Clervaux Nursery School

Clervaux Nursery School Clervaux Terrace, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, NE32 5UP

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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.  The headteacher’s passion and high ambition inspires the whole staff. This ensures the school provides the very best for each child.  Children’s achievement, from low starting points, is outstanding. They learn extremely well because the school has a clear view of just how successful children can be.  The imaginative learning methods adopted, both indoors and outdoors, enable the children to gain a very wide range of skills.  Teaching is outstanding. Teachers and support assistants are accomplished professionals, keen to extend their skills and expertise through the sharing of good practice and completing relevant training.  Behaviour is outstanding. Children follow routines sensibly. They get on with each other very well and the adults who teach and support them. They are considerate and kind.  The wide range of interesting activities grabs the imagination of children, inspiring them to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

discover things and be creative, adding to their curiosity through first-hand experiences. Yet, now and then, some opportunities are missed for children to apply their early mathematical skills.  The school promotes children’s excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are many opportunities for children to experience wonder and awe, especially outdoors.  High quality care and support ensures that children are kept safe and secure. All parents agree. Children are very well taught to recognise risk and danger.  Children’s high achievement prepares them really well for learning in a Reception class.  Leadership and management are outstanding. Senior leaders, including the governors, are a highly effective team. All display a high level of commitment to continuously improve teaching and sustain the children’s high achievement.  The astutely led governing body are extremely well informed about the school’s performance.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

They play a full part in its success using their expertise and training to challenge and support the headteacher and staff in positive ways.  The local authority has an accurate and detailed insight into the school’s performance because it provides an excellent level of challenge and support.  Since the previous inspection, the school has made considerable progress, adding to its many strengths.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning across morning and afternoon sessions on both days of the inspection. Five sessions were observed jointly with the headteacher and one with the special educational needs manager (SENCO). In addition, the inspector completed a scrutiny of children’s learning journals and the school’s performance information with the headteacher and the SENCO.  The inspector spoke with children and held discussions with the headteacher, staff, parents, five governors, including two parent governors and the local authority school improvement adviser.  The inspector examined a range of documents, including those related to safeguarding, self- review, the monitoring of staff performance, the school’s improvement plan and records relating to children’s progress and behaviour.  The inspector took account of 13 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and six staff questionnaire responses.

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Inspection team

Clive Petts, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized nursery. It offers either morning or afternoon provision between 8.50am and 12 noon and 12.30am and 3.40pm for 39 full-time equivalent places.  Currently, all children on roll are White British.  The proportion of children supported through early action is above average with none supported through early action plus. There are no children with a statement of special educational needs.  Most children attend for three, four or five terms before transferring to a Reception class in other schools.  The school hosts a volunteer run mother and toddler group one morning each week.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maximise all opportunities to encourage the children to apply their number skills and knowledge of shapes, space and measure in all activities.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most children start school with skills well below those typical for their age. Their speech, language, social and early mathematical skills, however, vary considerably.  Children make rapid progress in all areas of learning to leave the nursery with skills at the expected levels for their age. This is because staff are so very skilled tailoring interesting activities to meet individual needs, including for the most able children. Increasing proportions exceed expectations in all areas, although the proportion that do so in number, shape, space and measure is a little lower.  Those children with special educational needs also make rapid progress because the school leaves no stone unturned pinpointing and addressing their specific needs. This ensures that they get precisely the right help and support.  The relentless early focus on developing speaking and listening ensures rapid progress from often low starting points. This prepares the way extremely well for early reading and writing. For

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

example, when outdoors, children were totally captivated building a den for the Gruffalo’s child after listening to the story. At each stage, children were able to explain with accuracy what and how they were constructing their den.  Reading and writing are strengths. Children are introduced to a thought-provoking range of books which capture their imagination. At story time, children are attentive and often spell bound. Systematic practising of letters and sounds to make sense of words encourages children to take their first steps to read and write independently. Older, most able children read with growing confidence and fluency by the time that they leave the nursery.  A wide range of opportunities are provided to develop children’s skills. Tasks incorporate developing their language and number skills, for example, when using a measuring stick to decide whether a newly found stick is longer or shorter. Sometimes, children do not have as

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

many opportunities to practise their number, shape, space and measure skills.  The most able children are expected to complete tasks with higher levels of challenge and difficulty, such as when acting as narrator to a small group of children attempting to solve a mystery from a series of numbered clues.  The school’s great eagerness to ensure that children with a wide range of needs achieve highly, including those who are potentially vulnerable, demonstrate its commitment to equality of opportunity. Consequently, expectations of what each child can achieve are high.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching and learning are outstanding because staff have very high expectations of each child’s level of commitment and ensure they all make excellent progress and achieve highly. In turn, children are keen and eager to do well. They are successfully taught at an early stage to take responsibility for organising their own learning.  Children make rapid progress in their learning and quickly become confident, independent and assured learners. They work things out for themselves and use language accurately and fluently, such as when describing their intentions when moulding a piece of clay flat before folding the clay to form a model ghost.  Children’s progress is precisely checked, with findings recorded succinctly and accurate assessments made and used to decide the next steps in their learning. This ensures that staff have an accurate insight of each child’s stage of development. This information is used skilfully

