Madeley Nursery School

MADELEY NURSERY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Alison M. Cartlidge OIN23609

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MADELEY NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 29 th May 2002

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MADELEY NURSERY SCHOOL

Full 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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MADELEY 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. Madeley Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bridle Road Madeley Telford Shropshire

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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: Mr. N. Blinston

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1998 Madeley Nursery School - 4

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responsibilities

23609 Alison M. Cartlidge Registered inspector Communication, language and literacy Knowledge and understanding of the world Creative development Equal Opportunities The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

9895 Roger Williams Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 23239 Mike Capper Team inspector Personal, social and emotional development Mathematical development Physical development Special Educational needs Pupils’ Attitudes, Values and Personal development How well are pupils’ taught? How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Barron Educational Company Limited Hendre, Loudwater Lane Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 4AN 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: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Madeley 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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the town of Telford in Shropshire. It is of average size for a nursery, with 88 children between the ages of three and four attending part time for either morning or afternoon sessions. Children are taught in two groups at the start and end of each session and work individually at other times. They come from the local area and represent a wide range of social backgrounds. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly average. The school admits children at the age of three, at an earlier age than at the time of the last inspection. Most children stay at the school for a year. Eleven per cent of the children have special educational needs and one child has a statement of special educational need. No children have English as an additional language. The numbers of children with special educational needs and English as an additional language are below average for the country.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Madeley Nursery is a very good school. Children achieve well in all areas of learning and attain exceptionally high standards in personal, social and emotional development. The headteacher and other members of staff share a very clear vision for the educational direction of the school and provide a very good curriculum. The quality of teaching is very good overall, with the best teaching occurring when members of staff support children in the activities they have chosen for themselves. The school is not responsible for managing its own budget.

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What the school does well

• Children attain excellent standards in personal, social and emotional development and their attitudes towards school are exemplary. • Children achieve well in all areas of learning. • Very good teaching ensures that children’s differing needs are almost always met very well. • Support for children with special educational needs is very good. • Members of staff work together very effectively and the school is very well led and managed. • The school’s links with parents are very effective. • There is a very broad, stimulating and relevant curriculum.

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What could be improved

• The needs of higher attaining children are not always met effectively when children are being taught in a large group. 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 has made good progress since the last inspection in 1998. The children’s standards of attainment have improved in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development and they make better progress in these areas of learning. Good standards have been maintained in communication, language and literacy and creative development since the last inspection. The curriculum is now planned very effectively and members of staff use their knowledge of the children’s prior attainment well when planning activities. Children with special educational needs are supported very well and procedures for assessing children’s attainment and progress have improved. Madeley Nursery School - 7

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STANDARDS

By the time they leave the school, children’s attainment is good and on target to exceed the national expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage in all areas of learning. Their attainment is exceptionally high in personal, social and emotional development where they make excellent progress. Their relationships with adults and each other are extremely advanced for their ages and they show very high levels of independence, confidence and the ability to take the initiative in their learning.

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STANDARDS

In communication, language and literacy, children make good progress overall, with their speaking skills being very well developed. They speak clearly and confidently in a range of situations, demonstrating a wide vocabulary. Children make good progress in mathematical development. They have a good knowledge of shape and counting and achieve well.

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STANDARDS

In knowledge and understanding of the world children make good progress and achieve well. They show curiosity in exploring materials and living things and gain a good understanding of the world around them including the use of information and communication technology.

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STANDARDS

Children make very good progress in physical development where they show good co-ordination, balancing skills and the ability to manipulate and control a wide range of simple tools. In creative development children make very good progress and achieve very well. They experiment effectively with a range of materials and colours and sing tunefully.

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STANDARDS

Children with special educational needs are very well supported and make very good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. Whilst higher attaining children make good progress overall, they do not always make enough progress when working in larger groups when teaching sometimes provides them with insufficient challenge.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Children are extremely happy and enthusiastic. They enjoy learning and are willing to try new activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Very good. Children behave very sensibly, are polite and tolerate each other well.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Children show high levels of independence and are calm and responsible. They work exceptionally well with adults and each other.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Children are keen to come to school and absences are largely due to illness. Children arrive promptly at the start of sessions. Madeley Nursery School - 8

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Teaching of pupils:

Quality of teaching 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:

The quality of teaching is very good overall. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs, learn well. The teaching of personal, social and emotional development, physical development and creative development is very good. The teaching of communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and creative development is good. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught well. Members of staff are very calm and caring and their management of children’s behaviour is excellent. They have high expectations, helping children to become very confident and ensuring that they are very keen to learn about new things.

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Teaching of pupils:

Members of staff have a very good understanding of the early years’ curriculum and they plan activities in great detail, adjusting them from day to day so that they reflect the needs and interests of individual children. Activities are imaginative, motivating and enjoyable. They are very well resourced, with information and communication technology used effectively to support learning. When children are working independently, very skilful adult intervention and challenging questioning encourages them to think carefully about what they are doing and extends their knowledge. Members of staff are very resourceful in the way that they respond to children’s needs, making very good use of ongoing assessments of children’s attainment to identify what needs to be taught next.

