St Pauls Nursery School & Children's Centre

School report St Paul’s Nursery School & Children's Centre Little Bishop Street, Bristol, BS2 9JF

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children enjoy coming to the nursery. It has a warm and friendly environment, where everyone is welcomed and valued.  Children make outstanding progress. All staff have high expectations and aspirations for every child in their care.  The headteacher has a clear vision for excellence. She is an inspirational and outstanding leader. Her leadership and motivation have created a school community where all leaders, managers and staff work as a very effective team.  Teaching is outstanding. Staff provide activities that engage and motivate children. All staff question children very effectively to assess their learning.  Staff are quick to identify the needs of the children and adjust planning to make sure that their needs are met.  Children enjoy learning and get very excited about the opportunities to learn both indoors and outdoors. These areas are both very appealing to children and support all areas of their learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The teaching of early writing and numeracy is exceptional. There are set times throughout the school day when children’s play activities include their new skills in literacy and numeracy.  Excellent partnerships with outside agencies support some children with their particular needs.  The children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally well provided for through an exciting curriculum, activities and visits. Children have respect for each other and their different backgrounds.  Governors are very supportive of the nursery. They are fully involved and committed to ensure that the outstanding practice continues.  There are excellent partnerships with parents. All parents spoken to expressed their confidence in the nursery and in the progress their children had made.  Behaviour and safety standards are outstanding. They ensure all children at the nursery and within the wider setting are cared for and feel safe.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning indoors and outdoors in both classes. Several of these were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and seven other governors and two representatives from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of documents including the school’s data on children’s current progress, planning and monitoring documents and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the safeguarding of children.  The inspector spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s on-line questionnaire, Parent View, to be considered. The inspector took account of responses to the staff questionnaire from 24 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Paul’s Nursery is larger than the average-sized nursery school.  Early years provision comprises part-time nursery provision for three-year-olds.  The proportions of pupils from ethnic backgrounds other than White British, and who speak English as an additional language, are well above the national average. Some of these children speak little or no English when they start at the nursery.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs is above average.  The school provides a breakfast club that is managed by the governing body.  The school is a National Teaching School working in partnership with Bath Spa University and the University of Gloucestershire.  The headteacher is a National Leader of Education and the school is a National Support School designated by the National College.  The nursery is part of the children’s centre based on the same site that also offers day care for children up

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Information about this school

to the age of three years. The children’s centre and day care are inspected separately; these inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure all staff are confident in using new technology with children and when assessing their progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher’s passion and determination that all children will achieve to the best of their ability is shared by all members of staff. She is well supported by the well informed and highly skilled deputies in the school. The leadership of teaching is outstanding.  Staff morale is high and all are committed to the ethos of success at the school. One member of staff said that there is an excellent culture for learning for all in the school, which also promotes very positive teaching, relationships and behaviour.  Staff in the bilingual team are highly effective in supporting children that are in the early stages of learning English. They are well informed of children’s needs and plan to accommodate them. At the end of each day, leaders and staff routinely review the progress children have made. Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching and meticulously monitor the progress children are making to check they are all

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The leadership and management are outstanding

meeting their targets.  The school tracks the progress of all children individually and the gap between any groups of children is rapidly closing. This reflects the rigorous tracking and planning to meet every child’s needs, whether the children are starting to learn English or have disabilities or special educational needs; there is no difference between boys’ and girls’ progress.  The school’s evaluation is accurate and plans for further improvement are shared with staff to maintain the high standards across in all the nursery’s work. For example, from September, staff will be using new technology to record children’s achievement and planning the next steps with them.  Everyone who works at the school is given performance management targets set by the leadership team. These are reviewed carefully and recommendations for pay progression made as a result.  The school has a clear commitment that all children will be given equal opportunities to be successful and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

that any discrimination will be tackled to ensure all have the chance to succeed.  The curriculum is both varied and interesting, preparing children very well for the next stage of their education in Reception classes. There are daily activities for children to develop their speaking and listening and to nurture their personal development; this is a strength and children feel confident. The organisation of the school day provides clear times to develop children’s understanding of number as well as to write stories supported by staff. These activities also help prepare children for the next stage of their education.  The promotion of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very effective and a part of their daily experiences. Children listen to stories in their home language, as well as in English, providing an opportunity to promote their home language and learn about different religions and cultures when talking

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The leadership and management are outstanding

about the story. During the inspection, parents joined the end of year celebration, one of many occasions for them to celebrate their children’s achievements, but also their culture, as all the parents brought food to share at the event. This created a community feel to the afternoon and was an example of modern British values in action.  The school actively fosters excellent links with parents, who appreciate the care and support their children receive. Parents also praise the children’s centre facilities which support them and their children. They like being involved in their children’s learning, for example accompanying them on school visits. All parents spoke about the value they get out of the learning diaries, because they can talk to children about them and share their learning at home. Parents are unanimous in their support and praise for the school.  The local authority holds the work of the school in high regard and promotes its best practice with other

