Hedon Nursery School

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

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Mrs Karen Hunter Executive Headteacher Hedon Nursery School Market Hill Hedon Hull HU12 8JB

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 6 March 2018, 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 June 2013.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

This school continues to be outstanding.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

Everyone I spoke with at the school said the same thing. They felt exceptionally well supported by you and that they were part of a team. Staff say they feel challenged in a supportive environment and know that what you say is to help them improve or make them think more deeply about the quality of their teaching. This means that teaching is strong and the team ethos shines through. Parents and carers I spoke with said that you and the staff were always available to talk through any concerns. As one parent said, ‘Everyone gives all they can, and if they could give more they would!’, while another talked of the support she and her family had received during a particularly challenging time for them. Parents also spoke about how they felt part of the team in their child’s education, and that you were flexible in meeting their changing needs in terms of times and sessions.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

You acted swiftly to address the recommendation from the previous inspection and have refined your assessment information to clearly identify the progress of different groups of children within the school. This is now used effectively to inform staff planning and to identify areas for improvement in the school’s evaluation. However, the success criteria in the related school development plan could be more precise and measurable to further enhance the monitoring of the school’s progress.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

You have effectively led staff in developing the children’s learning in the moment by following children’s interests, then deepening their knowledge, skills and understanding. For example, I observed a child discussing caterpillars with a member of staff, prompted by a matching game they were playing. Rather than giving an answer, the member of staff challenged the child to think about where they could go to find out more. After suggesting books, the child then alighted on the idea of using information technology. The search engine was used to successfully find out more information. All children are supported in this way to develop their thinking and skills. In another area, I observed a child who has special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities exploring how to use the smartboard. They were skilfully questioned in a way to effectively guide their learning. They showed great delight and satisfaction in

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

their achievement. The member of staff continued to quiz the child to ensure that the knowledge and skills gained were clearly understood. Staff strive to make learning fun. In the phonics lesson we observed together, children were challenged to identify objects that rhymed and were asked to explain what a rhyme was. All this was taught through a fun game involving the ‘Phonic Fairy’. This completely entranced a large group of children, who stayed engaged and on task throughout the activity.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

Wherever you look, children are learning in this school. Adults are very skilful at supporting and, where appropriate, leading this learning. It is a calm and supportive environment where children learn from each other and from adults. When working together, two children were overheard discussing what they needed next to build a bridge, with suggestions being made, analysed, accepted or rejected.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. All staff have undertaken paediatric first aid and know precisely the procedures to follow should there be an accident. In the event of any severe injury, parents would be informed immediately. Any actions are logged, and a report shared with parents. Parents are always informed at collection times of any less significant injury and any treatment that has been given.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

Although the school does not have any vulnerable children attending at present, high-quality systems are in place and detailed chronologies kept of any children who are causing concern. Should a child be absent without the school being informed, then the school follows up on the same day for those children causing concern. Other professionals are informed to ensure that these children are safe from harm. I observed this procedure being put into practice, with all contacts being swiftly tried, and finally a reference being made to the family support worker.

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Short inspection of Hedon Nursery School

You are supportive of those families who find themselves in difficulties and are always there to advise and guide. For example, one parent talked of how you had discussed helpful services provided by the children’s centre, and that they had taken up the suggestion. Parents state how their child’s welfare is a primary concern for the school. They say they never feel an inconvenience and that you and the other members of staff always have time to discuss any concerns and worries they may have. Children’s understanding of how to stay safe from all forms of abuse is fostered at an appropriate level through working with other agencies and inviting them in to talk with the children, for example the local community police officer’s talk about stranger danger and a touring theatre company’s play focusing on cyber bullying.

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Inspection findings

 The high-quality self-evaluation of the school’s overall effectiveness demonstrates your ethos of continuous improvement for the children and the school. The assertions you make are focused and well founded in evidence. It is clear throughout the document that you are always looking to improve on already high outcomes for the children. Staff and parents feel that they have contributed to the process because you ensure that everyone is included within discussions when looking to the future of the school. The parent voice is heard through your consultations and the child’s voice is documented in their highly informative learning journals. However, some of the success criteria described in other documentation are less clear and lack some precision.  The new assessment and recording process you have designed and implemented since the last inspection is extremely effective. Staff, parents and governors know

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Inspection findings

exactly how well children are achieving and the rate of progress they are making. All the separate groups of children that make up the school are identified within this, for ease of information retrieval and evaluation. This is informed and reinforced effectively through regular progress meetings and more informal information exchange between staff members. This means that any individual or group whose progress slows is quickly identified and interventions put in place to ensure that they soon catch up. The school is inclusive for all children, and support for those who have SEN and/or disabilities ensures that they make the same rates of progress as their peers. Therefore, the vast majority of children make significant progress during their time in the school.  The early years pupil premium is effectively spent on additional staffing or extended hours to ensure that individual barriers to learning are minimised and

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Inspection findings

that these children make the same or better progress from their different starting points. Outcomes for almost all children are exceptional. The majority leave with attainment above age-related expectations and a significant proportion well above.  Parental involvement is exceptionally strong. Parents are very supportive of the school and staff. This is demonstrated by the high response rate to the parent survey and the completely positive outcome. They felt well informed of the curriculum through telephone messages, letters home, the regular newsletter and parent visit days when they could follow their child through the day. Homework was particularly well received and parents said how much they enjoyed doing the tasks and activities, but also how it helped them to see what their child was learning. They talked of how the school felt like a team and that it did not matter which member of staff they spoke to, they would know their child. At parents’

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Inspection findings

evening, they not only find out more formally what their child can do, but also the areas in which they need some additional help. They said the ideas they receive about how they can help at home are really useful.

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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 success criteria in the school development plan are more precise and measurable to further enhance the monitoring of the school’s progress.

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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 East Riding of Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

The focus of the inspection was to check whether the outstanding standards identified at the previous inspection had been maintained and to find out how well children were progressing. I held a variety of meetings with you and your staff. I observed adult-supported learning jointly with you in the school and a session of child-initiated learning. I considered a range of evidence, including the school improvement plan and leaders’ self-evaluation. I also reviewed other documentation.

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Information about the inspection

I spoke with the chair of the governing body and with the school improvement partner. I considered the 30 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and spoke with 11 parents. I also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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