Bayonne Nursery School

BAYONNE 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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BAYONNE 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. Bayonne Nursery School - 3

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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. D. Coleman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1998 Bayonne Nursery School - 4

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responsibilities

21685 Jenny Catlin Registered inspector Mathematical development Personal, social and emotional development Equal opportunities How high are standards? The nursery’s results and achievements How well are children taught? How good are the curricular and other opportunities that are offered to children? How well is the nursery led and managed? What should the nursery do to improve further? 10049 Mike McCarthy Lay inspector Children’s attitudes, values and personal development How well does the nursery care for its children? How well does the nursery work in partnership with parents? 5565 Bimla Thakur Team inspector Creative development Physical development Special educational needs English as an additional language Bayonne Nursery School - 5 22476 Sue Vale Team inspector Communication, language and literacy Knowledge and understanding of the world

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responsibilities

PkR Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH

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responsibilities

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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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bayonne Nursery School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The nursery’s results and children’s achievements Children’s attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE NURSERY

Bayonne Nursery is housed in a purpose-built building on a residential estate. Children are admitted in the term after their third birthday and move to local primary schools in the term before their fifth birthday. Seventy-six children attend the nursery either full or part-time. The number of boys and girls is roughly equal. There is one child from a refugee family and 14 children are eligible for free school meals. Twenty-one children are from homes where English is an additional language with 10 at an early stage of acquiring the language. The main languages, other than English, spoken by children are Portuguese, Arabic and Spanish. There are currently 22 children on the special educational needs register. The school has registered concerns about three children and for a further nineteen. It is providing specific learning plans for them. Children with special educational needs are identified as early as possible and external agencies are

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE NURSERY

involved as appropriate in assessing their needs. Children arrive with a broad range of abilities which are generally as expected for children of this age.

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HOW GOOD THE NURSERY IS

Bayonne Nursery is a good nursery and children of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and the child from a refugee family, achieve well. The quality of teaching and learning is good, with some very good features, and contributes well to the good progress children make. The headteacher provides good leadership and has created a positive ethos where children are happy to be in the nursery. The curriculum is good and the provision for special educational needs and English as an additional language, including the child from a refugee family, are significant strengths of the nursery. Children’s attitudes and behaviour are good and there is good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The nursery provides children with a good start to their education and gives good value for money.

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What the nursery does well

• Children reach above average standards in physical development. • The nursery is well led and managed and this has a considerable impact on children’s well-being and achievement. • There is good quality teaching and learning. • There is very good provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development, which has a positive effect on their learning. • Children’s attitudes are good and they enjoy their time in the nursery. • There is very good provision for children with special educational needs and with English as an additional language. • There are very good systems to assess and record children’s progress. Bayonne Nursery School - 8 • Overall the nursery takes very good care of its children. • There is very good quality information for parents, particularly about their children’s progress.

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What could be improved

• Greater detail on teachers’ planning to make clear the learning intentions for each activity. • A better balance between those activities which are taught by the staff and those where children can learn to choose and develop greater independence. • The systems in place for recording what children experience so that they all benefit equally from what is on offer. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE NURSERY HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The nursery was last inspected in June 1998 and since then has made good progress in addressing the areas for improvement highlighted at that time. Standards of attainment have been maintained and children make good progress. A great deal of work has been completed in developing detailed activities planned by staff for children during their stay in the nursery and these are of good quality. There are increased opportunities for children to develop their speaking and writing skills. Resources have been further developed and the accommodation improved through the building of an extension. The quality of teaching is improved with a greater proportion of very good teaching. The use of assessments to track children’s progress is now very effective. The school had addressed the issue highlighted at the time of the last inspection of making clear what children are expected to learn from planned activities. However, there is still

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STANDARDS

Most children start at the nursery as three-year-olds with standards of attainment similar to those expected for children of this age. However, some children are below this in the way they speak and understand and in their personal and social skills. From this starting point, they make good progress and by the time they leave most children reach the expected levels for their age. This reflects good achievement for this group of children. Children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language also achieve well and make good progress. A particular strength of children’s learning is in their personal, social and emotional development. Further strengths are the above average standards children attain in their physical development.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the nursery Good. Children are enthusiastic to come to the nursery and eager to engage themselves in the wide variety of interesting and purposeful activities set for them. Their good attitudes Bayonne Nursery School - 9 contribute to the progress they make.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Good. Children are polite and courteous for their age and caring in their approach to others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Children enjoy good relationships with each other and grow in confidence. There are ample opportunities for children of all abilities to extend the use of their own initiative and personal responsibility through free choice and independent learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance There are no comparable figures for nursery schools and attendance is not statutory, but in general terms, the rate of attendance is good.

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children:

Quality of teaching 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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children:

The quality of teaching is good overall and leads to children achieving well. Particular strengths lie in the teaching of personal and social development. The teaching of communication, language and literacy and mathematical development are also good and children achieve well. Staff arrange a good range of activities that stimulate the children’s interest and enthusiasm. Staff are particularly good at planning learning activities which suit the needs of children with special educational needs and are well focused on what they want the children to learn. However, lesson planning for the remainder of children is not usually so focused. There are usually high expectations of children although learning opportunities for extending and challenging the most able children are not evident in the nursery’s planning. Because of the imbalance between activities which are taught by the staff and those where children can learn to choose and

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children:

develop greater independence, there is a possibility that some children may not always experience the full range of activities on offer.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. There is a broad and well balanced curriculum, which provides a wide variety of learning experiences. These underpin the good progress that the children make. Provision for children with special Very good. The new requirements for children with special educational needs are applied effectively and the individual Bayonne Nursery School - 10 educational needs education plans have clear targets. Provision for children with English as an additional language Very good. The support offered by the specialist teacher is very good. Support by the teachers and nursery nurses is sound and they achieve at the same rate as their peers. Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good. The nursery provides good support for children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Within personal development, children are encouraged to be

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Aspect Comment

independent and also thoughtful to the needs of others.