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Teaching of pupils:

Teaching is less effective during large group times. The size of these groups results in members of staff having to make compromises about meeting the needs of children of differing age or ability. This means that, on occasions, opportunities to extend the learning of higher attaining or older children are missed.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. A very broad, balanced and stimulating curriculum is very successfully adapted to suit children’s individual interests. The outdoor area is used very well to extend learning across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children with special educational needs Very good. Detailed individual education plans are used very effectively to support children’s learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Members of staff have very high expectations of behaviour and there are outstanding opportunities for children to develop socially by learning to collaborate and trust each other. Children have good opportunities to share their feelings and ideas with adults.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its children Very good. Members of staff have a very good understanding of children’s academic and social needs and provide a very safe and caring environment.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a very strong partnership with parents and members of staff have established high levels of mutual respect and trust with parents. Madeley Nursery School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has very high expectations for the standards and work of the school and has established a very strong team of teachers, nursery nurses and other members of staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are very supportive and have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The curriculum is monitored effectively. However, the school does not always evaluate the effectiveness of developments on raising standards.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes effective use of available funds and applies the principles of best value when purchasing equipment and services.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a suitable number of well-trained and experienced teachers and nursery nurses. Accommodation at the school is satisfactory overall, with good facilities outside but shortages of space inside the building. There are suitable plans to extend the building in the near future. There is a good number of good quality learning resources.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Members of staff are approachable. • Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • Children make good progress. • Children like school. • The school works closely with parents. • Effectiveness of large group times.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive and negative views. Madeley Nursery School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. By the time they leave the nursery in the term before they become five years old, children’s attainment is good overall and on target to exceed the national expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage in all areas of learning. Attainment and progress in personal, social and emotional development are excellent. Children make at least good progress in other areas of learning. Overall, children’s attainment and progress have improved since the last inspection when they were good in communication, language and literacy and creative development and satisfactory in other areas of learning. Parents are very pleased with the standards their children achieve.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children make excellent progress in personal, social and emotional development. Their relationships with adults and each other are extremely advanced for their ages and they show very high levels of independence, confidence and the ability to take the initiative in their learning. They have a very clear understanding of the school’s rules and show great maturity in resolving their own personal difficulties. The children are exceptionally enthusiastic learners with very good levels of concentration, especially when they are working at activities they have chosen for themselves. Parents are particularly pleased with the social skills their children develop and the way they gain confidence and independence.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In communication, language and literacy, children achieve well and make good progress overall, with their speaking skills being very well developed. They speak clearly and confidently in a range of situations, demonstrating a wide vocabulary. They are keen to ask each other and adults questions about new situations and experiences. Children enjoy sharing books with each other and show confidence when making marks on paper as part of their play. Whilst children listen well when working in small groups their attention sometimes wanders when the group is too large for the needs of all children to be met successfully. Parents are very impressed with the way children’s conversational skills improve during their time at the nursery.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children have a good knowledge of shape and counting and make good progress in mathematical development. They demonstrate a wide knowledge of mathematical terms and positional vocabulary such as ‘larger’, ‘taller’ and ‘underneath’.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In knowledge and understanding of the world children achieve well and make good progress. They show curiosity in exploring materials and living things and gain a good understanding of the world around them including the use of information and communication technology, a weakness at the time of the last inspection. They know the names of a wide range of colours and parts of the human body.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Children make very good progress in physical development where they show good co-ordination, balancing skills and the ability to manipulate and control a wide range of simple tools. At the time of the last inspection, children made insufficient progress in climbing and balancing due to weaknesses in planning for the subject.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In creative development children achieve very well and make very good progress. They experiment effectively with a range of materials and colours and sing tunefully.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Children with special educational needs are very well supported and make very good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. At the time of the last inspection, children with special educational needs made satisfactory progress. Most parents with children with special educational needs are pleased with the way their children are supported at school. Whilst higher attaining children make good progress overall, they do not always make enough progress when working in larger groups when teaching sometimes provides them with insufficient challenge. Madeley Nursery School - 11

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Children are very well behaved and have excellent attitudes to their work. This makes a very positive contribution to their learning. They work very hard, develop very high levels of self-esteem and become secure and confident individuals.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. All children, including those with special educational needs, are exceptionally happy, enthusiastic and secure at school. Children’s attitudes have improved greatly since the last inspection when they were found to be good. Children love to come to school and the settling in process for each child is tailored sensitively to his or her needs. Parents and carers stay as long as they wish at the beginning of the school session, and this gives children a confident start to the day. Children quickly become engrossed in their work, normally staying on the same activity until it is time for registration and to plan their work for the rest of the morning or afternoon. Children always try hard, wherever they are working. They concentrate well, persevere with tasks and select resources carefully.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The behaviour of the children is very good, whether working indoors or out. This too has improved since the last inspection when it was judged to be good. All members of staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently and sensitively, and pupils quickly learn the simple rules they are expected to follow. For such young children, the almost total lack of conflict and selfish behaviour is remarkable and a credit to the school. Children are encouraged to think about the effects of their behaviour on each other, and show a great willingness to ‘give and take’ if minor conflicts arise. For example, when two children both wanted to play on the same tricycle, a member of staff talked to them about how important it is to take turns and not be selfish. With this support, the two children reached a very amicable compromise with a sand-timer being used to make sure that both had a fair turn. Children are polite to each other and are very courteous and welcoming to visitors. They treat

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

their school and each other’s property with care. Members of staff set very high expectations in this area and children respond very well to this. Their willingness to tidy-up one activity before moving on to another is exemplary and is based on a very good understanding of why it is helpful to do this. Children remind each other of the need to do this, if one of them forgets.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Very occasionally, a few younger pupils or children with emotional and behavioural difficulties are inattentive and lose concentration. They are given every opportunity to take part in all activities and are given extra support during group times to ensure that they are able to participate fully in the session. Members of staff ensure that the effect of any inattention on others is minimal and that strategies to improve behaviour are applied in accordance with their individual educational plans. This consistently applied strategy was seen to work particularly well with one child, whose concentration span improved considerably over the period of the inspection. However, the requirement to deal with such behaviour, individually, does make heavy demands on a member of staff.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The children’s personal development and relationships with others are excellent. There has been an improvement since the last inspection, when they were judged to be good. Even the youngest pupils co-operate with each other unselfishly and understand the need to wait patiently for their turn. They have learned to trust the staff and each other and show great mutual respect. This was made clear during the face-painting activity, when they allowed their partner to paint their faces. Children show very high levels of independence. Members of staff ensure that children feel secure and valued. They encourage them to think about what they are doing and to take the initiative and show responsibility when working. Children listen carefully at planning time to the range of activities on offer and use their initiative in choosing activities and finding the right resources. They show pride when completing tasks successfully. However, children have fewer opportunities to share or

