James Lee Nursery School

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

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Mrs Patricia Logan Headteacher James Lee Nursery School Gliddon Road London W14 9BH

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 5 October 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 May 2013.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

This school continues to be outstanding.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your team reflect continually on what is best for the children in your care. Together, you research effective education practice, tailoring it to support the development needs of every child. As a result, all children make strong gains in their learning. They are very well prepared for primary school.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

Your governors’ ambition for the school is evident. They are highly skilled individuals who challenge, support, and hold each other and school leaders to account. As a result, all are clear that only the best will do for the children at James Lee.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

The previous inspection identified the need to provide more opportunities for children to learn from the local environment beyond the school. Since the last inspection, the introduction of a forest school, frequent trips, and the setting up of an eco-committee, have addressed this area for improvement successfully. Learning opportunities beyond the school’s boundaries are now an integral part of the rich curriculum on offer.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

A calm and purposeful atmosphere permeates the school. You and your team work very effectively with new children and parents. Those parents spoken to felt that their understanding of their children’s needs and interests is taken into account fully. Consequently, children settle into the school exceptionally well, resulting in the excellent learning behaviours seen. All potential opportunities for learning are well considered by staff. As a result, they help the children to make links from things they have learned either at home or school to new learning experiences. Numerous opportunities are provided for children to explore, solve problems, and to talk about their thinking when at play.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

The nursery has a culture where everyone is responsible for protecting the welfare and safety of children. Leaders, including governors, have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are well kept. You and your team work hard to support vulnerable children and their families. Staff liaise closely with the local children’s centre, external agencies and with parents at home visits, so that suitable support is in place. All necessary information is gathered in advance for children who have additional needs, or, who may be at risk. This allows staff to support vulnerable children from the beginning of their time at James Lee, and on transition into their new primary schools. Consequently, these children, like their peers, settle extremely well into their new learning environments.

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Short inspection of James Lee Nursery School

All parents spoken to and who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, say that children are safe at the school. All staff who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire agree that children are safe. Parents overwhelmingly spoke of the care shown by staff, from the warm and friendly greeting of the site supervisor at the start of the day to the chats with staff at the end of the day. As one parent commented ‘James Lee is a magical place.’

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Inspection findings

 Governors are deeply committed to the school’s success. They visit regularly and use their collective skills and expertise well, contributing to the success of the school. Link governors have an accurate view of the school, through visits to review provision and policies, and reporting back their findings at governing body meetings. With them, you and your deputy headteacher evaluate meticulously the impact of planned actions on children’s learning and development. Consequently, there is a shared understanding of the uniqueness of every child, and a vision to provide an engaging curriculum all can access. Governors make good use of independent consultants, and advisers from the local authority, to audit the provision offered.  Numerous learning opportunities are provided for children when they experience the local environment outside the boundary of the school. These opportunities are an integral part of the school’s curriculum, from forest school activities on

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Inspection findings

Wimbledon Common to regular outings to markets, parks, theatres and galleries. Every opportunity is taken to extend learning beyond the physical boundary of the school. Children enjoy regular visits to their local recycling centre, taking the number 28 bus, and seeing what happens to the rubbish, after it leaves their bins. They see first-hand how rubbish is boxed up and transported down a river to the landfill. They also enjoy exploring different ways to recycle materials.  You and your team ensure that the curriculum provides rich, stimulating learning across all seven areas of the early years curriculum. For example, the exceptionally wide range of resources on offer, and the well-planned, open spaces, give numerous opportunities for choice. Children decide which way to go with their play, from creating a building site from scratch, or building a wall. This well-considered curriculum ensures that there is an element of decision-making

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Inspection findings

throughout their play. Children are fully engaged in problem-solving with peers. They talk and use both gross and fine motor skills; for example, when they choose the right size and type of tape, using scissors carefully to cut tape to block off a construction zone and adjacent gate. Or, when stacking bricks carefully, finding solutions to build a wall exceeding their own height.  The excellent use of assessment information ensures that teaching and learning activities are highly effective in meeting the needs of individual children. Staff have an accurate understanding of children’s skill levels and their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum. They know when to observe and when to step in and intervene. For example, when one onlooker was becoming concerned that the construction team were taping up the gate, the adult skilfully intervened. Solutions were found to make sure the gate could open, and the opportunity

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Inspection findings

taken to explore why the gate needed to open; the children, quickly, recognised the importance of access for parents, and also discussed risk and exit routes in case of fire. This demonstrates the way children are linking their learning from fire practices to their active play. Children’s individual profiles showcase a wide range of evidence from home and school; these capture the rapid and substantial progress they make from their starting points on entry to the school.  Since the last inspection, a successful working partnership has been established with another local, outstanding, nursery school. This federation provides opportunities to share resources, best practice, facilities and expertise. However, governors and leaders have not ensured that the federation website reflects the most recently reviewed school documentation.

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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

 the website is updated in a timely manner to reflect the school’s most recently reviewed documentation.

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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 Hammersmith and Fulham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, the deputy headteacher, three governors (including the chairperson) and two representatives from the local authority. I spoke to parents before the start of the school day and with staff during the inspection. I observed children as they learned and played in classrooms and in the outdoor areas. Last year’s examples of children’s learning, in individual profiles, were also looked at. A number of documents were reviewed, including records of your checks to safeguard children and records of children’s progress and attainment. I scrutinised the school’s plans for improvement, your evaluation of the school’s effectiveness and documents relating to the work of the governing body. I considered the views of parents from Parent View and the six responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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