Midland Road Nursery School

School report Midland Road Nursery School and Children’s Centre Bateman Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7DJ

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.  Children's achievement is outstanding and they are extremely well prepared for their next school. They play and work hard, are inquisitive and very happy.  Children with special educational needs make excellent progress because teachers meet their individual needs extremely well.  The school's very strong focus on developing children's communication skills means those who speak English as an additional language achieve extremely well.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. The inspiring activities and adults’ very skilful questioning allow children to learn to think for themselves and express their own ideas.  Relationships between staff, children and their parents are excellent. Consequently, children’s behaviour is exemplary and they feel safe.  Classrooms and the excellent outdoor spaces provide bright, attractive and exciting places for children to learn.  The school works very effectively with other

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

schools and the onsite children's centre and childcare provision, making a very good contribution to children's achievement and to the development of the Early Years Foundation Stage education in the area.  The partnership with parents is excellent and they would welcome even more opportunities to support their children's learning.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher set a very clear direction and are highly ambitious for the school. Procedures to check and improve the quality of teaching are very effective and staff morale is high. The governing body is extremely well informed and effective.  As a result of the outstanding leadership and management, the school has successfully maintained children's outstanding achievement and high quality of teaching since the last inspection.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed a wide range of sessions in the nursery, including a joint observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with children, the Chair of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority, and members of staff including the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors took account of three responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the results of the school’s consultations with parents. Inspectors also talked to several parents at the start of, and during, the school day. Inspectors also observed two training sessions the school provides for parents.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including data on children’s current and previous progress, school development plan, performance management documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

p.2

Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Blackburn Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is an average-sized nursery school.  The majority of children are from minority ethnic backgrounds, largely of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage.  An increasing number of children are from Eastern European families.  A high proportion of children are from families who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of children who have special educational needs supported by Early Years school action is broadly average.  The school provides additional 'wrap-around' care for children before, after school and over lunchtime.  There is registered childcare provision for children aged birth to five. This is managed by the governing body and is subject to a separate inspection.  There is a phase two children's centre on site. This is also subject to a separate inspection.  The headteacher was appointed to the school after the last inspection.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maintain the school's outstanding effectiveness by:  building on the already excellent partnership with parents so they can provide even more support to their children's learning and progress.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children start school with skills that are generally below those typical for their age. Children of all abilities, including those with special education needs make outstanding progress during their time in the nursery school and leave to enter the Reception classes with levels that are often higher than typically expected.  There has been a consistent trend of improving standards since the last inspection. This is because the school has continuously developed the quality of teaching and provision. Both boys and girls make outstanding progress.  Children make excellent progress in developing their personal and social skills. This lays a firm foundation for their future learning. For example, they learn to work together and share ideas in the construction and creative activities. Teachers involve them in real-life situations such as setting the table and preparing snacks which contributes very well to their sense of responsibility

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and pride in their achievement.  Children speak to each other clearly, purposefully and with an increasingly varied vocabulary in response to teachers' carefully framed questions and excellent example. For example, even in the pouring rain, they eagerly discuss the best way to clear the leaves around the trees to make a safe path and busily move them in their wheelbarrows. This strong focus on communication skills ensures that children who speak English as an additional language also achieve extremely well.  Teachers make sure that those with special educational needs are fully included in all the school's activities. They develop good skills to recall what they have learned and to make decisions about what they would like to do next. They receive appropriate specialist support, particularly for speech and language.  Children's early reading and writing skills are very well developed. They make excellent progress

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

in beginning to recognise the relationship between letters and sounds to form words. They learn to recognise writing in the attractive labels and displays which are referred to by adults throughout the day. They identify their names from the self-registration at the start of the sessions.  Children frequently make marks to represent writing on many different surfaces from sand to paper and using varied tools such as chalks, felt tip pens, crayons, pencils and many other media. More able children write letters and cards to friends. They form letters accurately and are beginning to construct their own sentences.  Children count and order numbers well in a wide range of activities. They make very good progress in recognising written numbers and matching them accurately to the correct number of objects, for example, matching games on the computer. They regularly make comparisons about size and shape of all sorts of objects in their play because of teachers’ well placed questions.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 All staff are involved in the thorough lesson planning so that their expectations are consistently high and activities challenge all children to do their best. The outstanding quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection.  Teachers make outstanding use of accurate assessments of progress to set work which enables children to do their very best. They make excellent use of information from parents on home visits and through the close partnerships with the onsite childcare and other pre-school providers to ensure they know the children very well when they first start. Detailed frequent observations of children's learning in different circumstances are used to set precise targets for children to achieve.  Searching questions are used to explore children’s understanding and develop their thinking skills. They enable children to make a full contribution to activities through, for example, partner