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

evaluate their work with each other, although they do this daily with members of staff.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Children develop very good confidence and play happily with each other regardless of age, race or gender. In role-play, children listen to each other and accept each other’s ideas. Madeley Nursery School - 12 15. Attendance at the school is good. Children like school and are very keen to attend. Punctuality has improved since the last inspection and absences are normally due to illness. There is a very efficient ‘rolling start’ to the day with registers completed approximately ten minutes after the appointed start time. This allows parents with children at other schools to take them elsewhere first. The time before registration is used effectively with children choosing from a range of activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching is very good overall. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs, learn very well. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and is good in ninety-six per cent of lessons, with 1 in 4 lessons being very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching is very good in personal, social and emotional development, creative development and physical development and good in communication language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of personal, social and emotional development is a particular strength. Members of staff take every opportunity to reinforce positive attitudes towards learning. Activities are fun and this means that children are very keen to participate in whatever has been planned for each day. Members of staff work very hard to help children develop self-esteem and independence. This leads to children being very happy and secure at school. It gives them the confidence to try out new activities without fear of failure and helps them to develop outstanding social skills for their ages.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Members of staff are very calm and caring and their management of children’s behaviour is excellent. They have very high expectations of how children should behave and respond to each other. Teachers and nursery nurses give children many opportunities to work co-operatively. There is a very high level of trust between everyone in the nursery. Children know exactly what members of staff expect of them and are keen to please. They take turns and share fairly, help each other when required and trust each other completely.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Members of staff have a very good understanding of the early years’ curriculum and their planning of activities is a very good strength of the school’s work. Teachers and nursery nurses plan activities in great detail, adjusting them from day to day, so that they reflect the needs and interests of individual children. Members of staff are very resourceful in the way that they respond to children’s needs, making very good use of ongoing assessments to identify what children need to learn next. This information then influences planning which takes place at daily meetings at the end of each session, with all members of staff contributing fully to discussions. This was seen to good effect in the way that staff adapted a role play task to make it more inviting to a group of boys who were showing little interest. A teacher had noticed that these boys were fascinated by the way that water was flowing down the roof of an outside cover. They then adapted a role-play activity that used sand

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

by collecting rainwater, and letting the boys work with this water. This was very effective, with some boys staying on task for a whole session as they experimented with the rainwater, making different sorts of water/sand mixtures and looking at things that were floating or sinking.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught well. The times when children gather together into two large groups are used appropriately to introduce basic counting skills and to give opportunities to share books, practise writing and speak and listen to each other. This means that key skills are constantly being reinforced and has a good impact on learning. However, at these times, the two groups are too large and so members of staff have to make compromises in meeting the needs of children of differing age or ability. This means that, on occasions, opportunities to extend the learning of higher attaining or older children are missed. For example, children ‘plan’ where they are going to work at the start of each session, but these skills are not extended further for older children. Similarly, basic number skills are introduced well but are not always developed fully because of the need to ‘move on’ quickly. Nevertheless, children make good progress in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

communication, language and literacy and mathematical development because of the effective way Madeley Nursery School - 13 that teachers reinforce skills throughout the day, drawing on the children’s own interests. For example, a member of staff introduced children to different sorts of positional language when they were drawing a ‘track’ for tricycle riding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Activities are very well resourced, with information and communication technology (ICT) used effectively to support learning. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Children use the computers for a variety of daily tasks such as reading words, counting numbers and drawing simple pictures. Members of staff make good use of ICT as a tool for their daily work. For example, digital cameras are used very effectively to record children’s progress and to build up individual portfolios.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. When children are working independently, adults intervene skilfully and ask challenging questions to encourage children to think carefully about what they are doing and extend their knowledge. For example, when working with water, questioning such as ‘why has the wood bark stayed on top of the water?’ helped children to begin to think about things that float or sink. Similarly, a nursery nurse supported children working in the role-play area, encouraging children to think about the value of different coins and getting them to discuss how many objects they had bought.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Provision for homework is satisfactory. Children are encouraged to take home a reading book every day. This helps them to develop positive attitudes to reading and means that parents become involved in sharing books.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The curriculum is very broad and balanced with members of staff providing a very wide range of learning opportunities. Very good use is made of both indoor and outdoor facilities to plan activities that are imaginative, motivating and purposeful.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The curriculum takes very good account of children who have different needs. Very good links are made between different curriculum areas. Children’s learning is very carefully planned on a daily basis, and is effectively linked to the nationally recommended curriculum for the early years, so that children experience activities in each area of learning. Members of staff are very aware of children’s differing needs and they meet at the end of each morning and afternoon session to plan for the next day. Planning has improved significantly since the last inspection. It is adapted on a daily basis to take account of what has already been learnt and to respond to children’s particular interests. This means that differing needs are met well. A good example of this was seen at the end of a very rainy afternoon. Members of staff had noticed that children had been fascinated by the water running

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

down the roof on an outside cover and planned an activity for the following day that built on this interest and extended it into a role play activity.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school has good strategies for the development of early literacy and numeracy skills. Members of staff take every opportunity to reinforce and develop number skills for example, by counting during registration or when working outside. Similarly, members of staff speak very clearly to the children, developing their vocabulary and improving their speaking and listening skills. Children are encouraged to write for a range of purposes, for example in the role-play area when pretending to be shopping, children write shopping lists. Books are readily available around the school and children happily share books with adults as well as taking storybooks home daily.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school ensures that all children have equal access to the curriculum. Detailed monitoring means that members of staff know where children have been working or if they have been avoiding a particular activity. When this happens, members of staff adjust the curriculum to ensure that children access the activity. There is a good awareness of the need to avoid racial or gender stereotyping and members of staff plan activities, which are attractive to all groups of children. For example, boys were encouraged to ‘write’ stories by using a programme on the computer. Madeley Nursery School - 14 29. There is very good provision for children with special educational needs. Weaknesses in individual education plans identified at the time of the last inspection have been rectified. These plans are now very detailed and set a very clear agenda for improving children’s skills. Children with special

