George Dent Nursery School

GEORGE DENT NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: Monday 18 th February – Tuesday 19 th February 2002

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GEORGE DENT NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 230382 George Dent Nursery 2 Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 George Dent Nursery 3 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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GEORGE DENT 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.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Alison Wright

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1998 George Dent Nursery 5

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Team members

1569 Michael Hewlett Registered inspector 11084 Jane Hughes Lay inspector

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Team members

Thatchways Elworth Avenue Widnes Cheshire WA8 9JW

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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 George Dent Nursery 6

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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

George Dent Nursery is a large nursery school situated close to the town centre in the west end of Darlington. There are 182 children, aged between three and four years old, of whom 90 are girls and 92 are boys. They all attend part-time and families travel from all parts of Darlington to attend the school. The school is very popular with parents and there is a long waiting list for places. The children are taught by four teachers, including the headteacher. In addition, there are ten nursery nurses, six working full time and the remaining four working part-time. The high ratio of staff to children allows additional support for children who have special educational needs. Eight per cent of the children have been identified as having special educational needs, with the majority having speech and communication difficulties. This is similar to the percentage found when the school was last inspected.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Very few children attend who learn English as an additional language. Children’s attainment on entry to school is just above what children at three normally achieve.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an excellent school. The majority of children are on line to exceed the expected standards by the time they leave. The school is very well led and managed, relationships are excellent and the teaching is very good. Children learn quickly and make very good progress during their time in nursery. It provides an excellent basis for children’s future learning.

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What the school does well

• Enables children to reach very high standards • Teaching is very good and often excellent • The school is very well led and managed and the leadership of the headteacher is excellent • Parents make a significant and increasing contribution to the life and work of the school • Establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of children’s personal development

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What could be improved

• The school has a very good understanding of the areas it wants to develop. There are no significant weaknesses

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1998. Only a small number of issues were identified and all of these have been successfully addressed. The school has continued to make very good progress in the intervening years, particularly in the way in which it has maintained the very high standards recognized last time. Curriculum planning is much better now. It sets out work to be covered as well as identifying how activities will be organized differently for children with differing abilities. Working with parents is very much a strength of the school and the key issue asked the school to further refine these links. Outstanding success has been seen in the development of the Story Sacks initiative, with huge George Dent Nursery 8 numbers of parents now involved in the project. The school’s links with parents are stronger than ever. For example, it has identified the need to offer better information for working parents and is exploring

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

how written information can be shared from children’s end of school transfer records. Priorities for the future are agreed and clearly understood by all staff and the school is very well placed to build on its current strengths.

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STANDARDS

Children follow the Foundation Stage curriculum which is recommended for both nursery and reception classes. Their early progress through the different stages known as ‘Stepping Stones’ indicates the majority are on course to exceed the national standards. These are known as the Early Learning Goals which cover the areas of literacy, numeracy, personal development and knowledge and understanding of the world as well as children’s physical and creative development. Children are expected to reach these goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. As a result of the school’s very good teaching and the positive atmosphere, children are confident and assured. They are happy to share views and opinions and the majority are able to count to ten and beyond, often applying their knowledge in practical situations. Children achieve such high standards because they listen attentively, their behaviour is excellent and they are so keen to learn. In addition, they are taught in small groups and staff are

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STANDARDS

always encouraging them to take on new challenges. Children identified as having special educational needs are given extra support by adults to ensure they can take part in all six areas of learning. They make very good progress towards the individual targets set for them. The small proportion of children learning English as an additional language receive very good teaching from all staff who make sure nothing gets in the way of their learning. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls and older and younger children make equally good rates of progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Children really enjoy school and their attitudes are always very positive.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Excellent. Children follow the behaviour code extremely well; they take turns and co-operate with increasing maturity. Personal development and relationships Relationships are outstanding and staff set an excellent example. Children are very keen to demonstrate their independence wherever possible. Attendance Satisfactory. The majority of children arrive on time for sessions.

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Aspect Comment

Children are very enthusiastic participants in all the activities offered by staff. Their exemplary behaviour allows everyone to take maximum benefit from each session. The working atmosphere is particularly impressive due to the excellent relationships forged between children and all adults in the school.

