Abbey Green Nursery School

Abbey Green Nursery School Green Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8HT

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  This school makes a very positive difference to the lives of the children and their families. It is a long-standing contributor to the local community.  The vast majority of parents rate the school very highly and do not hesitate in recommending it to others.  Children achieve well from low starting points and make good progress in their learning. They are well prepared for primary school.  Children are safe. Everyone is treated equally. As a result, children settle quickly and show respect for others.  Staff work well together, providing a wide range of stimulating resources and activities that make learning fun.  Children with disabilities and special educational needs achieve well because of good support that meets their individual needs.  Children’s behaviour is good. They take turns well when playing with each other. High-quality care ensures that children always have someone to turn to.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Good improvement is underway in assessing and tracking children's attainment and progress.  Learning activities hold the children’s interest. The children’s strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well fostered by celebrating the different cultures within the school community.  Purposeful leadership by the headteacher and deputy headteacher results in an accurate view of the school’s performance. They work hard and are constantly improving the school.  Governors successfully manage the performance of staff to get the best possible provision for children. They provide good quality challenge to school leaders.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 When children are playing, they do not have enough opportunities to develop their speaking and writing skills as much as they could.  Targets that are planned for children’s learning are not exact enough to take children on as far as they could.  The plans for developing the school are not precise enough to help leaders to gauge the school’s progress efficiently.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in five nursery sessions and spoke to children and staff.  Meetings were held with two members of the governing body, senior staff, a representative of the local authority and with the parent involvement practitioner.  The inspector looked at a number of documents, including school records of the quality of teaching, records of teachers’ targets, data about children’s progress, the school’s evaluation of how well it performs and the school’s improvement plans.  Account was taken of the views of parents by conducting meetings with parents and considering 25 responses from parents to a questionnaire provided by the school. There were no responses to the online survey, Parent View.  The views of staff were gathered by talking with key staff and evaluating responses on two questionnaires returned to the inspector.

p.2

Inspection team

David Byrne, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized nursery school.  Very few children are supported through early years action or early years action plus.  Most children are of Pakistani heritage and there are smaller numbers of Indian and Bangladeshi families. There is an increasing number of asylum seekers and families from Eastern Europe.  The large majority of children speak English as an additional language and around a quarter is at an early stage of acquiring English.  The school brings together Early Years education and care with support for families on one site. The school’s headteacher and governing body are responsible for the maintained nursery school, and the children’s centre (designated in September 2004) and a setting for Two Year Old Education. Neither the children’s centre nor the provision for Two Year Old Education was part of this inspection. The most recent report for the children’s centre is available on the Ofsted

p.3

Information about this school

website and none is currently available for the Two Year Old Education Setting.  At the time of the inspection, one of the nursery school teachers was working on a temporary contract.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning further through better planning so that staff have a clear picture of how to extend the learning of each child so that:  staff ask really searching questions of the children  children are encouraged to describe their own actions and explain their thoughts  opportunities are increased for children to gain more experiences of making marks and early writing especially when they are playing.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of school improvement planning by devising more precise targets for raising achievement so that leaders and governors can measure and evaluate the impact of the school’s actions efficiently, and to ensure that all children make the best possible progress.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the nursery with skills, knowledge and understanding well below those expected for their ages. Over two thirds of the current group speak English as an additional language and around a quarter are at the very early stages of acquiring English. A significant minority of children have speech and language difficulties.  Children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress from their individual starting points although the proportion reaching or exceeding expectations by the time they move to Reception classes is below average. Much of the reason for the good progress is good teaching and effective use of information of children’s development and learning.  Excellent procedures before children start at the nursery, such as home visits and opportunities to visit the nursery, along with exciting activities organised each day, enable children to settle in happily and become eager learners who achieve well. As a result, their progress in their

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

personal, social and emotional development is rapid. Children quickly learn to share and play together and understand what is expected. They are encouraged to make choices and take safe risks in the outdoor play area, eagerly climbing and playing with their peers.  Most children, including those at the early stages of acquiring English make good progress in improving their speaking and listening skills. At times, progress is held back because not enough emphasis is placed on encouraging children to improve their language skills through questioning and discussion, particularly during their play activities.  All staff and governors make sure that children are treated equally and discrimination is not tolerated. This commitment is reflected in the way that disabled children and those with special educational needs achieve well. Children’s individual progress is carefully tracked and additional support is given if necessary. The most able children are identified and given more challenging

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

tasks so that they exceed their expected progress in communication and language and in mathematical development.  Most children start school with physical skills that are below expectations. The school’s good provision of the school quickly narrows the gap between the physical skills the children acquire and those attained by most similar aged children. Children regularly run, play and climb in the outdoor area, learning how to cooperate with others. They develop physical skills by building models, sticking and cutting and playing with toys. While most children confidently make marks to represent writing, some do not do this as well because staff do not expect enough of them.  Reading is promoted well and children make good progress. Children are encouraged to take books home to share with parents, helping them to develop an early interest in books and stories. Access within classrooms to books is restricted, however, because rooms do not have an

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

inviting reading area to entice children in to explore books.  Mathematical development is promoted through regular activities designed to engage children well in practical tasks. As a result most children can count to five and, in some cases, well beyond, and are beginning to recognise numbers and shapes.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Children benefit from a dedicated staff team. Some staff are long established and some are relatively new to the school. The welcoming environment in the nursery ensures that children enjoy coming to school and are eager to learn and play. Parents are unanimous that teaching is good. They say that their children are happy and learn well.  Children get a good balance between activities that they choose for themselves and those that are led by adults. As a result, children build their confidence and ability to learn and enjoy nursery.  Staff work well together in teams to plan each day’s learning activities. As a result, tasks are generally well matched to the children so that everyone, including children with special educational needs and those acquiring English as an additional language, can take part in learning. Staff with bilingual expertise use their skills sensitively to give good support to children

