Other · Ofsted report

Homerton Early Years Centre

Inspected — · published 12 Dec 2001 · URN 110594

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Praiseexcellentvery wellvery highvery effectiveexceptionalcleargood progresshigh expectations

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Full report text

HOMERTON NURSERY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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HOMERTON 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. Homerton Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Anne Kent

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1998 Homerton Nursery School - 4

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Team members

18152 Mrs Jill Palmer Registered inspector 9798 Mrs Vivienne Ashworth Lay inspector

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Team members

The Kingston Centre Fairway Stafford ST16 3TW

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Homerton Nursery School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

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

Homerton Nursery School is situated on the south side of Cambridge, on the edge of the city. It provides up to 120 part-time places for children who will become four during the year they spend at the school. There are currently 107 children on the school roll, all of whom attend part time. Many children come from the surrounding area but some families travel very long distances to enable their children to attend the school. Children with special educational needs have priority. The children come from a mixed social background and initial assessment shows that attainment on entry is very varied, but generally at least in line with that expected for three-year-old children. The school takes in children once a year. There are seven children who speak English as an additional language. Two children are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Currently there are eleven children who have been identified as having special

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

educational needs. The nature of their special needs includes physical disability, autism, hearing, speech and multi-sensory impairment. Two of these children have statements of special educational need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective nursery school. Most of the children have been in the school for a very short time, but already good progress is being made, due to the very high quality of the teaching. The children enter the nursery with average standards and leave achieving standards that are above those expected for their age in all the areas of learning. The leadership and management of the headteacher is of a very high quality and makes a very strong contribution to the work and development of the nursery. The governing body is very effective in fulfilling its roles and responsibilities. All staff have very high expectations of behaviour, attitudes to work and what children can achieve. The parents hold the school in very high regard. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum, contributes significantly to the good progress made by all children. • The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the dedicated team of staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the governing body. • The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is of the highest quality. • Provision for personal, social and emotional development is excellent and because of this standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s age.

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What could be improved

• The educational priorities in the school development plan are not always fully supported through sufficiently detailed financial planning or realistic action planning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Homerton Nursery School - 7 The school was last inspected in March 1998. It has made very good improvement since then.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has taken every step possible to ensure that all the nursery places are taken. The number of children on roll fluctuates from year to year. Last year all places were filled. The nursery advertises in a variety of locations and has regular publicity in the local papers. The admissions criterion has been changed for the afternoon sessions so that children can stay for the full session. The staff have reorganised the story and music time so that all children are fully involved. The arrangements for lunchtime are greatly improved. The children eat in a very pleasant environment. They are encouraged to be independent when preparing for eating, clearing away their plates and to be sociable when sitting together with one another and adults. The school has invested in a great deal of equipment for the outdoor environment, including climbing apparatus. Each session includes time for the children to use this equipment. High

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

quality learning takes place during these sessions, when many new skills are developed. A new addition to the school has been a community room, which has enabled the staff to focus even more on children’s physical development skills. A health promoting initiative has focussed the school’s attention on healthy exercise. The new room also enables the staff to widen the development of the children’s expressive and creative skills through music and drama. The system for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school and the standards achieved has been improved greatly.

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STANDARDS

By the time the children leave the nursery school, standards in relation to the early learning goals are above average. The standards attained in personal, social and emotional development are well above average. The children make good progress, resulting in standards above those expected for four-year-olds in communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.

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STANDARDS

A particular strength of the standards attained is in the area of personal, social and emotional development. The children relate very well to others and are very enthusiastic about their learning. Although the children have been in the school for a very short time, they move around the nursery with great confidence and are not afraid to try out new activities. They work with great interest and often become totally absorbed in their work. They quickly learn to be independent and take turns very well. The children communicate confidently with one another, adults and visitors to the school and listen attentively when others are speaking. Many children enjoy looking at books and they can tell stories using the illustrations. Some children are beginning to form letters and write their first name unaided. In mathematics, children were observed ordering and counting a number of children to 18; weighing and

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STANDARDS

balancing shapes using mathematical language such as balance , how many and heavier than and ordering the days of the week. The children talked about a variety of experiences, demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Many opportunities are provided for the children to develop their creative skills to a high level when painting, working with clay, using tools such as a bradawl and split pins when making jointed puppets. The outdoor environment is used very well to develop the children’s physical skills, when they ride on bicycles, scooters, play ball games supervised by the staff, climb and balance on a variety of larger equipment. The standards achieved by the children across a broad and well-balanced curriculum are above those expected for children of nursery age. Homerton Nursery School - 8

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Aspect Comment

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

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The children are courteous and helpful to one another and to adults.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Children work well together during activities. All relationships within the school are very effective in supporting the desire to learn and the care and respect for others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. The school is proactive in encouraging regular attendance and the parents appreciate the importance of this. Children generally arrive punctually for the start of sessions.