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Teaching of pupils:

Quality of teaching Very good George Dent Nursery 9 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 and often it is excellent. High quality teaching is seen across all areas of the curriculum. A particular feature is the high expectations set for all children in terms of their work and behaviour. The organization of teaching groups helps staff to get to know the children really well and they demonstrate very good knowledge of the learning needs of nursery children. An excellent example of this was seen in the way all adults successfully used imaginative play as a means of extending children’s language skills and increasing their confidence in speaking to others. Similarly, story times are very well used, enabling children to talk about stories they know and sharing their experiences with their friends. The teaching is very good because the planning is detailed and thorough, work set and questions asked are demanding and relationships are excellent. No

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Teaching of pupils:

individual or groups are left out. The particular needs of higher attainers or those with learning difficulties are well supported as staff arrange their work at a suitable level. The small proportion of children learning English as an additional language flourish within this attractive environment where learning is so highly valued.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Excellent. The curriculum meets all the statutory requirements and provides an exciting range of activities. This helps to develop and extend children’s early learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children with special educational needs Very good. Children’s individual needs are carefully assessed and planned for. Work is well matched to their needs and capabilities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children with English as an additional language Very good consideration and support help children to make very good progress

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Aspect Comment

Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent. There is a richness and diversity about the provision in these areas.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its children Outstanding. This is a real strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The nursery offers a warm welcome to parents and carers at all times. Links with families are very good and this has a very beneficial effect on children’s learning. George Dent Nursery 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher’s leadership is excellent. She leads by example and has established a very effective staff team. The school has a clear educational direction. Staff manage their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors have no delegated powers, as the local authority is the responsible body. Nevertheless, governors are actively involved, they visit regularly and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school is always seeking out ways in which it can improve. Outstanding levels of monitoring and evaluation ensure that appropriate action for improvement is taken wherever necessary.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Excellent. The school is successful in applying the principles of best value when spending its money. It measures the impact of its spending on improved learning and standards.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Standards are high and the school has a very good local reputation • Teaching is good and staff are approachable and friendly • Children enjoy school and they behave very well while they are there • Children make good progress • They receive very good levels of information before their children start school • Some parents felt they did not receive enough information about children’s progress, particularly an end of year written report

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings agree with the parents’ overwhelmingly positive views. Parents are very supportive and a good dialogue exists between school and home. Some excellent work has been undertaken to involve parents using story sacks and number chests. Very good levels of information are provided for parents but inspectors agree that, on occasions, it can be difficult for working parents to find out about their child's progress. Some form of written report that they can keep would be helpful. George Dent Nursery 11

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

1. Children in all three classes reach high standards. The majority are well on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals. (These are standards which they are expected to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage). Indeed, some of the older children are already reaching these levels in some of the areas. Parents are understandably pleased with their children’s levels of attainment, particularly in their personal development, and also with the good progress they make during their time in nursery.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

2. They achieve so well for a number of reasons. The school provides an exciting and stimulating environment in which to learn, teaching is very good and leadership by the headteacher is excellent. In addition, children are hard working, always want to do their best and are exceptionally well behaved.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

3. In personal, social and emotional development, standards are high. A particular feature is children’s self confidence and levels of independence. They are happy to take on responsibilities and try things out for themselves. A good example of this is the way in which they collect registers from the three classrooms and then take them upstairs to the headteacher’s room. This involves negotiating the central staircase and walking some distance. On one occasion, the headteacher and secretary were not available to receive the registers and so the two children held a discussion about what to do next. Instead of retracing their steps and admitting defeat, they decided they should wait for a couple of minutes before finding another adult in a nearby room who might be able to help. Their willingness to consider different options and then come to a sensible conclusion was remarkably mature for their age.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

4. Improving children’s language and communication skills is given a high priority by all staff. This is a school which caters for the needs of all its children. It removes any barriers that might get in the way of their learning, whilst still insisting on high standards and ensuring that all can make good progress. Every opportunity is taken to reinforce reading and writing skills. For example, all children self register when they arrive, selecting their name cards and sticking them on a chart alongside the rest of their group. They read labels and signs around their classroom, often using books to gather information. For example, a small group used a reference book to check on flowers and plants they had seen in the wildlife garden. They knew that the words and pictures combined could give them the information they needed. Similarly, children routinely write their own names on their paintings or create shopping lists.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

Most hold their pencils correctly and form recognizable letters. Their writing is accurate and they see writing as an obvious means of communicating information, using it for a range of different purposes in their role play.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