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Aspect Comment

How well the nursery cares for its children Very good. The nursery’s arrangements for the care of children are very good. Their personal development, attainment and progress are effectively monitored and assessed. How well the nursery works with parents Good. There are good links with parents who provide good support for the school. Parents receive very good, detailed information about nursery events, the curriculum and their children’s progress. Bayonne Nursery School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher has a committed team of staff who work together successfully to maintain and improve the achievement of all children in their care. Staff have a good knowledge of the needs of young children. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their statutory obligations effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The nursery’s evaluation of its performance The nursery is active in weighing up its performance. It uses some very good strategies to record children’s achievements and progress. The nursery has built up a generous surplus to cover the cost of developing the outdoor areas. They take into account all possible prices before making a final decision on spending. The strategic use of resources Good. Levels of staffing are good and the headteacher ensures that all staff are valued and their contributions recognised. The accommodation is also good and there is a wide range of learning resources. The nursery makes good use of all financial resources and makes prudent financial decisions.

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improved

• Their children like coming to the nursery. • The behaviour is good. • They feel comfortable about approaching the nursery. • The nursery works closely with parents. • The nursery is helping their child become mature and responsible. • Their children do not get enough work to do at home. • They are not well informed about how their children are getting on. • The range of activities outside the nursery.

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improved

The inspection team agrees with the very positive views of the parents. There is a very happy, caring ethos which is appreciated by parents and the wider community. All connected with the school share a commitment to providing a high quality education, which allows every child the opportunity to attain the highest standards of which they are capable. The parents are very happy with the nursery and appreciate its achievements. Some parents do not agree that their child gets the right amount of work to do at home. Bayonne Nursery School - 12 At present, children in the nursery do not take books home regularly, although there are plans for this to happen in the future. Consequently, there are missed opportunities for children to talk about books with their parents and the inspection team supports parents’ concerns in this area.

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improved

A few parents feel that there is not an interesting range of activities outside the nursery. However, there is a good range of visitors and extra curricular activities which enhance the planned curriculum. Not all parents agreed that they were well informed about how their child is getting on. The procedures for assessing children’s attainment and progress are very good. Staff members know the children well and a comprehensive personal record that includes both personal and nursery information, builds up a detailed picture of their time at the nursery. This ‘record’ is presented to them on leaving and provides a valuable source of information and enables them to have a clear view of attainment and progress. The inspection team does not support parents concerns in these two areas. Bayonne Nursery School - 13

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

1. Most children start nursery with average abilities and skills. This was not the case at the time of the last inspection when attainment on entry was judged to be below that expected for children of this age. However, the group of children at the time of this inspection is different and although some children enter the school with language and social skills below those expected, the majority do not. The school provides a good quality education that ensures that children achieve well. Many children, by the time they leave the nursery, reach the expected levels for their age and make good progress. As a result, the school received ‘Achievement Awards’ in 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

2. Personal, social and emotional development is a strength of the nursery. Most children quickly gain in confidence and establish effective relationships with adults and other children. They demonstrate independence in putting on and taking off their shoes, and most remember to put on a painting apron before they start the activity. They choose from a selection of resources when they are creating a collage or model. The school’s monitoring of children’s well-being is a significant factor in supporting the development of individual children in this aspect of their learning and they are likely to achieve expected standards when they leave.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

3. The development of children’s language and communication skills is central to the work of the nursery and children achieve well and are likely to achieve expected standards when they leave. They love looking at books and listening to stories, acting them out in the role play areas. Many children recognise their own names and know the initial letter and sound of their name. The more able read simple words and are beginning to write. Stories are an important part of the school day: they are always read well and used effectively to encourage children to listen, observe and use their imagination. Stories such as ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ are used in many different ways to stimulate children’s interest; for example, the close observation of the life cycle of butterflies.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

4. Children achieve well in their mathematical development which is often used by children as an integral part of activities in both the indoor and outdoor environment. Many children recognise and use numbers to ten and some are familiar with larger numbers from their everyday lives. Many children use mathematical language such as circle, square, triangle, behind, in front, bigger than and more than to describe shape, position, size and quantity. By the time they leave the nursery, many children are likely to reach the levels expected of them at their age.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

5. In knowledge and understanding of the world, children achieve well and most are on course to attain standards which meet the expected goals. Most children talk confidently about where they live, their environment and their families. The school has strong links with parents and carers and these are well used to support this area of learning. The nursery provides many opportunities for children to take part in visits into the local environment. These visits ensure that children explore and become familiar with living things, objects and events in the natural and made world. Some children are confident users of the computer. They successfully operate a mouse on the computer, pointing to icons and clicking on them to play the games which support their learning. Bayonne Nursery School - 14 6. The standard of work in the area of physical development is above that expected for children of this age. All children are well on course to attain better than expected

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

standards in this area of learning by the end of their time in the nursery. Children move confidently, they follow basic safety rules and generally avoid collisions when moving around and manoeuvering the wheeled vehicles in the outdoor area. They are well co- ordinated and use space effectively. The variety of climbing apparatus enables children to work at their own level and provides the necessary challenge.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

7. Children are good at handling small tools such as scissors, pens, pencils and paintbrushes. They use materials, such as play dough, to mould into different shapes. There are many opportunities for using construction resources. They join, build, balance and adapt, as they need. There are many other opportunities for children to develop their hand-eye co-ordination, for example, through making jigsaws and in matching games.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

8. Children’s achievement in creative development is of a good standard and they are likely to achieve expected levels due to the good teaching in this area of learning. They are confident in using a range of materials and tools in their work. Children are quick to master the techniques, such as mixing colours using paint, for example, while painting their butterflies. Adults are effective in questioning children to encourage them to look closely at their work and make improvements if they feel it is appropriate. The opportunities for imaginative play are good and children respond well by using their imagination and working together in pairs or small groups, for instance, when acting out the story of ‘The Three Bears’.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

9. Dance and musical activities are a regular feature of the school week. Classrooms have a wide variety of musical instruments and taped music available and children are free to select these activities. Dance fosters their physical development and story-time is often used for singing traditional nursery and number rhymes to reinforce learning in language and mathematical development.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

10. Children with special educational needs make good, and often very good, progress based on their prior attainment, and take a full and successful part in the work planned for them. Extra efforts are made to ensure that they take part in all activities. There are no significant variations in the standards attained or the progress made by children of different gender or background, or of those children who are at an early stage of acquiring English.

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The nursery’s results and children’s achievements

11. The majority of children with English as an additional language are at the initial stages of learning English and are making good progress, having equal access to the curriculum as their peers. They are gaining steadily in confidence as they try to put together sentences in English, often repeating small sentences modelled by the teacher. They make good efforts at retelling a story with repetitive language that has been read with the teacher and they begin to understand the sequencing of the story, although they are not yet able to say so. They listen attentively to familiar stories, such as the ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and name some of the food items. In their group sessions, they learn to name animals they have seen in a book. They learn the names of objects and colours and count one to five or more in English. Progress overall is good in acquiring English, that is, in relation to the children’s starting points.

