Lea Nursery School

LEA NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th – 17 th October 2000

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LEA NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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LEA NURSERY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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. Lea Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Local Education Authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th – 12 th July 1996 Lea Nursery School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Team members Mr M S Burghart Registered inspector Dr F Hurd Lay inspector Mrs J McNeil Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Lea Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Lea Nursery School is situated in the centre of Slough in Berkshire. The school has existed since the 1930s and is currently housed in ageing, temporary buildings on the same campus as infant and junior schools of the same name. These other schools form part of an education action zone, identified as an area in need of extra support. The school has places for 120 children aged three to five, half of whom attend part time in the morning and half in the afternoon. Numbers have remained the same since the last inspection. Children are divided into six teaching groups for much of the day. They are drawn mostly from the local surrounding local authority housing estate. Children’s attainment on entry to the school, aged three, and in some cases, four, is considered well below average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has been without a permanent headteacher for over a year due to the long term absence of the post holder. During this time there has been a succession of temporary headteachers. For this term the school is in the charge of a recently appointed, acting head and a nursery manager who has been in post for several years. The acting head is supported by three full time, and one part time, teachers. There are six education support staff, some of whom are specifically trained in helping children from ethnic minority groups. There are 11 children on the special educational needs register. This accounts for 15 per cent of the school full time equivalent roll, and is about the national average. No child has a formal statement under the terms of the DfEE Code of Practice 1 , but this is not unusual for nursery schools. Twenty-three pupils receive support under DfEE funding for ethnic minority groups

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and a further 103 children have English as an additional language. At 85.8 per cent of the total school roll, this is very high. The most commonly spoken languages amongst families with children at the school are Punjabi and Urdu.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Lea Nursery is a very good school, where children and staff get on well together. Children, nearly all of whom have English as an additional language, make good, (and often very good), rapid progress. Although the school has been through a period of uncertain leadership during the past year, this has not adversely affected the quality of curriculum planning or teaching. High quality provision has been successfully co-ordinated by the nursery manager and is very effective in supporting children’s learning. Teaching is consistently good. Children respond very well and their attitudes and behaviour are very good. Relationships are very good throughout and the learning environment is very good. The school enables the majority of children to achieve most of the goals recognised as appropriate for the early stages of education before they leave. The very good situation reported in the last inspection has been

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

maintained and the school continues to give very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is consistently good by teachers and support staff. Teaching for children with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good. • The school successfully fosters very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships. Children respond very well and their personal development is very good. • Curriculum planning is excellent and assessment and its use are very effective. This helps children to make very good progress. • The learning environment is very good.

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What the school does well

1 The DfEE Code of Practice gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities to ensure that all pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Lea Nursery School - 7

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What could be improved

• The situation regarding the headship is in urgent need of clarification. • Governors are insufficiently involved in the running of the school.

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection raised no key issues for the school to address. The school has made good progress in improving the two areas for development highlighted as minor issues. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has been significantly improved, with better resources and clearer planning. Plans for each curriculum area now include specific intentions for the use of ICT and children’s skills are being developed well. A very good staff handbook now provides clear support for all staff. It gives a very comprehensive summary of school policy and procedures. In addition the quality of teaching has been further improved and new planning has been devised in the light of developments to the curriculum as advised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The school has successfully matched its schemes of work to the Early Learning Goals 2 to provide for the full range of children’s learning experiences. Modifications to the building have provided better

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teaching areas and toilets; together with improvements to the staffroom and offices, this has had positive effects on the learning environment. As a school in its own right it is well placed for future development.

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about the achievements of children in relation to the national Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the school.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: Key Language and literacy:- Speaking and listening Writing C B well above average A

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STANDARDS

Mathematics B above average average B C Personal and social development A below average well below average D E Other areas of the curriculum B

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STANDARDS

In a short inspection it is not possible (or intended) to make detailed judgements about every one of the six areas which feature in planning for education in the early years. However, there is more than sufficient evidence to indicate that, notwithstanding problems associated with working in English as an additional language, children are doing well. There are plenty of indications that as at the time of the last inspection, children are achieving at least as well as (and for a considerable amount of time better than) what is expected for those of this age. The majority of children are on line to meet the defined Early Learning Goals by the time they complete the Foundation Stage 3 of education at the end of Year R in the infant school.

