Sunny Brow Nursery School

SUNNY BROW NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 – 15 November 2000

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SUNNY BROW NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 225212 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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SUNNY BROW 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. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sunny Brow Road Archer Park Middleton Manchester

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Ann MacKenzie

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15 April 1997 Sunny Brow Nursery School - 5

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Team members

Mrs Jill Palmer (18152) Registered inspector Mr Saleem Hussain (9981) Lay inspector

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Team members

Mr I H Jones Kingston Centre Fairway Stafford ST16 3TW

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Team members

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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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Sunny Brow Nursery School - 6

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REPORT CONTENTS

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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REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 18

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 19 - 21 Sunny Brow Nursery School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Sunny Brow Nursery School is situated in the Middleton area of Rochdale, close to the town centre. Most of the children come from the surrounding area. There are currently 86 children on the school roll, all of whom attend part time. All are three or four years old. The school takes in children once a year. There are three children from ethnic minority background. No children speak English as an additional language. There are no children currently on the school’s register of special educational needs. The children come from a mixed social background. Attainment on entry is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good nursery school. The children make generally very good progress in their learning due to the very good quality of the teaching. They enter the nursery with average standards and leave achieving standards that are above those expected for their age in all the areas of learning. The leadership and management of the headteacher are of the highest quality and make a very strong contribution to the work and development of the nursery. All staff have very high expectations of behaviour, of attitudes and of what the children can achieve. Parents hold the school in very high regard.

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What the school does well

• The attainment of all children, across all areas of learning, is high. • Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the generally very good progress made by all children. • The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of staff. The school is very effectively led and managed. • Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour, are significant factors in the very good progress made. • The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a good contribution to the children’s learning.

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What could be improved

• Governors do not have enough involvement in shaping the direction of the school or in evaluating its effectiveness. • Procedures for recording and reporting children’s achievements are not as effective as they might be. 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 school was last inspected in April 1997. It has made very good improvement since then. The quality of the teaching has improved significantly and there is now a good system for developing individual education plans for those pupils with special education needs. The supervision of outside play activities has been improved and all staff now supervise the children when playing in the school grounds. Standards in all areas of learning have improved.

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STANDARDS

Sunny Brow Nursery School - 8 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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Performance in: Key

language and literacy B well above average A 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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Performance in: Key

Children achieve well in all areas of their learning, with very good achievement in some aspects, including personal and social development. The oldest children are on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they start in Year 1. The more able children should attain beyond these goals. A particular strength of the standards attained is in the area of personal, social and emotional development. The children relate very well to others and are very enthusiastic about their learning. They move around the nursery with great confidence and are not afraid to try out new activities. They work with great interest and often become totally absorbed in their work. They quickly learn to be independent and take turns very well. The children communicate confidently with one another and adults. They take turns and listen attentively when others are speaking. Children enjoy looking at books and many can recognise familiar and some more complex words. Many children can form

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Performance in: Key

letters correctly and some children are beginning to write their own names unaided. In mathematics children can sort, match, order and count objects and some can count beyond twenty. During role- play activities, the children use their imagination well, applying their knowledge and understanding of the world to pretend situations. The children express themselves very well in music and art, producing work of a high standard.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. The children are always eager to come to school. They are very confident, enthusiastic and willing to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Children are courteous and helpful to one another and to adults.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Children work well together during activities. All relationships within the school are very effective in supporting the desire to learn and the standards that the children achieve.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. All parents appreciate the importance of regular attendance. Children arrive punctually for the start of sessions. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 9 The children’s enthusiasm for school is of the highest quality as is their level of interest and involvement in activities. They concentrate well on their work. Even at this early stage of their education, the children often demonstrate a mature and responsible approach to their work. They enjoy being praised and take pleasure in having their efforts rewarded.

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Teaching of pupils:

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 pupils:

The teaching in communication, language and literacy and mathematics is very good. It is excellent in personal, social and emotional development.