5. Children achieve high standards in their mathematical development. Most can count reliably up to ten with the majority able to go much further. A particular feature is their ability to apply their knowledge in practical situations. Counting out cakes and tarts for ‘customers’ in the café was a good illustration of children’s abilities in this area because it involved some complex calculations, adding and subtracting, as ‘customers’ changed their minds. Their use of mathematical language is also much more developed than might be expected for children of this age. They talk confidently about the size and shape of water containers as they add dye to change the colour, ordering the containers according to size and then working out how much more room will be needed to fit them all in when they are full.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

6. Children have begun to understand many of the features of the world around them. They know how to investigate materials and objects around them. Their skills in observing and discussing living things they found in the wildlife garden were quite exceptional. ‘I’m sure that is called a jasmine because we George Dent Nursery 12 saw it before the flowers came out’, said one girl as she made her way through the garden. Her classmates were equally skilled at identifying plants and insects, identifying the changes they noticed now that winter was almost over. Their skills in using information and communications technology are also well advanced. Children confidently select programs, use the mouse well and print out their finished work.

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

7. Children’s standards in their creative and physical development are equally impressive. Most are keen to explore what happens when they mix paints and can predict what might happen if, for example, more white was added to their red paints. Some already make very good attempts at drawing objects, selecting suitable materials to recreate what they can see. A good example of this was seen when a small group of children were making observational sketches of fish that an adult had brought into school. They took care to match the colours accurately, observing closely the distinguishing features and persevered until they were satisfied their pictures were ‘good enough to show to my mum’. Similarly, they talked as a matter of course about how sounds can be changed, depending on how hard they struck their instruments. Children are very good at accompanying their own singing with simple instruments, realizing that they need to cooperate with other ‘musicians’ if the sounds they

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Enables children to reach high standards in all areas of learning

create are going to be acceptable. Work in this area is closely linked to supporting children’s physical skills. For example, children use their sense of rhythm, space and timing to safely use the play and climbing equipment in the outside area. They show great confidence in selecting from the extensive range of equipment provided by the school; whatever they choose, they use it well. Children’s very well developed independence skills are put to good use as they handle tools and equipment safely and carefully. They are very good at selecting what they need to use without reference to adults, often taking responsibility for their own learning.

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The school is very well led and managed and the leadership of the headteacher is excellent

8. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. She has a clear vision for the future direction of the school, putting the well being of children and their achievements first. She is very effective in managing the staff as a very good team. Together, all colleagues show a high level of commitment to raising and maintaining standards. There is no complacency and, with the headteacher taking the lead, staff are constantly reviewing their practice, looking at ways in which they can improve. There is a positive ethos about the school which provides children with an exciting and stimulating range of experiences. The school aims to allow children to ‘learn through first hand experiences’ and the whole curriculum is geared towards achieving this aim.

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The school is very well led and managed and the leadership of the headteacher is excellent

9. The school development plan is an excellent document. It sets out clearly what the school hopes to achieve for its children and, because it focuses on the right priorities, it has a direct impact on the school's success. All staff and governors contribute to the plan knowing that their views and opinions will be valued and listened to. A good example of this was seen in the way in which planning has been further improved since the last inspection. Everyone was involved in the discussions on how best to structure the curriculum, making effective links to the Early Learning Goals and deciding what needed to be included in the planning. Nursery nurses are seen as essential partners in the debate and, as result, the quality of planning is very good.

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The school is very well led and managed and the leadership of the headteacher is excellent

10. The governing body plays a full and active part in the life of the school. Individual members visit regularly and they have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Financial projections are set out within the school plan and these are carefully linked to priorities with sensible timescales. Budget matters are discussed at the regular meetings and decisions are clearly minuted. The high standards found during the last inspection have been maintained and built on. Success in these areas contribute to the overall effectiveness of the school because there is clear direction, George Dent Nursery 13 resources are used efficiently and the headteacher is successful in attracting funding from a variety of sources.

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The school is very well led and managed and the leadership of the headteacher is excellent

11. The school seeks to improve what it offers by analysing its own performance and checking on the progress made by individual and groups of children. In doing this, it identifies early on in the year children who might need extra support and who, potentially, could underachieve. Staff then organise activities which help these children to improve their skills, for example encouraging them to become more independent by taking messages, sharing ideas and helping at snack time as well as learning to share.

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

12. The quality of teaching was judged to be very good during the last inspection. These high standards have been maintained and built on. There is now a much higher proportion of excellent teaching. Teachers and support staff provide children with a rich diet of activities which ensure they are given the full range of entitlement to the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

13. The school’s approach to teaching and learning is very effective because it is based on providing children with lots of first hand experiences which they can build upon in their future learning. Because the planning is very good, aims for the teaching are made clear and provide a consistent approach for all three classes. This helps to ensure a consistency of approach.