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STANDARDS

2 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’, comprised of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the end of the reception year. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literature; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; and physical development. 3 From September 2000, the term Foundation Stage refers to children’s education from the age of three until the end of the reception year. Lea Nursery School - 8 This situation may appear to conflict with judgements made in an Ofsted report about attainment on entry to the local infant school being ‘well below average’. It should be noted that the Early Learning Goals are newly established for the Foundation Stage and that baseline assessments completed at the start of Year R have not necessarily taken account

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good and sometimes excellent. Children are absorbed by school. They concentrate very well and respond well to staff and their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good and sometimes excellent. Children respond very well to the routines and expectations of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Children and staff get on very well together at work and play. Children are considerate towards each other.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Children like coming to school.

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Teaching of children: aged up to 5 years

Lessons seen overall Good with very good, and occasionally excellent, features. Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of children: aged up to 5 years

The quality of teaching is consistently high. One hundred per cent of lessons observed were judged good or better. High quality teaching has very positive effects on learning in this school and helps children to make very good progress. One hundred per cent of lessons observed were good or better, with forty-one per cent very good and six per cent (in language and ICT) excellent. Teaching, from qualified and unqualified teachers, in every area of development was good, with very good features especially evident in language and mathematics. Teaching and provision targeting children’s personal and social development are especially successful. Strengths in teaching are in excellent planning, very good relationships, and very good use of time and resources. Good questioning encourages children not only to speak, but to begin to express feelings and preferences. Staff work particularly well as a team with a very good

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Teaching of children: aged up to 5 years

impact on support for special educational needs and those children for whom English is an additional language. No significant weaknesses in teaching were identified.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Excellent planning (a team effort extremely well led by the nursery manager) results in top quality opportunities for children. Well structured daily activities balance work towards the Early Learning Goals very effectively. Play is valued as a way to develop children’s skills.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision. A mixture of individual, group and work as part of whole class activities, results in children making very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision is one of the school’s strengths. Very good support for the very high proportion of children for whom English is not their first language, has a very positive impact on children’s personal, social and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. Provision for moral and cultural development is excellent. The school makes particularly good use of the rich variety of children’s backgrounds.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils A safe, secure environment. Staff know children well. Assessment is very effectively used to gauge what children know, understand and can do, and to set targets and plan for the future. Record keeping is very good.

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Aspect Comment

The school maintains very good links with parents especially regarding what is to be taught and concerning children’s progress.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff During the long absence of the head, when a series of acting heads have been in post, the nursery manager has provided excellent curriculum leadership and management. She has co-ordinated planning very successfully as a result of a very good team effort by the whole staff. The uncertainty with regard to the headship is temporarily addressed by the appointment of the head of the infant school as acting head. However, the situation is yet to be resolved and from this point of view the school is vulnerable with its long term strategic planning on hold.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities There is evidence that in the past governors have supported the school and confirmed management decisions. However, currently the absence of a chairman and vice chairman and vacancies for two more governors gives cause for concern. The governing body is judged insufficiently involved in the school’s management.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good analysis of children’s development as the basis for curriculum planning and improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Day to day running of the school is very good. Financial administration is efficient. Time, staff, accommodation and resources very well used. Long term strategic planning is not well developed. The school gives very good value for money at present. However, uncertainty in leadership and management makes this difficult to maintain for the future.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Behaviour. • High expectations. • The quality of teaching. • Opportunities for children to become mature. • Stability in leadership.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents’ views are very positive, although some expressed concerns over the lack of continuity in the school’s leadership.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

1. High quality teaching throughout from all adults involved with children, has very positive effects on children’s learning. All of the 31 lessons observed were at least good with 41 per cent very good or better, and 6 per cent excellent. Top quality teaching was seen in language and literacy work and, in a distinct improvement since the last report, in ICT. The overall profile of teaching was good in the last inspection. This has been improved upon and does the school credit.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

2. This successful teaching is securely based on excellent curriculum planning. As a team staff plan their work very effectively against requirements for the Foundation Stage. Very good use is made of evaluation of what has proved to be successful. Assessment of children’s performance and progress is very thorough: for example records kept of participation and success of every child in every session. Information is shared readily and influences future planning and target setting. Staff know children well.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

3. The teaching staff’s very good knowledge and understanding of what is required and relevant to the education of Foundation Stage children is clear in planning. This makes it possible for nursery nurses and learning support assistants to teach to a high standard, confident that what they are doing will be effective. There is a good balance between children’s personal and academic opportunities and play is clearly valued.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

4. There is a high level of expertise amongst staff to teach and support the large proportion of children for whom English is an additional language. Getting children to speak and communicate in English has an appropriately high priority and is very successfully and sensitively achieved. Very good links with parents are partly the result of having a variety of staff who can speak languages of ethnic minorities.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