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Teaching of pupils:

Ten observations of teaching were made during the inspection. In eight of these lessons the teaching was very good. Excellent teaching was observed in the remaining two lessons. Particular strengths in the teaching are the very good knowledge and understanding of this age group and high expectations of what children can do and how they should behave. The school meets the needs of all children very well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum A good range of appropriate activities is provided. Provision for the personal, social and emotional development of the children is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Very good procedures are in place to meet the needs of these children.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The provision for children’s spiritual and cultural development is good. There is very good provision for the children’s social and moral development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Procedures for monitoring the children’s well being are very good. The monitoring of children’s learning is good. The records of learning development could be more effective.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very well with the parents who are extremely satisfied with the curriculum that the school offers to their children. The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very good and make a good contribution to the children’s learning. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the work of the school. The dedicated team of hard working and enthusiastic staff effectively manage the day-to-day routines and procedures. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive of the school and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. Individual governors visit the school to work with the children. They are kept well informed about developments by the headteacher. However, they have little involvement in shaping the direction of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has a very clear view of its work. It knows why it is successful and what aspects need to be further developed. The strategic use of resources The school does not have a delegated budget. However, the resources that are available to the school, from the local

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Aspect Comment

education authority and other sources, are used very well to support learning and promote high standards. The school applies the principles of best value very well in using its resources.

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Aspect Comment

The school makes excellent use of the very good accommodation available. The children use the expansive environmental area around the school building with confidence. The learning that takes place in the outdoor environment is of a high level. However, although the headteacher and all staff patrol the grounds conscientiously when the children are outside, they have serious concerns about the security of the grounds and are seeking help from the local education authority to deal with this issue.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good progress children make and the high standards attained. • The very good attitudes and values that the school promotes. • The links with the parents and the wider community. • The children want to come to school, even at the weekends. • The school’s very good reputation in the community. • No significant concerns were expressed. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The very high quality of teaching and support. • The leadership and management of the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Almost all parents attended the parents’ meetings (two) and therefore the above views are an accurate representation of the opinions of the majority of parents whose children attend the school. The inspectors agree totally with the views of the parents. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 12

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The attainment of all children, across all areas of learning, is high.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1 The children achieve high standards in communication, language and literacy development, mathematics, creative development, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. They attain very high standards in personal, social and emotional development.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2 The children communicate confidently with one another and adults. They express themselves very well in their play activities and they take part in conversations with one another and in larger group situations, taking turns and listening attentively when others are speaking. Very good opportunities are provided for children to take part in role-play situations. For example, the children made very good progress in taking on different characters in the three bears story and when acting out other characters in the puppet theatre. The children enjoy looking at books and talk freely about the illustrations with one another and visitors. Many parents and their children enjoy choosing books from the school library, which has regular opening times. Many children can recognise familiar words and more complex words. During a registration period, the children were able to read the list of activities for the morning, and each child clearly pointed to and read the activity of their

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

choice. Opportunities are provided, across all areas of learning, for children to reinforce their learning of letter names, sounds and word recognition. Very good progress is made when the children apply their previous learning to help them to successfully accomplish new tasks. For example, when putting together an alphabet jigsaw, children were observed singing the alphabet song to help them to identify the next piece of the puzzle. On another occasion, the children used the phonic sound of ‘l’ to suggest words such as ‘lamp-post’, ‘lady bird’ and ‘lobster’. The work on display and in the children’s folders shows that already many children can form letters correctly and some are already beginning to write their own names. In the writing corner, children make their own books, demonstrating their understanding of writing moving from left to right, and the use of pictures to illustrate their writing.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3 In mathematics, children can sort, match, order and count objects. Some children can already count beyond twenty, and opportunities are provided for these children to practise their skills and apply them in different situations. Most children use words such as ‘triangle’, ‘square’, ‘rectangle’, and ‘circle’ to describe the shapes of everyday objects. In a circle time activity, the children made excellent progress in making predictions and deductions about the shapes that the teacher slowly revealed from behind a piece of card. They gave reasoned arguments about what the shape could be, but were also prepared to change their judgements when the shape was fully revealed. This work on shape was reinforced when children use a variety of shapes to produce pictures of aliens for the ‘space room’. The children used a variety of mathematical words to describe their alien. The children are provided with a wealth of opportunities to reinforce their understanding of numbers, as

