Sandbank Nursery School

SANDBANK NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 7 th June 2001

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SANDBANK NURSERY SCHOOL

Short 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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SANDBANK 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. Sandbank Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Elmore Row Bloxwich Walsall West Midlands

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Sue Lemm (Governors are unofficial)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 th October 1997 Sandbank Nursery School - 4

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Team members

8710 Julie Moore Registered inspector 10965 Pat Edwards Lay inspector

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Team members

Arden Inspections University of Warwick Science Park Unit 2, Barclays Venture Centre Sir William Lyons Road Coventry CV4 7EZ

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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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Sandbank 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

Sandbank Nursery School is situated in the centre of Bloxwich, an area where unemployment is high. Children live in a range of housing – high rise flats, council owned properties and a small number of privately owned houses. There are 122 part-time children and six full-time children who attend the nursery, and they are aged from three to four. There is a broadly even number of boys and girls, and most of them are white and of UK origin. Two children do not speak English at home but their spoken English is as good as their classmates. Most children spend one year at the nursery before transferring to a reception class in the nearby primary school. Twelve percent of pupils have been identified as having a special educational need (SEN). One child has serious problems and has a statement of SEN. The nursery is accredited to take children who have enhanced special needs. It is also registered with social services, and it can provide full day care from 8.00am to 6.00pm for

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

children aged two to eight, all the year round. When the children start school most of them are well below average in all areas of their learning. The school aims that every child will reach the highest standards that he or she is capable of achieving in every aspect of school life.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Sandbank Nursery is a very effective school. Its children make very good progress, so that by the time they leave their standards are above average for their age-group. This is because the teaching is very good and the children learn very well. The headteacher’s leadership is excellent. She leads a strong team who are all fully committed to getting the best from their children. The nursery does not have a fully delegated budget, but staff make the best use of the funds they have.

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What the school does well

 Children make very good progress because they are very well taught.  The leadership of the school is excellent and all the staff work together as a very effective team.  Staff provide an exciting and challenging curriculum.  The provision for children with special educational needs is very good.

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What could be improved

 Some members of the voluntary management committee (governors) have had very little training to help them to fulfil their role well.

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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 school was last inspected three and a half years ago in 1997. There were no significant weaknesses for the school to address. Nevertheless it has not stood still, and continues to strive to do even better. Very good progress has been made since the previous inspection. Areas that were judged to be good at the last inspection are now very good, for example the quality of teaching and the provision for children with SEN. Standards have also risen, especially since the children work for part of the session with children of similar capabilities. This means that a greater percentage of children achieve higher standards all round. Another area of improvement is the effective way that the school monitors and evaluates how well it is doing. This means that areas for improvement are speedily identified so that appropriate support can be put in place quickly. Sandbank Nursery School - 7

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STANDARDS

When the children start school their attainment is well below average. They make very good progress and most of them reach above average standards for their age in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical and creative development, by the time they leave the nursery. The children are well on course to exceed the national targets for their age 1 in these areas of learning by the end of their reception year. In the other areas of learning; communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development, the children reach average standards. They are expected to reach the targets for their age at the end of the reception year.

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STANDARDS

Language and literacy skills are broadly average for the age group. The children listen carefully when talking to each other or to their group. Most of them ask and answer questions using sentences. Books are enjoyed, and the children enjoy listening to stories, looking at pictures and browsing through books. Basic literacy skills develop well. Most children recognise their name and some are capable of writing their name accurately and legibly. Pencils are held effectively, and the more capable children attempt to write by themselves. Mathematical development is also average, with standards around the expectations for the age group. Children recognise and understand numbers to 5 and the more capable children can count to 10 accurately. They know the names of simple shapes such as circle and square.

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STANDARDS

Children of all capabilities make the best possible progress, because they have very good teaching. Children with special educational needs make very good progress, like their classmates, because of the high quality of provision made for them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. The children have very positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to learn; they listen carefully to their teachers and they want to do well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Very good. Children are considerate and helpful when they are in the classrooms and when they are playing or working outside.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Children get on well together. They act sensibly and they are independent. Relationships with adults and with each other are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Children attend regularly and they are punctual.