5. Staff use accommodation and resources well in their teaching. No time is wasted and expectations of work rate and behaviour are very high. Children are fully involved from the moment they arrive until they leave. Their response is very good and the variety and challenge of activities lead to high standards of behaviour being achieved. Staff management of children is excellent. Very good relationships mean that children are eager to please staff and children are rightly confident that, even though they are very young, their views matter.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

6. Children with special educational needs are identified early in their time at the nursery. Good, and very good, teaching is provided in a mixture of individual and group work, both in withdrawal and as part of class activities. The low child adult ratio of 6.6 children to each adult makes close contact possible and gives very good support to help overcome special needs.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

7. Good questioning techniques, particularly used by teachers (but mirrored by nursery nurses and learning support assistants) encourage children to do more than simply respond with single words: for example “Why do you think this leaf floats?” asked in English then in Punjabi to help children to a better understanding by having them try to put an explanation into simple sentences. Children’s very good progress in the use of English is very closely linked with the high quality of staff communication skills.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

8. Although there is no formal appraisal of teachers and the absence of continuity in the headship of the school has not helped, very good work by the nursery manager has supported the professional development of staff. A very good staff handbook supports staff well. This is a big improvement since the last report. All staff have had development interviews and their own in-service training needs are considered against the needs of the Lea Nursery School - 12 curriculum. Once the headship is resolved, regular monitoring of actual teaching, in addition to plans and records, is needed to consolidate, and develop further, the quality of teaching.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

9. Unusually, no significant weaknesses were identified in any of the lessons observed during the inspection. Parents can be confident that their children are being very well challenged and well taught.

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with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good”

“The school successfully fosters very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

10. The aims of the school clearly set out what is expected. Intentions to consider children as individuals that matter are translated through good provision (especially teaching) into everyday school life. Excellent planning, very good quality staffing, good resources and a very good learning environment, encourage children to respond positively.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

11. Children obviously enjoy school, many would like to be there for even longer. They are keen to arrive and reluctant to leave. All but one parent responding to the Ofsted questionnaire reported that their children like coming to school. Children are absorbed by activities and often concentrate longer than the expected ten minutes. Staff are skilled in directing children to activities without confrontation and do allow children to choose where appropriate. For example, two boys who expressed a preference to make things with a construction set rather than write, were allowed to do so. Eventually the fact that what was going on in the ‘office area’ appeared so interesting, that it attracted the boys back! This has very good effects on children’s personal development. Staff keep very good records of who has done what, making it possible to identify future provision.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

12. Staff challenge children very well and children respond enthusiastically. Children like trying things out for themselves: for example creating abstract paintings in the style of Jackson Pollock, or using the mouse to drag and drop items of clothing to ‘dress’ a doll on the computer screen.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

13. Children are given many opportunities to work and play together. They are considerate and show respect for each other and equipment. Even the very youngest appreciate that they need to take turns: for example putting up their hands to give their news at register time; or waiting for their go on swings and tricycles in the playground.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

14. Although some children come to school with poor speaking skills and have had few opportunities to socialise, the school helps them to make rapid progress. Before leaving the school in the year they are five, the overwhelming majority of children will have achieved the Early Learning Goals for their personal and social development. Children learn to listen and share and show sensitivity to how others feel. They are beginning to take responsibility: for example clearing away, sometimes unasked. The more able show appreciation of some of the many cultural differences represented in the school: for example enjoying celebrating Diwali and Christmas; and being aware of vegetables from different parts of the world. The school is very good at valuing everyone’s contribution to discussions. It has a good policy for equal opportunities which successfully encourages children, young though they are, to consider other people. Relationships throughout the school and at every level – child to child,

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

child to adult, adult to child and adult to adult, are very good. The school’s very good ethos demonstrates that everyone matters, all have a part to play and a right to play it. Staff are clearly committed to raising standards even higher, and children respond very positively.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

15. Standards of behaviour are very good and for much of the time excellent. In almost all lessons observed children’s attitudes and behaviour were judged good or better, with about a third being excellent. This is a result of high expectations, excellent planning and organisation, very good relationships and the exciting and varied activities on offer. Children (and staff) are on the go from the beginning to the end of the session. Staff work hard to improve levels of communication and understanding and are successful in overcoming the Lea Nursery School - 13 potential frustration that children who are in the first stages of learning English could show. On the very few occasions where behaviour might have interrupted the smooth running of activities, staff managed children and situations very well, calming things down and getting them back on to task very quickly.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

16. Overall the very positive response of children is a direct result of the school’s very good provision. Children’s learning is very successfully promoted through the excellent curriculum, high quality teaching and very good day to day organisation.