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

observed at the beginning and end of sessions when number action games are used to signal tidying up time. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 13 4 There are high expectations of the children in their personal and social development and very high standards are achieved. Most of the children are very confident and have established very effective relationships with other children and adults. The less confident are given every support and encouragement to achieve small targets, set for them at appropriate times. In an activity in the three bears home corner, the children were observed making decisions about their roles, which they played out with great conviction, and applying their learning from the previous day, on how to make porridge. They work very well in small and large group situations as well as individually. The very well planned activities often offer exciting and challenging experiences in which the children become totally involved. For example, a

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

pupil, using pens on paper that was placed on a spinning turntable, almost shrieked with excitement at the wonderful, immediate circular pattern that she had produced. In her excitement she continued to experiment with different colours and thickness of pens until she was satisfied with her ‘work of art’. The children move confidently around the large rooms and are not afraid to try out new activities. They work with great interest and enthusiasm and often become totally absorbed. For example, a pupil was observed in the ‘space room’, dressed as a space man and in his moon buggy that he had built with large construction equipment. He was totally in character, talking on his walky-talky and shining his torch to see what he could find. He willingly joined in a conversation about how he had arrived on the moon and what he was hoping to see. The excellent induction process, routines and systems that the staff consistently follow and the very well planned activities that

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

are supported by excellent resources provide the basis for the very high standards attained in the personal, social and emotional development of the children.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5 Evidence from an analysis of the children’s profiles, observations of classes and discussions with the children when working at their activities, shows that high expectations of children of all abilities continue in all other areas of learning. The staff keep very detailed assessment records of what children can and cannot do. These records are used well to plan subsequent work that builds rapidly upon what children already know.

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Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the very good

6 Ten observations of teaching were made during the inspection. In eight of these lessons the teaching was very good. Excellent teaching was observed in the remaining two lessons. The teachers’ very good knowledge of how young people learn is used to very good effect in planning lively, interesting and purposeful activities. The very good resources are used well to support the children in their learning and are chosen carefully to offer inspiration to the children. The result of this is that on many occasions, the children initiate their own learning. For example, children were observed using the resources in the ‘fire station’ play area very imaginatively. They asked visitors to make pretend phone calls to report a fire; they took appropriate action, putting on their suits and helmets and reeling out the hose; and they provided the sound effect of water gushing on to the pretend fire. This was followed by

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Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the very good

a conversation about why the fire had happened and how to be safer in future. The wide varieties of tasks are very well matched to the children’s abilities and needs and all staff are very focussed upon what each pupil needs to learn next. There is a very good balance between new learning and the reinforcement of previous learning. The children are given a Sunny Brow Nursery School - 14 free choice of the activities that they wish to pursue but this choice is well monitored and supported by the staff. Help and guidance for children with special educational needs are supported by very clear procedures that involve individual education plans and regular discussions with parents. Children who are particularly gifted or talented are also identified very quickly and work for them is specially adapted to move them forward in their learning.

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Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the very good

7 The children are familiar with the layout of the nursery. There is a great amount of space on two floors, which is used extremely well to provide a wealth of first-hand experiences. The children enthusiastically explore, experiment and take appropriate risks in practical activities involving, for example, water and sand play, painting, making porridge, listening to stories through earphones, exploring the Moon in the ‘space rocket’ and using a wide variety of outdoor play equipment at play time. The quality of the learning is of the highest standard when, in circle time, the children talk about what they have been doing, what they have enjoyed and, in some cases, what they have learned today.

