London Colney Nursery School

Age group 3–5 Inspection date(s) 31 May–1 June 2012 Inspection number 379343 London Colney Nursery School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 117075 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 379343 Inspection dates 31 May–1 June 2012 Lead inspector Michael Sutherland-Harper

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Nursery School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–5 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 62 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Yovanah Edomben & Angela Moore Headteacher Barbara Fitton Date of previous school inspection 26 March 2009 School address Alexander Road London Colney St Albans AL2 1JG Telephone number 01727 822196 Fax number 01727 822197 Email address admin@lcnursery.herts.sch.uk

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Registered childcare provision EY123567, London Colney Childcare Centre Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision 26 March 2009 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 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

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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.

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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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Introduction

Michael Sutherland-Harper Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Five adults were observed teaching five lessons. Meetings were held with staff and the Co-Chair of the Governing Body. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection. He observed the school’s work, and looked at the children’s learning journeys (the record of children’s achievement), planning and assessment information, monitoring reports, safeguarding procedures and the school development plan. The inspector received and analysed 45 parental questionnaires.

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Information about the school

London Colney Nursery is a smaller-than-average school providing for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery occupies part of a larger primary school. The majority of children are White British. A small proportion come from minority ethnic backgrounds and/or are children for whose first language is not English. A small minority have additional needs and require extra support with their learning. There are no children at present with a statement of special educational needs. There are two children supported at School Action Plus. Free school meals are not provided but the proportion of children known to be eligible for free school meals when they transfer to their next school is very small. The school has the Healthy Schools and School Travel Awards. There has been a recent re-structuring of support staff.

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Information about the school

There is onsite childcare. This provision was inspected as part of this inspection. The childcare is run by a management committee made up of governors, parents and carers, although no parents or carers are presently on the management committee. Thirty-six children aged from birth to four years are currently on the childcare roll. A maximum of 24 children may receive childcare at any one time. Childcare is provided weekdays from 7.30am until 6.00pm for 52 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions in the baby unit or young explorers placement. The majority of the older children also attend the Nursery School. The Nursery School is the Lead Agency for London Colney Children’s Centre, which was not inspected as part of this inspection. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 London Colney is a satisfactory and improving school. It is not yet good because teaching and learning are satisfactory and the role of the governing body is not fully effective. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.  All groups, including disabled children and those who have special educational needs or whose first language is not English, make satisfactory progress from their starting points. The pace of learning is quickening as expectations rise and support procedures more closely meet individuals’ needs.  Teaching is satisfactory. Staff training has refined planning procedures and systems for tracking and assessment are adequate; moderation procedures are improving. Managers ensure staff use the detailed assessment information to provide activities that interest the children and allow free choice. Work is

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Key findings

satisfactorily matched to children’s different stages of development. Resources are sufficient and enable independent learning.  Close attention to children’s welfare, clear expectations of good behaviour and structured routines enable children to enjoy school, settle quickly, feel safe and have positive attitudes to learning. Children are adequately prepared for their next school.  Leadership of teaching and performance management are satisfactory. Feedback and guidance to teachers on how to improve teaching, by use of best practice, requires further development. The headteacher has improved assessment procedures, lesson planning and the pace of learning to accelerate children’s progress through a period of staffing turbulence. Governors’ roles are not always clearly defined and governors are not fully effective in calling senior leaders to account for school outcomes.  Registered childcare meets children’s needs adequately. Children make

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Key findings

satisfactory progress in developing their basic skills and good progress in their personal development. Children enjoy interesting activities and get on well with staff and other children. Opportunities to involve parents and carers in decision- making, such as management of the childcare facility, are too limited. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise children’s achievement by July 2013 by ensuring that all teaching and assessment is good or better by:  making sure that feedback to teachers and support staff gives specific guidance on how to further improve approaches and outcomes  sharing and celebrating best practice in teaching.  Develop the role of governors and parents and carers by December 2012 by:  facilitating opportunities for parents and carers to be more involved in decision-making, such as management of the childcare facility  ensuring that there is a full governing body and raising the level of challenge offered by them through development of more specific roles and increased understanding of their responsibilities.

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Achievement of pupils

Parents and carers are pleased with the progress that their children make and say the school helps them to support their children’s learning. All groups, including disabled children and those with special educational needs, and children with English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress overall. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is good. Those who find learning difficult, or have additional needs, receive appropriate support and guidance to ensure that they can suitably engage with learning and achieve lesson objectives. Their learning progresses securely because their specific needs are identified early with continual assessment now reflected in the planning of activities. Early reading skills are being suitably developed. Children are gaining an understanding that print carries meaning and that English is read from left to right.

