Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School

Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre Inspection report

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110959 Unique Reference Number Halton Local Authority 325263 Inspection number 26–27 January 2009 Inspection dates Clare Henderson Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Nursery Type of school Maintained School category 3–5 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 102 School (total) 70 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Frances Atherton Chair Ms Fiona Kirby Headteacher 30 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Naylor Road School address Widnes Cheshire WA8 0BS 0151 424 4686 Telephone number 0151 424 4686 Fax number

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3–5 Age group 26–27 January 2009 Inspection dates 325263 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large nursery school and day care centre is managed by the school's governing body. It offers Early Years Foundation Stage education on a part or full-time basis, with extended provision of day care for babies and children (aged 0 to 3). It is part of the children's centre in which it is situated, although the other provision offered by the children's centre was not inspected. Children attending come from a wide range of social backgrounds. Almost all children speak English as their first language. A small proportion belongs to minority ethnic groups and a few of these children are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The school, including the day care centre, has a number of awards in recognition of its work. These include: International Schools (renewed 2008), Inclusion Kitemark, Early Years Foundation Stage Gold, 'I can', enhanced

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Description of the school

accreditation and Local Authority Health '3 star' hygiene awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Grade: 1

This outstanding nursery school and day care centre provides exemplary Early Years Foundation Stage provision for all the children who are fortunate to attend. It is an exhilarating place to visit and to work in. Instrumental in its success is the inspirational way all adults listen, respect and value each individual child's thoughts and ideas, and provide them with continuous opportunities to plan and review their learning. This enables each child to be a creator of their own learning whilst thoroughly enjoying every minute they attend. Parents think so too. Typical of the comments from the many parents who responded is, 'Coming here has been one of the best choices I have made for my child. He is thriving thanks to his teachers.' Achievement is outstanding. Most children begin Nursery with skills expected at this age group. Because staff ensure that each child's unique needs are met, all groups of learners make excellent

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Grade: 1

progress. Consequently, at the end of Nursery, they exceed the expected learning goals in all areas of learning. Such attention ensures they are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education. Outstanding support from well qualified adults for children with additional needs, including those at an early stage of learning English, ensures that they, too, make exceptional gains in their learning. Children's personal development is outstanding because of the excellent provision for their welfare, their physical and emotional well-being and their learning and development. Children have limitless daily opportunities to make decisions, to explore and solve problems. This helps them to become increasingly confident, independent learners. They are happy, sociable learners who respect each other's needs sensitively and who eagerly learn from each other's experiences of diversity in Britain and the wider world. This contributes to their outstanding spiritual, moral,

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Grade: 1

social and cultural development. Adults successfully create a welcoming and secure environment where children's welfare comes first. The school meets current government requirements for safeguarding children. There are excellent partnerships with health professionals and numerous opportunities for children and their families to undertake a wide range of physical and health-related activities within the children's centre. These are extremely popular and extend community relations very effectively. Furthermore, the well established twinning project with a kindergarten in China enables staff, children and their families to extend their knowledge and understanding of similarities and differences within the world. Because of the success of these exemplary partnerships, community cohesion is outstanding. Leadership and management are outstanding. Teamwork, led by inspirational leadership from senior leaders, is key to this as all staff make a significant contribution to leadership within the

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Grade: 1

school and, in particular, the management of the day care centre and of children with additional needs. The governors are an important element of this teamwork and fulfil their responsibilities very well. Leaders have a very accurate view of the school and, through innovative practice and the desire to do better, have been extremely successful in maintaining and, indeed, extending its outstanding status from the last inspection. This confirms the school's excellent capacity to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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What the school should do to improve further

■ The school has an extremely clear view of how it can continue to develop and there are no further areas for improvement that it has not already identified in its school improvement plan.

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Grade: 1

The all-round development of the youngest children is successfully promoted by activities specially planned or adapted to their needs. They can choose what they want to play with, gradually developing longer periods of concentration as they use all their senses. The homely, nurturing environment and the welcoming, smiley staff ensure that the home/school bond is firmly established. Staff are exceptionally skilled at encouraging very young children to communicate. They are also enthusiastic play partners, happily playing with the babies and toddlers. The extremely stimulating learning environment ensures that children in the nursery school make excellent progress in all areas of learning. This includes their knowledge and understanding of the world, problem-solving, and their creative and physical skills. Their daily exposure to a rich diet of interesting books and tremendous opportunities to practise

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Grade: 1

mark-making mean that they make equally impressive gains in developing early writing and reading skills. Children from minority ethnic backgrounds make outstanding progress, as do those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This is because of the exceptional care and support they receive, especially in terms of language development. All children play a dynamic role in their learning and respond to challenges with great enthusiasm.

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Grade: 1

Children are busy, active learners from the time they start, to the time they leave at the end of the session. Their attendance is well above average and their behaviour is outstanding. From a very early age, children learn to look after themselves and each other. This high level of personal responsibility is evident, with children as young as three helping to serve milk at lunchtime and clear their plates. As a result, children are highly confident and self-reliant from an early age. They play together well and are kind to each other, for instance, learning to sign in order to communicate with children with hearing and speech impairment. They have an exceptionally good understanding of why it is important to lead healthy lives and are willing to try to eat different fruit and vegetables. An example of this was evident when children made healthy salads which they took home to share with their families at the end of the session.