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

14. Particular features of the high quality teaching include staff with very high levels of subject knowledge, excellent questioning techniques and a clear understanding of how young children learn. They use open ended questions such as “What do you think is happening?” and “What would happen if … ?” Very good examples of these approaches were seen during Story Sack sessions. Children listened to the story of ‘Jasper’s Bean Stalk’ and then retold the story themselves using a watering can, a rake, some beans and even the puppet 'Jasper' to recreate the scenes. The adult working with them asked challenging questions that made them think and extended their understanding, making good links with other stories they might know.

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

15. “This is like that story about the beanstalk and Jack who climbed up to see the giant”, said one group member. The adult then made them think about the similarities and differences between these two stories. The children led the discussions but the adult intervened occasionally to make sure the activity remained purposeful and to extend their vocabulary, “Can you think of a better word than that?” she added. When the interventions are as skilful and sympathetic as these, children’s learning is much faster and they continue to make very good progress.

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

16. All staff make very good use of the excellent resources and accommodation within the school. The outside areas, including the wildlife garden, are exceptional and are consistently harnessed to provide a wider curriculum. Staff take children on a nature trail in the garden, highlighting plants and insects that children might want to explore using their magnifying glasses. They encourage children to observe closely and then talk about what they have seen, discussing changes they have spotted since they last explored this part of the school. Such imaginative use of the school’s facilities grabs children’s interest and keeps them actively involved. They really enjoy their work, finding such lessons stimulating and exciting. Similarly, the indoor learning environment is rich, attractive and exceptionally well cared for. Resources are plentiful and of high quality. Staff organize them thoughtfully so that children’s

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

independence skills are encouraged; for example, making sure they can select them independently and then expecting them to carefully tidy away at the end of the sessions. George Dent Nursery 14 17. All groups of children within the school are equally well taught. This is because the staff identify their needs early on and then track their individual progress. Some very good examples of this were seen in the way in which higher attainers are given extension activities when they have completed a task so that their work is not too easy. These are carefully planned by staff so that the pace of children’s learning is always fast. Similarly, children who have special educational needs are also taught well. 18. They each have a detailed plan which sets out targets for them to work towards. All staff utilise these plans when organising activities and skilfully ensure that no one is left out. They set tasks that build children's confidence and encourage them to take on new challenges. The tasks also

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Teaching is very good and often excellent

take full account of children’s knowledge, understanding and abilities. For example, during a creative activity, one girl who had special educational needs found difficulty in taking off her apron and hanging it up. The adult working with her showed great patience and supported her attempts. She offered ideas and suggestions but did not offer a solution. The girl persevered until she managed to complete the task and took a great pride in what she had achieved.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

19. Children really enjoy the time they spend in this very exciting school. Staff promote excellent relationships and create a haven full of stimulating experiences for children. These children are very happy and feel confident as they constantly meet new challenges. This is because staff consistently encourage them to become independent in their work and play. Above all, staff make time for the children – they listen to them carefully and make the most of any spontaneous moments to extend children’s knowledge and understanding. For instance, a nursery nurse was setting up a ‘treasure trail’ in the wildlife garden. Rather than doing this alone, she took three curious children with her and they helped to set up the arrows to guide the class later on. She encouraged them to show her where to ‘bury’ the treasure. While this was happening, a blackbird flew down onto the grass nearby. Thoughts of treasure were abandoned temporarily as the children crouched down quietly to watch the

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

bird hunt for food. The teacher urged them to be still and silent so as not to scare the bird away. After he had flown off, camouflaging of the treasure chest continued apace.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

20. Staff encourage children to listen carefully, to ask questions and to take responsibility for all aspects of their learning. Towards the end of a bulb-planting activity in one classroom, the teacher asked a girl, ‘Would you go and get some more water for the bulbs, please?’ The little girl decided which container to use, rejecting the first one with a spout but no rose. She took her preferred watering can to the tap, filled it up, brought it back and carefully watered her bulb and that of her friend as she decided it needed a ‘top up’ too. She took her time and made sure she did not pour too much water on. She then swept up spilled soil with a dustpan and brush, hung up her apron and washed her hands. Children are happy to choose when to eat their snack and are quick to match the pictures which identify their carton of milk.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