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Aspect Comment

The children’s enthusiasm for school is already high, as is their level of interest and involvement in the many exciting activities. They concentrate on their work. Even at this early stage, they often demonstrate a sensible approach to their work. They enjoy being praised and having the Homerton Owl Badge , which gives them a special responsibility for giving out fruit during circle time.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery

Quality of teaching Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Eight observations of teaching were made during the inspection. In five of these lessons the teaching was very good. Teaching was of an exceptional standard in the remaining three. A particular strengths in the teaching is the very high quality of planning for learning, shared by all staff. All staff have a very good knowledge of children’s starting points and they make very good assessments of subsequent learning. The children receive very high quality support, intervention and direction when they are working. This includes those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and children from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are fully included in all activities. The teachers make very good

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery

use of time, support staff and high quality resources. The teachers have very good knowledge and understanding of this age group and high expectations of what children can do and how they should behave. Learning is of a very good quality at all times. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught very well and reinforced across all areas of learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of A very good range of activities is planned from a broad and very Homerton Nursery School - 9 the curriculum well balanced curriculum. The provision for the personal, social and emotional development of the children is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Excellent. The highest quality provision ensures that the needs of these children are met.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The school ensures that appropriate support is in place for these children, who are encouraged to speak English whenever possible. The staff and children have learned how to say good morning , please and thank you in several different languages. Teachers share their linguistic expertise whenever possible.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Many opportunities are provided for the children to work together, sharing resources and finding things out. There is a very strong caring ethos in the school, supported by a commitment to ensuring that all children achieve their full potential.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Excellent. Procedures for supporting and monitoring academic and personal development are exceptionally good.

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Aspect Comment

The children’s enthusiasm for school is of the highest quality, as is their level of interest and involvement in activities. They concentrate well on their work. Even at this early stage, the children often demonstrate a mature and responsible approach to their work. They enjoy being praised and take pleasure in having their efforts rewarded.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the work of the school. The dedicated team of hard working and enthusiastic staff effectively manages the day-to-day routines and procedures very well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive of the school and fulfil their responsibilities very well. Individual governors visit the school to work with the children, monitor the work of the staff and share their expertise. They are kept well informed about developments by the headteacher and staff and act as critical friends when new developments are suggested.

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Aspect (contd) Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has a very clear view of its work. It knows why it is successful and what it wants to develop in future.

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Aspect (contd) Comment

The strategic use of resources The school has a devolved budget. There is a very clear and concise management plan that highlights developments in the short Homerton Nursery School - 10 resources and longer term. The governors allocate funds appropriately to support learning and promote high standards. However, the educational priorities in the management plan are not always fully supported through sufficiently detailed financial planning or short term action planning.

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Aspect (contd) Comment

The school makes very good use of the accommodation available. The children use the well- resourced outdoor area around the school building with confidence. The learning that takes place as a result is of a very high level. The children are very well supported in their learning by a larger than usual number of learning support staff, who know the children very well. The school has very good resources for all areas of learning. These are used very well to support the generally high level of learning and standards being attained in the school. The school applies the principles of best value appropriately.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The children love coming to school. • The school’s very good reputation in the local and wider community. • The very high quality of teaching and support. • The school works closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • No concerns were expressed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection took place when many parents were new to the school and many found it difficult to answer some of the questions on the questionnaire. However, the above views were very strongly expressed by parents at the parents meeting and in their replies to the parents’ questionnaire. At the end of the parents’ meeting, a parting statement from a parent was: This is an exceptional school . The inspection team totally agrees with the views of the parents. Homerton Nursery School - 11

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

contributes significantly to the good progress made by all children.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

1 Eight observations of teaching were made during the inspection. In five of these lessons the teaching was very good. Excellent teaching was observed in the remaining three lessons. This is an improvement since the last inspection when teaching was good overall.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

2 There are three teaching bases in the school, each one with a full-time qualified teacher supported by nursery nurses and learning support assistants. The proportion of adults to children is very favourable and contributes significantly to the speed at which the children settle down to the nursery routines.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

