Alice Model Nursery School

School report Alice Model Nursery School 14 Beaumont Grove, London, E1 4NQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  An exceptionally rich range of learning experiences and high quality teaching contribute significantly to all children’s outstanding achievement. Children are extremely confident and their knowledge of early reading, writing and mathematical skills means they are very well prepared for starting primary school.  Children thrive in this exciting, welcoming and supportive atmosphere. Staff are skilled in engaging children in conversation, developing their spoken language skills and stimulating their curosity. Children’s behaviour and safety are exemplary in school and out on their many trips.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, staff and governors are exceptionally skilled. They work very closely together to ensure that the curriculum, teaching and learning are first-rate and continously refined to ensure that the needs and interests of individual children are fully met.  Success in becoming a ‘rights respecting school’ means children and their families have a deep appreciation of the range of cultures within the community and share the highest aspirations for their future lives.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s very strong commitment to encouraging children and their families to learn together contributes significantly to the school’s success. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. They particularly appreciate the ‘Graduation Ceremony’ that celebrates children’s achievements over their time in the nursery. This takes the form of that often found in univeristies.  Changes to ensure the requirements of the new Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and assessment systems are met, are well under way. Plans to ensure that high quality provision and outcomes are sustained during this period of change have been drawn up but have yet to be implemented fully.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed approximately four and a half hours of teaching and learning, and accompanied children on a visit to a nearby park.  Meetings were held with staff with specific responsibilities for supporting children with special educational needs or who speak English as an additional language, and representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers as they brought their children to the Nursery and took into account responses to the school’s own questionnaires as few parents and carers completed Parent View.  The headteacher’s notes of monitoring the quality of teaching, performance management information, safeguarding arrangements, children’s ‘special books’, records to track their achievements, and the school’s development plan and its self-evaluation form were scrutinised.

p.2

Inspection team

Kath Beck, Lead inspector Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average nursery school attended by 45 full-time and 30 part-time children.  A high proportion of the children come from minority ethnic backgrounds, and most are at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language.  One fifth of the children are identified as disabled or having special educational needs, mostly with speech and language difficulties and some with physical difficulties including visual impairment. Twelve children are supported in total: six at school action plus, and six at school action. This is higher than the national average.  Children participate in the breakfast club run by staff.  The headteacher supports other schools when their headteacher is absent.  The school has received an award as a ‘rights-respecting school’ following the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Complete the implementation of plans to sustain the high quality teaching and achievements of the children throughout the transition to the new Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and assessment systems.

p.3

Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils is outstanding.  Home visits and early assessments enable staff to take account of children’s differing abilities and interests in order to plan activities that meet each child’s individual needs. Daily evaluations of their achievements and adaptations to activities which offer increasing challenge, ensure children make rapid progress relative to their age and often low starting points.  Many children transfer to the Reception Year in the academic year in which they become five years of age with the skill levels expected for their age, and in some cases exceed them. Data show that children’s attainments in all the areas of learning have increased year-on-year and are better than at the time of the last inspection.  Children make the greatest strides in their personal, social and emotional development. They are taught to make decisions, enjoy playing together and challenge their fears, for

p.4

Inspection judgements

example picking up snails or climbing a narrow staircase to the high slide in the park. They squeal with delight at their success and growing confidence.  Staff are exceptionally skilled in promoting children’s spoken language. During captivating activities and trips out staff model high quality spoken English and motivate children to want to talk. Photographic memories of events in the Nursery or within the family are recorded in children’s ‘Special Books’. These are often shared with friends and adults to enhance language development.  Early reading, writing and mathematical skills are integrated seamlessly into children’s play. When pond dipping, children automatically counted accurately the number of baby newts they found. They used books to identify new creatures, such as the water hog louse, and were amused by the unfamiliar name.  Through story time, singing rhymes, and music making children soon learn new words and

