Reddish Vale Nursery School

Reddish Vale Nursery School Reddish Vale Road, Reddish, Stockport, SK5 7EU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  This is a haven for children; it opens their eyes to life and prepares them extremely well for their future.  Outstanding levels of care, high quality teaching and exceptional leadership give children a first-rate education.  Whether it is sunny, rainy, windy or cold, children love being outdoors. Explorations in the school ‘forest’, cycling vigorously around the extensive cycle track or creating dens capture the children’s interests.  From starting points that are below those typical for their age, children develop quickly, most noticeably in their personal and social development. They make great strides in their confidence and their ability to make decisions and work with others.  Their behaviour and safety are outstanding and the promotion of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.  Children quickly extend their speaking and listening skills. They make brisk inroads into

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

understanding letters and sounds (phonics). This prepares them well for early reading and writing.  Physical development is good and improved by participating in a host of interesting activities both inside and out.  Parents rate the school very highly and are partners with all the school does. Frequent communication keeps them informed and regular meetings secure shared views of children’s progress.  Staff love their work and are a very effective team. The needs and interests of children are at the heart of everything that goes on. Play is very evident and highly skilled interventions secure rapid learning for all children.  Excellent approaches to staff training ensure that professional skills are constantly fine- tuned. New ideas are welcome if deemed valuable, for example, the increased use of the environment for learning.  Effective strategies are in place to track the progress and achievement of children. The use

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of information and communication technology to record such information is not efficient enough.  Underpinning the school’s success is the skill, dedication and care of the headteacher.  Supported by high quality senior leaders and governors, regular evaluations are made of the school’s performance. Shrewd actions are taken when needed and teaching, achievement and the effectiveness of the school have improved. December 2012 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching indoors and outdoors on five occasions.  Discussions were held with the staff, four parents, the Chair of the Governing Body and two parent governors. Further conversations were conducted with a health visitor who works with the school, a member of the local authority inclusion team, the school adviser and the headteacher of a local primary school to which some children transfer.  In planning the inspection, and when forming judgements, reference was made to the views of parents expressed in a recent survey conducted by the school. The inspector checked the online questionnaire (Parent View) but no responses were registered. In addition, questionnaires from nine staff were analysed.  Evaluations were made of a range of school documentation. These included the documents relating to safeguarding, the school’s improvement plan, the document that records the school’s

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Information about this inspection

view of its performance and information about the children’s progress and attainment.

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Inspection team

David Byrne, Lead inspector Additional Inspector December 2012 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized nursery school.  Numbers increase through the academic year. Most children start in September with others joining in January and April.  The vast majority of children are of White British heritage.  It is part of the same complex as a children’s centre. The children’s centre is subject to a separate inspection by Ofsted.  The school became a separately managed nursery in January 2012 after a time being integrated with the children’s centre.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the efficiency of recording the children’s progress in each of the areas of learning by making better use of information and communication technology. December 2012 4 of 9

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Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils is outstanding.

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Inspection judgements

 The large majority of children make remarkable progress. Those who have difficulties with learning receive good support and progress quickly.  Children do particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development and make very good progress in communication and language and physical development. In addition, they develop a good awareness of mathematical events around them and gain a good knowledge and understanding of the world.  Children quickly settle into school. Excellent procedures keep them safe and secure enabling them to grow in confidence and, as one parent stated, ‘come out of themselves’. As children mature, they become confident to make their own decisions and be independent.  At the start of each day, children select their own names and have a go at writing them. In so doing, many demonstrate a good early awareness of letters and the sounds they make (phonics). One child composed a short, imaginative story about two pet dogs. A love of books is

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Inspection judgements

developed by regularly sharing a story with a Nursery Development Worker and taking books home.  Many opportunities, both indoors and out, secure rapid improvement in the children’s physical development. This benefits all, but particularly boys. At the start of each day, many children love to run around outside, which settles them for the day ahead. In doing so, they show good levels of coordination and sense of safety.  The school ‘forest’ gives children the chance to test their muscles, for example, when rolling logs and pulling ropes. Indoors, children use scissors with reasonable accuracy; join paper with sticky tape when wrapping Christmas boxes and paint confidently with paintbrushes.  The many exciting opportunities for children to explore outdoors, learning about birds, plants and the seasons, widen the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Information and communication technology supports teaching and learning, but limitations of resources

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Inspection judgements

reduces children’s experiences of new technology.  The promotion of mathematics is very successful. Children make excellent progress. They are aware that shapes occur in nature and that mathematics is involved in counting the number of scored goals. Some children recognise numbers and put them in the correct order.