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

still learning English as an additional language.  Children thrive particularly well in the vibrant and safe outdoor classroom. Children are able to make decisions, try out new things and work together to develop their ideas during outdoor play. This benefits all children and especially boys. Children are safe at all times because of close support and provision by staff and the care taken to make sure that all risks are identified and managed.  Activities reflect children’s interests and staff usually lead children's learning very well through asking questions that encourage children to think about what they are doing. Children are usually, but not consistently, enabled to build successfully on their understanding and use of vocabulary and the sounds that letters make.  There are occasions when children do not get enough guidance about how they can improve and develop. Children do not get enough opportunities to improve their speaking skills, widen

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

their vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the world. This is because the questions some staff ask when supporting children at play are not effective enough. While children enjoy acting out roles, for example when reading the book, ‘The Bear Hunt’, they are not always encouraged to have a go at making marks and develop early writing.  Although day-to-day planning is effective in securing good progress for children in each area of learning, some of the targets in planning for children over a longer period are very general and not specific enough in what is expected for children. This slows the progress for some and hinders the impact some support staff have on children’s learning.  Assessment of children's skills is improving rapidly. Staff regularly get together to review the learning of the children they are responsible for and make notes so that they can successfully plan the next steps. Recent changes in how progress is evaluated and recorded are starting to

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

give precise details about how much progress children make and where individuals and groups could do better.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school's work to keep children safe and secure is good.  The nursery provides a welcoming and protective atmosphere in which children and families are very well supported. Excellent procedures for welcoming parents and children to school ensure that children are eager to learn.  The behaviour of children is good.  Most children are polite and caring; they are keen to learn and play together. Most children concentrate well on their learning. A few find it difficult to pay attention, and lose interest. Just occasionally, a child runs around the outdoor area with little focus, because too little is prepared for them to do.  Children cooperate with adults and gain confidence by taking safe risks, such as climbing in the outdoor area. There is no evidence of bullying or aggressive behaviour. Parents who expressed an opinion say that the school is safe. One parent typified that of many when she said that the

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school is ‘like a home from home’.  Good eating habits through daily fruit and milk are encouraged. Children are aware of the need to wash their hands regularly and keep themselves clean and tidy. They are encouraged to routinely tidy up and keep their play areas spick and span. Opportunities for children to plant seeds and grow flowers and vegetables enable them to begin to understand the connection between humans and the natural world.  Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered very well. Children and parents are encouraged to share their own cultures and faiths with each other. Parents feel that the school works with them to support their culture. Events such as Eid, Easter and Diwali are shared and children develop a respect for children of different backgrounds.  Most children attend school regularly. All absence is carefully tracked and followed up and action

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides good leadership, ably supported by the deputy headteacher and governing body. Together, they have a firm commitment to improving the lives of local children and families. All staff and governors have adapted to changes to the school; for example, the closure of child-care provision and the development of the provision for two-year-olds. They ensure that staff are deployed so that children flourish within a safe and secure environment.  The school knows its strengths and areas that need improving. This accurate evaluation underpins development planning and shows the nursery's good capacity to improve further. Improvement planning, however, is not precise enough to indicate when strategies have been successful or not. This reduces the ability of leaders to keep an eye on the school’s progress. The local authority has supported the school well since the previous inspection and now, rightly,

p.6

The leadership and management are good

offers only light-touch support.  Team leaders contribute well to the school’s management. They have successfully reviewed the curriculum, developing approaches to learning that interest children and have improved the way in which children’s achievements are recorded. The provision for children with disabilities and special educational needs is very well led and managed. Early identification of children who need additional support, coupled with detailed action plans to support each individual, contributes to the good achievement of such children.  The work of all staff is managed well. There are effective procedures for staff to discuss professional achievements and progress. A well-organised plan for training is linked to needs identified through such discussions. A focus is to raise the profile of speaking and listening, writing and mathematics, as well as developing the contribution everyone makes to securing

p.6

The leadership and management are good

equality of opportunity for all. Senior leaders keep a close eye on ensuring that progression along the pay scale, should this be an option for staff, is linked to a bigger contribution to school.  Planning for the areas of learning meets children’s needs and their interests. Children have good opportunities to go on trips to further their understanding of the different topics they learn about. Activities are planned well to develop children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  The school has exemplary procedures for working with parents and families. The parent involvement practitioner, part of the children’s centre team, is ever present. She works tirelessly to encourage parents to support their children in school and at home. Many initiatives enable the views of parents to be taken into account.  The governance of the school:  Governance has improved greatly since the previous inspection. There have been a number of

p.6

The leadership and management are good

changes in personnel, including a new Chair of Governors, which has given new impetus to its actions. Many governors go on courses to develop their understanding and knowledge of their role.  The governing body is involved in most aspects of the work of the nursery. Some governors are regular visitors to school and good links with key staff, for example, the special educational needs coordinator keeps governors well informed. Consequently, governors are able to challenge and give good support when necessary.  The governing body knows how well children are doing because information on children’s progress is shared with them. Governors talk confidently about the electronic program which adults use to record their assessments of individuals and groups. They understand that the system is still bedding in and not yet fully developed.  Finances are carefully checked to keep the books in balance and the link between pay and the

p.6

The leadership and management are good

performance of staff, including the headteacher, is scrutinised.  Statutory requirements are met and arrangements for safeguarding are 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 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 107188 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 430850

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 88 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Younis Hussain Headteacher Margot Dixon Date of previous school inspection 18 May 2011 Telephone number 01274 722070 Fax number 01274 743926 Email address office@abbeygreen.org 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 and 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