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The leadership and management are outstanding

schools across the city. The headteacher was described as an ‘exceptional and insightful leader’.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding and child protection are very effective and fully meet statutory requirements.  As a teaching school, senior and middle leaders work with schools locally and nationally to share good practice and to help schools to improve theirs.  The governance of the school:  The governors are an effective group which challenges and supports leaders well. They benefit from the excellent leadership of the Chair of the Governing Body. Most governors live near the school, so they have a good understanding of the community and the needs of the children.  Governors visit the school often and receive regular updates from the headteacher on the progress children make and the quality of teaching. They ensure good teaching is rewarded and any underperformance is addressed.  Governors evaluate their performance to ensure they are effective and attend training organised by the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

local authority, such as on analysing data, support for children with special educational needs, safeguarding and the Chair of Governors’ updates. Governors make sure that statutory responsibilities are fully in place and effective, such as safeguarding requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of children is outstanding.  Children are very aware of the routines and this helps them to settle when they arrive in the morning. Children sit and listen well which gives them a calm start to the day, focusing on their learning before they are involved in activities.  Children are respectful to each other, learn to take turns and play together well. This was observed when a group of children were patiently waiting to play with the bikes. They carefully held the egg timer, knowing it would be their turn when all the sand had fallen through.  The breakfast club at the start of the day provides an opportunity for children to eat together and socialise, and staff use the time to sit with children and chat with them.  Attendance is good because children enjoy nursery and want to be at school. Any absences are routinely followed up.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Children are safe in the nursery because staff are aware of how to keep them safe. They routinely risk assess activities taking place in the nursery and off site, for example in preparation for a visit to Blaise Castle.  Strong links with families through home visits and daily conversations mean that children develop a very trusting relationship with staff and know they care for them. They are confident to ask questions. Parents unanimously agree that children are safe.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is outstanding. All the adults have high expectations and are determined that children will receive an excellent experience so they make the best possible progress.  Staff have an excellent understanding of the children in their care and how they learn. The activities they plan are exciting and capture the children’s interest. One child, in the mud kitchen, was having great fun using his imagination when creating a ‘fish pie’. He spoke about the ingredients he was putting in and why, and regularly asked his teacher to smell or taste the pie he was making. The teacher asked questions to deepen his understanding and to develop his speaking and listening.  Staff provide a very effective level of support to disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs or are new to learning English. The activities are carefully planned to meet their needs to be sure there is no gap between the progress they make and others.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The teaching of the early stages of writing is outstanding. Children thoroughly enjoy telling a story for the teacher to write down and are aware that, for any story, there is a beginning, a middle and an end. They are delighted to have their stories read to other children at the end of the session. Children who can write their names put them at the top of their stories.  Children show an interest in books and enjoy listening to stories, including those in their home language.  The teaching of mathematics is very effective. Children enjoy the practical activities of counting, sorting and using numbers in everyday activities, for example counting the beats when a small group was playing with the xylophone.  Staff update the children’s learning diaries on a daily basis so that children can look back and see the progress they have made. The regular reviews of children’s work and progress ensure planning is accurate

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

to meet the next stage in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children enter nursery with knowledge, skills and understanding below, and some well below, those typical for their age. A significant proportion of these children speaks little or no English when they start. They learn rapidly in a stimulating and motivating environment and make outstanding progress.  Children from minority groups, including the large proportion of pupils with English as an additional language, make excellent progress. Highly skilled adults support these children well, engaging them in activities whereby they can practise both their speaking and listening.  The progress children make in their personal and social education is outstanding, with examples of excellence in the development of their emotional well-being, confidence in communication and language, and their attitudes to learning.  Parents spoke to the inspector about how well informed they are and particularly appreciate the

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

opportunity to discuss their children’s progress at conferencing meetings.  Disabled children and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their different starting points. Their individual needs are identified quickly and the excellent systems of support are monitored rigorously. Outside agencies are used effectively to provide support and guidance to meet the needs of some children.  Disadvantaged children make good progress and achieve in line with other children in the nursery. School data and children’s learning diaries indicate that children’s achievement continues to improve.  The school supports the most able children very well by giving them opportunities to excel. This was seen in story writing activities and when a child had used building blocks to create the numbers from one to 25.

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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 108901 Local authority City of Bristol Inspection number 449524

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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 3-4 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 105 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Prue Willmott Headteacher Lucy Driver Date of previous school inspection 1 May 2012 Telephone number 01179 030 337 Fax number 01173 772 361 Email address stpaulsncc@bristol-schools.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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