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

educational needs are very well supported around school, receiving individual attention when necessary. On occasions, small groups of children are withdrawn from large group times to work together. This is effective in helping to target individual needs.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. A comparative weakness in the curriculum is caused by the large size of groups at group times at the beginning and end of sessions. Members of staff work hard to meet to meet the needs of different groups of children by varying activities rapidly and ensuring that there are high levels of support. However, on occasions, opportunities are missed to develop the learning of older or higher attaining children for example, by enabling them to extend their planning or reviewing of activities beyond those shown to younger children.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school has good links with the local community and this has a good impact on children’s learning. Visits and visitors are used effectively to make learning purposeful and fun. For example, children regularly visit a local art gallery. Students from local schools and colleges help increase the adult to child ratio. This means that children are able to receive an even greater level of individual support. The nursery works closely with local infant schools in order to ensure that the transition at the end of the academic year is smooth and happy.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school takes great care to ensure that children develop very advanced personal and social skills for their ages. Members of staff promote these skills successfully through all aspects of school life, with personal, social and emotional development a significant strength of the curriculum. Parents are very supportive of the attitudes and values promoted by the school and the opportunities provided for children to learn to care for each other and for those who are less fortunate than themselves. Health education is very effectively promoted through a range of activities and children learn about the importance of looking after their bodies. Children are taught about the importance of washing their hands after going to the toilet and they understand why it is unhygienic not to do so.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school provides good opportunities for children’s spiritual development. Children are encouraged to think about the world around them, for example by looking at the changes in tadpoles as they grow into frogs. Members of staff talk with children about important events in their lives such as birthdays and other celebrations. These activities help children to develop an understanding of their place in the world. Children have some opportunities to share their experiences or talk about their work with each other but this is comparatively limited because of the large group sizes when children meet together.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Children’s moral development is excellent. All children are successfully taught the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and within a few weeks of starting at the nursery, most have an excellent understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Members of staff act as excellent role models. Their own politeness and willingness to respect the opinions of others have a positive impact on the children. Members of staff teach worthwhile values and effectively remind children to apply them. Children are taught to appreciate that they need to consider the needs of others. If the children are naughty, members of staff consistently apply the school policy of talking with the children about why the behaviour is silly and how it could affect other children. This helps children to understand very well the impact of their actions on the rest of the school community.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. There is excellent provision for the children’s social development. Children are expected to be independent from the moment they arrive at school, for example, by collecting their ‘photograph’ to hang on to their name peg. Children are expected to tidy up when they have finished using something and they do this sensibly and willingly. Children help with different tasks around school and respond well to this responsibility. For example, they count the number of children present in their group and take messages to adults. Members of staff have very high expectations of how children should relate to each other. The fact that the adults get on so well with each other means that the children feel secure and happy. Good manners are very effectively taught and children are Madeley Nursery School - 15 encouraged to talk sensibly to each other.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Children are given good opportunities to learn about cultures other than their own through a mix of planned experiences and incidental learning. Children from differing backgrounds bring their own experiences to school and share them with the other children. Teachers and nursery nurses talk about different beliefs and encourage children to appreciate that we are all different. Children celebrate various festivals and enjoy taking part in Christmas celebrations. They taste and cook food from other countries, look at various styles of art and listen to different types of music. These activities help children to begin to develop an understanding of the cultural diversity of society.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school has very good procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils safety and welfare, and this has been maintained since the last inspection. There is a good child protection policy and all members of staff have received training and are sensitive to their responsibilities in this area of pupils’ welfare. Great care is taken over security and safety and there is close supervision of all activities, especially, at arrival and departure times, to ensure safe handing over of children to parents and carers.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Health and safety matters are attended to competently and the premises and activities are assessed periodically for risks. Governors are actively involved in health and safety through their committee, and efficient records are kept of fire drills and safety checks. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. There is a brief mention in the prospectus of the need for punctuality. Registers are kept well, and the headteacher monitors pupils’ absences.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour, and to eliminate oppressive behaviour are excellent. The school’s high expectations for good behaviour are consistently demanded by all members of staff and are understood by the children. Procedures have improved since the last inspection, when they were judged to be good.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is very good and the monitoring of their personal development is excellent. The last inspection found that the school’s assessment procedures and practice were in need of improvement, and this has been achieved; they are now good. Each session ends with a meeting of all members of staff to assess pupils’ achievements and needs. The results are applied well during the next session, improving the curriculum and the development of individual children.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There is much emphasis on individual needs and assessments are discussed, analysed and strategies applied to improve individual development. This continuing process is responsible for the school’s success with its pupils’ personal development, and is a major achievement greatly valued by parents. One parent commented on the improvement in her child’s attitude, since her enrolment only two months earlier, in the way she now related to a younger member of the family. However, there is only limited analysis of trends in attainment between different groups of children and assessments made when children start school, do not include information on mathematical development so that teachers can see how well children are learning.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The school has improved this provision since the last inspection, and individual educational plans are relevant and are reviewed regularly, with full parental involvement.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Since the last inspection, relationships with parents have improved further. They were already very Madeley Nursery School - 16 strong at that time and are now excellent. Parents have an extremely positive view of the school; they are especially impressed with the professionalism of the staff. The connection and relationship with parents and carers is very much a strength of the school.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. This excellent relationship between members of staff and parents and carers leads to extremely effective links between home and school. The school signals its commitment to families right at the beginning, by offering either a home or school interview, at their discretion. Similarly, in the event of a family split, both parents are kept in touch with their child’s progress and treated equally by the school. The school offers a valued, flexible and sensitive support system to its parents and carers.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Very good quality information is given to parents and carers about their children’s progress; often informally during their settling in periods at the start of sessions. In addition, letters and meetings are used to keep parents up to date. Parents help their children to select books to take home. For parents who are unable to visit the school regularly, home/school diaries provide information on their children’s planning and photographs of them at work. Parents and carers are given a copy of the child’s profile when they leave nursery. They feel they are very well informed.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. All the parents participate in their children’s education whilst at the school. Some of them help in class and during visits and outings. Most parents contribute to the voluntary school fund, and this provides valuable help in acquiring extra resources; such as a digital camera and supplies of face paints. Although there is no parent teacher association, due to the relatively short time children are at school, parents and carers make a significant contribution to their children’s learning at school and at home.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher has very high expectations for the work of the school and has established a very strong team of teachers, nursery nurses and other members of staff. There is a very clear educational purpose and the school’s aims are very successfully shared and promoted by all members of staff. The teachers and nursery nurses are always seeking to improve provision and to bring about positive change. Each member of staff has been allocated clear responsibilities and these are carried out very well. Members of staff work together very effectively to plan and provide a very good education for the children.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The headteacher provides very effective pastoral support for children, members of staff and parents. The very good relationships and effective teamwork have been maintained since the last inspection. The recent change to a much younger age group in the nursery has been managed extremely well. Members of staff are very enthusiastic about their work and the headteacher provides a good climate for professional development. All co-ordinators are responsible for managing a small budget, and for taking the lead when planning for their area of learning. However, as at the time of the last inspection there is limited time made available for members of staff to fulfil their responsibilities. The dedication and willingness of all members of staff to give of their own time means that the school is well placed to improve further.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They share legal responsibilities with the local education authority and are not responsible for the budget or the performance management of the headteacher. All governors have been appointed since the time of the last inspection. Governors are very supportive and visit regularly on an informal basis. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and understand some of the difficulties faced by members of staff due to the lack of indoor space. The governing body is kept well informed of future development plans. The governors have limited opportunity to discuss or monitor the children’s attainment and progress.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school development plan is clear and includes suitable priorities. A review of the previous year shows what has been completed and any further action needed. The school has made good progress since the last inspection and improvements in the way the curriculum is planned and children’s attainment is assessed has led to better attainment and progress in several areas of Madeley Nursery School - 17 learning. The way the school evaluates its own performance is satisfactory overall. The curriculum is monitored effectively. Daily meetings are held to discuss how activities are to be extended to provide greater challenge and every term the headteacher monitors the balance of activities chosen by the children. However, the school does not evaluate other aspects of its work rigorously such as patterns of attainment and the impact of spending. The school has appropriate policies in place to