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Inspection judgements

 Teachers and all teaching assistants are a highly skilled and very well organised team. Daily routines run like clockwork. All parents rate teaching very highly. One mum stated that the staff, ‘go well beyond their duty for the children’.  Children bounce into school smiling, secure in the knowledge that staff are there for them. They gain great security from the customary start to each session where they sit with their key worker and group of friends. At the end of each session, children benefit from time to sit together and reflect on what they have learnt.  Staff pursue the belief that learning through play is the most effective and suitable approach. During all play activities, very skilled staff draw the children’s attention to essential basic skills such as letters and sounds and recognising numbers and shapes. During an activity involving writing to Santa, children felt compelled to put down their ideas in words. Some wrote well using

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Inspection judgements

recognisable letters and others made marks and were adamant about what they had written!  Underpinning the excitement and fun evident in all that goes on is very astute planning. It ensures that every child is given the support he or she needs. Staff observe and record each child’s progress regularly. Detailed records track this progress but the system for doing this is not as efficient as it could be.  Daily discussions amongst the team highlight any concerns, for instance, if a child is falling behind. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs have excellent support and are fully included in school life.  An excellent ‘Record of Achievement’ book for each child is highly valued by parents and children alike because it is a record of the child’s development over their time at nursery. There is daily contact with staff. Reading at home is a regular event and at times children are encouraged to

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Inspection judgements

find out things for themselves. A slug found in the ‘forest’ fascinated one child. With dad’s help, he used the internet to discover that they have far more teeth than humans do!

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding.

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Inspection judgements

 The care of the children has the highest priority. Children are safe and secure at all times. The school works closely with families to provide support where sought and required.  Exemplary relationships with their teaching and support staff, coupled with the excellent way classrooms and outdoors are organised, helps children to settle and learn quickly. Their behaviour is outstanding. They are respectful, polite and aware of the feelings of others.  The excellent opportunities to play and learn outdoors help children, particularly boys, to run off energy and be calm. By eating healthy snacks, and having access to water and milk, children develop good eating habits. Close attention on washing hands and cleaning up after activities develops good routines of personal hygiene. Dental care is encouraged with children participating in ‘smile for life’ activities.  The outdoor experiences build in children an advanced sense of safety for their age. They

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Inspection judgements

confidently ride bikes with due attention to others, move around the ‘forest’, taking care to avoid bumpy ground, and move around with a good awareness of other children.  Excellent partnerships between the school and staff in health, welfare and education services complement the excellent support provided for children. For example, a child who has difficulties with speech and language benefits from skilled support where required.  Great efforts promote regular attendance. Absence is regularly checked and action taken if there is reason for concern. The large majority of children love school and regularly attend.

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Inspection judgements

The leadership and management are outstanding.

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Inspection judgements

 The school is going from strength to strength under the visionary leadership of the headteacher. Strong principles about the most effective way of educating children of this age underlie all decisions. Staff and governors sign up to the same vision as the headteacher.  The headteacher has skilfully created an exceptionally strong staff team. Everyone knows their role and that of his or her colleagues. Regular checks are made of the quality of teaching and annual discussions with staff leads to activities to develop their skills. Training keeps staff up to date with new legislation and changes in the curriculum.  The progress of children is checked regularly and action taken to support any at risk of falling behind. Effective management for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs enables these children to make very good progress.  The business manager, supported by the governing body, secures outstanding procedures for

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Inspection judgements

safeguarding and health and safety. In addition, financial management is of the highest quality and includes long-term plans for developing the school. Wise spending of the budget provides a stable and highly effective staff team and excellent accommodation.  Very productive partnerships exist with local schools and the children’s centre. Expertise is shared to help families and children. The curriculum meets every child’s needs. Learning activities are reviewed regularly to fine-tune what goes on and make improvements.  An excellent partnership exists with the local authority. They provide a high quality support resource for the school. The school adviser is very effective in offering an objective view of the school’s performance and helping with its strategies for improvement.  Given the current circumstances, the school is very well placed to sustain its current strengths and move forward in the future.

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Inspection judgements

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is very effective. It keeps a close eye on the school’s performance. Training is taken where available to keep governors up to date. Regular discussions with staff, together with visits by some governors to the nursery, add to the governing body’s understanding of the quality of teaching and the school’s effectiveness. The performances of the headteacher and staff are regularly reviewed and the award of salary increases linked to the progress children make. December 2012 7 of 9

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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

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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. December 2012 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 106018 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 400816

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School details

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

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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 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sandy Palmer Headteacher Rachel Lord Date of previous school inspection 5 November 2009 Telephone number 0161 4806713 Fax number 0161 4748891 Email address headteacher@reddishvalenursery.stockport.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 .

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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.

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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

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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

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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’.

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School details

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

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