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Children’s attitudes, values and personal development

12. The attitudes of the children to the nursery are good and have improved since the time of the last inspection. Strong personal relationships between the staff and parents provide a solid foundation on which the nursery successfully builds a highly regarded Bayonne Nursery School - 15 environment for the early development of its children. The children enjoy coming to the nursery and respond enthusiastically to its wide range of activities. They develop the social skills of sharing, forming friendships and self-discipline and display increasing confidence and self-esteem during their time here. These good attitudes contribute to successful learning.

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Children’s attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is good. Children interact very well with adults and each other and the closeness of the staff to them ensures that they learn good manners, are aware of right and wrong and develop a good sense of responsibility and initiative. Staff members control behaviour by firm but gentle indications of disapproval totally appropriate to this age group. No incidence of unruly or challenging behaviour was noted during the inspection. This good behaviour has a beneficial influence on the children’s daily learning activities.

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Children’s attitudes, values and personal development

14. The personal development of the children is also good. Relationships between the children themselves are harmonious and are better than those found during the last inspection. Those between the staff and children are characterised by a caring ethos vigorously encouraged and monitored by the headteacher. Staff members routinely have lunch with the pupils and their presence promotes good eating habits and social interaction entirely appropriate to mealtimes. Each child has their own named place mat and all wash their hands and take their places in a calm methodical manner. At the end of lunchtime, children show initiative by clearing up and generally ensuring that the area is prepared for learning activities. Children with special educational needs and minority groups are fully included in all activities planned by the staff and the school has a real sense of community.

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Children’s attitudes, values and personal development

15. Although attendance is not a statutory requirement, the school maintains accurate registers and follows the local education authority procedures. Absences are always followed up and matters of concern discussed with parents or carers. Attendance at the school is good and punctuality is sound.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching and learning is good and children achieve well, making good progress in all areas of learning. All lessons observed were at least satisfactory with many good and some very good and this is an improvement since the last inspection. All staff make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching in the school. The nursery’s philosophy of early learning is centred on learning initiated by the children themselves. Direct teaching takes place through effective questioning, which is sensitive to the child’s individual needs and adapted to suit the child’s particular interest at the time.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

17. Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and this knowledge is used well when planning activities. They have high expectations for the majority of the children but they sometimes under-estimate the more able children. The staff keep very detailed records and photographic evidence of the children’s work and experiences on a regular basis. This information provides very good quality documentation of the children’s experience and efforts which are displayed around the school. This, coupled with regular recording of the progress children make, is used effectively by adults to re- visit experiences with children in order to clarify, deepen and strengthen understanding. Decisions about the planning of future activities are based on children’s response to previous work that they have found interesting, stimulating, puzzling or challenging. This ensures that the activities are meaningful and children are well motivated to take

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

part in them. Sometimes, however, the planning for activities does not make clear what Bayonne Nursery School - 16 the learning intention is, or what the children will know, do and understand as a result of the activity. The good quality displays convey to the children that their efforts, intentions and ideas are taken seriously. This has a significant impact on the children’s attitudes to school and their work and almost all of them are confident enough to ask questions of their own. They are keen to do their best.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

18. Although the overall quality of teaching and learning is good, and on occasions very good, there are areas for development which need to be considered in order to improve further the quality of this provision. Although planning for children’s learning is appropriately referenced to the standards that they are expected to achieve during their stay in the nursery, it is not clear from this how the children will achieve these. This is because not all activities available to the children make clear what they are expected to learn. Children are good at organising the activities they wish to take part in and there are good opportunities for them to learn from their spontaneous play. For example, a group of children worked with the shapes in the sand pit for a considerable length of time without needing any adult support. However, in this instance, opportunities were missed for their language development and for the extension of their vocabulary

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

through direct teacher intervention and support.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

19. Children are given a free choice, throughout their time in the nursery, to choose their own activities, which is good. However, there is the possibility that some children may miss out on some important learning experiences without a clear direction from an adult at the appropriate time. While each adult keeps a list of the names of children who have been involved in a particular activity and feedback to the children’s ‘key worker’ at the end of the day, there is no system in place to record which children have not covered an activity. Consequently, there is no clear record of which aspect of their learning has been missed.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

20. All adults listen very carefully to the children. They take time with them and through careful intervention, encourage children to take part and learn effectively. Skills such as cutting and folding are taught well. Children who struggle initially in learning such skills are sensitively guided so that they are eventually able to manage for themselves. Activities are well structured and learning areas are well organised to make the resources accessible to children and to encourage them to be independent. Staff promote a secure and positive ethos which ensures children’s good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of communication, language, literacy and mathematics is good. Activities set in these areas of learning are always purposeful. Staff are good role models and make good use of all day-to-day activities to promote language and number. Children listen carefully to the adults they work with and try to copy the language they use. Stories are used well to stimulate children’s imagination and to develop aspects of learning. Staff model spoken language well and take opportunities for extending children’s vocabulary and understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of personal and social development is good. A particular strength is the use of the assessment information of children’s well-being to support a structured approach to achieving the successful social and emotional development of all children. The positive approach to behaviour ensures that children are developing an effective understanding of the difference between right and wrong.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

23. Dance and musical activities are effective in enabling children to appreciate their own culture and to recognise that others exist. Children are encouraged to express their own feelings through dance and the small compositions they make. This is a good contribution to their spiritual and cultural development. Bayonne Nursery School - 17 24. Teaching is very successful in meeting the needs of individual children with special educational needs. Planning is detailed with an emphasis on developing children’s speaking skills, including their listening skills and their concentration spans. The specialised support from the teacher responsible for co-ordinating this provision is successful in meeting the individual needs of children, and addressing areas needing development collectively as a team. The rota system is successful in involving staff in taking a fair share of responsibility in supporting the provision, and taking good care of

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

the children. Through this rota system, staff are involved in planning suitable work in smaller steps, which is well matched to the children’s specific learning needs and their individual targets. Tracking of progress on these smaller steps is also shared with all staff. Children with special educational needs are taught how to take an active part in their learning and self-evaluation. They respond well to staff and can estimate how well they have done and how well they have listened and concentrated during the focused activity sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

25. Teaching for children with English as an additional language by the specialist teacher is very good and leads to children developing positive attitudes to learning English, and other areas of learning through English. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is well promoted through activities, such as turn taking and sharing books and resources. The quality of support provided is very good in developing children’s speaking and listening and their early reading and writing skills. During lessons, time is spent productively in working with small groups with focused support for children at the earliest stage of English acquisition. The work is well planned and prepared and is linked well to what other children in the nursery learn. Questions are carefully phrased and children are encouraged to make good efforts at listening and speaking, and using complete sentences. Children make good responses and are well rewarded through

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

frequent use of praise and re-assurance; this has a good impact on their learning and self-esteem. Relevant resources, such as the magnetic board, words and pictures, and the ‘fruit/animal lotto’ games are specially prepared for the activities intended and used well. This is a significant feature of teaching, leading to good results.