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Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the very good

8 The planning for teaching and learning is very detailed and follows the recommended curriculum for this foundation stage of learning. All staff work together to produce this planning which ensures that their combined expertise is used to support all the areas of learning at all times. Very clear learning intentions for individual children ensure that the teaching support staff and resources are employed as effectively as they can be.

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Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the very good

9 In many group sessions, the skilful questioning by staff of the children enhances the quality of learning. The questions asked are often searching and encourage the children to make full and detailed responses. For example, during a session when the children were making porridge, the ‘teacher’ constantly encouraged the children to talk about the changes that were taking place as the porridge was being cooked and also to make deductions and respond to questions such as ‘what would happen if?’ Many opportunities are provided for the children to interact in group work. This helps to ensure that social skills are developed to a very high standard.

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Overall, the quality of teaching is very good and contributes significantly to the very good

10 The staff reinforce letter shapes and sounds, and shape and concept of number in all their teaching. This happens, for example, when children sing number action games and when they make three-dimensional pictures using round objects. Children reinforce letter sounds and shape when using jigsaws, or making prints. All learning takes place at a good pace and children never have the time to become disinterested because there is always something new and exciting for them to do.

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

staff. The school is very effectively lead and managed.

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

11 The school is led by a very caring, enthusiastic and innovative headteacher, who is held in very high regard by her colleagues in school and the parents. The school’s mission statement is ‘ to provide a high quality range of services to children and families which will set standards of excellence for children’s development through play, care and education’. The vision in this statement is being realised in the every-day work of the school. Teaching of high quality that attends to the needs of all children across all aspects of Sunny Brow Nursery School - 15 learning is consistently taking place. This makes a very strong contribution to the high standards being attained.

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

12 The headteacher is relatively new to the school, having been in post for just one year. However, during this short time, she has instigated many changes and as the result of a detailed audit, has accurately identified areas for future development in the long and shorter term. Consequently the improvement since the last inspection has been very good.

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

13 The headteacher, who teaches for half of the week, manages the school very efficiently and effectively by involving all staff in the day-to-day management of the very clear routines and procedures. Roles and responsibilities are explicit and the staff work enthusiastically in fulfilling them. Each day’s activities are very thoroughly planned. This planning supports all staff very well in the work that they do with the children and helps to ensure that the teaching and learning are of the highest standard. All the staff are hard working and committed to ensuring that all children receive the best education. This is accomplished through the very good teaching of the well-planned curriculum.

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

14 The governing body is informed about the work of the school and some governors visit the school, to work with the children. These governors are, therefore, fully aware of the work of the school and the high standards expected and achieved. The governors are kept informed, through termly written reports, about the progress of developments and new initiatives. They are not, however, sufficiently involved in the school’s developments at the early planning stage or in making decisions about and questioning how the money provided for resources is to be used. This means that the headteacher often has to make decisions on her own, without the support of a ‘critical friend’.

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

15 The staff work very closely together and regularly evaluate what works well and what needs to be improved. All staff undertake rigorous monitoring of the planned curriculum and how this is taught. The school’s priorities for future development are clearly defined and are an extension of the very good developments already under way. These longer-term developments include becoming a centre of excellence in nursery education, a proposal to include a language unit in the school and the headteacher’s vision to become the first national centre for the outdoor education of pupils in their early years. The school makes excellent use of the funds made available from the local education authority and the extra income generated by the very willing and enthusiastic parents of the children. The identification of the resources needed is directly linked to the school’s priorities for development. The very

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The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of

good provision of resources in the school contributes to the high standards achieved.

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Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour are

significant factors in the very good progress made.