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

talk and group discussions. This successfully reinforces their knowledge and understanding. Teachers involve children very well in thinking about their own learning and how they can improve it.  Staff promote children's independence extremely well. All resources are stored in easily accessible and attractive containers both indoors and out with clear labels and photographs of the contents. Children are frequently encouraged to try to work things out for themselves or help each other. For example, children's ability to put on water proof clothing, including wellington boots on the right feet, is particularly impressive.  Well prepared individual learning plans for children with special educational needs guide staff in setting step by step activities. Teaching assistants and other adults provide sensitive and skilled support when needed whilst encouraging children to work as independently as possible.

p.5

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers make extremely good use of a wide range of different ways of teaching. They make very good use of information and communication technology to engage and inspire children. They regularly reinforce learning through songs, rhymes and actions.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Relationships are excellent and children's behaviour is exemplary as a result. They respond extremely well to staff's consistent management of behaviour and the high standards of care and support they receive.  The school is calm, friendly and orderly. Children listen to adults and one another extremely well and know that it is important to pay attention. This is particularly evident when children participate in trips, visits and travel by mini bus.  Children have a good understanding of how their behaviour affects others and that they should be kind and considerate. They collaborate very well in their work and play and tidy up with enthusiasm afterwards. Teachers make very good use of a wide range of children's stories, songs and rhymes to reinforce children's positive attitudes and to promote their excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Very well planned activities help children understand more about how to keep themselves safe.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

For example, through physical role play and small world toys they learn how to cross the road safely and understand the crossing warden’s job. They use knives to slice fruit for snacks with care and accuracy.  Teachers work closely with parents to help children settle in to school life quickly and effectively. They help children with social and emotional difficulties to manage and improve their own behaviour by providing a good sense of security and offering specialist support when it is needed.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The experienced headteacher and deputy headteacher bring a very clear direction for school improvement based on an excellent knowledge of the school's provision and the needs of young children. Staff are very ambitious for the school and proud to be part of it. They are very eager to continuously improve their performance.  The systems to help teachers and leaders to be even better at their jobs are very thorough. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent role models and are skilled in observing teaching and setting targets for improvement. Staff are aware of their accountability for the progress children make and understand how this is linked to their salary progression.  The school receives appropriate, but challenging, 'light touch' support from the local authority. The local authority worked effectively with the governing body to ensure that the school continued to develop during a period of transition and temporary leadership before the

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

appointment of the current headteacher. The school is held in high regard and is used by the local authority as a model of good practice of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school works very closely with parents and keeps them fully informed through diaries, newsletters, the school's website and the Parents' Forum. In particular, parents appreciate the high quality of training offered to both mothers and fathers in, for example, how to help children learn to read. As a result, parents rightly hold the school in high regard. Parents say that they would welcome the opportunity to be even more involved in their children's learning and the school is working towards this through, for example, piloting a new computer based system to share information on children's daily achievement.  Policies for safeguarding pupils meet legal requirements and are supported by detailed record keeping. This is complimented by the very effective promotion of good behaviour.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school makes learning exciting and memorable through the purposeful links between different areas of children's learning. The grounds provide many safe adventures for children and imaginative problem solving activities through its 'forest school' work. The well attended 'wrap-around' care contributes very well to the promotion of children's personal development and preparation for their future learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and is very well informed through high quality reports from the headteacher and the governors’ own systematic checks on the school’s work. As a result, it makes a strong contribution to ensuring its future success. Governors ensure that financial management is matched very well to improving pupils’ achievement and the impact of actions is carefully scrutinised. The careful financial management and full consultation with staff, parents and children has allowed the school to make significant improvements to the quality of

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 is

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

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.7

School details

Unique reference number 107189 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 400890

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Nursery School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–5 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 72 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Arshad Mahmood Headteacher Sharon Hogan Date of previous school inspection 28 January 2010 Telephone number 01274 546492 Fax number 01274 546492 Email address office@midlandroad.co.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.8

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.9

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.9

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, please

p.9

School details

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.9

School details

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

p.9