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HOW WELL ARE CHILDREN TAUGHT?

26. While teaching children with English as an additional language there is good emphasis on increasing children’s vocabulary through stories and books that are read to them, for example, about animals and small creatures. While learning about the ‘life cycle of a butterfly’, children are encouraged to use keywords such as ‘egg’, ‘caterpillar’, ‘cocoon’ and ‘butterfly’ meaningfully in small sentences. The use of books and visual materials is particularly helpful in reinforcing related ideas and the key vocabulary. Visits to local places of interest are used successfully in encouraging children to respond appropriately, using both verbal and non-verbal means of communication. Bayonne Nursery School - 18

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CHILDREN?

27. The curriculum is broad, imaginative and stimulating. This is an improvement since the last inspection with all children now offered a good range of quality learning experiences throughout the six areas of learning recommended for this age group.

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CHILDREN?

28. The learning areas are well organised and careful thought is given to where activities are placed to enable children to become increasingly independent. These areas provide many opportunities for children to choose and explore a wide range of resources and activities. This gives the children choice and decision making opportunities, which develop their thinking, listening, speaking and enquiry skills. The activities provided encourage children to take initiative and responsibility for their actions.

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CHILDREN?

29. All children have access to the curriculum and equal opportunity to choose their activities freely. The flexibility in the system in selecting children for the focused support from the specialist teacher, results in some children missing out on the high quality support that is currently available to the six targeted children at the earliest stage of acquiring English. Other children, whose language is better, do not receive the same degree of support and progress is inconsistent as a result. The curriculum is planned around a series of themes each designed to promote specific areas of learning. These themes are reviewed regularly to follow and build on the interests of the children both individually and for small groups. The nursery integrates satisfactory strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy throughout all the planned activities.

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CHILDREN?

30. All staff are involved in planning the curriculum. While staff are generally clear from their regular team discussions about what children should be experiencing and learning, it is less clear in their planning. The current planning does not make it easy for a person joining the staff team to understand what children are to learn.

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CHILDREN?

31. Provision for children with special educational needs is very good and a significant strength. There is improvement in the co-ordination of the provision since the last inspection. The attainment of children with special educational needs is in line with their learning targets. Children make good progress towards their individual targets in their individual educational plans, which are devised carefully and sensitively. Children’s targets are set and reviewed on a regular basis, with their parents’ full consent and involvement. Considerable time is spent in meeting with parents and discussing children’s targets and their educational plans. Taking into account the extent and nature of individual needs, children achieve very well.

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CHILDREN?

32. Children with special educational needs have good access to the curriculum through the very good provision overall. Children’s language delay is a priority area for development. This is included in the nursery’s action plan and is well targeted through training and support for staff. As a result, activities provided are geared to meeting individual needs and reaching the targets more systematically. There are regular contacts with external agencies, local schools and other providers of this provision. The multi-agency approach is successful in meeting individual needs and preparing children well for their new schools. Swimming is also provided, which helps to extend the curriculum and benefits children who need it most.

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CHILDREN?

33. Children with English as an additional language benefit greatly from the additional support that is provided by the specialist teacher funded through the ‘Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant’ (EMAG) on one-day-a-week basis. When they join the school, children are fairly fluent in their own language, although their competence in speaking Bayonne Nursery School - 19 English is very low. There are 20 children identified as English as an additional language speakers, all on the earliest stages of English acquisition - with ten children on the borough’s ‘EAL Stage 1’ and the same number on ‘EAL stage 2’. The most widely spoken language is Portuguese; other majority languages spoken by a small number of children are Spanish, French and Yoruba. The diversity of languages spoken within the nursery is celebrated.

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CHILDREN?

34. The provision for children learning English as an additional language is very good. There is a clear strategy for managing the ‘EMAG’ work, which is guided by a clear plan of action, and aimed at strengthening the provision further; for example, by preparing children well for the next stage of their learning in their primary school.

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CHILDREN?

35. Time is used effectively, even though only one day is available in the school. Most of the time is spent on focused activities in small groups. Some of the time during the day is spent usefully on working with children and staff in larger groups, supporting a wider range of activities, which benefits the community as a whole. Support with practical activities and singing songs, for example, helps children gain a better knowledge and understanding of the world, and develop a good awareness of different cultures through creative media.

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CHILDREN?

36. A good range of visitors and extra curricular activities enhance the planned curriculum. For example, visits to the shops and nearby river. The children are also involved in more extensive trips out to the theatre, art gallery, parks and the zoo. The school has close links with the local Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith and children enjoyed two visiting artists working in the nursery on a project that supported their forthcoming production. The school invites visiting theatre and dance groups to the nursery to extend children’s access to the arts. This is often linked to festivals and celebrations, for example, the Hindu dancers who came to celebrate Diwali with the children.

p.19

CHILDREN?

37. There is good provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development throughout the curriculum. This supports children in quickly becoming confident, sociable and independent. The school is successful in creating a safe, caring environment and atmosphere where each child is well supported and valued through praise and encouragement. Children rapidly develop a sense of right and wrong and become sensitive to the needs of others. The ethos of the nursery effectively enables children to become confident and independent learners and as a result, children show a developing independence and good levels of maturity. Children’s moral, spiritual and cultural development are well promoted and have been maintained since the last inspection. Children are encouraged to respond to experiences such as birthdays, the festivals of different faiths and the changing aspects of nature in the seasons. Children

p.19

CHILDREN?

are encouraged to take turns at activities, share the resources and be aware of the feelings of others. The planned activities for creative development, role-play, music and dance provide good opportunities for children to express their thoughts and feelings.

p.19

CHILDREN?

