Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Children

S c h o o l R e p o r t Hungerford Nursery School The Croft, Hungerford, West Berkshire, RG17 0HY

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.  Extremely strong leadership from the headteacher, along with support from her capable staff and knowledgeable governing body, has led to this outstanding provision being maintained since the previous inspection.  Impressive links to share its excellent practice with other schools have been very effectively established.  The systems for checking how well the Nursery is doing are very thorough and provide leaders with an accurate view of strengths and areas for development.  Achievement is outstanding, in relation to their starting points, because the children receive high-quality teaching and care throughout each day.  Teaching is outstanding and individual needs are expertly focused on. All adults pay great attention to the importance of listening, behaving appropriately and developing communication skills.  Behaviour is outstanding and the children flourish in this extremely caring and supportive

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

environment. Children quickly begin to show mature and positive attitudes to learning.  Children develop warm relationships with the adults who help them to learn as they play. Interactions clearly show that all children, including those who have specific difficulties, feel extremely safe and secure.  Children benefit from a very rich and varied range of activities which are closely linked to their interests and needs.  By the time children leave, to go to a Reception class elsewhere, their attainment is high.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the work of the Nursery. They say that they feel welcome at any time and that this nursery provision which their children receive is ‘fantastic’.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with half a day’s notice and took place over two days.  The inspector observed 12 parts of lessons taught by three teachers, three nursery nurses and five teaching assistants.  While observing the work of the school, the inspector took account of the 30 responses to the online Parent View and other information the school had collected regarding feedback from parents and carers.  Other documents were also looked at, including school improvement planning, documents relating to safeguarding, teachers’ planning and minutes from the governing body meetings.  The views of the staff were also considered through the scrutiny of 13 completed staff questionnaires.  Discussions were held with the headteacher and staff, children, a few parents and carers, a representative from the local authority and four members from the governing body.

p.2

Information about this inspection

Inspection team Nina Bee, Lead inspector Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Hungerford Nursery caters for 94 children who attend either part time or full time.  The headteacher and governing body manage the Hungerford Children’s Centre which is situated on the same site.  Most children come from White British backgrounds with a few coming from a range of minority ethnic families.  Very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled children and those who have special educational needs supported through early years action is below average.  The proportion of children supported at early years action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  No alternative provision is used by the school.  The headteacher and governing body manage a breakfast club and this was included as part of this inspection.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) by:  increasing the number of computers, electronic tablets and computerised toys  ensuring that all children have regular opportunities to use them to develop their knowledge and skills.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 When they start in the Nursery children’s skills and knowledge are generally below the levels expected for their ages. Outstanding teaching, careful checking of children’s progress, excellent relationships and high expectations regarding everything children do have led to high achievement and standards being maintained since the school was last inspected.  Outstanding achievement is made by all children because adults plan and facilitate interesting and exciting activities which are based on the children’s interests and needs.  Disabled children and those with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. Their individual needs are identified early and this helps adults to produce very effective individual play plans for them. Adults constantly ensure that all children are effectively integrated into sessions and achieve their very best in all they do.  Children who speak English as an additional language receive sensitive support to develop their

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

language and communication skills. As a result, they too are fully integrated into sessions and make rapid progress in relation to their prior achievement.  By the time they are ready to move on, most children reach high levels in all areas of learning and all are very well prepared for their next school.

p.3

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The determined efforts of the headteacher to ensure that children always receive the best possible teaching and support from the staff have resulted in teaching being outstanding.  All staff have a very clear understanding of how young children learn. Planning is underpinned by children either leading their own play or at other times being expertly guided by adults. The way staff interact with children to reinforce and develop learning is always excellent.  Adults have high expectations in relation to listening and staying focused and this results in the consistently outstanding learning that takes place. Children, themselves, talk of needing ‘quiet lips’ when someone is talking to them and that ‘smart sitting’ is necessary along with ‘listening ears’ when they sit on the carpet. Observations show extremely well-focused children who listen attentively and take learning very seriously.  Children were seen planning a journey, after drawing a map, mixing potions and lotions in the