3 At the beginning of each session the children enter the school contented, enthusiastic and confident. They become involved immediately in the broad range of activities set out for them. The children are quickly encouraged to be independent and this was observed in all lessons. The teachers welcome the parents and encourage them to become involved with the children. For example, one child immediately headed for the book corner and read a book The Very Hungry Caterpillar to her parent and a friend. She obviously knew this book well, and worked through every page, telling the story from the illustrations. The parents are encouraged to leave as soon as their child is settled, and in some cases the children tell their parents to leave. Although the children have only been in the nursery for two weeks, they feel safe, secure and have already begun to form very good relationships with the adults and other children.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

4 The teachers’ very good knowledge of how children learn is used to very good effect in planning lively, interesting and purposeful activities. The planning for teaching and learning is thorough and follows the recommended curriculum for this Foundation Stage of learning. All staff are involved in this process. Consequently they have a clear understanding of the purpose of the activities and how to support, intervene and direct the learning. Very clear learning intentions for individual children ensure that the teaching support staff and resources are employed as effectively as they can be. All staff reinforce the basic skills of literacy and numeracy across all areas of learning.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

5 The morning and afternoon sessions follow the same pattern. The sessions begin with free choice activities. Each room has designated areas, with activities that address all the areas of learning. In one room, for example, a group of children were observed weighing and balancing shapes. A learning support assistant directed the children to use words such as heavier than , lighter than , weight and balance . Skilful questioning by the adult encouraged the children to make full and detailed responses to questions such as What would happen if? and Why isn't it balancing? Other children were making jointed figures and were encouraged by the teacher to use a bradawl and split pins in their construction. Not only were the children doing this very safely but they were also using the correct names for the tools. Another group of children was deeply involved in pretending to be hairdressers, washing, cutting, combing and drying the

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

Homerton Nursery School - 12 hair of their customers. This activity was complete with sound effects, produced by the children, as each operation was completed. The overriding learning intention for all activities at this point in the term is the personal and social development of the children. The teachers have already been very successful in encouraging in the children a desire to learn and the confidence to learn from their mistakes.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

6 The children have a substantial amount of time to play in the very well resourced outdoor environment. There is a very clear focus for the many outdoor activities provided. The staff carry on their teaching role when, for example, the children ride bicycles and scooters, climb on the larger apparatus, practise ball skills, play in Jeanie’s house, make observations in the bird hide or follow the nature trail. The outdoor classroom is designed to be used in all weathers and is used to maximum effect throughout the year. The photographs of past work show that the children plant bulbs, watch fireworks and play in the snow. They have a garden topic, when a conservationist visits the school and they follow the photographic plan of the school grounds. The children are encouraged to use the bird hide, make observations and draw what they see.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

7 The adults support and teach the children very well in outdoor activities and all were observed taking part with the children, teaching them how to play together and how to resolve their difficulties. The support provided for the pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is excellent. This is often in the form of teaching individual children during small and larger group activities, when for example, a child with physical disability was observed learning to ride a scooter, under the close supervision of the learning support assistant. All children are encouraged to ‘have a go’, and the staff provide a very good balance of direct and indirect support. The staff encourage the children to play together whilst keeping a watchful eye on those who might become left out. Consequently the children are accepting of one another and play together extremely well.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

8 The last part of the session involves circle time, which follows a similar pattern in each classroom. The teachers make a conscious effort to include all children by reading the names of those present and asking them to find their names on the attendance board. Having the honour of wearing the ‘Homerton Owl Badge’ rewards achievement. This allows the wearer to give out fruit to each child. This session is particularly successful in promoting the spiritual, social and moral development of the children, when please and thank you are emphasised together with the sharing of information, feelings and emotions. An exceptional session was observed when the teacher used a large puppet called Tim to encourage the children to think and talk about their own feelings and emotions when starting at the school. In another session, the story was read to the children in such a way that every child was hanging on to the teacher’s words in

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

anticipation of what would happen next. At the same time, the teacher translated parts of the story into French, and the learning support assistant competently used sign language so that all children were fully involved and enjoying the story.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

9 The staff have high expectations of the children who are provided with every opportunity to become independent and take some responsibility for their own learning. The children take advantage of this opportunity by moving confidently Homerton Nursery School - 13 around the nursery, from one learning activity to another. They visit other teaching areas and use the extensive resources sensibly and safely, having care and consideration for one another when working in groups. They concentrate well and can sustain their interest and enthusiasm for extended periods of time. Even at this early stage of their education, many children demonstrate a mature and responsible approach to their work.

