Broomhall Nursery School

Broomhall Nursery School Inspection report

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Age group 3–5 Inspection date(s) 21–22 June 2012 Inspection number 377505 Unique Reference Number 106973 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 377505 Inspection dates 21–22 June 2012 Lead inspector Rosemary Eaton

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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 children 3–5 Gender of children Mixed Number of children on the school roll 137 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Anslow Headteacher Gill Peacock Date of previous school inspection 9 December 2008 School address 4 Broomhall Road Sheffield S10 2DN Telephone number 0114 2721453 Fax number 0114 2738994 Email address broomhallnursery@lea.sheffield.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector observed eight lessons involving three teachers. Meetings were held with staff and members of the governing body. The inspector observed the school's work and looked at documents, such as samples of children’s Learning Journey records, assessment information, safeguarding records and policies and the school’s plans for its future improvement. The 53 questionnaires returned by parents and carers were read and analysed, as were those received from staff.

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Information about the school

This is an average-size nursery school. Children’s eligibility for free school meals is restricted to those who attend both morning and afternoon sessions; the proportion known to be eligible is below average. The proportion of children speaking English as an additional language is much higher than average and over 20 different languages are spoken by children and their families. The proportion of children supported by Early Action Plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school is part of combined provision that also includes registered childcare and children’s centre services. The childcare and children’s centre are managed separately by the local authority and each is subject to a distinct inspection by Ofsted. The inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website. 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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Key Findings

 This is an outstanding school. Children’s achievement is outstanding in all areas of learning. This is because the headteacher and her staff apply their considerable expertise wholeheartedly to providing each child with just the right support and stimulation to enable them to flourish. In the words of a parent, they ‘meet children where they are and challenge them to fulfil their potential.’ Specialised lessons for children with communication difficulties are proving so successful that the school plans to use the same approach to enhance the learning of other groups of children.

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Key Findings

 When children join the school, their skills vary greatly but are, in the main, below the expectations for their age. Progress is outstanding for all groups of children regardless of their starting points. By the time they move to primary school many have exceeded national expectations.

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Key Findings

 Children benefit from exceptional teaching. Stimulating activities indoors and outside take full account of children’s stages of development and interests and inspire them to develop independence and creativity. Staff step in expertly to guide learning, for example, by teaching particular skills or asking thought-provoking questions.

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Key Findings

 Children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding. They relish having freedom to choose where, how and what they learn, but settle quickly and concentrate hard when gathered together, for example to hear a story. Children are busy, sociable and enthusiastic, demonstrating vividly how safe they feel in this extremely welcoming and caring environment.

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Key Findings

 First-rate leadership by the headteacher, involving rigorous systems to manage performance and skilled leadership of teaching, has harnessed the strengths and commitment of staff and the governing body, resulting in marked improvements in all aspects of the school. Particular strengths of the vibrant curriculum are the remarkable success with which it is adapted to children’s wide-ranging circumstances and needs, and the exceptional promotion of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

  Enhance learning and progress even more by extending the very successful use of focused teaching groups to include other groups of children.

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Achievement of children

The inspection confirms parents’ and carers’ very positive views of their children’s progress. Children make excellent overall progress, achieving particularly well in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and physical development. Because they develop the self-assurance they need to be independent, and are surrounded by a wealth of interesting resources, children require no encouragement to take the initiative and follow their interests. One girl carefully chose clothes from the dressing-up rail and then, dressed in football shorts and top, climbed on to the ‘exercise bike’ in the classroom fitness centre and set about pedalling vigorously.

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Achievement of children

Children who join the nursery at the very early stages of learning to speak English make huge strides in language acquisition and in gaining the confidence needed to communicate. Their developing language unlocks learning across other areas and as a result, the gap between these children and others is narrowed considerably and their achievement is outstanding. Some parents and carers are amazed at the speed with which their children become fluent speakers of English.

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Achievement of children

A number of factors contribute to the excellent progress made by children who are disabled or have special educational needs. The school draws on the specialist knowledge of all staff and as a children’s centre and childcare provider ensures that individual needs are identified early. Teachers and other staff intervene rapidly to tackle areas of particular concern and a range of agencies and professionals is involved when necessary. There is always close consultation and involvement with parents and carers.

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Achievement of children

Higher-attaining children also have the provision they need in order to make outstanding progress. Individuals occasionally reach levels not expected until the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers and teaching assistants work across the two class bases as a close and highly effective team. Their up-to-date and detailed knowledge of the learning and development of each child enables the exemplary weekly and longer-term plans to take excellent account of the needs of individuals and groups of children. Each week, the records of observations of particular children are analysed and next steps in learning identified. Staff then specify activities and resources that will enable this progress. Additionally, children’s interests are central to planning. Currently, under the umbrella topic of ‘Keeping Healthy’, Wimbledon, the European Cup and the Olympics are starting points for exciting activities linked securely to what children enjoy and need to learn. For example, boys and girls develop physical skills as they attempt to score penalties and practise calculating and writing while keeping track of

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Quality of teaching

their successes. Throughout the day, planned activities are augmented by staff’s ability and readiness to seize opportunities to promote children’s skills. For instance, a teaching assistant spotted a child having difficulty using scissors and asked if he needed help. After gently pointing out that ‘cutting can be quite tricky at first’, she showed the child how to hold the scissors ‘so it’s like a crocodile’s mouth’ and before long ‘Snip! Snap! You did it!’ Staff do not intervene sooner than necessary and this is one reason why children become such independent learners. Classrooms are organised so children know where to locate resources and they are given abundant freedom to make choices and move between the indoor and outdoor areas.