38. Good links with other educational establishments and the community contribute well to the quality of the education provided. Parents and friends readily support the nursery in many practical ways. For example, parents paint the climbing frames and fundraise for the school and charity. Regular parental help and good support for the school’s activities ensure the children receive good opportunities to learn. The school’s partnership with other pre-school providers, nurseries and link primary schools are good. These partnerships ensure continuity for the children when they join and leave the school. Bayonne Nursery School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

39. Overall the nursery takes very good care of its children. Staff work co-operatively to achieve the best possible outcome for them and take their duty of care very seriously. They are very aware of the vulnerability of children of this age and their need for warmth, support and security. They know the children very well and make use of this knowledge to handle and guide them through their learning and welfare needs. The headteacher attentively promotes this ethos through staff meetings and her frequent presence in the school’s general learning and activity areas. This thorough knowledge of individual children is encouraging in cases of concern.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

40. The nursery has a thorough understanding of each child’s educational, developmental and emotional needs. Its family atmosphere is valued and nurtured by a staff whose primary concern is to provide a setting that encourages personal development and progress. This is clearly appreciated by the children whose relationships with their ‘key worker’ are characterised by warmth and affection. Parents indicate that their children are very happy and noticeably mature within a short time of being here. The security of clear routines and caring staff help the children to settle in quickly and this gives great reassurance to parents and carers.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

41. A secure child protection policy, in accordance with local authority guidelines, with the headteacher as the named person, together with thorough arrangements to ensure the health and safety of the children provide a dependable environment for early development and progress. Child protection issues are dealt with thoroughly following the guidelines from the local education authority with which all staff are thoroughly familiar, and protection and matters of concern are addressed promptly. The headteacher and the Governing Body make regular risk assessments. Fire precautions are sound and well rehearsed and fire equipment is regularly inspected and serviced. The school has sufficient fully qualified personnel trained in first aid to meet its needs.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

42. The procedures for keeping a record of children’s attainment and progress are very good. Staff know the children well and a comprehensive personal record that includes both personal and school information, builds up a detailed picture during their time at the school. This ‘record’ is presented to them on leaving and provides a valuable source of information about a child’s attainment and progress. This is a recent, but significant, improvement since the last inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

43. Initial assessments for children with English as an additional language are carried out, as required, by using borough guidelines as well as the nursery’s procedures, including home visits, in order to have a good understanding of the children’s needs. There are opportunities for informal training for staff in relation to meeting children’s specific language related needs.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

44. Registration, monitoring procedures and attendance records are very good. The majority of staff have a good knowledge of the individual circumstances of the children that enables them to make valid judgements in respect of their care and welfare in the event of unusual absence.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY CARE FOR ITS CHILDREN?

45. Pastoral care is a core value of the school. Parents are in general agreement that the school has a very agreeable atmosphere and that it effectively helps their children become more mature and responsible. The nursery offers parents the facility of prompt contact with any staff member in matters of concern and parents value this greatly. Overall the nursery has very good procedures for child protection and welfare. Bayonne Nursery School - 21

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents’ views of the nursery are good. The parents’ meeting and their response to the questionnaires show a very high level of satisfaction with the way the nursery cares for and develops their children. They consider that the warm and caring manner of the staff, their helpfulness in personal matters and the interest they show in their children’s welfare and development have created a supportive environment in which their children feel secure and happy. They feel well informed and believe the school values their input.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The nursery has a good range of links with parents that help children learn and assists their personal development. There is regular and useful contact between staff and parents and between parents themselves. These provide a valuable opportunity for sharing mutual concerns and problems and for sustaining the community values of the area that the nursery serves. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the nursery is good. Parents hold in high regard the efforts the nursery makes for their children and most respond to requests for help from the headteacher. However, much of the organisation of most social and fund raising activities is driven by a core group of parents. Nevertheless, there is widespread support by the majority of parents for all activities that benefit the nursery.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The information that the nursery provides for parents is very good. Newsletters, general correspondence, notice board bulletins and the approachability of the staff underpin a commitment by the nursery to provide comprehensive information about nursery activities and their children. They feel well informed about all matters relating to their children and the nursery’s activities and are comfortable about approaching any staff member about matters that concern them. There is good liaison with parents whose children have special educational needs and this benefits the child and reassures the parents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The nursery itself places great importance in the involvement of parents and encourages them to help in practical ways. Parents receive a home visit prior to their child joining the nursery. This helps to facilitate the transition of a child from home to nursery and provides an opportunity for parents to ask questions on matters that may be concerning them.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The nursery works closely in partnership with the parents of children with English as an additional language, which helps to create a warm and welcoming ethos. There are good opportunities for the bilingual parents to meet in the nursery. The network of support for Portuguese speaking parents is successful in helping their children in their new environment. The practice of translating notices and information into other languages enables parents and carers to take part more fully in the life of the nursery. The environment and resources reflect the different cultures that are represented within the nursery.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE NURSERY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The annual report of the Governing Body is well presented, informative and written clearly with the reader in mind. This report together with regular newsletters and meetings ensures that parents are kept informed of matters that affect them and their children.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

Bayonne Nursery School - 22 52. The headteacher and her deputy provide good leadership for the nursery and have set a clear educational direction for all its work. All staff are supportive, have a good knowledge of the needs of young children and ensure that they receive a full curriculum. Staff work well together to promote the nursery’s aims and values. All staff have realistic expectations for the majority of children, although on rare occasions they are too low for the most able. The staff support the headteacher effectively. One of their greatest strengths is the cheerful, productive way in which they work as a team. The strong teamwork encourages staff to work together and to evaluate what is effective teaching and learning in the nursery. All staff are well qualified and their expertise is effectively deployed to meet the demands of all the children in their care. Those with management responsibilities have a clear understanding of their role in developing even

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

higher standards. The good quality support provided by nursery nurses and support staff is an important factor in the children's learning. There is good teamwork and communication regarding children's progress. There is a shared vision among all who are involved with the nursery, which is clearly seen in practice on a day-to-day basis.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

53. Good progress has been made, since the last inspection, in observing lessons in order to improve them. This has been undertaken by the headteacher with support from staff and external advisory support. A regular cycle of lesson observations is ongoing. Outcomes are reported back to staff and are incorporated into the nursery’s appraisal system.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