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

support its work effectively. However, there is no list of gifted and talented children so that their needs can be identified and fully met. At the time of the last inspection there were insufficient up to date policies to cover all areas of learning.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school makes effective use of available funds, including specific grants and applies the principles of best value appropriately. The school administration is efficient and effectively supports the school on a day to day basis. This means that teachers, nursery nurses and other members of support staff can concentrate on working with the children. Appraisal and performance management are carried out satisfactorily and the school provides very good opportunities for new members of staff and students to train.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school has a suitable number of well-trained and experienced teachers and nursery nurses. Accommodation at the school is satisfactory overall. There are good facilities outside and these are used very effectively to support teaching in all areas of learning. There are shortages of space inside the building and the largely open-plan nursery makes it difficult to provide quiet areas for more than two groups. There is no staff room and the headteacher shares an office with the administrator making it difficult to provide space for confidential meetings. An extension to the building is planned in the near future and the school has good ideas of how this additional space can be used to improve provision. There is a good number of good quality learning resources and these are made accessible to children by being stored conveniently and being labelled clearly. Information and communication technology is used effectively by members of staff and the shortages of equipment

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

found at the time of the last inspection have been remedied.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to raise attainment further and improve the quality of education provided the headteacher, members of staff and governors should,

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Meet the needs of higher attaining children more effectively during large group times.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The headteacher, other members of staff and governors should consider the following minor issues for inclusion in its action plan,

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving the initial assessment of children’s attainment to include information on mathematical development. • Analyse information on the attainment and progress of different groups of children to show the effectiveness of school developments and provision. Madeley Nursery School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of sessions observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each session represents more than four percentage points.

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 44

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals NA

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 10

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.18

Attendance

% % Madeley Nursery School - 19 School data Not available School data Not available

p.18

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Madeley Nursery School - 20

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.1

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21 £

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 188,816

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 109 Expenditure per pupil 4,196

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 3,953

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8 Balance carried forward to next year 3,089

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.20

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Madeley Nursery School - 21

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 82 16 2 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 75 18 2 0 5

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 18 23 2 0 57

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 89 11 0 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 95 5 0 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 39 0 0 9

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 84 16 0 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 91 9 0 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 84 14 0 0 2

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 7 0 0 43

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

n.b. The large number of parents responding ‘don’t know’ to some questions is due to their finding that these do not apply to them. Madeley Nursery School - 22

p.21

Personal, social and emotional development

53. Children’s attainment is excellent, with many children already achieving the expectations of the early learning goals a year in advance of the end of the foundation stage. This is an improvement on attainment at the time of the last inspection, with children making excellent progress because of the very good quality teaching and the very high emphasis that is given throughout the school day to developing children’s personal and social skills. Parents are pleased that the children are enthusiastic about school and learn quickly to become independent.