21. When outside, staff encourage children to be observant and to talk about what they see. Before going down the fire escape steps to the garden, one boy looked at all the daffodil leaves. ‘That one’s got a slug bite, look!’ he observed. A discussion then followed about which other creatures could have made the holes. Several children agreed that it could not be a worm.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

22. Adults consistently promote care and sensitivity for the feelings of others among the children. Many children automatically offer each other help, such as the little boy who unwrapped the very thin foil wrappers from chocolate coins given to his friend from the treasure chest. He gently peeled the two halves apart and offered the chocolate coin to his friend, being careful not to touch it himself. Children with special educational needs are given appropriate support by adults and, they too, are George Dent Nursery 15 encouraged to be as independent as possible. The high expectations of staff mean all children are responsible for tidying away and taking care of valuable resources.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

23. The headteacher and staff create a very bright and welcoming learning environment that mirrors the delightful outdoor gardens; these areas are very well adapted for the children’s needs. Many moments of wonder outside are successfully captured on film by staff and are prominently displayed around the school. Children look very closely at the many different types of flowers, they play in the leaves and experience a range of different weathers. All of these translate into children’s paintings and collages, along with many examples of diverse cultural heritages, such as the Chinese New Year, Egyptian hieroglyphs and the letters from a child the school has sponsored in India. Staff continue to expect the best efforts and concentration from children; their talents combine to provide children with an exceptionally secure and advanced foundation for their individual personal development.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

Parents make a significant and increasing contribution to the life and work of the school.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

24. The vibrancy that characterises George Dent School extends right to the heart of the parent body. Parents are very closely involved in the work of the school and are extremely supportive of the headteacher and staff. The newly refurbished parents’ room is a very welcoming and comfortable space; sometimes, just a convenient meeting place for a cup of coffee and a chat but, often, much more than this. Frequently, parents are found cradling babes in arms while discussing the best way to create the carefully constructed contents of the latest Story Sack – during the inspection, the focus was on ‘Noah’s Ark’ and ‘Cinderella’. Story Sacks are a great success story at the school and provide an excellent opportunity for parents to make a really significant contribution to their children’s learning. This is no half-hearted attempt to involve parents – it really is their project. An artist has redesigned the storage area for these resources and this is now an intriguing space for the children

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

who come and hunt among the wooden trees for their particular favourites. The value of this project is clear – parents make the contents and develop a clear understanding of how best to support the development of children’s literacy skills. Children learn to value these resources and a similar project, Number Chests, is being extended to support their mathematical development. The parents ensure that the Story Sacks are of the highest quality. The very large, plush velour sacks create an enticing rainbow of surprises for the children. They also make their mark around the nursery, providing additional interest in book corners and quiet areas, and focal points for teaching sessions. 25. A significant number of parents are also involved in classroom activities. Following on from a detailed parent review last year, the school has access to a good range of parental expertise and skills. During the inspection, one parent played her flute for the children, contributing to their creative and

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

social development. Many parents are able to support children’s learning in school and very useful guidance is offered to them through the ‘activity cards’ provided by staff. These give a clear outline of the purpose of each activity and the learning potential attached to it.

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The school establishes an excellent ethos and, through this, enhances all aspects of

26. Appreciative parents are very quick to praise the quality of information they receive from the school. The learning environment is not only attractive but also very informative. Beautiful examples of children’s work illustrate many of the displays but there is also an unusually large quantity of curriculum information on the walls for parents to read, along with a very good range of leaflets that contain specific information on the different areas of learning. Along with regular newsletters and a very well considered induction programme, parents are able to look at their children’s progress records at any time. The detailed written transfer report for each child provides an excellent review and record of their time at the nursery. Although parents read these and discuss them with a member of staff, they do not receive a permanent copy to take away and keep.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

George Dent Nursery 16 The school has a very good understanding of the areas it wants to develop. There are no significant weaknesses. George Dent Nursery - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 89

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the 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 six percentage points

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 91

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

FTE means full-time equivalent. ( only one pupil attends full time but the figure above represents the number of children both full time and part time who are eligible for free school meals)

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9

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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 1

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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 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7 George Dent Nursery - 18

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff Financial year 2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22 £

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 315182

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 260 Expenditure per pupil 3464

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 9763

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8 Balance carried forward to next year 5005

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. George Dent Nursery - 19

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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. 65 29 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 65 34 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 8 6 2 11

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 38 12 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 89 10 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 45 36 3 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 70 29 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 81 18 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 27 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 11 2 2 11 George Dent Nursery - 20

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