54. Staff have a responsibility for an area or aspect of learning. They are clear about their responsibilities and the expectations of their roles. They work well to support one another in the planning and delivery of the curriculum and have a good understanding of the strengths within their area of responsibility and what needs to be done to improve standards. They are highly motivated and effective in influencing their colleagues. The management of the provision for children with special educational needs is very good. The nursery involves parents in all stages of the learning process. Needs are identified as early as possible. There are very good systems in place for identifying and meeting children’s specific learning needs, mostly within the nursery, also through referring to outside agencies, where specialist support is necessary for meeting additional needs, such as speech therapy. There is high emphasis on providing good models for

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

developing children’s language, an identified area of priority in terms of meeting children’s needs. The new requirements for children with special educational needs are applied effectively and the individual education plans have clear targets. Staff are provided with the necessary level of support and training, and are familiar with the new policy and procedures. Topics, such as dyslexia, language delay and nutrition are discussed, and parents and staff receive educational talks from specialists. These talks have been useful in understanding the nature of children’s individual needs and identifying successful strategies for meeting them.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

55. The specialist teacher for English as an additional language meets with the staff on a regular basis, to plan work as a team and to help match work to the children’s language related needs. This also helps children in accessing the curriculum as a whole. There are regular reviews of the children’s work and of their progress, leading to planning the next stages of children’s learning. Children’s significant achievement is recorded and shared with the staff. Children’s records of progress are well established and updated on a regular basis, giving a clear view of their progress over time.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

56. The nursery does not provide sufficiently systematic support for all identified children with English as an additional language. Currently 6 children, identified on the borough’s ‘EAL Stage 1’, are targeted for support by the specialist teacher employed by the local education authority and these children make good progress. However, there are a Bayonne Nursery School - 23 further 4 children at the same stage of language acquisition, plus 10 on the borough’s Eal Stage 2’, who do not receive the same level of support from the specialist teacher. Therefore, the nursery cannot ensure that these 14 children make equally good progress through a more focused programme of support as they do not have access to the very good quality specialist support from the teacher employed by the local education authority This situation has arisen because the targets set by the borough for the specialist teacher only require her to focus on 6 children.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

57. Procedures for keeping track of the work of the school require further development to ensure that all children access the learning opportunities offered, although there have been improvements since the last inspection. While the headteacher leads this aspect of the nursery’s work, all staff are involved in regularly carrying out their own monitoring of the provision within their areas of responsibility. This information is evaluated and shared with the whole staff and adjustments made as appropriate. Areas for development, for example, provision for information and communication technology, are planned for thoroughly and effective action is taken.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher receives good quality support from the local education authority and the governors. Generally, the governors fulfill their responsibilities well. Financial arrangements are good and efforts are made to link spending with the objectives in the nursery’s development plan. They have a sound understanding of the principles of ‘best value’ and take into account all possible prices before making purchases. They have built up a generous contingency fund to offset the costs of improving both the building and outdoor areas. Such a surplus is justified by the plans and by the generally good provision of staffing and resources elsewhere. Nurseries have received comparatively generous incomes recently and this has allowed the surplus to be accrued. The income per child is broadly in line with the average for nursery schools and provides a wide curriculum and attains good standards. It therefore provides good value for

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE NURSERY LED AND MANAGED?

59. The nursery building, which is used well, offers a good standard of accommodation. The learning areas are used effectively to enable children to experience all aspects of the resources available. Exciting and effective learning is created through a range of creative and role-play areas as well as quieter areas for reading, early writing or counting activities. The good use of displays of children's work, as well as displays to encourage reading and other skills, helps create a bright and enriched learning environment. Resources are well prepared, appropriate and are used effectively to extend and support learning. The outside facilities are good and offer a wide range of experiences. There is a generous number of teachers, nursery nurses and support staff. Bayonne Nursery School - 24

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE NURSERY DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60. In order to build on the existing standards in the nursery, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE NURSERY DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Improve the quality of curriculum planning to:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE NURSERY DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that staff include greater detail on their planning in order to make clear the learning intentions for each activity in terms of what children will know, understand and be able to do as a result of the planned activities; (paragraphs 17, 18, 68 and 75)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE NURSERY DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure a better balance between those activities which are taught by staff and those where children can learn to choose and develop greater independence; (paragraphs 18, 19, 73 and 75)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE NURSERY DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that there are systems in place for recording what children experience so that they all benefit equally from what is on offer. (paragraphs 17, 19, 29, 56 and 57) Bayonne Nursery School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.25

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.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Number of children on the nursery’s roll (FTE for part-time children) 58.5

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Number of full-time children known to be eligible for free school meals 14

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Number of children with statements of special educational needs 3

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Number of children on the school’s special educational needs register 22

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Number of children with English as an additional language 21

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Child mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Children who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission n/a

p.25

Information about the nursery’s children

Children who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving n/a

p.25

Attendance

Bayonne Nursery School - 26 Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

p.26

Attendance

Nursery data n/a Nursery data n/a Bayonne Nursery School - 27

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.2

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of children per qualified teacher 20 £

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 53,571

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 175.5 Expenditure per pupil 893

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year Nil

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of children per FTE adult 7.5 Balance carried forward to next year 16,561

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the nursery during the last two years 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Bayonne Nursery School - 28

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagr ee Strongl y disagr ee Don’t know

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 65 27 8 0 0

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 58 4 0 0

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 24 18 12 29 18

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 56 24 20 0 0

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 28 0 0 0

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 35 42 12 0 12

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 48 44 4 4 0

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 58 31 8 4 0

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 31 8 0 4

p.28

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 33 17 0 8 Bayonne Nursery School - 29 Bayonne Nursery School - 30

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

61. There is very good provision and teaching is good in this area and, as a result, children learn effectively. The caring way staff respond to children is a strength and positive relationships have developed between children and adults that effectively promote a happy and secure environment. Adults provide good role models and all value children’s contributions. Most children reach the expected levels for their age in relation to the stepping-stones and make good progress towards the early learning goals. Some children make very good progress. This is promoted by the good teaching which is based on the good relationships that all adults have with the children and the role models they provide. Personal development is good with most children able to work independently and to take some initiative in their learning. The learning areas assist this in the wide variety of equipment and material available and the independence children