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The very high level of teaching, supported by a very well planned curriculum,

10 The care and attention that the staff provide for children of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, is of the highest order. Planning, support and resources are used to maximum effect in order to ensure that each individual child’s learning potential is explored and maximised. Many different cultures are represented in the school through the resources, books and curriculum. Many festivals are celebrated, representing Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Greek Orthodox faiths. Visitors from other countries are regularly welcomed into the school, in addition to a number of families of the children, representing different countries of the world.

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staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the

11 The school is led by a very caring and enthusiastic headteacher, who is held in very high regard by her colleagues in school and the parents. The school aims to provide a caring, secure environment within which each child is valued as an individual… … development of independence, confidence and self-esteem is of prime importance, as is encouraging respect and care for others . The vision in this statement is being realised in the everyday work of the nursery. Teaching of very high quality that attends to the needs of all children across all aspects of learning is taking place. This makes a very strong contribution to the high standards being attained across all aspects of the school’s work.

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staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the

12 The headteacher has evaluated the school’s improvement since the last inspection and instigated changes that have brought about very good improvement. These changes have been brought about by accurate identification of areas for future development in the longer and shorter term. The school development plan clearly identifies the priorities for future development with clear justification why the development should take place. The headteacher manages the school very efficiently and effectively by involving all staff in the day-to-day management of the very clear routines and procedures. Roles and responsibilities are explicit and the staff work enthusiastically in fulfilling them. Each day’s activities are very thoroughly planned. This planning supports all staff very well in the work that they do with the children and helps to ensure that the teaching and learning are of a very high standard. All the staff are hard

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staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the

working and committed to ensuring that all the children receive the best education. This is accomplished through the very good teaching of the well-planned curriculum.

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staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the

13 The governing body is well informed about the work of the school. They visit the school to work with the children and monitor the school’s policies in action. They are, therefore, fully aware of the work of the school and the high standards expected and achieved. The governors are also kept fully informed, through half-termly written Homerton Nursery School - 14 reports, about the progress of developments and the new initiatives. They are responsible for the devolved budget and a finance committee provides a very clear and accurate over view of the allocation of these funds. The spending is monitored regularly and reported back to the full governing body. The governors act very well as a critical friend to the school, asking probing questions and seeking clarification when necessary.

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staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the

14 The staff work very closely together and regularly evaluate what works well and what needs to be improved. All staff undertake rigorous monitoring of the planned curriculum and how this is taught. The school’s priorities for future development are clearly defined and are an extension of the very good developments already under way. The school is actively involved in a health promoting initiative.

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staff. The school is very effectively led and managed and very well supported by the

15 Longer-term developments include becoming a centre of excellence in nursery education and using the school as a teaching and training resource. The school makes very good use of the resources available and uses extra income, generated by the parents and friends of the school, wisely. The identification of resources needed is directly linked to the school’s priorities for development. The very good provision of resources in the school contributes to the high standards achieved in all aspects of its work.

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The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is

16 The school has very good systems in place for assessing the attainment and achievements of the children. Very good records are kept on children’s progress and information from these records is used extremely well in planning the next steps in learning. An assessment of the children’s developments in the basic skills is begun when the teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistants visit the homes of the children in the summer term before they start school. A booklet All About Me is given to the parents and this is filled in by the parent and the child. This information, along with other information gathered during the home visit, forms the basis of a profile that is built up throughout the child’s time at the nursery. The teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistants learn a lot about each child on these home visits and this information is used during the transition from the home environment to the school. All

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The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is

staff were observed making full and effective use of this information during the inspection. The parents emphasised very strongly their appreciation of this induction approach.

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The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is

17 The teachers are constantly assessing the children when they are working. Very good use is made of books in which brief notes about progress are made. This informal assessment helps to inform teachers about the individual needs of the children. This information is used when planning activities and for briefing classroom helpers when extra support is required. These records are particularly effective in identifying children with special educational needs. The provision for these children is of the highest standard. Parents are informed immediately if there appears to be a problem and the progress of the child is carefully monitored before making a decision about the level of need. The school has a very good policy for special educational needs that is based upon the nationally recommended Code of Practice. Homerton Nursery School - 15 18 The teachers carry out a simple initial assessment of the children within the first few

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The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is

weeks of term, when observations are made, for example, on how the children hold writing implements or how they represent what they see on paper. This information is also stored in the child’s profile. Over the year, this profile is supplemented with pieces of work and notes about personal, social and emotional development. As a result, an excellent record of each child’s development is produced and is used by the teachers to produce reports for the parents and the next school. These reports are of exceptional quality. They are clear, concise and greatly valued by the parents. The parents expressed their pleasure and delight when receiving these reports, along with the profiles of work. The parents are very appreciative of the time that the teachers give to providing more general information about the curriculum and individual feedback and verbal reports on their children.