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Teaching of pupils:

Sessions seen overall Very good 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:

Teaching is very good. One of the main strengths of the school is the consistently high quality of the teaching, which means that children of all capabilities, including those with special educational needs, make the best progress. During the inspection 88 percent of lessons were very good, and the remainder were good. There are a number of reasons for this. Staff are very secure in their knowledge

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Teaching of pupils:

1 Early Learning Goals Sandbank Nursery School - 8 of the curriculum, and they know the best ways to encourage young children to learn. Great emphasis is placed on the children’s personal, social and emotional development, and this underpins all of the school’s work. Children behave calmly and they concentrate for long periods of time. They are totally absorbed in their tasks when they are working independently or in a larger group. Social skills and good manners, such as saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’, are expected, and the children rise to these expectations.

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Teaching of pupils:

Alongside this, basic literacy and numeracy skills are very well taught. No opportunities are missed to extend the children’s vocabulary in the course of many activities. A love of books is nurtured. Skills such as holding a pencil correctly, and forming letters to write their name accurately, are effectively developed. When they start school the children have very little knowledge and understanding of number. Very good teaching, alongside a strong focus on using and developing number across the entire curriculum, means that the children’s progress accelerates rapidly. On occasions, the very youngest children do not have quite enough time to put forward their ideas in small group time. When this happens, their learning is not as effective as it could be.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum is broad, balanced and lively. Interesting and challenging indoor and outdoor activities are firmly based on the ‘stepping stones’ 2 for learning. Visitors to the nursery and visits to places of interest make an important contribution to the children’s learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children with special educational needs Very good. The school makes very good provision for these children, and they make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Spiritual development is well promoted and the children are fully aware of the wonderful world about them. They know what is right and what is wrong, and they learn about their own and other cultures. Children co-operate together very well, they take turns and they are polite towards each other.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its children Very good. Staff are very responsive to the needs of children and they take very good care of everyone. The safety and the welfare arrangements for the children are very good, as are the school’s arrangements for child protection.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher and her team work together very effectively for the benefit of the children in their care. Everyone is determined that the school will do well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities There is a group of volunteer managers who provide valuable general support, help and guidance. The group is new, and has been gathered together by the headteacher. They have had little training to help them in their new roles, and this is a disadvantage.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

2 ‘Stepping stones’ identify what the children in nurseries and reception classes are expected to learn. Sandbank Nursery School - 9 The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school analyses the data available and monitors the progress of its children at regular intervals. Weaknesses are quickly acted upon and extra support provided.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school has very limited funds available. These are managed very well and the principles of best value are consistently applied.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 Their children like coming to school very much and they make good progress.  Behaviour is good.  Teaching is good.  They are very comfortable about approaching the school.  The school is well led and managed.  Many of them do not know enough about homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. A number of parents do not consider that the ‘Book Sacks’ are homework. This initiative involves choosing and taking a book home, along with a visual aid for the children to play with at home. Inspectors feel that the ‘Book Sacks’ have a very positive impact on the children’s love of books and reading.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The school has very good relationships with parents and carers, who are genuinely welcomed and encouraged to be involved in the work of the school. Sandbank Nursery School - 10