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

are given to select and use these. Adults have high expectations of what children can do unaided and children respond to these expectations, for example, most children help tidy up at the end of a session.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

62. Children learn to share and take turns well. The routines of the nursery, such as taking turns or playing group games, set good models for this and adults are effective in reminding children of their responsibilities to others. Children use these routines and strategies well in their interactions with each other. For example, when using the computer, most children will wait quite patiently for someone to finish.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

63. Lunchtime is a pleasant, social occasion and is used well by staff to model appropriate table manners. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and explain to children the reason why some behaviour is acceptable and some is not. Partnership with parents is good and makes a good contribution to the children’s personal and social development. Staff maintain a good day-to-day dialogue with parents and carers as they come to bring and collect their children.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

64. The quality of teaching in this area is good overall. Activities are well planned to foster enjoyment and to encourage speaking and listening skills. This contributes to improving children’s attention to tasks. Practitioners are good at encouraging pupils to listen when whole group activities are taking place and when new skills are being taught. For example, in a group activity which was supporting pupils with special educational needs, pupils were particularly encouraged to listen carefully to the practitioner when following instructions. They rang Chinese bells only after they heard the word ‘go’. This successfully increases pupils’ levels of concentration and listening skills. By the end of their time in the nursery, children reach the expected levels for their age in reading, speaking, listening and writing.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

65. Many children know how to sound out alphabetical sounds, and can pick out other children’s names around the class room, for example when finding their own and other children’s mugs with their names on. Most children are able to recognise their own names, and look for them at lunch time so that they know which is their place to sit for lunch. All children choose books which they enjoy looking at and which support their Bayonne Nursery School - 31 learning, but few are able to read them, although they are all willing to talk about what they can see in the books. They particularly enjoy listening to stories, such as ‘Goldilocks and the three Bears’. They respond with excitement and obvious enjoyment in these situations. When in their ‘key worker’ reading groups children listen well and look at the person who is speaking. The ‘extra’ activities which go within these sessions extend pupils thinking. For example, the game which the children were encouraged to

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

play having listened to the story, ‘The little mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big bear’ really made them try to remember what happened next in the story. When using books themselves they know how to look at them from the front to the back of the book, and from the top to the bottom of the page. At present, children in the nursery do not take books home regularly to share with their parents, although there are plans for this to happen in the future. Consequently, there are missed opportunities for children to talk about books with their parents.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

66. Children follow simple instructions and carry out tasks, such as laying the table in the home corner and making lollipops out of play dough. This particular activity created a great deal of discussion amongst the children and their visitor. The new introduction of ‘key workers’ taking story time twice a day for the children who are in their groups works well.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

67. The classes are well set out, with paper and pens readily available so that children can engage in free writing. This is used regularly by some children and they have the opportunity to practise writing letters, lists, and their names. Older children can write their name independently, but others are still at the stage of putting marks on paper to represent words. All children are encouraged to re-tell stories they have heard in their own words. This is a good technique which supports the children’s early language development.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

68. A good understanding of letter sounds is developed through both formal and informal activities. Supplies of paper, pencils and crayons are readily available for children to use. Although older children are beginning to use their knowledge of letter sounds successfully when they try to write unaided, many are still at the early stages of ascribing meanings to marks and find it difficult to form recognisable letters.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

69. Staff assess the work of the children in their care well. They note any newly developed skills or achievements in communication, language and literacy and record these in the children’s individual profiles.

p.31

Mathematical development

70. Provision in this area of learning is good. The quality of teaching and learning is good and children achieve well. Expectations are appropriate for the most part, although a few of the most able children need greater challenge. Adults make good use of incidental opportunities to reinforce learning in mathematics, such as when counting the objects collected from the sand to put back on the trolley. However, there is not always sufficient intervention using targeted questioning by adults when using sand and water. This is because planning does not always clearly identify what children will learn during the activity or what expectations are for different groups of children. Bayonne Nursery School - 32 71. Children make at least satisfactory, and often good progress and many, by the time they leave the nursery, are on course to reach the expected levels for age. This is supported by the very good quality records of the progress children make and are

p.31

Mathematical development

included in their individual profiles. These build up into a comprehensive record of the child’s achievements during their time in the school.

p.32

Mathematical development

72. Children learn to sort equipment according to criteria such as colour, shape and size and begin to explore concepts of capacity and measures when they use sand and water to fill containers of various sizes. Some know the names of simple two- dimensional shapes such as circle, square and triangle. Work shows that many children, by the time they leave the nursery, successfully recognise, count and use numbers up to, and often beyond, ten. They use mathematical terms such as, ‘more than’ and ‘bigger/smaller’, in context, for example when counting the number of peas and broad beans in a pod. They are familiar with number rhymes which reinforce their knowledge and understanding of number. In one session, an above average pupil could say that infinity meant that the numbers went ‘on and on’.

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. The quality of teaching and learning are good and children are likely to reach expected standards in this area. All adults’ use suitable questioning skills to develop children’s knowledge and understanding. Although most children in the nursery show curiosity in their surroundings, many need encouragement to explore, investigate and ask questions. The good curriculum offers them a wide range of experiences to expend their knowledge of the world around them. Activities are well planned to enable children to explore aspects of the environment and to relate the work to their own experiences. Discussion forms an important part of their work and children are encouraged to be observant and describe what they see. For example, children have been learning about butterflies and stick insects. They are encouraged to look at them closely and describe what they can see. Some good work is undertaken by the nursery nurse who talks to

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

small numbers of pupils about the stick insects. She lets the children help clean their cage out and give them more food. This is an excellent way of not only developing the children’s observation skills and knowledge of the world around them but also their language and speaking skills. For example, one little girl was very keen to share her new found knowledge with visitors. This sort of practical activity becomes much more relevant to the children than just being told what a stick insect is, and ensures that their learning is relevant and practical to their own needs.

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Children also have the opportunity to gain knowledge of the world around them by playing with the sand and water. In one instance, when talking to children who were playing in the sandpit and asking them what they were doing, they replied ‘I’m cooking, I can cook’. In another instance 5 children were very busily engaged in mixing water and soil together to make mud. They were having a fantastic time, mixing and stirring, one of the pupils thought that it looked like chocolate, but when his friend tried it they realised that it did not taste nice. These activities really support children’s’ learning and allow them first hand experiences.

