Rosemary Nursery School and Children's Centre

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ms Toni Glazzard Headteacher Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre Haviland House St Judes Great Ann Street Bristol BS2 0DT

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

Following my visit to the school on 12 January 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be outstanding in March 2013.

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

This school continues to be outstanding.

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection. One of the main reasons for your successful provision is the way in which you and your staff team are at the very heart of the community. You and your extremely dedicated and experienced staff know your children and families very well. This enables you to thoroughly plan for and support individual needs. Your reputation as an outstanding provider of nursery education goes well beyond your local community. Parents continue to bring their children to Rosemary Nursery School, even when they have been rehoused further afield. Although you have this very successful reputation, you and your staff are not complacent. You are all exceptionally committed to early years education and continually seek ways to improve your practice. This ensures that there is a continuum of excellence.

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

At the time of the last inspection, you and your staff were asked to further enhance the children’s independence more consistently by involving them in the setting out and tidying up of equipment. ‘Sorting time’ is now very much a learning opportunity where children develop their physical and social skills very well. For example, they learn to coordinate the use of a dustpan and brush, sweep the floor and take turns to wash and wipe equipment. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. Recruitment and vetting procedures are thorough. All staff are very clear about the steps they need to take if they have a worry or concern about a child. Detailed notes are electronically recorded, and this enables you to pass on relevant information and link closely with outside specialists. Attendance is meticulously logged and any absences are immediately followed up by telephone calls and home visits.

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

Your role as the early years representative on the Bristol Safeguarding Children’s Board complements the effective culture of safeguarding in the school. You and your staff have a heightened awareness of the possible risks of female genital mutilation and are extremely vigilant about any unusual home circumstances or planned absences from school. Child sexual exploitation and extremism are at the forefront of your safeguarding culture. The careful attention you and your staff give to your families ensures that you are quickly alerted to any such concerns.

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Short inspection of Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre

Parents report that they feel that their children are exceptionally well looked after and cared for. They know that their children are kept safe and secure in Nursery. They also feel comfortable approaching staff if they have a safeguarding worry or concern about their children.

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Inspection findings

 Although you are currently heavily involved in the leadership and management of a nearby children’s centre, the exceptionally high standard of provision is being very well maintained by your competent senior and middle leaders.  By the time that the children leave Rosemary Nursery, they are well prepared for school. The vast majority of children start their nursery education at either two or three years of age. Many speak no English, and others have underdeveloped language, social and physical skills. Most have had very little experience of the world around them. However, they make exceptional progress from these very low starting points. There is a strong focus on letter and sound recognition, which helps promote the children’s acquisition of language. Opportunities to share story books and make marks on paper enables them to gain an understanding of the written word as a way to communicate. Most-able children

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Inspection findings

are encouraged to recall words in books and explain in detail the strategies used when making and building models.  Teachers and early years practitioners continually strive to improve their teaching and the children’s learning. They make excellent use of professional development opportunities and willingly share their own project work and expertise with each other. Practitioners recently undertook research into the different ways that boys learn. The result of this is that there is now a greater emphasis on using larger play equipment to motivate boys. Extra opportunities are also provided for them to engage in physical activities, such as play with bats and balls, to help develop their coordination skills. The information collected by the school on the children’s progress shows that the gap between the achievement of boys and girls has diminished.  A particularly strong characteristic of the Nursery is the way in which staff

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Inspection findings

develop exceptional relationships with the parents. Parents speak very highly of all aspects of the Nursery provision and consider the staff to be ‘outstanding’.  Rosemary Nursery is very much an integral part of the community and is extremely respectful of its wide diversity. Celebrations such as Eid, Diwali, Holi, Christmas and Easter are shared together. Regular activities at Leigh Woods and weekend family camping trips help both parents and children to experience learning out of doors.  The governors are very supportive of the school, are actively involved in its day- to-day life and hold the headteacher to account for the effectiveness of the school. Although their names and pictures are easily accessible on the website, contact details are only given through the school office. This could deter parents from making contact with them.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they maintain the highest quality of provision during the changes in staffing and management made necessary by the forthcoming amalgamation with a nearby children’s centre  they provide a way for parents to contact governors without going through the school office.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Bristol. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you and your senior leaders. We talked about how you had maintained the outstanding quality of education since the last inspection and reviewed the information you use to check the individual progress of each child. I looked at all safeguarding records and explored your recruitment and vetting procedures. I also held discussions with three governors, including the chair of governors, the acting deputy headteacher and two senior leaders. Together we spent time in the classes, watching the children developing their skills both indoors and outdoors. I held a meeting for staff because they could not access the inspection questionnaire. There were too few responses to show on Parent View but, with the help of a translator, I spoke to approximately 40 parents.

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Information about the inspection

The key lines of enquiry tested on the short inspection day were:

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Information about the inspection

 Is the school still providing the highest quality of education?  Are the children more independent and take greater responsibility when undertaking setting out and tidying up activities?  How successfully has the school tackled gaps in the achievement between boys and girls?  Does the school keep its children safe?

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