Parkview Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Parkview Nursery School St George’s Road, Millom, Cumbria LA18 4JE

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Outcome

Parkview Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children skip happily to school each day. They look forward to meeting their friends and they are ready to learn. Staff greet children, parents and carers with a smile.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children feel very welcome and settle fast. They are keen to know what exciting activities they will do that day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults encourage children to explore and try new things. Children are happy to do this because they feel very safe and comfortable. They grow in confidence every day. Children know that adults care about them and will always help them if they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many children have only just started school. They have learned the routines and expectations of the school quickly. Right from the start, they mix well and learn to share and take turns. Adults know children really well. They help them to learn and achieve all that they can.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children behave well. They are polite, talk nicely to each other and are keen to do what staff ask them to. We saw no evidence of any form of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Reading is very important in school. Parents delight in their children’s enthusiasm for story books. Children have lots of opportunities to go out and about. For example, they visit parks and the shops. They also have had visitors such as a police officer to talk to them about his job.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are clear and confident about the curriculum that they have chosen to offer the children at Parkview Nursery School. They are knowledgeable about what should be taught. Staff plan activities well and link them very closely to children’s interests.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff create a lovely atmosphere in school. This encourages children to chat, be inquisitive 24 September 2019

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and to ask questions. Staff listen to children with interest and consideration. We saw that children achieve well across the curriculum. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are knowledgeable about the difficulties that these children face. Staff prepare all children well for when they move up to their next school.

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Mathematics is an important part of school life. Leaders have recently improved their mathematics curriculum by looking more closely at the things that they want children to know. They have reviewed the order that teachers should teach mathematics. Staff teach mathematics in short sessions every day. We heard children counting and using mathematical vocabulary excitedly while they played. The school has just introduced very popular mathematics rucksacks. These contain fun mathematical activities for children to play at home.

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Reading is a top priority for the school. Children learn letters and sounds as soon as they start school. Teachers have good subject knowledge and are quick to help if a child is struggling. The school has a rich supply of books placed in all areas of the classrooms. We saw that children and parents enjoy choosing new picture books to take home. We listened to a story time which was delightful. Children were absorbed in the stories that they were listening to. They joined with excitement. Nevertheless, leaders need to review how they teach early reading, communication and language so that gaps in pupils’ learning do not arise.

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As part of the curriculum offer, staff expertly lead small group activities for children. These sessions are often based around a story, learning letters and sounds or number work. However, sometimes children do not get enough chances to practise new learning in other activities or in their daily routines.

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At other times of the day, children enjoy a rich choice of activities around the classrooms, both indoors and outside. For example, we saw children choose to build sandcastles in the sand area. They used props and puppets to share the story of ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’ with their friends. We saw that children behaved well in everything they did and there is no bullying.

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Children learn about different faiths and cultures. They enjoy visits around the local area. A favourite experience for both staff and children is the regular visit to the woods. A child excitedly told me, ‘We get to hug trees and look at all the creatures hiding in the trees and leaves.’

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Leaders, governors and staff are passionate about their school. Staff feel that leaders listen to them and are sensitive to the amount of work they do.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are very good at keeping children safe. The safeguarding and protection of children are extremely important to them. They make sure that all their policies and procedures are in place and that everyone knows them in detail. 24 September 2019

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Leaders work well with other agencies to support children and families. Adults make sure that pupils and their families are well looked after and supported. They act quickly if they have concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 When leaders review aspects of early reading and communication and language, they need to consider precisely what they want children to know and the sequence that this will be taught. This is important to ensure that gaps in knowledge do not arise.  Staff need to build on the good knowledge, skills and understanding that are taught in adult-led teaching sessions in other areas of school life, particularly in child-initiated activities and in their daily routines. It is important that children get as many opportunities as possible to practise this learning so that it becomes permanent.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Parkview Nursery School to be good on 19 November 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 24 September 2019

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 24 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10057998 Type of school Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 November 2014

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average-sized nursery school. Most children attend on a part- time basis, either mornings or afternoons.  The vast majority of children are of White British heritage. A very small minority of children who speak English as an additional language also attend.  The proportion of children with SEND is below the national average.  The nursery school employs two qualified teachers who are the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  The nursery school is located on the same site as Millom Infant School, Millom Children’s Centre and Stepping Stones Pre-school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited lessons at various times during the day.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, governors and staff.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they brought their children to school or took them home. 24 September 2019

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 Inspectors looked at examples of children’s work and spoke with children when they visited lessons. Inspectors talked to children about the books they like read.  Inspectors held additional discussions with staff which focused on safeguarding. They also examined documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics and communication and language. Deep dives are the methodology by which inspectors identify why a subject is as it is. Deep dives entail: discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons, looking at examples of children’s work, discussions with teachers and discussions with children.  The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority on the telephone.  The lead inspector considered 12 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and seven responses from Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Sue Eastwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jan Corlett Ofsted Inspector 24 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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