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

beautiful castle they had built and using the Batman cave they had previously constructed to go underground. During all activities, adults’ interaction with the children was excellent and promoted and reinforced learning very effectively. Children were very eager and confident to explain what they were doing. Much enjoyment and outstanding learning were evident as children learnt as they played.  Teaching makes a very positive contribution to the development of personal and social skills particularly in allowing children time to reflect, work together and listen to others.  Each child has a Learning Journey book which shows their progress in all areas. These are an excellent link between home and school. Parents and carers add to the continuous dialogue between the staff and themselves. Children are keen to use the photographs in the Learning Journeys to speak about what they have been doing.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is outstanding whether children are outside or indoors, playing and learning alongside adults or taking part in activities which enable them to develop independent skills.  Children were seen behaving impeccably in the book corner, as they sat and read books by carefully looking at the pictures. Others maturely and confidently served themselves milk and cereal at the snack table. Cleverly designed placemats enabled them to accurately count the pieces of cereal they were eating.  Adults have very high expectations regarding behaviour and focus expertly on ensuring that children are taught how to behave and keep themselves safe. Children from different backgrounds, including a few with limited speech, play extremely well alongside each other.  There are no recorded incidents of poor behaviour although clear procedures exist to record it if any should ever occur. No anti-social behaviour was observed during the inspection.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is generally good. Children adore walking through the doors each morning to start their playing and learning. Parents and carers are very pleased about how quickly their children settle into nursery life and say their children do not like being absent even if they are ill.  All staff, including the governors, are vigilant in ensuring that children play and learn in a very safe and stimulating environment both inside and out.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, her staff and governors are an ambitious team whose main objective is to achieve the very best for all children. Self-evaluation is very accurate and improvement planning is very well focused on maintaining the high standard of provision which has been in place for a number of years.  Since the previous inspection the staff have shared their outstanding practice by establishing impressive links with a number of other schools.  Staff have already identified that provision for ICT is in need of development so that children have more opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge as they use computers, electronic tablets and computerised toys.  Staff and governors are very successful in ensuring that all children are treated equally and any kind of discrimination is not tolerated. The curriculum is extremely closely linked to individual needs and abilities. Parents and carers say they are very pleased about this.

p.4

The leadership and management are outstanding

 Staff professional development is very firmly established and is closely linked to performance management. All staff successfully ensure that the new curriculum for early years is followed.  The curriculum very successfully promotes children’s spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. All cultures within the Nursery are celebrated and children learn about celebrations which are important to them, like their birthdays. When world celebrations are focused on, children begin to develop an emerging awareness of events such as Diwali.  Children have good opportunities to attend the breakfast club where they link with their friends to eat breakfast and play and learn in a secure and safe environment.  The school’s leaders regularly check that children always receive the best possible teaching throughout the school. This has resulted in the school maintaining outstanding teaching and learning in all classes for a number of years.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The light touch support from the local authority has been because of previously high attainment and progress.  The governance of the school:  The governing body make a strong contribution to the successes in the Nursery. Governors are extremely well informed and very involved in the work of the school. Consequently, they are able to confidently support the school and are well equipped to ask the school searching questions if necessary. Safeguarding documentation is extremely well organised and secure. The governing body fulfils all its statutory duties and takes its health and safety responsibilities very seriously to ensure that the Nursery is a safe and secure place to play and learn. Parents and carers spoken to during the inspection had no negative comments about the school and said they felt privileged that their children attend this Nursery.

p.5

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.6

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.6

School details

Unique reference number 109755 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 401074

p.7

School details

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

p.7

School details

Type of school Nursery School category Community Age range of pupils 3–4 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 94 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nicholas Furr Headteacher Suzanne Taylor Date of previous school inspection 22–23 March 2010 Telephone number 01488 682628 Email address office@hungerfordnursery.w-berks.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.7

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.8

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.8

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.8

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.8

School details

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

p.8