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Achievement of pupils

Children’s basic skills on entry are below those expected for their age, especially in knowledge and understanding of the world and in problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy. Following a short period where judgements made about attainment on entry were insecure because of staff inexperience in interpreting and analysing baseline data, further training and moderation of standards has resulted in staff now making fair and accurate assessment of children’s starting points. When children leave the nursery, attainment is still slightly below age-related expectations but is beginning to move forward more rapidly to approach previously good outcomes.

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Quality of teaching

Parents and carers regard teaching as good and feel that it meets their children’s needs. The inspection found that teaching and learning are satisfactory. Staffing is now more stable following a period of considerable change and re-structuring of support staff. Good elements include the effective balance of adult-led and child- Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

initiated activities indoors and outdoors. For example, children’s transactions at the outdoor model car wash reinforced class work on numbers and money. Planning is satisfactory and improving because a more reflective approach is shifting the emphasis from planning activities to determining learning outcomes and the progress made in achieving them. Questioning is sometimes used well to secure understanding but best practice in teaching is not yet fully shared. Outcomes are recorded through regular, increasingly reliable, observations. Targeted enrichment activities support individual needs adequately. For example, children with English as an additional language develop their communication skills through worthwhile team activities, which require interaction and dialogue with each other and adults, to improve their vocabulary and grammatical skills. Focused and targeted activities are provided for those who may fall behind and this ensures that no children

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Quality of teaching

underachieve, particularly those with less developed speech and language skills. Small groups sessions allow everyone to work with the teacher or support staff and, through such activity, children learn to take turns and share resources. The pace of learning is increasing as expectations rise but some activities occasionally go on for too long and children’s attention wanders. The school is working successfully to add extra challenge to increase progress rates. Staff have had further training in preparation for, and moderation of, baseline assessments so that no child’s progress is over-estimated, as was the case last academic year. Assessment records, including children’s learning journeys, now provide more detailed and reliable evidence of progress over time.

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Quality of teaching

Staff are using assessment information more rigorously to ensure children are suitably challenged and subjects are now linked together to make learning more meaningful. Staff plan varied activities in the large, well-laid-out classroom area and outdoors. Children enjoy the balance of active, interesting and reflective practical work. For example, listening activities led to a discussion about different types of spiders and tasks effectively developed children’s understanding of the natural world. Children had access to spider pictures which reinforced their understanding of their attributes and then excitedly looked for spiders outdoors, making decisions and initiating activities as they worked. Some excellent art work was subsequently produced indoors. Similarly, number skills were developed and linked to healthy eating in a song about sausages which quickly engaged all children. Work is regularly

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Quality of teaching

Staff manage behaviour patiently and effectively, explain what they expect, and stress the importance of learning not being disrupted. Children share resources and help each other well, as when using utensils to hunt for more worms for the wormery and discussing how to find them safely.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Children’s good behaviour is an important strength. Parents and carers feel that their children are safe in school and are well looked, after and that behaviour is good. Inspection evidence supports this. Behaviour is well managed because teachers and support staff set clear, consistent expectations which children understand and follow. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school has no recorded exclusions, instances of racism or bullying over time. Caring relationships between staff and children ensure that children can quickly turn to an adult whenever they have a concern or worry. Children know that causing harm hurts others and that it is not acceptable to push each other or call each other names. Staff model appropriate behaviour carefully and ensure that children treat each other with respect, including when sharing resources, taking turns and listening to each other. Children have good attitudes towards learning. They concentrate well when listening to stories and readily respond to questions, even when they may not know all the answers. They persevere with activities and can work independently when required. Children are helped to manage risk in a safe environment where staff are vigilant at all times, including in the well-resourced outdoor area. Children know

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

the rules which apply as they use outdoor climbing apparatus or ride bicycles around the clearly laid-out paths. They tidy up willingly as part of their awareness of being safe at work and play, and are suitably prepared for real life situations.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is broadly average, and improving following concerted school efforts to remind parents and carers about the importance of punctuality and regular attendance. The school actively discourages holidays during term time. Absences or regular lateness are promptly followed up with parents and carers through first day calling. Transitions into and out of the school are carefully organised. Children are regularly reminded how to stay fit and healthy, including through healthy eating. Arrangements to meet the needs of children whose circumstances might make them vulnerable are careful and secure.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher is working steadily to raise expectations of children and staff so children become confident, independent learners. Following the period of staff changes and re-structuring which unsettled some staff, senior staff identified the need for further work on assessment and moderation when staff inexperience led to inaccurate baseline assessments. Focused work on planning and on developing middle leaders is beginning to return progress rates to the school’s previous good level. Improvements in these areas, accurate self-evaluation, appropriate performance management to improve teaching and increased staffing stability, mean that the school has a satisfactory capacity for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