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Children respond very well and their personal development is very good.”

“Curriculum planning is excellent and assessment and its use are very effective.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

17. The nursery manager is responsible for curriculum planning. She has very successfully led the whole staff in a very good team effort which has created excellent plans to meet the needs of very young children.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

18. The school’s curriculum has been developed from those areas defined as desirable by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and now clearly demonstrates how children will be given the opportunities they need to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage before Year 1 in the infant school.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

19. The last report noted that standards were above expectations for this age group and the overall judgement in this inspection is that children are still likely to be above expectations in most of the six areas of education which are the focus of early years. Staff very effectively provide for a full range of exciting and varied activities which children respond to very positively. Planning is successfully designed to take children step by step through a progression of skills and understanding towards the Early Learning Goals: for example gaps in ICT provision highlighted in the last report have been effectively overcome by:- • The introduction of a skills based programme; • Time having been allocated for specific teaching; • Staff expertise being improved.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

As a result children’s standards are now well above what is expected of this age group.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

20. The school has identified that a significant proportion of children lack some experiences before they come to school that would help to develop academic and social skills. School planning and organisation is designed to provide a wide range of opportunities for children to experience things firsthand. Routines are carefully structured to make the most of time and keep children busy. There is a very good balance of language and practical activities. Play is obviously valued as a way of developing children’s personal and social skills as well as improving their physical capabilities. For example, children took turns to be Percy the gardener in role play in an excellent themed area, and told others what to do to prepare meals for hedgehogs. They learnt to work together to follow instructions and at the same time improved their handling of ‘cutting’ and ‘rolling’.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

21. Good use is made of the locality to help children find out more about the world in which they live: for example a well organised and supervised visit to a local supermarket for each child to buy a variety of different vegetables. These were later used as part of their ‘science’.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

22. Staff make good observations of what children do and skilfully join in to develop the learning opportunities: for example watching to see who is not fully involved in sand pit play before ‘helping‘ to build a sand road track for toy cars; and playing ‘follow my leader’ along large construction kit boards set on low blocks to encourage children’s balancing skills.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

23. Top quality planning effectively takes advantage of very good relationships and very good resources to promote children’s very good learning. Very good use of assessment Lea Nursery School - 14 and record keeping makes it possible to make alterations to the curriculum taking into account what children know, understand and can do. Parents are kept well informed, not only of how their children are getting on, but given details of what topics are planned for the term. The curriculum manager provides excellent guidance for parents to show how they can help their children: for example what games to play to reinforce addition and subtraction in mathematics; or how taking children to different types of shops will help them towards the Early Learning Goals for knowledge and understanding of the world. These activities complement the school’s appropriate use of ‘homework’: for example children talking about

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

books and beginning to ‘read’ to their parents.

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This helps children to make very good progress.”

24. Children throughout the school make very good progress. This is the result of the high quality of curriculum planning and the teachers’ awareness of children’s potential and performance. It is a credit to the hard work and professionalism of the staff as a whole that children, many of whom start the school with well below average English skills, are judged as being at least on line to reach the Early Learning Goals by the time they complete Year R in the infant school. Indeed more able, higher attaining children will have achieved such standards in all areas considered desirable by the time they leave Lea Nursery. In the case of children’s personal and social development the school’s provision is especially successful and in this area the overwhelming majority of children do very well. Their progress is rapid and standards are very good.

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“The learning environment is very good.”

25. Since the last report considerable improvements to the site have been very successful in developing the learning environment. New fencing and security has made the school a very safe place. Modifications to the building have provided:- • Much better toilets for children; • More efficient office, staffroom and kitchen facilities.

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“The learning environment is very good.”

26. Although the building is essentially temporary, it is well established, having been in place over twenty-five years. Space is very well managed with clearly defined bases for each area of the curriculum. These are well resourced with equipment which is relevant, well organised and accessible. During the day children visit different areas for different activities. They respond very well to the challenge and interest created by staff through good displays and the well chosen range of equipment laid out. Each base provides a stimulating environment following the theme of the school topic: for instance currently Autumn is the focus of all work. Counting and sorting different types of nuts in mathematics; leaf printing in art; and stories, rhymes and poems about Harvest in English; are all successfully designed to capture children’s imagination and encourage them to respond.

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“The learning environment is very good.”

27. Very good use is made of role play areas created in classrooms and outdoors to encourage children not only to play, but to speak and communicate. The learning environment is carefully constructed so that children will interact with each other and adults: for example an outdoor under cover area where children are encouraged to use percussion instruments to make sounds and imitate sequences, attracts children on wet days; and very good large climbing and ride on equipment is strategically placed outside to encourage children to ‘work’ and play together.