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The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is

19 One of the school’s recent developments has been to refine the assessment process. This has been very successful and has resulted in a method of gathering information on the children’s progress without being obtrusive.

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The monitoring of children’s academic performance and their personal development is

20 The teachers take every opportunity to talk to the parents and keep them informed on a day-to-day basis about any matters of importance. The children are encouraged to bring their parents into the classrooms to look at their work. Children were observed putting their collage work into their trays, ready to show to who ever should collect them.

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standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s

21 Children are valued as individuals and respond very well indeed to all adults in the nursery setting, including those they have not met before. Already they know the rules by which the nursery is run. They are actively encouraged to take responsibility for tidying away and to gain independence in groups. For example, when sand was accidentally spread on to the floor by a group of children, without any prompting one child immediately went to collect a dustpan and brush and swept up the mess.

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standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s

22 The children conform to routines with very good understanding and show an excellent understanding of right and wrong for their age. At the start of the day, children enter quietly and choose their own activities before greeting the adult responsible for their group. Many of the children already have a very mature attitude to school, as observed in the outdoor classroom when a group of four children sat on wooden toadstools under a tree, having a very adult conversation about their babies . The children learn to care for children with special educational needs by modelling their actions on the caring attitudes shown by the staff. They use greetings and thank one another when taking part in circle time, using other languages when prompted by the teacher. Some children are beginning to pick up sign language when a learning support assistant uses it.

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standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s

23 The school provides a very good range of experiences to cater for children’s personal development through provision for spiritual and cultural development. These take the Homerton Nursery School - 16 form of opportunities, which help them to appreciate the beauty of nature, for example when planting bulbs and making observations in the secret garden. The outdoor area provides very good opportunities for children to explore the natural environment and to enjoy quiet seating areas. Many opportunities are provided for the children to meet people from different walks of life, for example the fireman and to marvel at the wonderful traditions from different countries, when for example, they celebrate Chinese New Year by taking part in a dragon dance, and eating with chopsticks. All children learn about their own cultures through an excellent range of visits and visitors also help them to learn to relate well to different adults.

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standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s

24 The adults’ consistently high expectations of good behaviour are regularly reinforced through reminders and discussion, so that the children behave well with each other and adults. All children show a developing ability to wait to take their turn. For example, the groups wait very patiently when taking turns to pick their fruit from the basket. Children’s behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. They are courteous and say please and thank you often without prompting. They are helpful to one another and to adults.

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standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s

25 Children’s personal development and all relationships within the school are very effective in supporting the desire to learn and the standards that the children achieve. Children work well together during activities, sharing resources sensibly and showing respect for the needs and views of their peers. They put on their aprons before taking part in sand, water and painting activities and tidy up, often without prompting, afterwards. They hang up their coats and bags tidily and make choices, independently, about any work that they wish to take home, to show to their family.

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standards in this area of their learning are well above those expected for the children’s

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

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The educational priorities in the school development plan are not always fully supported

through sufficiently detailed financial planning or realistic action planning.

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The educational priorities in the school development plan are not always fully supported

27 The school has very good systems in place for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing its progress. The school’s plan for future development has been formulated as a result of these exercises. The governing body allocates funding to each area of development as a result of constructive discussion and debate.

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The educational priorities in the school development plan are not always fully supported

28 The planning for development is well formulated but the period of time for the developments is sometimes too general and does not present a realistic picture of when actions need to be taken. Currently developments are allotted to the terms of the school year, without a clear indication of what needs to be done and when. There is a clear indication of who is to be responsible for each longer-term development and includes all members of the school team. However, the cost and implications for the budget are also in very general terms. There is no indication of how money is to be used to support shorter-term actions. Currently the audit of the school’s needs and the resulting actions do not sufficiently support the governing body when making decisions Homerton Nursery School - 17 about financial planning. The inclusion of this detail would also enable the governors to ensure that their judgements about best value are fully supported.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29 In order to improve the efficient and effective use of resources, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1 Improve the school development plan by including realistic timing for actions and a clear indication of how much each development will cost. [28]

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The numbers in brackets relate to the main paragraphs of this report where these issues are mentioned. Homerton Nursery School - 18

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