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Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour are

16 Children of all abilities display consistently excellent attitudes to their work and the learning opportunities presented to them. The parents stated clearly at the parents’ meeting with inspectors that their children want to come to school, even at weekends and during holidays. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 16 The children are provided with every opportunity to become independent and take some responsibility for their own learning. The children take advantage of this opportunity by moving confidently around the nursery, from one learning activity to another and by using the resources sensibly and safely and by having care and consideration for one another when working in groups. High quality teaching and activities designed to challenge are successful in motivating children to learn. The children are not afraid to make mistakes, as shown when making predictions in a maths activity linked to their work on shape. They concentrate well

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Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour are

and can sustain their interest and enthusiasm for extended periods of time. Even at this early stage of their education, the children often demonstrate a mature and responsible approach to their work. They enjoy being praised and take pleasure in having their efforts rewarded. They are becoming very efficient at taking responsibility for tidying up at the end of their activities and for dressing and undressing themselves for different aspects of their learning. For example, children were observed moving to the water, sand and painting area, where they put on plastic aprons and rolled up their sleeves before starting their activities. Children are very keen to talk about their work.

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Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour are

17 Children’s behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. They are courteous, and say ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’ often without prompting. They are helpful to one another and to adults. The children know the schools rules and routines well and this contributes to the confident way that they move around the school. The parents appreciate the school’s emphasis on good behaviour and the high expectations of the headteacher and staff.

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Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour are

18 Children’s personal development and all relationships within the school are very effective in supporting the desire to learn and the standards that the children achieve. Children work well together during activities, sharing resources sensibly and taking part in role-play with a respect for the needs and views of their peers.

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Children’s excellent attitudes to learning and their consistently excellent behaviour are

19 Adults provide very good role models in their dealings with each other for how children should behave and treat one another. The children feel valued when they are given jobs to do and they fulfil their responsibilities conscientiously.

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The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a

good contribution to the children’s learning.

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The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a

20 The parents and the local community are very supportive of the school. Their help is greatly valued in the classroom. The parents make very good contributions to the resources for learning, by participating in fund-raising activities and by sharing their own expertise with the children. The aims of the school emphasise the importance of the role of parents and other adults and the desire to form a successful partnership between home and school. The appreciation of the parents for the school’s work is shown in the excellent co-operation and response from them to any initiatives that the school takes on board. The close links with the parents are fostered in the nursery when many routines become an extension of those already begun at home.

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The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a

21 The school keeps the parents well informed about all of its work, including the curriculum. Regular newsletters about important dates and events are sent home. The parents Sunny Brow Nursery School - 17 appreciate having information about forthcoming topics. Many see this as an opportunity to provide extra experiences out of school for their children in preparation for the work in school. Many of the large number of parents attending the pre-inspection meeting, expressed their delight at being able to share their children’s reading books at home, as well as being able to follow up on any learning experiences whenever possible.

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The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a

22 The school welcomes visitors from all walks of life. For example, the fire brigade has recently visited the school, with their fire engine. The children were able to learn about the duties of the firefighter and the high quality of this learning was evident in the way that children played at being firefighters. Other visits have included a visiting artist who worked with the children to produce many examples of weaving using natural fibres. This work is of a very high standard.

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The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a

23 The parents are very appreciative of the way in which the school encourages them to share their own expertise and cultures. For example, parents are often invited into the nursery to share their musical talents; and parents from other cultures visit to demonstrate how to make a variety of different foods. Celebrations of different festivals, such as Chinese New Year, take place. This enhances the children’s understanding that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs.

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The school’s links with the parents and the wider community are very effective and make a

24 The parents are very supportive of the school and this was very evident in the returns of the parent’s questionnaires and the comments at the well-attended parents’ meetings. The overall statement made by the parents at one of the meetings was that Sunny Brow Nursery is an excellent school.