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Grade: 1

They know how to keep safe and understand, for example, that when they use knives to prepare their salad, they must take care. At the same time, they are physically lively and not fearful, because they are encouraged to have a go, with the 'I can' culture central within all areas of children's learning. Children show an excellent understanding of personal hygiene, such as washing hands before snacks and meal time. They have a well-developed sense of community, both in their nursery and in the wider world, through cooperating with others and learning about their friends in China. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Grade: 1

Relationships between adults and children are exemplary. Adults nurture and support, rather than direct, children's learning. This ensures that children make choices and organise themselves well. Children from the very earliest age are accustomed to making their own decisions. Thus, for example, babies indicate when they want to sleep or to go outside. By the age of three, children work and play happily and productively, frequently asking questions to further their understanding. Children learn exceptionally well. The well established key person system, whereby each child has a special adult to relate to, and learning opportunities which meet children's needs exceptionally well, keep them actively involved. Based on thorough and accurate observations, staff set up a full range of interesting and thought-provoking activities, both inside and outside, that challenge children to explore and find out for themselves. This includes

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Grade: 1

all children, each day planning their own personalised learning, with the close attention of their key person. Staff skilfully play alongside children, helping them to learn while not doing it for them, for instance, playing in the 'Chinese restaurant' where child and adult play side by side, with the enthusiasm and enjoyment of both equally evident. As one parent commented, 'all staff have a relaxed presence giving the children a nice relaxed environment making them happy children'. Children have complete freedom to exercise choice from the moment they are able to do so and they are free to learn indoors or outdoors as they choose. This means that they learn at the right pace for their age and stage of development and that they are always busy. During the daily recall session, adults ask questions that make children think for themselves and so they learn rapidly through discussing their ideas.

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Grade: 1

Children blossom here, whatever their age or individual needs, because the school gives top priority to promoting the welfare of all children. Vetting procedures for all adults who work with children are robust. Parents comment that their children are, 'very well cared for'. Stringent health and safety procedures are in place, with daily checks to ensure that resources and equipment are safe for children to use. Children enjoy learning about safe, healthy practices as they practise using tools and equipment, both inside and outdoors. The outdoor area is extensive and well resourced. It provides children with daily opportunities to be adventurous under close, adult supervision. This enables them to become aware of their own limitations without being fearful. Parents feel valued and active partners because staff spend time with them to gather information about their children. Colourful photographs and detailed observations

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Grade: 1

are noted in children's learning stories, which are shared with parents and provide an excellent account of children's early learning. Parents are fully included in their children's learning. They comment on how much they value the home visits before their children begin school, attending the parent and toddler group, and knowing staff care so much for their children that they visit the primary schools to check children have settled in. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Grade: 1

The school has gone from strength to strength under the outstanding leadership of the headteacher and assistant headteacher. The main tool the leadership team uses, to ensure equally high standards of provision for all age groups, is to check extremely thoroughly on the quality of children's learning in order to determine what works and what needs to be changed. The process of developing the leadership skills of all staff is excellent with ongoing peer to peer observations in place. These enable all staff to reflect on their own and colleagues' practice, especially in terms of evaluating the effectiveness of different areas of learning and suggesting improvements. The leadership and management of the provision for children with additional needs are outstanding. Equality of opportunity is fully promoted. The impact is seen in the outstanding progress made by all children at each stage of their education. The governing body

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Grade: 1

is extremely supportive whilst using their skills and high levels of individual expertise to continually challenge the setting to give all children and their families a first-class early year's education. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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EYFS?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? 1 The standards[1] reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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children?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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The quality of provision

1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of the children in the EYFS promoted? 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Leadership and management

1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed? How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Do you remember when two inspectors came to inspect your Nursery and Day Care Centre recently? Well, this letter is first, to thank you for welcoming us and second, to tell you what we found out. We loved watching you learn whilst you played. We especially liked seeing you play and learn to share and take turns whilst in your 'Chinese restaurant'. We thought you were excellent chefs in preparing healthy salads which you took home to enjoy with your families. I hope you enjoyed them! You have great fun both indoors and outside and are very busy all the time, finding out new things. We were amazed to see you planning your own work and then, after your play, having a good think about what you had learnt and what you wanted to find out next. All this fun and hard work mean that by the time you move into Reception, you have learnt many new skills in reading, writing and how to solve problems which will help you as you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

grow older. You behave extremely well and clearly enjoy learning. Your Nursery is outstanding. This means that it gives you the very best chance to learn. Your special adults take extremely good care of you to help to keep you safe but they still let you try things out for yourselves. When we sat and listened, all we could hear were your happy chattering voices as you worked and played together. Your mums and dads agree that everyone works very hard to make things fun and enjoyable for you. Your nursery school and day care centre is led and managed exceptionally well and the headteacher and other staff are always looking for ways to make it even better. Recently, they have been checking very closely with you to see how well you are doing. I have asked them to carry on with all the work they have planned so you can keep on learning new things and having fun. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Warrington Road Nursery School and Bambini Day Care Centre, 26–27 January 2009

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