p.4

Inspection judgements

the sounds letters make. Often they act out a familiar story, sometimes using finger puppets or alternatively in their role play. This helps them to begin to recognise words in books. By the time they leave, the most able children can read simple stories and write recognisable sentences.  Staff provide many opportunities for children to be active and develop their coordination, control and movement to a high level. Children are confident to explore a wide range of media and to express their ideas in both their play and the expressive arts.  All children are given equal opportunities to succeed and discrimination of any type is not tolerated. Disabled children and those who have special educational needs and also those at the early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language, make rapid progress and achieve as well as all other children. Staff working with them are skilled and well trained. They use their knowledge of signing and their ability to speak a variety of

p.4

Inspection judgements

languages in order to enhance the progress of this group of pupils. Similarly, partnerships with specialist services such as music, speech and language therapists and teachers of the deaf also ensure that this group of children receive the support they need to achieve as well as all other children.

p.4

Inspection judgements

 Teaching over time is outstanding as shown by the continued rise in children’s achievement since the previous inspection, monitoring notes kept by the headteacher and reports from the local authority. All staff fully meet the standards set for teachers.  As at the time of the previous inspection children learn by doing exciting activities that are supported by high quality resources and engage their interest for long periods of time. Staff are exceptionally skilled at helping children of this age to learn to become independent and to initiate their own ideas, by challenging their critical thinking. An example of this was observed when a child, building a railway track on a raised platform was disappointed that the train fell over the edge and was helped to resolve the problem through very effective questioning.  Staff sensitively extend children’s learning experiences. A child new to the Nursery

p.4

Inspection judgements

mentioned that her favourite nursery rhyme was Humpty Dumpty. The teacher encouraged her to listen for the sounds the letters made in the rhyme before helping her to make a book in which she drew, and the teacher recorded, an imaginative story about Humpty.  Children’s learning is centred around real-life experiences that inspire them to want to learn. Regular train trips for children and their parents and carers to a beach in Essex have been particularly successful in engaging boys in developing their skills across the curriculum. Children’s fascination with fish, crabs and an octopus was extended when they examined them closely then cooked and ate them. They also wrote and illustrated imaginative stories about them.  Walks in the community to find different shapes, number songs, measuring plants as they grow, and examination of clock faces build a secure foundation for children’s mathematical development.

p.5

Inspection judgements

 Children with special educational needs or at a very early stage of learning English make fast progress working in small groups to meet their particular needs, for example learning to take turns, and begin to communicate effectively. These sessions are high quality and often based on singing games and practical resources that make learning fun.  Daily reviews of children’s achievements mean all staff know individual children really well and are aware of the next steps in their learning. Information from these meetings is used very effectively to build children’s knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum. For example, in order to enhance children’s understanding of snails and slugs, teachers decided after one such meeting to involve children in using new technology to take videos and pictures of these animals.

p.5

Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding.  Children’s attitudes to learning are exemplary and contribute to an exceptionally positive atmosphere for learning. Children show high levels of respect for one another, play happily together inviting others to join their game or discussion, and share their toys willingly.  Staff and governors have no concerns about children’s behaviour as the policies and procedures for promoting high standards of behaviour are consistently implemented and children have much to interest them. Parents and carers spoken to, and in their responses to the school’s questionnaires, consider that behaviour in the school is excellent.  There have been no entries in the school’s incident or exclusion logs in recent years. Children likely to enter the Nursery with behavioural difficulties are identified early through the toddler group or home visits. Staff and parents and carers work in close cooperation to

p.5

Inspection judgements

help children overcome their problems and settle quickly.  Staff are meticulous in their arrangements to ensure that children stay safe. On trips out, children know to stay with their adult, to cross the road safely and behave sensibly on the bus or train. They behave in a mature way, considering their age, responding very well to high expectations.  The personal development of children who stay in the school all day is enhanced when they share breakfast and lunchtimes. These are enriching social occasions where children learn to eat their meal politely and sensibly.  Strong partnerships with relevant services ensure that children whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are kept safe.  Leaders have worked successfully since the last inspection to raise the level of attendance.Many children now have 100% attendance. The leadership and management are outstanding.  The pursuit of excellence is central to the work of the school. Governors and all members of