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Governors do not have enough involvement in shaping the direction of the school or in

25 The governing body is very supportive of the school. They are kept well informed about all developments by the headteacher in her termly report to governors. Some governors visit the school informally to work with the children and share their particular expertise. For example, one governor visits the school and plays her flute to accompany the children’s singing. The governors meet as a joint governing body for three nursery schools. Meetings are conducted in accordance with statutory requirements through the local education authority who are recognised as the appropriate authority. Although the headteacher keeps the governors well informed about developments, the governors are not involved in the process of planning for developments. The school does not receive a delegated budget. The local education authority retains the budget centrally. However, funds are provided for the purchase of resources as well as additional funding from a variety of other sources. The

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Governors do not have enough involvement in shaping the direction of the school or in

governing body is not involved in making decisions about how this money is to be used, or in evaluating the use of such money in fulfilling the aims of the school development plan. Consequently, they are not able to use to the full their knowledge about the school and the enthusiasm of those governors who regularly visit. Although the school is being very effectively led and managed, the governors are not fully providing the headteacher with the Sunny Brow Nursery School - 18 support of ‘critical friends’ who can endorse and when necessary challenge her evaluation of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and priorities for development.

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Procedures for recording and reporting children’s achievements are not as effective as

26 The school has very good systems in place for assessing the attainment of the children. Very good records are kept on children’s progress and the information from these records is used very well in planning the next steps in learning. An assessment of the children’s developments in the basic skills is carried out during the first few weeks of the school year. The records produced as a result are very detailed and well used by the staff to plan future learning. However, these records are complex and take valuable weeks to complete. The records are also produced as a written text and take time to read and digest. A new member of staff would find it difficult to gain an immediate overview of the development of any one pupil. A more sharply focussed baseline assessment and a better, streamlined recording system would provide a clearer starting point for the teaching of the children; and provide easier access to essential information on each pupil for all staff.

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Procedures for recording and reporting children’s achievements are not as effective as

27 The school has developed an informative record of achievement profile for each pupil. The parents expressed their pleasure and delight when receiving this at the end of their child’s time at the nursery. This profile records the general development of their child, but with particular focus upon their personal, social and emotional development at school. The profile does not contain details of the pupil’s academic development. Nor does it currently involve the parents in recording aspects of the children’s development at home. Further development of this profile, to include comments and targets set by the school, parent and child would provide a better all-round balanced view of each child and his or her academic and social development.

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Procedures for recording and reporting children’s achievements are not as effective as

28 The headteacher is considering ways of refining the school’s records on the children’s academic development. The information that the school keeps on each pupil is used well to inform the teaching in the nursery school. However, these records are very detailed and not easily accessible for the Reception classes to which children move. It is important that this information is presented in such a way that receiving teachers can readily move children forward in their learning and therefore ensure that the learning process is continuous. Many of the children currently in the nursery will have achieved their learning goals and some will already have begun certain aspects of the national programme of study for five to seven year olds. It is therefore important that the children’s records clearly show this development and the levels that have been attained.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29 The school and the local education authority should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) Involve governors more fully in planning the school’s further development and in evaluating its strengths, weaknesses and priorities; [25]

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii) Develop and implement: Sunny Brow Nursery School - 19 • a clearer system for assessing children’s attainment upon entry; [26]

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• a means of recording this information effectively for each child, so that it can be readily built upon and passed on to the next school; [28]

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• an addition to the children’s profiles that allows parents, children and staff to set individual targets for improvement. [27]

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The numbers in brackets relate to the main paragraphs of this report where these issues are mentioned. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 10 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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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.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 45 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5 Sunny Brow Nursery School - 21

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Teachers and classes Financial information

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Qualified teachers and support staff Financial year 1999

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5 £

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 144,093

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33 Expenditure per pupil --

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Balance brought forward from previous year --

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of pupils per FTE adult 9 Balance carried forward to next year --

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

FTE means full-time equivalent. Sunny Brow Nursery School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 67 28 0 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 79 16 0 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 40 3 3 30

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 47 42 5 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 91 7 0 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 29 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 82 11 2 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 91 7 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 72 23 0 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 57 30 0 0 12

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