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Children in the nursery show good ‘making’ skills and develop a good sense of how things join together to make imaginative models. Children learn to operate the computer confidently using the mouse to select items they want. However, there are occasions where children are using the computer and are unable to make it work. They click the mouse and move the cursor around the screen to try and move things on the screen but nothing happens. Sometimes adults in the room are aware that children need help to access the programs but frequently children are left to their own devices and Bayonne Nursery School - 33 therefore little learning takes place. Most of the programs available for the children to use give good opportunities for children to develop and reinforce their skills in a variety of areas. For example, one program used showed pictures such as a saw with letters underneath it and children had to put the letters into the right order. This was achieved

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

by a process of elimination rather than knowledge of how it was spelt.

p.33

Physical development

76. Teaching and learning are good and lead to above average attainment in children’s physical activities. Children are encouraged to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active. They enjoy being energetic in their activities and take good advantage of the variety of experiences on offer. They are well involved and take initiative in organising their own learning. Adults support children, but little direct teaching is observed in developing skills or extending skills in the case of children who are more able. Planning could be strengthened in this regard. Children with special educational needs are very well supported and their needs are fully met through a good range of activities provided, including access to swimming. They make good progress, in line with their targets.

p.33

Physical development

77. By the time they leave the nursery, children’s attainment in physical development is above that expected of children of this age. They move with confidence, imagination and control, making good use of the available space. Children move well around the garden, walk and run safely and are confident runners. While playing with a football, children follow the rules and try to keep the game going. They manage their body well to control their intended movements. They experiment with different ways of moving and show increasing self-help skills.

p.33

Physical development

78. Children’s physical skills for larger movements are well developed. They explore different climbing frames; they climb up and down and try to balance on the apparatus unaided. Children go on the slide and enjoy their experience of sliding down. Children go through the obstacle course, through the tunnel and walk confidently on the plank with great skill and precision. They use stairs, steps and climbing equipment with increasing confidence and skill, using alternate feet and make attempts to go higher and higher on the swing. They carefully balance their loaded trucks full of interesting things and negotiate space around the garden, without losing anything or bumping into anyone. Children move freely in and out of the climbing equipment - spontaneously going over, under, through and outside the apparatus. There is a growing awareness of the positional language through using the equipment as children aim to go ‘over’, ‘under’

p.33

Physical development

the climbing frame or ‘through’ the tunnel.

p.33

Physical development

79. Children are using their fingers for controlling scissors, which they use for cutting paper, materials and, on occasions, for trimming the hedge, for example, when they observe an adult working in the garden area. Children use their paintbrush skillfully during their painting sessions. They hold a pencil well, showing good control when drawing and writing, and increasingly getting better at doing fine details. They use play dough frequently and other malleable materials to cut, mould and to make different shapes and models. They use the knife safely while spreading butter to make their sandwiches. Children explore the computer well to draw and colour pictures, which is proving useful in developing their skills in manipulating the mouse. Bayonne Nursery School - 34 80. Provision for outdoor play is good and there are regular opportunities to use the outdoor space, equipment and push along toys. Wheeled toys and the variety of the available

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Physical development

climbing apparatus are used constantly, helping children to develop well their physical skills, such as body control and co-ordination. Children are encouraged to make independent choices and often choose to play with sand, water and the building blocks. The use of the sand pit is helping to develop a good knowledge and understanding of shape, space and capacity.

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Physical development

81. Assessment of physical development is good; staff make note of any significant achievement in children’s learning and of their responses. Observations are recorded on a regular basis in children’s profiles. Children’s photographs provide good evidence of how well they are progressing in relation to their age during their stay in the nursery.

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Creative development

82. The quality of teaching is good, activities are well organised and resources used effectively. Children are involved well and the teachers know how to stimulate their growing interests. A wide range of activities is provided so that children can respond in different ways by using different senses. There is good emphasis on encouraging children to explore their own ideas and feelings through giving sufficient time to develop them. Children are able to select activities independently and use a wide range of materials to represent their experiences. The more able children, however, are not always encouraged to further their knowledge and skills through positive adult intervention. There is sound planning for creative development, which could be further extended by setting more specific learning targets to enhance children’s learning and progress.

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Creative development

83. Most children reach the expected levels for age in relation to what is expected of them and make good progress. Children experience a wide range of creative activities, which include singing, music, art and imaginative play.

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Creative development

84. Children draw and paint pictures, which are well displayed around the nursery, making the learning environment more interesting. They know how to mix paints to change colour for their pictures. Good links are developed with symmetry while painting pictures. Children use a wide range of materials to explore shape, texture and form in two and three-dimensions. Items of food, such as spaghetti and pasta are used creatively for learning purposes. Children also use the computer to explore shape and pattern; some of the work samples observed included children’s rainbow pictures drawn by using the computer.

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Creative development

85. There is singing at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions, which provides good opportunities for singing children’s favourite songs in larger groups, often linking songs with actions and learning to use interesting dance movements. Children are enthusiastic about dance and beginning to develop confidence to dance in pairs and join others in a circle dance. They maintain rhythm in dance, clap in time, and follow a series of movements in response to different kinds of music. Children initiate and sing their favourite songs, such as ‘Um Cha-Cha’, with a great deal of enthusiasm and dance well in response to the music. Children enjoy singing songs using words from different languages, such as ‘say hello’, ‘how are you today’ and ‘say goodbye’ in tune with music played by the teacher on the guitar, and are becoming increasingly aware of the different languages that are spoken by their friends in the nursery.

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Creative development

86. Musical instruments are used well to explore their different sounds and successfully raise children’s awareness of different cultures represented within the nursery and in Bayonne Nursery School - 35 the wider community. Children also make their own musical instruments, such as shakers using empty yoghurt pots with buttons inside, and show interest in the way musical instruments sound. Individual children have been observed singing to themselves and making simple songs.

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Creative development

87. There are good opportunities to explore children’s ideas and feelings through their imaginative play. Role-play areas are well organised and provide good opportunities for children’s language development and for supporting their personal and social skills. There are good opportunities for dressing up in multicultural clothes and for exploring multicultural artefacts, which are helping to raise children’s awareness of their multicultural surrounding.

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Creative development

88. Staff make observations on a regular basis and record aspects of children’s work and their responses. Children’s photographs and samples of work provide good evidence of how well the children are progressing in relation to the expectations, which are clearly linked to the early learning goals. Resources are of good quality, well organised, easily accessed by the children and contribute well to raising standards.

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