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Children make very good progress because they are very well taught.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. There are many strengths to the work of Sandbank Nursery. One of the main ones is the amount of progress made by all groups of children, whatever their capabilities. This is because the teaching is very good; an improvement since the last inspection when it was good. Standards have also improved. There are now more children with special educational needs than there were at the last inspection because the nursery is now accredited to take children who have enhanced special educational needs.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. When they start at the nursery most children have well below average standards in all areas of their learning 3 . They make very good progress, so that by the time they leave, when they are four, their attainment is above average in personal, social and emotional development, listening, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. They are on course to exceed their targets in these areas by the time they leave their reception class. Attainment is average in speaking, reading, writing and mathematical development, and in these areas the children are on course to reach their targets. Children with special educational needs make very good progress, like their classmates.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Children are interested in a wide range of activities and they are keen to learn. Their concentration is good. When they start school the children find it difficult to concentrate for very long. Teachers plan activities that are interesting and exciting, relationships are very good, and the children’s attention rapidly improves. In one activity the children were observing snails. They were excited by the appearance of the adult snails; eagerly using the hand lens to look in more detail at the snails’ antennae and their shells, and watching them eat and move with sustained concentration. Their teacher asked them a range of questions, so that their learning was extended successfully. Children are relaxed and purposeful when working on their own, looking at a picture book, or working independently on the computer. They have a real sense of achievement when they complete an activity, as when they complete their printing, or when their cakes are baked and

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Teaching in this area of personal, social and emotional development is very good; social training has a very high priority in the nursery because the children’s starting points are very low indeed. Snack time and planning sessions are genuinely shared experiences for the staff and the children. In one discussion the children chose their piece of fruit carefully, either a piece of apple or a piece of banana. One boy explained to his neighbour that if he had a piece of banana there would be three bits left. His teacher then helped the rest of the group to count back to zero, which they did enthusiastically. This activity helped all the children to think about sharing the fruit fairly, so that no-one was left out at the end. All the children used ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’ as a matter of course; they listened intently to each other’s choice of activity, frequently referring to something that happened on a previous occasion. Staff are very adept at identifying and expanding these

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

opportunities where the children listen, and take account of what others are saying. The more capable children are beginning to link past happenings with current events successfully. Teachers take every opportunity to make sure that the children are aware of each other’s feelings. There are many well-planned opportunities for the children to develop their personal identity and to learn to respect others. This rapidly improves their self-confidence and their self-esteem.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. From a very low starting point in communication, language and literacy, the children make very good progress through the ‘stepping stones’, towards the Early Learning Goals. Most are reaching an average level for the age-group in communicating and speaking, and in their understanding of reading and writing. Their listening skills are above average. In one session at the end of the afternoon the nursery nurse had a soft toy – a baby tiger – to help the children to listen attentively. They shared their afternoon experiences with their classmates, trying really hard to speak in sentences, and listening attentively to the questions asked by the other children. The baby tiger

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3 Areas of learning is the name given to the different parts of the curriculum followed by nursery and reception aged children. The whole curriculum is called the Foundation Stage Sandbank Nursery School - 11 also ‘listened very carefully’, with everyone being especially solicitous so that he could ‘hear the questions’. Children were encouraged to make eye contact with each other, when they were speaking or listening. They did this successfully, and as a matter of course they included the baby tiger, who was obviously one of the group.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. The teaching of communication, speaking and listening is very good, and these skills are given high priority. Children are always encouraged to express their ideas in small or large groups. They confidently make suggestions or offer explanations in their small groups about why the weather is warm and sunny, or cold and sunny. Children talk freely to each other and to visitors. The local Methodist minister visited to take a short assembly. The children were eager to explain some of the differences between the animals and birds on his colourful posters, talking clearly and listening in the larger group. On one occasion one or two of the very youngest children needed a little more time to put forward their ideas. When this happened their learning slowed because the lesson moved on.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Literacy skills develop well and the children achieve standards that are in line with others in this age-group. There is a good consistency to the teaching, and this helps the children to learn effectively and to progress very well. Language and literacy underpin all of the activities in the nursery, and no opportunities are missed to extend the children’s skills both at school and at home. Parents are fully involved through the ‘Book Sack’ initiative. Books are chosen to take home in an attractive ‘sack’. As well as the book there is a toy or game to encourage interest and to extend learning. This is a hugely successful initiative, and, alongside the very good teaching, is one of the main reasons that children progress as well as they do. Staff work closely with parents, giving them guidance about the books and games, so that they are effective at supporting their child’s learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. After nearly three terms in the school most children can now recognise their name on a flash card, and many of them pick out the names of their friends as well. Around two thirds of the children know the first letter of their name, and some of the more capable children recognise other letters by name and sound. When they start in the nursery most children have very little knowledge about books, reading and writing. Very good planning, that is linked to accurate assessments, as well as very good teaching, means that children’s progress speeds up and accelerates rapidly during the year. Books, poems, songs and stories are enjoyed now, and many children choose to spend time browsing through books. Most children, including the very youngest, know the terms ‘title’, and ‘author’, and the most capable children are able to guess what the book is about when they look at the cover illustration. All the staff make very good use of songs and singing to encourage learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

