Tudhoe Moor Nursery School

Tudhoe Moor Nursery School Tudhoe Moor, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6EX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children thrive in this welcoming and caring school.  The behaviour of children is outstanding. Excellent relationships with staff and good-quality care are reflected in children’s strong sense of security.  Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent and this is has a very positive impact on their behaviour and relationships with others.  The strong leadership of the headteacher, ably supported by her deputy and governors, has resulted in improvements to children’s achievement, the quality of teaching and the outdoor provision since last inspection.  All children achieve well. They make at least good progress in all areas. Children make most progress in developing communication skills as staff focus well on developing this aspect of learning.  The quality of teaching is good. Staff have high expectations for children’s learning. They have a good knowledge of children’s skills, interests and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

abilities and use this knowledge to develop learning effectively.  Children’s progress in learning is carefully tracked and effective support put in place to make sure all children achieve well.  Parents have a very positive view of the school and are very happy with the progress their children make.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Staff do not always take full advantage of chances to challenge children to think hard and extend their learning.  The governing body does not have an accurate enough view of children’s achievement. This lessens its effectiveness in holding the school to account, and contributing to the school’s evaluation of its performance.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed a range of sessions or part sessions, several of which were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other staff and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the nursery’s information on children’s current progress, planning and checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour, and documents relating to safeguarding.  The inspector took note of the 38 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector spoke to several parents and carers when they brought their children to nursery and took account of both the school’s most recent questionnaire to parents. The inspector also took account of the responses from staff to the inspection questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Elaine White, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized nursery school. Children attend part time, mainly for morning or afternoon sessions. Almost all children attending are of White British heritage.  The school is situated in a building shared with Tudhoe Moor Children’s Centre and Jack in the Box Day Care private day nursery. The day nursery and children’s centre are subject to separate inspection and reports of their quality can be found on the website www.ofsted.gov.uk.  The proportion of disabled children and those who have special educational needs is typically average.  The nursery works with other local nursery schools to shares good practice.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise further children’s achievement by ensuring that staff take full advantage of chances to challenge children to think hard and extend their learning.  Ensure that the governing body has a better understanding of children’s achievement so that it can be more effective in holding the school to account, and contributing to the school’s evaluation of its performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Under the strong leadership of the headteacher, staff provide a stimulating environment where children are nurtured and taught well. As a result, children achieve well.  The headteacher effectively communicates high expectations for children’s achievement. She is supported well by the deputy headteacher and an enthusiastic and committed staff. Although there are no middle leaders in this small staff team, staff share responsibility for planning activities and tracking how well children are progressing.  Children’s learning is closely monitored and support put in place where gaps are identified. For example, extra support given to children with weaker communication skills has resulted in better achievement in this area.  The quality of teaching is monitored effectively and leaders take action to ensure that it continues to improve. This has a positive impact on children’s achievement. Since the last inspection, the number of

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The leadership and management are good

children making rapid progress has increased, particularly in communication skills.  The curriculum is exciting and relates to children’s interests. Staff plan a broad range of interesting, relevant activities, which promote children’s good achievement. For example, children are highly engaged in observing and touching some reptiles and small animals brought in by visiting professionals. Their interest in shadows is followed carefully as they learn to use torches, fabric and puppets to create their own shadows.  Staff ensure that children are all welcomed and included so that equality of opportunity is promoted strongly, good relations are fostered and that there is no discrimination. Children learn to treat others with respect and to appreciate difference as they learn about various cultural traditions and festivals such as Chinese New Year and Diwali. This helps to prepare them effectively for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They report that their children settle quickly and make good progress and that they are well informed about their children’s learning.  The local authority recognises the strength of the headteacher and provides light-touch support to this good school.  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Governors have a good understanding of the school and are committed to maintaining and improving the quality of provision. They provide support and challenge to the headteacher. Governors know about the quality of teaching, and the performance of staff. They know how good teaching is rewarded and how underperformance is tackled.  Governors have an overview of children’s achievement, but their knowledge of data about the school’s performance is not detailed enough to ensure that they have the most accurate picture of how well children achieve. This lessens their effectiveness in holding the school to account, and contributing to

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The leadership and management are good

the school’s evaluation of its performance.  Governors monitor the school’s finances carefully and ensure that the budget is managed well.  Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Governors work closely with the school to ensure that arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of children is outstanding. Children are very enthusiastic about their learning and engage with a high level of concentration, for example, in constructing rail layouts. They happily work with others to make play dough and keenly take part in an outdoor game finding hidden objects.  Staff establish extremely warm and caring relationships with children, which promotes their self esteem. Staff are good role models, showing courtesy and respect. As a result, children learn to be polite and show consideration for others.  Children show a high level of maturity in managing their own behaviour as they sit in a large group and wait patiently for their turn to look and and stroke animals they are shown.  Children’s excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is shown in the harmonious way in which they all play and learn together. Children happily share resources such as play dough tools and take

