practical nature of this activity, boys as well as girls were motivated to write. Children’s learning and progress in problem solving, reasoning and number are good. Children have excellent counting skills. Their knowledge and understanding of shapes and measures and ability to add and take away numbers to solve problems are good. Children who receive enhanced resources for their complex special educational needs are fully involved in all activities. They make excellent progress and most reach expected levels in those areas of learning

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

that are not hindered by their difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

Children are confident and inquisitive learners in a very short time after starting nursery. All but a few are happy for their parents and carers to leave because there is so much for them to do and enjoy. Children share space and toys amicably because they know that there will always be time to have a turn. For their age, children have an extremely good awareness and respect for their own and others’ feelings. Children know the importance of being kind. ‘He’s a kind boy,’ one said when someone offered to share a soft toy during storytime. Songs, stories and role- play build the children’s excellent awareness of cultures others than their own. They make an outstanding contribution to their learning by reviewing learning and contributing to the ‘Golden Sunshines’ handed out at the end of every session.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

Children use space wisely, keeping themselves and others safe when climbing on equipment and riding trikes and pedal cars around the outside area. They look out for each other and especially for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, they give children with physical disabilities more room when they see them climbing independently on the climbing frame. They all know where they can and cannot play and follow these rules conscientiously. Minor fall-outs are handled extremely well by staff, so children soon understand the consequences of their actions on others’ feelings. Parents and carers ensure their children arrive in nursery on time and most children attend regularly. Attendance is above average, but sometimes falls for short periods for a variety of reasons.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

These are the grades for children’s outcomes Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

Children’s achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Children’s attainment 1 The quality of children’s learning and their progress

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of children 1

The quality of learning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which children feel safe 1 Children’s behaviour 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children contribute to the school and wider community 1 The extent to which children develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Children’s attendance 1 The extent of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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How effective is the provision?

Adults plan with the children to ensure teaching and curricular experiences are tailored to each child’s individual needs. High expectations and an in-depth knowledge of where and how to take children’s learning forward form the basis of all planning and organisational decisions. Children are given choice within a high-quality learning environment. Adults observe, listen and note learning. They use the information to evaluate constantly children’s learning and to interact at just the right moment with a question or idea to move learning forward. Strong focus is placed on organising activities to meet the different ways children prefer to learn. Boys in particular benefit from the active and practical learning opportunities.

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How effective is the provision?

Although they meet informally every day, adults meet formally every two weeks to evaluate curricular experiences and to plan whether to extend, change or plan new activities for the children to enjoy. Planning to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of shapes, measures and solving number problems is not as detailed as in other areas of learning. The Forest School enables children to learn about the world around them through practical and active learning. The school successfully gained a Silver Eco-award in recognition of how it involves children, staff and parents and carers in its recycling and composting activities. Gardening club and growing vegetables on the allotment promote children’s excellent understanding about healthy eating.

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How effective is the provision?

Children who sometimes have challenging circumstances in their lives benefit greatly from excellent individual support such as visits to the ‘magic room’ where they learn to further develop personal and social skills. The high-quality interactions with children with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities help them to recognise their personal achievements, particularly when they have achieved something special for them. ‘I am adventurous,’ a child with physical disabilities declared ‘because I climbed the climbing frame by myself for the first time’. These ‘Golden Sunshines’ celebrate achievements and build high levels of self-esteem for all children. Visual prompts, including signing, give children clear guidance about what is happening and give them strategies to ask for help when they start nursery with few Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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How effective is the provision?

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective is the provision?

words. The nursery can give reasons why individual children are absent because every absence is followed up. However, it does not analyse the information to note any trends in the attendance of certain groups or classes. Transition arrangements are highly effective in helping children transfer confidently to ‘big school’.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1 The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets children’s needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

A considerable strength of the nursery is the way all staff work together to constantly evaluate and review what it offers and ensure the needs of every child are met. All staff say they are proud to be members of the school and feel that their contribution to the nursery’s success is valued. The governing body is highly effective in supporting and challenging the nursery to ensure children’s individual learning needs are met. It works closely with staff to check that additional resources for children with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities are being used as effectively as they can, including the effectiveness of adult support. It plays an important role in evaluating what is going well and identifying aspects that need adjusting to ensure continued high-quality provision. Members are fully involved in checking first-hand that what has been agreed is being implemented consistently.

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How effective are leadership and management?

There is a strong core of governors who meet regularly and who ask the nursery to explain all decisions to ensure resources are being used to their best value.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The nursery works closely with other local schools to support each other’s staff training and development, and provide opportunities for the children to enjoy the company of children from different backgrounds. The children enjoyed singing with other schools at the Ripley Music festival last year. The nursery promotes community cohesion extremely well. Songs and stories about different cultures and countries promote children’s respect and awareness of different communities other than their own. Equal opportunities are promoted highly effectively. Children who from time to time have challenging circumstances are enabled to access all activities and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities including those in receipt of enhanced resources are fully included in all activities. All adults are involved in the regular and frequent review of safeguarding policies and procedures. Everyone signs

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How effective are leadership and management?

to say they understand the detailed risk assessments for events, activities, equipment, different environments and for individual children. As a result, everyone is prepared for all eventualities both in the nursery and when visiting other venues. 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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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 1 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Views of parents and carers

An average proportion of parents and carers returned a questionnaire. Those who did are overwhelmingly happy with what the nursery provides for their children. The inspection endorses the view of the vast majority who say that their children enjoy school and that they are safe. The nursery meets the needs of individual children extremely well and enables them to make excellent progress. A few parents and carers would like more regular updates about their children’s progress and the activities they have enjoyed each day. Staff are available at the start and end of each session if parents and carers need to talk and notices are displayed around the nursery to show each term’s planned activities. The school holds two formal opportunities for parents and carers to talk about their children’s learning and progress. Parents and carers have access to their children’s personal story books which include details of what they have achieved over their time in nursery.

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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 Ripley 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 45 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 113 children registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 36 80 9 20 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 33 73 12 27 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 28 62 15 33 1 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 29 64 15 33 0 0 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 36 80 9 20 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 29 64 14 31 1 2 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 25 56 19 42 0 0 0 0 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) 29 64 12 27 1 2 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 31 69 14 31 0 0 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 26 58 16 36 0 0 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 29 64 12 27 1 2 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 31 69 13 29 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 36 80 9 20 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

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

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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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 08 April 2011 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 o f 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.  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 Ripley Nursery School, Derbyshire, DE5 3HE

Thank you for welcoming us to your nursery and for letting us join in with your play and learning. We could see how much you enjoy coming to nursery because of how you all join in with the many activities. Your nursery is outstanding. That means it is really good at everything it does.

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Inspection of Ripley Nursery School, Derbyshire, DE5 3HE

These are the best things that we found.  You all enjoy learning because you help decide what you are going to learn and choose where and how to learn it.  The ‘Golden Sunshines’ help you celebrate what you can do well.  You all play extremely well together because you know what it means to be kind and how important it is to help each other.  The adults in your nursery care about you and plan lots of interesting things for you to do.

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Inspection of Ripley Nursery School, Derbyshire, DE5 3HE

We have asked the adults at your school to do the following two things to help the nursery to get even better:  to plan more opportunities for you to learn about shapes and measures and to solve number problems when you are playing  to check more carefully why some of you do not come to nursery every single day.

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Inspection of Ripley Nursery School, Derbyshire, DE5 3HE

You can help by continuing to do your best at everything and to keep trying new things even when you find them hard at first. We hope you continue to enjoy nursery.

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Inspection of Ripley Nursery School, Derbyshire, DE5 3HE

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

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