Fawood Nursery School & Family Wellbeing Centre

Fawood Children’s Centre Fawood Avenue, Stonebridge, London, NW10 8RF

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children feel safe and protected. They receive extremely high-quality care.  Children show their enjoyment of school through their attendance, which is higher than is typical of nursery schools. Parents bring them punctually to school. They value what it offers their children.  All children achieve well. Those from all heritages and stages of learning English make good progress. Children with a range of special educational needs also make good progress.  The Rainbows class, which is specially resourced provision for children with autism, provides them with exceptional support. Parents speak extremely highly of how it helps their children.  Teaching is lively and effective. Children are helped to learn through a wide variety of interesting activities.  Reading is an important priority. Children are introduced to a wide range of worthwhile books, which has a good impact on their developing literacy skills.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school promotes the children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. They effectively learn about other people’s cultures and religions.  Children behave well. They enjoy choosing their own activities. Adults manage their behaviour well.  Leaders and governors consistently involve parents and carers in the life of the school, keeping them informed and listening to their views.  Leaders keep a close eye on how well the children are learning and how much progress they are making. This enables the children to achieve well.  Teaching is consistently good because leaders regularly check how well teachers are teaching, and provide effective coaching and support where appropriate.  Leaders, middle leaders and governors plan well for future improvements. They have acted quickly on the recommendations of the previous inspection. The school is well placed to maintain improvement.  Leaders and governors know the school well. They

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

work effectively together. They have created a loyal team of staff. Together, they are ambitious to improve teaching and the children’s achievement still further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Questioning sometimes does not challenge the children sufficiently to think things out for themselves or to help them develop oral skills when they answer.  Children do not always have enough chances to ride wheeled vehicles in and around the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector looked at the children’s learning in the play areas together with the deputy headteacher. She also observed the children eating lunch, tidying up, and taking part in group sessions to prepare them for learning sounds and letters.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The inspector also talked to the teacher in charge of the Rainbows class, a representative of the local authority, and the Chair of the Governing Body.  The inspector took account of the views of staff in 20 questionnaires.  There were four responses to Parent View, the online survey of the views of parents. The number of responses was too low to be published on the Parent View website.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection. She also took account of the school’s parent questionnaires.  The inspector looked at a range of documents including the school’s own views of how well it is doing and

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Information about this inspection

its plans for the future. She also looked at information on the children’s attainment and progress, safeguarding information, and minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fawood Children’s Centre is an average-sized nursery school.  Since January 2012, the school has been federated with a nearby nursery school, Curzon Crescent, and a children’s centre, Challenge House.  The federation is led by an executive headteacher, who is also seconded to the local authority for the equivalent of three days a week, to support its early years provision. Each nursery school is led by a deputy headteacher, and each has its own staff. The federation has a single governing body.  There is extra provision at the school for six children aged two years. Under normal circumstances, under- three provision is subject to separate inspection. As the two-year-olds are fully incorporated into the nursery, they were observed together with the rest of the children.  There is specially resourced provision, called Rainbows. This provides places for up to 17 children who have been referred by the local authority as being on the autistic spectrum. This provision was observed

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Information about this school

as part of the inspection.  The majority of children attend full time, while others attend part time.  The proportion of full-time children who are entitled to free school meals is higher than usual.  Most children come from a wide range of minority ethnic heritages. The proportion that speak English as an additional language is much higher than usual.  The proportion of children who are not in Rainbows, but who have been identified as having a range of special educational needs, is higher than average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all the adults consistently develop the children’s’ verbal skills by:  asking the children challenging questions that encourage them to think deeply about topics  encouraging them to reply using a wider range of sentences and phrases.  Help the children to develop good coordination and to improve their physical strength by giving them as many chances as possible to ride wheeled vehicles.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of the school is good. Leaders, managers and governors work together well, and are ambitious to improve the school. They have created a school in which teaching is consistently good and behaviour is well managed.  Leaders understand the strengths of the school and where they want it to be in the future. Planning for improvement is effective. Since the previous inspection, for example, the school has significantly improved the way teachers check children’s progress. Leaders thoroughly and systematically monitor this progress. They provide extra support to the children, where necessary, ensuring that none falls behind. Leaders ensure that all have an equal opportunity to succeed and that there is no discrimination.  The respect which leaders display towards all children and adults acts as a model for pupils, ensuring that all members of the school get on well together. The ethos of respect for all prepares children well for life

