Grosvenor Nursery School and Day Care Centre

Grosvenor Nursery School Lord Street, Kearsley, Bolton, BL4 8AR

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.  The school has successfully ensured that it has maintained all the excellent features that were identified at the previous inspection when it was judged to be outstanding.  Excellent teaching and stimulating learning actively inspire and excite children to want to learn, giving them a first-class start to their education. Children make particularly rapid progress in their communication skills as well as their personal and social development.  Highly effective leadership, management and governance are determined that the school will maintain the highest levels of performance in all areas so that children continue to do their very best.  The exciting curriculum makes sure that children have rich opportunities to develop many skills including their speaking, listening, numeracy and personal skills. It prepares them extremely well for the next stage in their education.  Children love coming to nursery where they

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

form firm friendships with other children. They challenge themselves to do new things, knowing that adults will always help them.  Working together as a very successful and strong team, the staff have created a calm atmosphere and a safe environment where all children are highly valued and are known extremely well as individuals.  All staff encourage best behaviour by skilfully guiding children to develop a clear sense of what is right and wrong. As a result, behaviour is excellent, children are safe, and the relationships between children and also with adults are extremely good.  The school successfully emphasises the importance of attending regularly and on time so that children benefit greatly from well- established daily routines and valuable learning time.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed two teachers as well as six lessons, which included a joint lesson observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, children, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed children’s work, shared books with them and talked with children about their different activities.  A range of the school’s documentation was examined, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, documents relating to monitoring and evaluation, systems for tracking children’s progress, documents regarding safeguarding and key policies.  Inspectors took account of the responses of the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents as well as having discussions with parents.  Inspectors analysed questionnaires completed by staff.

p.2

Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional inspector Frank Carruthers Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Grosvenor Nursery School and Day Care is an average-sized nursery school.  The school provides a choice of morning or afternoon sessions. Most children attend part time and are admitted to the nursery following their third birthday.  The majority of children are of White British heritage. A few children are from minority ethnic backgrounds or speak English as an additional language.  A few children are currently supported at school action and school action plus. Eight places are resourced by the local authority for children who have severe learning or physical difficulties or communication impairment. These children are fully integrated into nursery life.  The school shares the site with a children’s centre for children from three months to three years and also provides a daycare centre offering extended care for children from birth to under five years. These are both inspected separately and their reports are available on our

p.3

Information about this school

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk  The school holds the Investors in People and Healthy School status, as well as the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Take steps to enrich the curriculum even further by achieving the Forest Schools award.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children flourish here and thoroughly enjoy their time at the school. They explore, investigate and develop high levels of confidence with their friends in both the excellent indoor and outside areas.  Children’s skills vary from year to year. Most children start school with skills that are below those typically expected for their age and, for some, well below, particularly their pe rsonal, social and emotional development. An exciting range of activities encourages children to settle quickly and helps them to achieve extremely well.  Children make rapid progress. They have a wide range of opportunities to develop their many skills, particularly their communication, social and physical skills. This includes disabled children and those with special educational needs because staff identify their individual learning needs with great speed. These children do as well as others because they receive expert help.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Children from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language also learn and develop outstandingly well because they enjoy a similarly high quality of support.  Children develop an excellent understanding of how to keep healthy. The exciting outdoor area helps them to enjoy energetic play, while developing their physical skills extremely well.  Children develop excellent communication skills. They are highly confident to speak to adults, discuss what they are doing and play amicably together in their own games and role play.  There are many opportunities for children to practise and extend their mathematical skills so that they are confident. As a result of the previous inspection, the school has found ways to develop further children’s mathematical skills. Parents help their children to learn at home by borrowing activity packs. These include fun ways to measure or use toy fruits to recreate

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

simple patterns. Parents reinforce children’s learning at home and contribute regularly to their children’s ‘Learning Journal’.  Cosy reading areas clearly delight children as they settle down happily with adults and share books. They listen attentively to the story, follow the pictures, and laugh at funny activities. They respond well to questions showing how well they have listened and are able to identify different characters, regardless of whether they are people or animals, helping to develop their early reading skills. Children recognise and begin to write their names.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is of the same consistently high quality as previously reported. Staff have the highest expectations of how well children can do. They have an excellent understanding of how young children learn and they plan exciting, challenging activities that respond to children’s interests extremely well.  During activities, adults talk constantly with children so that they are encouraged to think differently, explain what they are doing and discuss their feelings and ideas. For example, a group were enjoying decorating stars and the adult asked the children if they had seen the bright moon the previous evening. This discussion extended children’s vocabulary, as well as their speaking and listening skills, as they explored new words about the shapes of the shiny moon and stars.  Teaching is excellent because adults work as a team and have a shared approach. For example, a teaching assistant worked with a child who was ready to count to five. This was