In one example the nursery nurse sang ‘Wibbly, wobbly Brian, an elephant sat on (child’s name that rhymed)’. The child responded by singing ‘Wibbly, wobbly Shaun, an elephant sat on Dawn’ 4 , without losing the beat of the song, but also identifying a correct rhyming word.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. All the children, including those with special educational needs, hold their books the right way up, start at the front and turn the pages one at a time. They know that text is different from pictures, and the most capable children know where to start reading on a page. The others are not too sure about this. Many of the four-year-olds make the connection between words around the classroom and the school, their names that they write and recognise, and the print in books.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. Children draw and paint with great enjoyment, and there are many examples in the nursery. Their pictures are recognisable and most children attempt to write their own names. More capable children can do this well, forming their letters accurately. Other children write their first name with some correct letters, mixed with ‘pretend’ letters. Writing and mark making are used extensively in play. Children in the vet hospital were writing notes about the animals’ illnesses and keeping a ‘record’ of telephone calls. Paintings of their pets, alongside the children’s names and their pets’ names, made a stimulating display in the hospital. The children are always taught to hold their pencil or writing implement effectively; many of them do this when they are playing informally or when they are working with an adult at a tracing or writing activity. When a group of children were writing party invitations all of them held their felt pen or pencil effectively. This was expected by the

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

nursery nurse, and the children rose to her expectations.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4 Not the children’s real names. Sandbank Nursery School - 12 11. Children make very good progress in their mathematical development. Starting points are very low indeed, but when the children leave Sandbank nursery their attainment is at least in line with expectations for the age group.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. A small group of the youngest and least mature children have difficulty counting more than two or three objects correctly. However, even those with significant special educational needs can match one-to-one, for example when placing the paintbrushes in the paint pots. One child with special educational needs was able to use the mouse on the computer to match objects successfully. The rest of the children count objects reliably to at least five and the more capable count correctly up to ten objects or more. The most capable children know ‘one more’ and ‘one less than’ up to ten, and this is reinforced by favourite number rhymes, singing games and songs. Many more children use language such as ‘more’ and ‘less’ in their day-to-day activities, as when they are working with building blocks or throwing their beanbags into the ‘jim-jam’ hole in their game outside. In one ‘lotto’ type activity using a dice and a board with cakes, the children readily recognised how many

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

‘dots’ were on each cake and correctly matched these with the numbers they rolled on the dice. Many other children count to 20 or more, especially when supported in a group. They become accustomed to numbers greater than ten as part of their regular group activities. In a practical context, such as putting their shoes together, the children are beginning to understand that two make a pair. The children have been taught the term ‘zero’ and most use it correctly.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. Shapes and patterns are developed very well in many activities throughout the nursery. In one activity the children were making jam sandwiches. This was linked to the story Pass the Jam, Jim . The nursery nurse focused on the shape of the slices of bread – circles or squares – successfully questioning the children about how many corners the different shapes have. This helped her to gain an insight into their understanding of the properties of the two shapes. Most of the older children were confident when talking about the names of the shapes and the differences between the squares and the circles. Younger children were less sure about this but they recognised circles and squares, and some of them were able to match and name them. Solid shapes are less well known by most children, but all of them know what a straight line means. They use ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’ correctly when positioning their trikes or when lining up to go outside.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