The governing body is supportive of the school’s work. From a recent position of very small numbers, additional newly-recruited governors are starting to develop their roles, however, further work is required to ensure that they are fully effective in calling senior leaders to account for school outcomes and their roles and responsibilities are fully defined. Up-to-date policies reflect current practice. All statutory requirements for safeguarding, vetting and recruitment are met. The school promotes equality of opportunity satisfactorily. Children have equal access to all learning opportunities; provision is inclusive and all children are valued as individuals and their achievement is accelerating. There is no discrimination and the school is a harmonious and tolerant place. Parents and carers are welcomed, including for family learning sessions, but are at present difficult to recruit as governors.

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Leadership and management

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

The curriculum covers all six areas of learning equally and is delivered in ways appropriate to children’s age and stage of development. There is a strong emphasis on developing children’s personal, social and emotional skills and on speech and language because the school judges that children cannot move on rapidly if these areas are not secure. Work on linking letters and sounds (phonics) increases during the year and provision suitably prepares children for reading. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding are promoted effectively. Staff encourage cooperative attitudes, explain right from wrong, bring awe and wonder into children’s emerging perceptions of the world and promote cultural development, as shown in display of work imitating artists like Matisse. Visits and visitors effectively enhance children’s understanding of the adult world, for example, through police and fire service work.

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Leadership and management

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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childcare provision

The registered provision runs every day except bank holidays, staff training days and three days between Christmas and New Year. Day-care is provided for children aged six months to three years and childcare for children aged two up to compulsory school age.

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childcare provision

The overall effectiveness of the registered provision is satisfactory. Provision, outcomes and leadership and management of child care are also satisfactory. Staff know the children well, work as a team, are suitably qualified and trained in safeguarding. All Early Years Foundation Stage welfare, learning development and safeguarding requirements are met. Children make satisfactory progress in nearly all areas of learning. The exception is their personal, social and emotional development, which is good: children are settled and are happy learners, at ease with each other and with adults. They learn to share, take turns and respect others’ use of equipment. Behaviour is always good, especially at mealtimes, when children are well-supervised, sit together politely and are reminded about personal hygiene practices like hand washing. Children are active explorers who make appropriate use of indoor and outdoor resources to suitably develop their physical, creative and

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childcare provision

imagination skills. They like to be outside but equally develop their aesthetic, physical and dexterity skills indoors, as reflected in their skills with toys which can be opened, shut, pulled and pushed.

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childcare provision

Policies securely reinforce the careful attention to behaviour and well-being. Transition arrangements are effective. Leaders and managers ensure planning is now more carefully matched to children’s ages and specific needs. Work on accurate assessments, monitoring and evaluation have followed a period when staff mobility, restructuring and absences slowed progress. A management committee of parents, carers and governors runs the centre but no parents and carers are presently on the committee, a situation the school is seeking to address to improve their role in decision-making.

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childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when I recently inspected your nursery. I enjoyed meeting you and seeing the way you work and play together so cooperatively. The nursery provides you with a satisfactory education. These are some of its strengths.

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

 All adults are focused on looking after you and helping you to learn.  Your behaviour is good.  You get on well together, including at mealtimes, and help each other if you can.  You have interesting and different things to do both indoors and outdoors and the amount of choice you have in activities is increasing.  Your progress is satisfactory and improving because planning is more detailed and adults are assessing your efforts with more detail. Your personal skills are developing well.

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

To help the school to move forward, I have made the following suggestions. I want the headteacher, staff and governors to:

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

 Make sure that teachers and support staff share what they do best and that all advice helps them to improve their teaching and assessment procedures so you make good or better progress.  Develop the roles of governors and parents and carers in the school so governors can offer more challenge, and opportunities for parents and carers to be involved with management of the childcare, and in other ways, also increase.

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

You can help the school by continuing to behave well and by helping each other to learn whenever you can.

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

I send my very best wishes to all of you.

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Inspection of London Colney Nursery School, St Albans, AL2 1JG

Michael Sutherland-Harper Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', 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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