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

to build upon children’s earlier learning, although now and then assessment information is not used as effectively in developing children’s mathematical skills.  Children are questioned skilfully in order to check their responses and stretch their thinking helping to deepen to their understanding. Clear explanations help children overcome any misunderstandings and early misconceptions they may have. As a result, achievement is high.  Questions are also consistently challenging and extend children’s ability to solve problems for themselves. For example, a child was observed totally absorbed repeatedly carefully and steadily lifting a plastic hoop from the bubble bath to produce a large bubble. Despite several unsuccessful attempts, he persevered until he was successful.  The outdoor area, including the extensive woodland, inspires children to be adventurous and explore and investigate. Activities encourage a wide range of skills. Children help one another,

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

are safety conscious, creative and appreciate and care for the natural world.  Excellent use is made of specialist support to check the needs of individual children and provide advice and support for staff as to how tasks can be adapted to meet their needs.  The children learn physical and coordination skills exceptionally well. This includes climbing, balancing, running and swinging outdoors. Children also have excellent opportunities to extend their early sporting skills, such as participating in the ‘Little Dribbler’ programme run by Sunderland AFC.  Occasionally, opportunities to encourage the children to apply their number skills and knowledge of shapes, space and measure in all their activities are overlooked.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of children is outstanding. Children demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning. They are keen and eager to learn, because activities are made so interesting and captivating. Their love of school is reflected in their regular attendance. As one parent remarked, ‘my child gets up and wants to come on a Saturday and Sunday’.  Children thrive in the warm, friendly and exceptionally happy school atmosphere. They quickly become confident and self-assured. They develop excellent self-control. In story time, children swiftly settle on their cushions and are extremely attentive. They are confident asking questions, patiently taking turns. They rarely shout out answers or interrupt their classmates. Children are well-mannered and polite reflecting the high standards that staff set for them.  The school’s work to keep children safe and secure is outstanding. Children judge risk confidently when they are being adventurous, such as climbing a rope ladder. During snack time

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

in the woodland area all children wash their hands, including between the fingers, avoid sitting on prickly plants and take care not to spill their hot chocolate. They know the importance of tidying up at the end of each session, making certain all toys and pieces of equipment are returned to the correct box ready for the next user.  Spiteful or incidents of meanness are very uncommon because staff make certain children learn the importance of being caring, kind and helpful. For example, children were captivated when listening to the story of Becky the bully and the consequences she faced as a result of her inexcusable behaviour. Children respect each other and their own and the school’s property. This is all confirmed by school records. Routines are very well established and children know that staff are always on hand to share a worry or fear or anxiety.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leadership is outstanding because the headteacher has been highly successful securing crucial improvements in the consistency and effectiveness in the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. She is ably supported by the SENCO and the governing body. Working closely together, they have established a highly positive climate of high expectations which enable children to learn and behave exceptionally well. Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated.  The strong staff team maintain an extremely close check on the quality of learning experiences for each child. Progress for each child is rigorously checked. The daily end of day staff reflection time ensures that children’s learning is constantly enriched and supplemented. Any variances in the achievement of individual children are quickly identified and addressed. Judgements of the school’s performance are accurate, because all checks are robust and precise.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Strong home-school links ensure that parents are involved in their children’s development. Regular positive contributions are made by parents to their children’s learning journals.  Teaching is exceptionally well led and managed. Staff training is firmly focused on school improvement priorities. All staff are held accountable for children’s progress and achievement. Performance management is well embedded for staff and firmly links salary progression to children’s outcomes.  Excellent partnership working with specialist support agencies, such as the health services, ensures that intervention and support is highly effective and all barriers which might prevent rapid progress removed.  The rich, ‘sparkling’ curriculum, as one member of staff described, enables children to successfully develop their interests and talents. At the heart of learning is the expectation that in all activities children think carefully, explain their ideas and make decisions. This helps to hold

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The leadership and management are outstanding

their interest exceptionally well, such as when children are in the woodland area building a den, or explaining what happens next to the frog spawn. A wide range of interesting visits and visitors adds to the richness of children’s learning.  Safeguarding meets requirements. Procedures and practice are well established reflecting the school’s strong commitment to children’s high quality care and support.  The local authority provides effective training for both staff and governors.  The governance of the school:  The governing body bring much expertise and experience to their role. Governors demonstrate a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s performance because they systematically check the quality of children’s learning. They are very well informed about the quality of teaching. Governors are both challenging and supportive. Under the astute leadership of the Chair of the Governing Body, governors have a clear strategic vision for the future of the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

nursery. They manage resources carefully, check the impact of funding on the outcomes for children and ensure that all staff are held to account. Performance management firmly links salary progression with classroom performance.

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 108661 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 430931

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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 67 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Smith Headteacher Michelle Dixon Date of previous school inspection 7 March 2011 Telephone number 0191 489 7358 Fax number - Email address info@clervaux.s-tyneside.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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