14. The school is very well managed and the headteacher provides excellent leadership. She has a clear sense of the direction of the school, and a strong staff ably supports her. Everyone, including parents, shares the headteacher’s vision for the school and they all work together very well indeed.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

15. The very strong team spirit is a key factor in the school’s success. This is due to the leadership qualities of the headteacher. She has the ability to enthuse, support, guide and encourage everyone connected with the school, so that they have a unified purpose. The school’s ethos is very caring and very supportive. Children have a range of different experiences when they start at Sandbank nursery. Individual needs are expertly assessed and analysed, and detailed programmes of work planned. The school’s main aim is to ensure that all the children in its care reach the highest standards they are capable of achieving – it is successful in this aim.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

16. The high standards reached at the last inspection have been maintained and improved. The old saying ‘ Good, better, best, may I never rest, until my good is better and my better, best’, is quoted by the headteacher as her own motto. The phrase accurately sums up the school’s approach to its work as well. Targets are set, and progress towards reaching the targets is carefully monitored and evaluated. Teaching has improved from good to very good, and the provision for children with special educational needs is now very good. A committed team, that follow a whole school approach to teaching and learning, has brought about these improvements. Teaching and learning are effectively monitored by the headteacher, with subsequent action taken to maintain the strengths and improve on weaknesses.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

17. There are no governors as such, but the headteacher has brought together a group of people who are interested in the work of the school, and want to support and help its work. This group is at a very early stage in its formation, and has only had a very small number of meetings so far. However, there is a wealth of expertise in the group and some members are already visiting the Sandbank Nursery School - 13 school and familiarising themselves with its work. As yet they have had no training to support their development, and this requires attention.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

18. The school does not have a delegated budget as such, but it does make the very best use of the limited funds that are available to it. Funds are well managed and the principles of best value are always applied. Curriculum priorities are decided following a full annual evaluation of the school’s work, alongside consultation with staff and other interested groups. The budget at the school’s disposal is carefully matched to its priorities, staff training needs are identified and the school development plan is drawn together successfully. Additional grants, to support children with special educational needs, or to improve the outdoor areas, are used well. Children with special educational needs make very good progress, and the rolling programme of outdoor improvements enhances the curriculum for everyone.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

The staff provide an exciting and challenging curriculum.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

19. The indoor and outdoor curricula provided for the children are very good. They are rich and vibrant, creating a learning environment that is broad and balanced, as well as being relevant to the children’s needs. Tasks are planned on the teachers’ earlier assessments of what the children know, understand and can do. They are firmly based on the ‘stepping stones for learning’ for the age group, and are well matched to the children’s capabilities.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

20. A very good feature of the teachers’ planning is the way in which planned work links the different curricular areas together. This really helps the children to make connections between the different areas of learning. Early literacy and numeracy skills are very well planned and taught, and the entire curriculum is rich in opportunities for children to use their spoken language effectively. A group of older children was designing and printing a large tablecloth to use on a picnic. Each child planned the design they were going to print. Phrases such as ‘bigger than’, ‘smaller than’, were used accurately by the children when they were comparing the relative size of their design with the large tablecloth. In another example, one little girl said ‘I want to make a snail model’, when deciding what to make with her clay. The nursery nurse took the opportunity to remind the group about the snails they had observed the previous day, highlighting the patterns on the shells, their

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

antennae, and the contrast between the snails’ hard shells and their soft bodies. All of these experiences help the children to make better sense of their learning, making understanding easier for them.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

21. Children have the opportunity to play musical instruments, and they regularly sing and dance. Creative activities are really enjoyed, and there are many good examples throughout the nursery of the children’s painting, printing, and two and three-dimensional work. Some work has been completed individually, other work is done as part of a large group. The children benefit from working with different materials on different sized areas – large and small, because this helps them to develop an effective awareness of space and size. Staff are very knowledgeable about the most effective ways to encourage very young children to learn. They use their knowledge very well to plan a curriculum that is challenging and interesting for the children, encouraging them to want to learn. They are successful.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