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

54. A strength in this area of learning is the excellent relationships that are evident between children and adults. Children play together very well and support each other in their learning. They show interest in each other and are responsive to each other’s needs, for example, by showing they are pleased when somebody returns to school after a holiday. Children have very high levels of independence and develop a good awareness of different cultural and religious traditions. They celebrate different festivals such as a Christmas and the Chinese New Year. They taste and cook food from different countries, look at different styles of art and listen to music from various cultures.

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

55. Children are very confident when talking with adults and are very enthusiastic about trying new activities. They quickly learn to listen to each other and the teacher, and they take turns when required. Children settle quickly to their tasks and concentrate well for long periods of time. For example, children worked for up to an hour on an outdoor role-play activity that involved using rainwater that had been collected to make different sand mixtures. They show good independence by choosing resources when they are working. Children play together very well and share resources amicably. They handle equipment with great care and are very good at helping to tidy up at the end of an activity. The only time when concentration is less than excellent is during group times, especially in the afternoons. At these times, some younger or lower attaining children lose interest and become distracted, particularly when they are tired. This lessens the effectiveness of these

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

sessions for older or higher attaining children.

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

56. The quality of teaching of personal, social and emotional skills by the teachers, nursery nurses and teaching assistants is very good. Members of staff are very patient and act as excellent role models. They have very high expectations of the personal and social skills that children should achieve and use questioning and discussion very effectively to support children in their learning. Activities are prepared well at the start of each session so that children are able to make sensible choices about what they wish to do. This successfully encourages independence.

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

57. The school is well resourced and teachers and nursery nurses make very good use of these resources to make learning exciting. This means that children are keen to learn and develop very positive attitudes toward school. This can be seen at the start of each school day. As children come into school with their parents or carers, they happily explore the nursery to see what activities are set out, before choosing where they are going to work. At this time there is a buzz of excitement from the children before they settle down to work purposefully.

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

58. Teachers are very good at taking every opportunity to encourage and challenge children in their learning. They expect children to think about the impact of their actions on others and ensure that they consider each other’s needs. Interesting resources encourage co-operation. For example, tricycles with ‘back seats’ encourage children to work together and take turns. Passengers are keen to share with others and need no encouragement from an adult to do this. Teachers plan different role-play opportunities both indoors and outdoors, which give children the chance to work Madeley Nursery School - 23 together effectively and to share ideas. They take very good account of the need to make activities attractive to children of different background or gender. When working in the home corner, children take on different roles, with adults intervening, when appropriate, to extend learning. This was seen

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

to good effect as a teacher encouraged a discussion about the value of different coins in the ‘shop’.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

59. Members of staff consistently reinforce good behaviour. They ensure that children know what is expected and talk issues through with them if a problem occurs. Children learn to negotiate with each other to avoid problems. These high quality skills were seen to good effect as two children negotiated, with the support of an adult, the amount of time each would spend on a tricycle, with a ‘sand-timer’ used to ensure fairness.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

60. Procedures for assessing children’s progress are very good. Children’s learning is regularly monitored and this information is fed into daily planning to help teachers and nursery nurses decide what needs to be taught next. This means that learning is very well planned and is based on a very good understanding of individual needs.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

61. Children with special educational needs are well integrated into every activity. Members of staff support these children well, with clearly focused individual education plans identifying realistic targets for learning. Where a child has specific behavioural problems, they are given every opportunity to participate in the full range of activities, even if this means allocating a member of staff to work solely with this child. These factors help children with special educational needs to learn well, with very good account taken of their individual needs.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

62. By the time they leave the nursery the children are on target to exceed the national expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage. Children’s good attainment and progress have been maintained since the last inspection, with their speaking skills being particularly well developed. Children speak clearly and confidently in a range of situations, demonstrating a wide vocabulary. They are keen to ask each other and adults questions about new situations and experiences. Whilst children listen well when working in small groups. However, their attention sometimes wanders when the group is too large for the needs of all children to be met successfully. Parents are very impressed with the way children’s conversational skills improve during their time at the nursery.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

63. Children enjoy sharing books with each other and are enthusiastic about joining in with well-known parts of stories. They make relevant comments and ask sensible questions about the stories read and can recall the order of events of a story they know. Children find their own name-card and recognise and know the sounds of several letters of the alphabet.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

64. Higher attaining children are starting to trace over their own names and write some letters from their names or days of the week. All children show confidence when making marks on paper as part of their play. For example, children playing in the ‘shop’ were busy writing out ‘shopping lists’ and ‘cheques’ to pay for their purchases.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

65. The quality of teaching is good overall, with an example of very good teaching. Teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection, when it was satisfactory and sometimes good. Lesson planning shows clearly what children are expected to learn. Members of staff are very skilled in helping children to improve their speech and very good opportunities are provided for children to develop their vocabularies. For example, when making colourful textured tiles, children talked about the colours and textures they had created. When reading stories members of staff use good expression and several fun voices. They include a range of interesting resources to help children concentrate well and learn to enjoy listening. Effective questioning about the illustrations and text encourages children to be observant, think about the stories and make predictions about what might happen next. Praise is used effectively helping children to speak confidently and making

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

them feel valued. Some opportunities are missed for higher attaining children to describe in detail Madeley Nursery School - 24 what they intend doing when choosing an activity or to explain what they achieved in a session.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

66. Children with special educational needs are very well supported and make very good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. At the time of the last inspection, children with special educational needs made satisfactory progress. Most parents are pleased with the way their children are supported at school. Whilst higher attaining children make good progress overall, they do not always make enough progress when working in larger groups when teaching sometimes provides them with insufficient challenge.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

67. There is a very good curriculum for this area of learning. Effective assessments of children’s attainment and progress are used well to plan future lessons. As at the time of the last inspection stories are used well to develop children’s understanding of a range of feelings such as ‘fear’. The co-ordinators have a good understanding of the importance of interesting boys in reading and writing and help to plan activities that will be of interest to all children. Parents support their children effectively at home by sharing books borrowed from the school lending library.