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The leadership and management are good

in modern Britain. They learn to be interested in the faiths and cultures of others.  Leaders observe teaching frequently, and give appropriate coaching and support to teachers about how they can improve the children’s learning. There is effective management of the performance of teachers which is linked to appropriate opportunities for further training. Leaders make sure that good teaching is rewarded and any weaker practice tackled quickly. This has ensured that standards have risen since the previous inspection. Staff appreciate the support they are given. There is high morale.  The lesson observations focus successfully on how and what the children are learning. Leaders are aware that adults, on occasion, do not expect or receive full and thoughtful responses from the children.  Middle leaders make a valuable contribution to the energy and forward momentum of the school. For example, the teacher who leads Rainbows is currently modelling the use of tablet computers for other

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The leadership and management are good

staff. These are used to record children’s achievements, and to plot their progress. The information gathered is used effectively and consistently to keep parents informed about their children’s achievement and well- being.  The local authority knows the school well and provides effective support where it is needed, particularly in advising on children’s activities and the quality of teaching.  The school works very well with parents and carers, keeping them fully informed and making good use of their skills as volunteers.  The curriculum is effective. Children learn a wide variety of skills, all of which contribute effectively to their rounded development. For example, good use is made of learning through song. The words and rhythms of the songs help children to learn rhymes by heart, and also to cooperate in a social activity.  Literacy is promoted through introducing children to attractively illustrated and well-written books.

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The leadership and management are good

Numeracy is promoted through well-planned opportunities for counting and using shapes, such as swirling ribbons. Physical skills are effectively promoted through opportunities for climbing, balancing and running.  The many varied and interesting activities enable the children to constantly explore new things to stimulate their curiosity. For example, in one ‘mini-beasts’ activity, children were encouraged to handle living creatures, in this case snails, with tenderness and affection. The curriculum has a positive impact on the children’s behaviour, physical development and love of learning, and contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The governance of the school:

- Governors know the school well. They take an active interest, visiting the school and setting up forums where governors can meet parents to share ideas. They contribute to the school’s self- assessment of its progress and have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Governors have a clear and detailed understanding of how well the children achieve, including those with special educational needs and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. - Governors have a good knowledge of the quality of teaching, and visit classes to see for themselves how well the children are learning. They keep a watchful eye on the link between teachers’ pay and the progress made by children, and this ensures good value for money. - Governors are well trained and knowledgeable about current safeguarding issues and safe recruitment. They effectively carry out their statutory obligation to keep the children safe.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of children is good. Children from all heritages and backgrounds get on well. The school records show there is no bullying or name-calling. Children play peaceably together.  Children are taught to respect and celebrate other people’s faiths and cultures. For example, parent volunteers helped children to make Sabaayad, Somali flat bread, as part of the school’s celebration of Eid al-Adha. This reflects the school’s strong promotion of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The children, both in the main nursery and in Rainbows, respond well to choosing their own activities. They have good attitudes to their learning, and are keen to join in activities. They quickly learn to co- operate with others. For instance, they are usually ready to share toys and to wait their turn to use the equipment. Adults are skilled in managing the children’s behaviour to ensure they make good progress.

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Behaviour

 Children who stay for lunch are taught good manners. For example, they sit at family-type tables, with a tablecloth, eating as well as they can with a fork and knife. Adults ensure that over time their social skills and behaviour improve well. For instance, at the end of each session, the children cooperate in tidying up, taking responsibility for ensuring that the play areas are clean and neat. Children also take responsibility for cutting up fruit for snack-time. This helps them learn important lessons about hygiene as well as manners.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep children safe and secure is outstanding. Children are extremely well protected. Parents told the inspector that they have no concerns about their children’s safety. This is confirmed by the school’s most recent survey, which was completed by almost all parents and carers. Parents show their appreciation of the school’s work by making sure that the children arrive on time and attend very well.  There are a high proportion of adults to children in Rainbows, and this enables the children to play safely both in their own classroom and in the main nursery.  Leaders and managers are stringent in safety procedures. Risk assessments are thorough. Any knocks or bruises, for example, are immediately reported to parents, and orderly records are kept.  Children with dietary or medical needs are carefully watched. Information about their conditions is visible to all.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good and has improved since the previous inspection. Children learn well because almost all activities are effectively planned to develop their basic literacy and numeracy skills. For example, children were prepared well for learning to distinguish syllables by banging a drum rhythmically in order to hear that one bang represents a single sound. Adults take every opportunity to help children learn to count, such as counting the pieces of sweet corn on a fork during lunch.  The most-able children are given tasks which help them learn quickly. In one activity promoting children’s understanding of sounds and letters, for example, children showed that they were familiar with such sophisticated words as ‘blending’, and showed their understanding through hand movements.  Adults know the children well and use this knowledge in addition to asking effective questions to check on