22. The nursery has many visitors, and the children go out of school regularly to visit a range of places. A visiting potter works with the children, and story-tellers and other artists visit at regular intervals. Children, staff and parents enjoy visits to places of interest. These activities are open to all the children, making a valuable contribution to their learning.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

23. The provision for the children’s personal development, as well as their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good – as it was at the last inspection. Right from the start the children are encouraged to feel confident and secure. Their self-confidence and independence are successfully nurtured and developed by all the staff, whether the children are working or playing. Spiritual development shines through when the children see the pattern on the snail’s shell. They observe carefully, concentrating hard as they look through the hand lens at the lovely pattern. Children are taught right from wrong, and they are very clear about this. Social and moral development go hand in hand as the children learn how to behave acceptably, to take turns and to work together co-operatively. Cultural development takes place through many activities. Children learn about their own and others’ cultural heritage when sing nursery rhymes and are told

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

traditional stories, and when they visit the Mosque. Sandbank Nursery School - 14 24. The entire curriculum is accessible to all the children, and there is full equality of opportunity. All the children, including those with special educational needs and the higher attainers, make very good progress. Great care is taken to ensure that all the children, irrespective of their age, gender, ethnicity or ability, can access the curriculum successfully at the right level for them.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

The provision for children with special educational needs is very good.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

25. This is an improvement since the last inspection when the provision for children with special educational needs was good. There has been another change, and the nursery is now accredited to have children who have enhanced special educational needs.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

26. There are clear, well written policies which effectively support the staff in planning, implementing and assessing the work and progress of children with special educational needs. Staff are well trained, and they work together very well on assessing and planning the children’s work. Records and assessments are detailed and thorough, enabling tasks to be pitched at the right levels for the children.

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The leadership of the school is excellent, and all the staff work together as a very effective

27. All the staff have high expectations of what the children are capable of achieving. The children rise to the challenges to learn effectively, to be independent, and to achieve as well as they can. Very good progress is made. Staff know their children well, and they use a wide range of teaching strategies so that pupils with special educational needs make the best possible progress. Tasks are at the right levels, challenges are set and the children get the extra support that enables them to succeed. The children in the nursery are very supportive of their classmates with special educational needs, and they relate to them in exactly the same way they relate to anyone else in the classroom.

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Some members of the voluntary management committee (governors) have had very little

training to help them to help them to fulfil their role effectively.

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Some members of the voluntary management committee (governors) have had very little

28. The school has no governing body, and this is a handicap. It leaves a gap in the external support available and in accountability. It has already been mentioned earlier in this report that the headteacher has gathered together a group of interested people who want to support and guide the work of school. Everyone is very willing to be involved; some members of the group have previously been school governors, others have a range of skills and expertise that they bring to their role of critical friend.

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Some members of the voluntary management committee (governors) have had very little

29. A start has been made by electing a chairman, and having specific areas of responsibility for each member of the management committee. Meetings have been held. What the group lacks is specific training on how they can increase their overall effectiveness.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

30. This already successful school has few areas for development. The only one is to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Provide appropriate training for the group of volunteer managers so that they can fulfil their role well. Sandbank Nursery School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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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

0 88 12 0 0 0 0 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

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 6 full-time

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 5 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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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 2

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Attendance

School data N/A School data N/A Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sandbank Nursery School - 16

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff Financial year 2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 33:1 £

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 186855

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 162 Expenditure per pupil N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year -9290

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 11.2 Balance carried forward to next year -1752 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

The local education authority has the responsibility for much of the school’s budget. The school has a non-delegated budget but is responsible for capitation, school fund and standards fund. The deficit is due to staffing issues that are outside the school’s control. Sandbank Nursery School - 17

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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. 84 15 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 74 25 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 28 5 0 40

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 72 19 9 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 91 9 0 0 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. 62 32 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 74 24 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 88 11 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 83 16 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 63 27 3 0 7

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents who were present at the meeting were very satisfied with the education their children receive at Sandbank Nursery School.

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