p.24

Mathematical development

68. By the time they leave the nursery, standards of attainment are good with most children on target to exceed the expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage. This is better than at the time of the last inspection, when standards were satisfactory.

p.24

Mathematical development

69. Children make good progress in developing mathematical skills, with particular strengths being their understanding of basic number concepts and their knowledge of shapes. They are given many opportunities to count for a range of purposes, both as part of planned activities but also when working on other tasks. When working in large groups, they count how many children are present and find the appropriate number. Children use number puzzles to count to 20 and are able to match sets of objects to a number. Higher attaining children are beginning to develop an understanding of ‘more’ and ‘less’, for example talking about who has the most coins when they are shopping.

p.24

Mathematical development

70. Children develop a very good knowledge of 2-D shapes, with higher attaining recognising some 3-D shapes. This knowledge is constantly reinforced by the wide range of activities that is provided for children. Regular discussions during group times help children to learn the properties of different shapes. During ‘free choice’ activities, members of staff provide a range of puzzles and games that reinforce that learning. As a result, even the youngest children confidently identify shapes such as triangles, hexagons and rectangles, explaining how many sides each shape has.

p.24

Mathematical development

71. The quality of teaching whether during group sessions or through individual support during ‘free choice’ times is good. There is more good teaching than at the time of the last inspection, with the quality of planning significantly improved. Planning for activities is very thorough and is based on a very good understanding of what children have already achieved. They support children well in their learning when they are working independently. Work is carefully prepared and resources are used imaginatively to extend learning. Learning is always made fun and children develop a very positive attitude to working mathematically. They show great enjoyment when taking part in mathematical activities. Children are keen to answer questions and co-operate with each other when playing counting games. This was seen to good effect when children were working with ‘toy elephants’ to make long lines of elephants. Children co-operated very well on this task, exploring direction and

p.24

Mathematical development

learning mathematical language such as ‘long’ and ‘longer’ and beginning to use terms like ‘half’ and ‘the same as’.

p.24

Mathematical development

72. During ‘free choice’ times, questioning is used very effectively to develop children’s learning. Members of staff work alongside the children, encouraging them to count and recognise numbers whenever possible. For example, the nursery nurse introduced simple coin recognition to a group of children working in the ‘shop’, encouraging them to match coins and to think about which one could be used to buy the most things. When working with shapes or colours children are encouraged to sort and count the shapes and this helps to develop counting skills. Effective use is made of ICT to Madeley Nursery School - 25 provide practice in number recognition and counting. Children are given many opportunities to sing number songs and they respond well to this. These activities help children to develop a good understanding of numbers.

p.24

Mathematical development

73. Some opportunities to extend learning are missed during group times. Groups are large and include a wide range of abilities and ages. Members of staff work hard to meet these diverse needs but are not always successful. There is often a very fast pace to activities, with members of staff aware of the need to keep younger children interested. This means that concepts are occasionally introduced but not then developed fully. For example, during one group session very good use was made of a song to introduce some simple addition activities using photographs of the children. This activity could have been extended further for higher attaining or older children who showed great interest and high levels of motivation. However, the teacher moved on to a different activity because some of the younger children were not fully involved.

p.25

Mathematical development

74. Children with special educational needs work on the same activities as other members of their group. However, they are given additional support, when necessary to help them participate fully in activities. Members of staff have a good awareness of the needs of the different children in the nursery and successfully vary their support and their questioning in order to ensure that all develop skills at a good rate.

p.25

Mathematical development

75. The curriculum is very good. Mathematics is very well integrated into everyday activities, and members of staff work hard to promote mathematical skills during ‘free choice’ activities. For example, children are helped to develop an understanding of time by the imaginative use of a sand- timer to limit the amount of time children spend working on different activities. Displays about numbers and shapes and a good range of resources help to stimulate interest in the subject.

p.25

Mathematical development

76. Good records of children’s attainment are kept, based on daily observation of the children at work. This information is used effectively to help members of staff to plan future activities for the different sessions during each day.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. By the time they leave the nursery, children’s attainment is good and on target to exceed the national expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. Children’s attainment and progress have improved since the last inspection when they were satisfactory overall but with a weakness in information and communication technology.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Children show curiosity in exploring materials and living things and gain a good understanding of the world around them including the use of information and communication technology. Children use the ‘mouse’ to select icons on the screen and play simple games. They know the names of a wide range of colours and parts of the human body and describe to each other where various activities are located in the nursery. Children understand that tadpoles turn into frogs and caterpillars into butterflies. Higher attaining children show knowledge of the local area such as the fact that the ‘Wrekin’ is a large hill and know the order of the days of the week. Children delight in making discoveries about the way water changes colour when paint is added and how water changes the consistency of sand.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

79. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection when it was mainly satisfactory with unsatisfactory teaching of information and communication technology. Members of staff are skilled at drawing children’s attention towards making interesting observations such as the various patterns made by the children’s shoes after walking through a puddle and the daily weather. They ask effective questions to encourage children to think about the science in the world around them. For example, one teacher asked the children why they thought the bark was floating on the water. Members of staff use information and communication technology Madeley Nursery School - 26 effectively to support teaching. For example, in one session the nursery nurse followed up a story about washing and patterns on clothing by encouraging children to match digital photographs of

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

patterns with real items of ‘washing’. In another session another nursery nurse use the ‘smart board’ to show children how they could make changes to a drawing using the computer. Parts of the nursery have been specifically designed to provide good learning opportunities. For example, a sand pit cover has transparent panels so that children can observe raindrops gathering and running down to the ground. Children are given good opportunities to take part in building large and small- scale models. For example, a teacher worked effectively with groups of children constructing very tall bridges from wooden bricks.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