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“The learning environment is very good.”

28. Planning for the curriculum and the management of the learning environment are very closely linked. Staff work very well as a team to ensure that all children of all ages and abilities (whether in the morning or afternoon) have the same opportunities. Good record keeping to show which children have done what in each area, ensures that space and equipment are used to their full potential. A particularly good example is the way in which ICT skills are promoted. Apart from the well organised technology base where children work in small groups with an adult at ‘curriculum’ time, two other areas are resourced with computers. Here, volunteer helpers regularly reinforce skills previously introduced by staff, Lea Nursery School - 15 and support children using programs to help them in their learning: for example counting and estimating games for mathematics.

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“The learning environment is very good.”

29. Throughout the school good quality resources are thoughtfully arranged to enhance the curriculum. The result is a stimulating, exciting environment which makes a significant contribution to the school’s very good ethos and children’s learning.

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“The situation regarding the headship is in urgent need of clarification.”

30. The school has effectively been without a headteacher for a year following the long term absence of the post holder. A series of acting heads have supported the school during this time, but there is a lack of continuity and long term planning. Short term day to day routines, policies and procedures have been successfully co-ordinated by the nursery manager – whose curriculum leadership is excellent. However, the absence of strategic planning and prioritising for the future has left the school vulnerable.

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“The situation regarding the headship is in urgent need of clarification.”

31. Both the previous report and this inspection found this to be a very good school in its own right, but uncertainty about its future, possible staffing levels and financial planning, is having negative effects. Parents expressed concern about the leadership situation, both in response to the Ofsted questionnaire and at the preliminary meeting with the registered inspector. Parents feel that communication suffers as a result of not having a permanent head and opportunities are missed that would enable parents to support the school: for example in fundraising.

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“The situation regarding the headship is in urgent need of clarification.”

32. Inspectors agree that the leadership of the school urgently requires resolving. The staff’s very good team work, their hard work and high quality curriculum planning need to be supported by a long term view.

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“Governors are insufficiently involved in the running of the school.”

33. Documentation shows the governing body has carried out its statutory duties over the past year. However, the recent resignation of the Chair of Governors, the absence of a Vice Chair and vacancies for local education authority and parent governors, effectively means there are only two governors apart from the staff representatives.

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“Governors are insufficiently involved in the running of the school.”

34. Governors are insufficiently involved in supporting and running the school. For example, other than teacher, and non teacher governors, only one governor attended the pre- inspection Ofsted meeting with the registered inspector and no governors (other than staff) came to the feedback following the inspection.

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“Governors are insufficiently involved in the running of the school.”

35. Given the current situation where the school has no permanent head, lack of governor involvement has compounded the school’s lack of long term strategic direction. This constitutes a significant weakness in the school’s management and forms a Key Issue for development.

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“Governors are insufficiently involved in the running of the school.”

36. It is a credit to staff, teaching and non teaching, that without a permanent head and effective governors, the school has once again been judged as very good and giving very good value for money.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

37. There are no key issues for the school to address, but the Local Education Authority, as the ‘Appropriate Authority’, should as a matter of urgency: Lea Nursery School - 16 § Clarify the future of the school:- o Identifying to parents and staff how it will be led and managed; o Verifying that the long term strategic management of the school is secure.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Ensure that the governing body is properly constituted and complete, and that governors are appropriately involved in the running of the school. Lea Nursery School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons. Due to rounding the numbers do not add to one hundred.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of children on the school’s roll 120

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of children

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of children with English as an additional language 103

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of children

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0 Lea Nursery School - 18 Teachers and classes Financial information

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Information about the school’s pupils

Qualified teachers and support staff Financial year 1999 -

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Information about the school’s pupils

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of children per qualified teacher 19.4 £

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Information about the school’s pupils

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 161422

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Information about the school’s pupils

Total aggregate hours worked per week 121 Expenditure per child 1346

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Information about the school’s pupils

Balance brought forward from previous year

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of children per FTE adult 6.6 Balance carried forward to next year 25665

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Information about the school’s pupils

FTE means full-time equivalent. Lea Nursery School - 19

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 35 59 5 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 38 0 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 45 10 3 13

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 57 38 3 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 54 35 8 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 43 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 51 35 8 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 43 46 5 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 35 0 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 51 35 3 3 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding numbers may not equal one hundred.

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Apart from uncertainty about the headship of the school, some parents expressed worries about problems related to car parking when parents drop off and collect their children. Inspectors agree that both these concerns need addressing.

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