p.5

Inspection judgements

staff are highly ambitious, professional and uncompromising in their drive for children to achieve as well as they possibly can. Their share their expertise with colleagues in other schools through training opportunities and visits to the school.  The school is extremely successful in engaging parents and carers. They share the leaders’ ambitions for their children and appreciate fully the opportunities to learn alongside their children and attend courses that assist them to help their child at home.  Self-evaluation is built into the school’s daily routine. Staff reflect on their practice, the success of activities provided for the children and the impact of these on progress. This, together with excellent monitoring of the quality of teaching, leads to refinements to both the way staff help children to learn and also to the curriculum.  Data are used very effectively to monitor the school’s performance and adapt aspects of its

p.6

Inspection judgements

work to consistently meet children’s needs, for example the achievements of boys. School improvement planning is reviewed frequently to check the implementation of changes and their impact.  Leaders are forward thinking and plans for the implementation of changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework have been introduced. The Framework is very new and plans to sustain high levels of provision and achievement have yet to be introduced completely.  Robust performance management, and focused staff development especially for newly qualified staff, have sustained the outstanding teaching found in the previous inspection. Most staff are long serving and all have responded extremely well to the challenging targets for them to refine their practice and seek out even more effective ways to meet children’s needs. There is a strong link between performance, appraisal and pay progression.  Professional development courses are devised to meet not only the needs of individual

p.6

Inspection judgements

teachers, but also the needs of the school as a whole. Coaching and modelling is used very successfully to raise the skills of newly qualified staff.  Best practice is identified by the headteacher and the local authority, and is shared often with other schools. Health services recommend the school for specific children as they know it will meet their needs.  The curriculum provides an exceptionally rich range of opportunities for high quality learning. It has an excellent impact on children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children’s skills in expressive arts and design are strongly supported by visits to art galleries and performances at The Wigmore Hall, following work with professional musicians.  The cultural experiences of children are also extended by the engagement of parents and carers in collaborative activities, for example, building a striking, large ceramic mosaic frieze

p.6

Inspection judgements

based on the ‘Tree of Life’ under the guidance of a professional community artist.  Becoming a ‘rights-respecting’ school, celebrations of different faiths and cultures, and visits from members of a local home for the elderly, have deepened the understanding of children and their families of life in a modern diverse community. It underpins the school’s determination to foster good relationships and promote equality of opportunity for all.  The local authority rightly considers this school to be a centre of excellence and provides light touch support. It has an excellent reputation within the locality. Parents and carers are proud that their children have a place at this oversubscribed nursery.  The governance of the school:  is extremely effective because the governors use their in-depth knowledge about the ways children of this age learn and also their business and finance expertise in order to support

p.6

Inspection judgements

staff in their pursuit of excellence and in achieving excellent value for money  contributes significantly to the half-termly monitoring of the school’s performance and progress towards objectives in the school development plan  ensures that statutory requirements are met and that arrangements for safeguarding are implemented meticulously to keep children safe  implements fully robust performance management systems that challenge staff to improve their skills in teaching and leadership and management, and bring about outstanding achievements for children.

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 100887 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 400435

p.9

School details

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

p.9

School details

Type of school Nursery School category Community Age range of pupils 3 ‒ 5

p.9

School details

Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 75 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Amanda Hutt Headteacher Lynn Cottle Date of previous school inspection 24 ‒ 25 November 2009

p.9

School details

Telephone number 020 7790 5425 Fax number 020 7791 9892 Email address admin@alicemodel.towerhamlets.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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 .

p.9

School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

p.10

School details

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

p.10

School details

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. 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,

p.10

School details

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10