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

grasped immediately and the adult listened very carefully as the numbers from one to five were said in order accurately. The adult followed this up swiftly as she challenged the child to say the number that was one more than a given number. Teachers and teaching assistants all encourage children to be independent, standing back and letting children make mistakes as they learn. Staff know when to move in and encourage children to experiment.  Staff know when it is appropriate for children to work independently, as well as when to socialise with friends. This may be for a few minutes or for longer periods of time when children successfully stay enthralled and totally focused on activities. They enjoy working on ideas with friends. For example, staff observed as a group of boys maintained total concentration as they built a wall with plastic bricks while two children walked around the room with notebooks making notes and practising their early writing skills.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers make full use of both the indoor and outdoor spaces. The outside area is highly stimulating for children and is used in all weathers. Different areas offer hunting in the woodland, climbing up a hillock or driving a tractor around a course.  Teaching for disabled children and those with special educational needs is individualised and carefully tailored to ensure they receive the high quality support they need. Children respond extremely well. Children who have severe learning, physical or communication difficulties respond exceptionally well to the high quality support they receive within the school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Children make an excellent contribution to their own learning through working independently as well as taking part with great enthusiasm in all activities.  They are exceptionally keen to learn and thoroughly enjoy all they are offered at the nursery. This love of learning and play contributes to their high attendance. When they arrive at school with their parents, children register themselves by writing their names, with help if needed. Children settle quickly to activities, responding with great delight to meeting their friends again.  Behaviour is exemplary. Children are respectful of others’ views and listen carefully to each other. They feel very safe in school and questionnaire responses confirm that parents have no concerns about behaviour or safety.  Children treat others extremely well and are kind to each other. The school says there is no bullying. Staff make certain that very good use is made of stories. These provide superb

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

opportunities to discuss name-calling and the importance of respecting each others’ feelings.  Children are given the confidence to take controlled risks and tackle challenging activities safely. For instance, when hammering nails into wood on a workbench, children use proper tools and wear safety glasses. This helps them to understand the importance of handling equipment and tools carefully and ensures safety for all.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is exceptionally well supported by her staff. Senior leaders offer unremittingly high levels of ambition. Together, they provide strong and confident leadership. This enables the school to sustain the high quality teamwork needed to maintain an outstanding school so that it can carry on providing the very best experiences for children and families.  The school has recently reduced the number of teachers and so staff have accepted new roles and responsibilities. The headteacher ensures that performance management is robust. Professional development is used extremely well so that all staff are very well trained to take on new responsibilities.  Leaders make sure that, through meticulous checks of teaching, there is always a strong commitment by the whole team to ensuring that teaching is consistently first class. They successfully encourage staff and have extremely high expectations.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school works in very close partnership with the children’s centre to make sure that all children and their families benefit from the wide range of high quality support and guidance that is available.  Adults promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination very effectively so that all children achieve extremely well. The school has excellent links with a wide range of organisations and agencies that support the all-round development of the children.  The local authority rightly considers this school to provide an excellent quality of education. It regularly challenges leaders to seek ways to continually develop and improve what is already of the highest quality in the school.  The rich curriculum is central to the children’s love of school. It fires their imagination, curiosity, confidence and desire for learning exceptionally well, both in the classrooms and outside. Children thoroughly enjoy the woodland area where they can explore with their

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

friends, enjoying group physical activities as well as quieter moments on their own. The school uses the woodland area regularly but has not yet taken the step to achieve the Forest Schools award in order to develop further the school’s commitment to learning outdoors.  The governance of the school:  Governors are heavily involved in improving all aspects of the school’s performance. They have a clear understanding of the school’s position through their checks on how well children are doing and how well adults help children do their very best. Governors oversee the school’s financial management robustly and efficiently. They make sure that all safeguarding and welfare arrangements are in place and that the school is safe and secure.

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.7

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.7

School details

Unique reference number 105144 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 400760

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 79 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Rothwell Headteacher Maureen Vickers Date of previous school inspection 7 December 2009 Telephone number 01204 337343 Fax number 01204 337343 Email address head@grosvenor.bolton.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.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,

p.9

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.9

School details

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

p.9