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Behaviour

turns in games and during small group time.  Children show extremely positive relationships with each other. They decide enthusiastically and happily which roles to play in the ‘doctors’ surgery’ and co-operate very well together.  Children’s independence is developed exceptionally well. They quickly learn to self register, to tidy away independently and to use equipment such as programmable toys without adult help.  Parents say that children behave well and the school reports that there are no bullying or racist incidents.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep children safe and secure is outstanding.  Children display a strong sense of security in the Nursery. The highly positive, trusting relationships with staff mean that children are confident that they are valued and listened to. Children arrive happily and clearly feel safe and secure in the caring environment provided.  Children show an extremely good awareness of how to keep themselves safe as they use the outdoor area to swing, balance, and climb. They learn to assess risks in tricky situations. For example, they know they cannot use some outdoor equipment as it is slippery due to wet weather. Indoors, they use scissors and other equipment safely and, when a staff member opens the kitchen door, they know not to enter the kitchen area because there may be dangers from equipment such as a hot kettle.  Parents report that the school keeps their children safe and well cared for.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff know children’s skills, interests and abilities extremely thoroughly. They track children’s learning very closely so that they have an accurate view of how well children are progressing. As a result, they plan activities effectively to build on children’s previous learning and ensure their good progress.  On most occasions, staff interact skilfully with children to develop their learning. Children looking for hidden objects in the outdoor area ask staff for a clue and are told to look for ‘something you balance on’. Children’s learning is further developed as they are asked whether they have hidden objects in a high or low place. At other times, however, staff do not take chances to extend learning to the full by asking questions to challenge children to think hard, or by giving children more difficult tasks.  Staff provide a stimulating environment indoors and outside, which effectively promotes their good level of

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The quality of teaching is good

engagement in learning. Children happily use a broad range of resources that have been carefully placed at their height. Improvements to the outdoor area since the last inspection have increased the range of equipment and resources available to children. Outdoors, children engage in exploring mark making with water and paint and also develop physical skills.  Children’s mathematical skills are developed well. Staff effectively develop children’s understanding of numbers and counting through everyday activities. For example, children mark how many boys and girls are present at register time. Children learn to identify two-and-three-dimensional shapes and to reinforce this learning through practical activities such as construction play.  Staff are skilled at developing children’s early writing skills. Children use a wide variety of resources such as paint, sand and water as well as paper, clipboards, pencils and pens. As a result, children show a keen

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The quality of teaching is good

interest in mark making and some children are learning to form letters.  Children’s communication skills are promoted effectively. Children are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings. After listening to a story, they are prompted to say whether they liked the story, why they did, and whether the story should be added to the group’s list of favourite stories.  Staff successfully promote children’s love of books and stories through skilfully led story times and by providing a broad range of books in an attractive and comfortable reading area. Children develop confidently their skills for reading through learning about rhymes and the sounds that letters make.  Staff ensure that children make good progress in developing physical skills. Children run, balance, climb and use wheeled toys regularly outdoors. Planned activities such as an indoor session where children follow instructions to travel and jump using cones and small hoops develop skills further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Nursery with varying skill levels. Overall, children join Nursery with skills below those typical for their age. Children of all abilities make at least good progress from their individual starting points. They leave the Nursery well prepared for the Reception class in their new school.  Disabled children and those who have special educational needs make good progress in line with their peers. This is because the school identifies their needs quickly and puts effective support in place. The school has good links with other agencies such as speech and language therapists to meet children’s needs.  Children who join the Nursery with weaker language skills achieve very well as they are supported effectively to ensure that they make enough progress to catch up with their peers. Children learn to talk in complete sentences and are often keen to share their ideas. For example, they happily talk to staff and

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The achievement of pupils is good

each other at snack time, and enthusiastically share their observations of animals and reptiles brought into Nursery.  The learning of the most able children is often extended well. In games, children are encouraged to think which group has more points. Effective questioning helped children to identify two-and-three-dimensional shapes and understand the differences between them.  Children achieve well in their early reading and writing skills. They show a keen interest in books and stories. When listening to stories, they happily join in repeated phrases, and can express whether they like the story. Children are familiar with rhymes and some children show knowledge of initial letter sounds. Children enthusiastically make marks and write cards and lists. Children’s writing on display in the nursery shows the good development of these skills.  Children show an interest in numbers and counting. For example, they learn to recognise and order

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The achievement of pupils is good

numbers to 10 and learn to make the right amount of play dough cakes to match a number. Learning journeys show that children make good progress in this area.

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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 113991 Local authority Durham Inspection number 448056

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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 90 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stuart Anderson Headteacher Steph Collings Date of previous school inspection 20 March 2012 Telephone number 01388 816112 Fax number 01388 814634 Email address tudhoemoor.nursery@durhamlearning.net 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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