80. There is a very good curriculum for this area of learning and children’s attainment is assessed well. The co-ordinator has good plans to develop children’s interest in plants and mini-beasts by developing interesting habitats for wildlife in the school grounds.

p.26

Physical development

81. By the time they leave the nursery, standards of attainment are good with most children on target to exceed the expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage. This is better than at the time of the last inspection, when there were some weaknesses in the curriculum and planning. These weaknesses have been fully resolved and, as a result, children now make very good progress.

p.26

Physical development

82. Children grow in confidence and use a wider range of skills as they get older. When working indoors, children use different tools carefully, for example cutting paper to make simple collage pictures. Outdoors, children show a wide range of skills, including good co-ordination and balance. Higher attaining and older children show considerable skills in climbing and performing various swinging and balancing movements. They ride wheeled vehicles confidently.

p.26

Physical development

83. Members of staff provide an interesting range of resources, which give children very good opportunities to experiment with different ways of moving, jumping and balancing. This is an improvement since the last inspection and it helps them to quickly learn new skills. Children enjoy working on the recently adapted climbing frame. Members of staff consistently challenge children in order to extend their learning. Lower attaining or younger children are encouraged sensitively to try out new activities and they respond well to this, gaining in confidence as they do so. This was seen to good effect as a child made his first tentative attempts to climb a ladder. He was gently encouraged to climb with very good use of praise made. When he had accomplished the task, he positively glowed with a sense of achievement, and repeated the climb without adult support.

p.26

Physical development

84. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Planning has improved since the last inspection and is now very good, being carefully adapted each day to respond to individual needs and interests. Members of staff have high expectations of what children should achieve and this has a good impact on their confidence and self-esteem. For example, children help themselves to aprons when carrying out messy tasks and are expected to show their independence by tidying away well at the end of a session. They do this well.

p.26

Physical development

85. During ‘free choice’ time, especially those that take place outside, activities are always purposeful. Children are given plenty of time to explore and experiment with different pieces of equipment and this helps them to improve skills. They are confident and adventurous and share equipment and resources well. Children concentrate and persevere on activities such as climbing and riding bikes. They are very well supported by members of staff who have a very good knowledge of each child’s prior learning. This means that they are able to offer individual support that is well matched to a child’s needs. Questioning is used very effectively to challenge and support learning, for example by asking children to think about how they could improve their hopping and skipping skills. Similarly, a nursery nurse very effectively improved balancing skills for a group of children by writing numbers onto a balancing track to provide greater challenge.

p.26

Physical development

Madeley Nursery School - 27 86. Children with special educational needs are well supported and are enabled to make good progress in developing physical skills. Individual education plans identify where a child has specific physical needs and members of staff take this into account when planning and supporting activities.

p.27

Physical development

87. The curriculum is very good. Planning covers all aspects of the area of learning and, over the year, children have the opportunity to experience a very wide range of activities. Members of staff thoroughly monitor the attainment and progress of individual children and use this information very successfully to meet their needs. For example, members of staff observed that some boys needed more space to run around and ‘let off steam’, largely because wet weather had limited opportunities to go outside. The next day, members of staff had planned a range of activities that provided these opportunities, with the headteacher working with children at a pretend ‘sports day’ that involved lots of running races. This activity was made even more purposeful for children as the headteacher related it to the experiences of brothers and sisters at other schools who were also preparing for sports days.

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Physical development

88. Accommodation is good, overall. The outdoor area is very well resourced and provides a safe environment for children to work in. There is less space indoors, but members of staff make good use of that which is available. Throughout the school, resources for physical development are plentiful and of good quality.

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Creative development

89. By the time they leave the nursery, children’s attainment is on target to exceed the national expectations of the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage, and all children, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress. Children’s good attainment and progress have been maintained successfully since the last inspection.

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Creative development

90. Children experiment effectively with a range of tools, materials and colours. They show excellent independence when selecting materials and making their own pictures. When using tools such as scissors, hole punches and brushes of different sizes they are confident and very knowledgeable. They are happy to work on their own or collaboratively. For example, two children brought various reclaimed materials to school and worked together effectively, joining cardboard tubes using large strips of sticky tape. Children are especially good at making effective use of space when working on large or small pieces of paper. They design and make very attractive textured tiles from a range of bright and colourful materials and design interesting patterns for a friend to paint onto their faces. When mixing their own paints they make bold colours. Children listen carefully to music, show a good sense of rhythm and clap in time with the beat. They join in heartily and sing tunefully when

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Creative development

accompanied by the guitar or piano accordion. Children identify well-known tunes when just a few notes are played and higher attaining children can spot similarities between two tunes. They co- operate very well with each other in the role-play area and make up simple stories about cooking and sharing a pizza and shopping for a large family. At all times children are exceptionally keen to learn new techniques and investigate materials with very good levels of concentration. They behave very well and share resources sensibly.

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Creative development

91. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection when it was judged to be satisfactory. Lesson planning shows clearly what children of differing prior attainment are expected to achieve. Members of staff use questioning very effectively to encourage children to explore the colours and textures of a wide range of materials and to talk about their work. For example, children were encouraged to use words such as ‘spreading’, ‘scratching’, ‘pressing down’ and ‘grooves’ when talking about the various marks they could make in clay. In the very good lesson a nursery nurse prepared children very well for designing and painting faces, concentrating on the need to take care when painting near eyes and consider carefully what patterns would be suitable.

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Creative development

92. There is a very good curriculum for creative development that is adapted to meet the needs and interests of individual children. Children’s work is assessed effectively and the information provided Madeley Nursery School - 28 is used very well to plan new activities. The policy document has been recently revised and opportunities for children to develop a wide range of skills are carefully planned. The co-ordinator is very passionate about this area of learning and ensures that children have the opportunity to show their work in local exhibitions and to speak to local artists.

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