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Quality of teaching

Disabled children and those with special educational needs are taught extremely well. Whilst enjoying the same opportunities as others to choose where, what and how they learn, these children are guided towards certain activities. For example, a teaching assistant showed one child a toy post box and as they played together she helped him to develop language and concepts such as ‘stamp’ and ‘open’. This pursuit highlighted staff’s ability to respond expertly to children’s needs in this instance by restricting the words used so as to focus the child on those of most importance. Over the last two years, teachers have introduced short sessions during which small groups of children with communication difficulties are given focused support, for example, to extend their vocabulary. This work is having a clear impact on the target groups and the school plans to extend it to involve others, such as higher-

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Quality of teaching

Relationships between children and adults are consistently excellent. Staff promote children’s personal development exceptionally well, for example by actively teaching social skills such as sharing and turn-taking. Cultural development is underpinned by the regular celebration of the school’s diversity. Currently the Travel Agent role play area is used to demonstrate children’s links with family members in other countries. Parents and carers are understandably full of praise for the quality of teaching.

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Behaviour and safety of children

Parents and carers have highly positive views of behaviour and safety in the school and these are supported entirely by the inspection findings. Children behave exceptionally well. This is seen for example in the way in which they cooperate with staff, responding quickly to requests to tidy away toys or come inside. Children’s relationships with each other are as warm as those with staff. They welcome others to join their play and willingly share resources. Older children provide excellent role models for those who have not attended for so long. Bullying is extremely rare.

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Behaviour and safety of children

The school’s behaviour code encourages children to look after each other and stay safe. While they expect children to be independent and free to explore their environment, staff are vigilant in ensuring that they come to no harm, for example reminding children to take extra care outside when surfaces are wet and slippery. In turn, children show by their behaviour that they understand these important messages. Safety is integral to the curriculum and children are taught why they must keep hold of an adult’s hand when crossing roads or wear a seatbelt in the car. Children are asked to tell a grown-up if they are worried and helped to develop the communication skills and confidence needed to do this.

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Behaviour and safety of children

A very small number of children have identified behavioural difficulties. They respond extremely well to the school’s approaches, which are reviewed regularly to ensure that they meet children’s needs. Records show that the number of incidents of challenging behaviour reduce in frequency and severity as children learn to control their emotions and take responsibility for their own behaviour. For example, one child asked his key worker to help him when he had previously responded physically in similar situations. Children are seldom absent unless ill.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher’s sky-high aspirations for every child are shared by all staff and by the governing body and demonstrated by, for example, the school’s readiness to adapt its approaches or seek specialist advice and support to meet individual needs. The governing body plays a significant and active role involving key areas, such as the management of the budget. They also help to ensure that safeguarding procedures meet current requirements with extensive staff training and checks on the suitability of all who come into contact with children.

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Leadership and management

Leaders’ thorough knowledge of the school’s performance is translated into challenging plans for its future improvement. The success of these is evident from the measurable improvement in all respects since the previous inspection. For example, teaching has improved and so children’s progress has accelerated. Leaders’ track record demonstrates clearly outstanding capacity to sustain improvement. The improvement in teaching has been driven by carefully targeted training in areas such as developing calculation skills across all areas of learning. The impact of this particular work is seen in staff taking advantage of such opportunities, for example when cutting up fruit for children’s snacks. Leaders’ knowledge of where individual staff have particular strengths is used most effectively to spread best practice.

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Leadership and management

Equality of opportunity is pursued strenuously, for example through the very successful work to develop the communication skills of the lowest-attaining children, and those who speak English as an additional language. Concerted efforts are made to tackle any possible discrimination. To this end the school benefits from the children’s centre’s ability to point parents and carers to additional sources of support. This outward-looking school has excellent partnerships with other schools, services and professionals.

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Leadership and management

The broad and balanced curriculum meets children’s wide-ranging needs exceptionally well and contributes to the school’s outstanding links with parents and carers. For example, workshop days enable parents, carers, staff and children to explore aspects of literacy. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted at every opportunity and involves the school’s own diverse community and others as distant as Bolivia and Somalia.

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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' 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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Child referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the children' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of children at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well children behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Children' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which children are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the children' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe children are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Children' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Broomhall Nursery School, Sheffield, S10 2DN

Thank you for being so friendly when I came to inspect your school. It was lovely to meet you and see you learning together. It was a pity about all the rain but it did not stop you going outside to play. Here are some of the reasons why your school is outstanding.

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Inspection of Broomhall Nursery School, Sheffield, S10 2DN

 You have great fun and are happy and busy learners.  You learn very fast indeed how to do all sorts of things like writing and counting.  The grown-ups in school are excellent teachers.  They take excellent care of you so you feel safe.  You have lots of exciting things to do indoors and outside. I loved your exercise bike and rowing machine.  You are kind to each other and do your very best to make the right choices.  Your school keeps getting better and better.

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Inspection of Broomhall Nursery School, Sheffield, S10 2DN

Thank you again for your lovely welcome. I am sending my best wishes to each one of you.

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Inspection of Broomhall Nursery School, Sheffield, S10 2DN

Rosemary Eaton 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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