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The quality of teaching is good

their understanding and to skilfully reshape learning to ensure all the children make good progress.  On some occasions, however, adults do not sufficiently challenge the children to develop their verbal skills. Questions sometimes elicit only one-word answers instead of full and thoughtful replies. Sometimes, not enough is expected of children and comments to children focus more on praising them than getting them to think about their answers.  Children in Rainbows provision receive high-quality teaching. Activities are varied and create a sense of wonder and curiosity. For example, children loved catching bubbles and made good progress as they listened to such repeated words as ‘up’, ‘down’ and ‘falling’, and began to repeat and copy the words. Children have well-planned resources, with picture cards to help them to understand what they are going to learn and to choose a new activity. The adults speak clearly and simply, reinforcing such concepts as

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The quality of teaching is good

‘your turn’ and ‘my turn’ without cluttering or confusing the messages.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The play areas are used flexibly to give the children a wide range of learning experiences. For example, the area around the climbing frame gives children chances to climb and swing, and also has a chalkboard for drawing, and a shop counter for imaginative play.  However, children have too few chances to ride tricycles and other wheeled vehicles, to help them develop their physical strength, balance and coordination.  The adults check children’s progress carefully, recording their findings on paper, on computer tablets and in photographs. These records provide a valuable link between school and home. The children clearly understand when they have done well through praise and encouragement. Adults ensure the children know how they can make their work better.

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is good

 Children learn well in their time at the school. The wide range of inviting activities stimulate their interest and help them make good progress in gaining such important skills as reading and writing, and understanding numbers.  Children arrive with language, number and social skills that vary widely. Overall, their starting points are below those typical for their age. By the time they leave, because of good progress, they have caught up and their skills compare with children of similar ages. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Leaders and managers keep a careful watch on the children’s progress to make sure that no individual or group falls behind. If there is any risk of this happening, they give the children support to help them catch up, both through groupwork, focused on developing particular skills, and through careful individual attention. As a result, children from all heritages and backgrounds make good progress in their learning.

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is good

 Even though nursery schools are not eligible for additional funding for disadvantaged children, leaders carefully check the progress of those entitled to free school meals to ensure that they make similar progress to others.  Children who are at an early stage of learning English make good progress in their learning, because their needs are identified quickly. Adults use carefully structured speech, and appropriate pictures and symbols, to help the children learn where everything is and to settle in quickly.  Children in the Rainbows class achieve well. The adults encourage pupils to make choices about their activities, as well as gently guiding them to specific activities to help them learn. This flexible approach helps them make very good progress in acquiring language and social skills. Children who come to the main nursery with a range of special educational needs do well in their learning and make good progress.

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is good

 Children who speak English as an additional language achieve as well as others. Before the children start school, adults check in home visits that they are fluent in their own language. If the children show signs of language delay, the adults support them effectively, with the help of external agencies where necessary.  The most-able children learn well, because their needs are identified and addressed quickly. In one activity, a group of able learners made excellent progress when learning about sounds and letters, and how they come together to form words.  All the children develop a love of books at the school. For example, a group reading of a popular book was used to introduce important words, such as ‘title’ and ‘author’, and to give children the chance to talk about their own feelings.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 101490 Local authority Brent Inspection number 447878

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–5 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 68 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Angela Turner Headteacher Mark Cole (Executive headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 6 March 2012 Telephone number 020 8965 9334 Fax number 020 8965 9334 Email address admin@fawoodcc.brent.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 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

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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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