Sandy Lane Nursery and Forest School

PADGATE NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11th - 12th December 2001

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PADGATE NURSERY SCHOOL

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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PADGATE 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. Padgate Nursery - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Padgate Lane Padgate Warrington

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Warrington Borough Council

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Ashcroft

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 th - 13 th May 1998 Padgate Nursery - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mrs P C Cox Registered inspector Mr B Silvester Lay inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Schools Inspection Unit School of Education The University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Padgate Nursery - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Padgate Nursery School is situated in an eastern suburb of Warrington, in an area of owner-occupied housing. There are 104 children, aged three and four, who attend part-time, either in the morning or afternoon, and in addition there is provision for 16 part-time children with special educational needs. At present there are six children with special educational needs, most of whom are on the autistic spectrum. None has a statement of special educational need yet, but all are in the process of being assessed for statements. Almost all children are of white European ethnic heritage and have English as their first language. The children’s attainment on entry to the school is above that usual for their age. It is proposed that the school is to be re-sited in a different area of the town.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with some outstanding characteristics. Teaching and learning are very good and consequently children do well, reaching standards that are well above average for their age. Attitudes and behaviour are very good. The headteacher and senior teacher provide exemplary leadership and management. The school gives very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

• Children do well and reach standards that are well above those expected for their age in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. • The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for assessment are exemplary. • Provision for children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social development are very good; • Leadership and management are outstanding. • The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning and assessment are exemplary. • The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and integration of, children with special educational needs is excellent.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

• There are no major areas for improvement.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school will provide parents with a summary of the school development plan, which sets out the planned areas for improvement.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in May 1998 and at that time many strengths were identified, particularly in the standards children reached; the quality of teaching; care for children; leadership and management and the behaviour in school. The school has made good progress in maintaining the many strengths and improving on them. The teaching is stronger. Leadership and management and behaviour are better than was found in 1998. The two areas identified for improvement at that time have been addressed and those aspects are now strengths. The headteacher monitors the quality of teaching rigorously and has ensured that it is all at least satisfactory. Evaluations of teaching are rigorous and points are given for development. Reports to parents have been improved and now show clearly what children can do and the progress they have made. Padgate Nursery - 7

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STANDARDS

The children do well during their time in the school and in communication, language and literacy; mathematical development and social and personal development, their attainment is well above that usually seen in children of their age by the end of their first term in nursery. Almost all develop a high level of independence in choosing their activities and concentrate on them for increasing periods of time. They are confident and adaptable in the classroom and many are beginning to work with others in their tasks. Most children talk freely, particularly to adults, and ask simple questions. Many join with other children to discuss their activities and respond appropriately, with a wide vocabulary, to what they have heard. The children enjoy stories, following the pages in a book in the correct order: the more able identify the first sounds of the words they hear. A few children identify some individual letters. Almost all

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STANDARDS

recognise their own name when written down, and nearly half write their own first names independently. Most children count objects to at least five: the more able do so at least to ten and write at least a few numerals. About half of the children identify and name some two-dimensional shapes. The children with special educational needs make very good progress, particularly in their ability to communicate. Boys and girls do equally well. The more able children develop their abilities well because the school caters for all needs appropriately.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Children enjoy coming to school and take part in the activities with enthusiasm. They listen well to staff and most concentrate for long periods on their tasks.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The children are amenable and co-operative. Almost all behave sensibly and calmly in the classrooms and the outdoor play area. They line up in an orderly way to move around the school and are taking increasing responsibility for their own behaviour.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The children work and play amicably and many are developing a good understanding of the impact of their actions on others. They have settled into the routines of school very well and most take responsibility for collecting their own materials and clearing up after themselves.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. The children attend regularly and come to school on time.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

During the inspection, 17 lessons or parts of lessons were seen, and teaching was never less than satisfactory. It was good or better in almost all lessons and very good or excellent in almost half. The teaching has many strengths. Nursery nurses make a good contribution to the teaching through their work with groups and individuals. All staff have a clear understanding of the needs of young children and how they can be met. Their high expectations are reflected in the challenging and stimulating activities they set for the children and the pace at which everyone in the school works. Staff use questioning Padgate Nursery - 8 techniques of a high quality to develop children’s learning, to promote thinking and to assess their progress.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The basic skills in all areas of learning are taught very well, particularly those of literacy, numeracy and social skills. Staff use a range of effective teaching methods, and their daily assessments ensure that the activities are set at a suitable level for children over the whole range of attainment. Consequently all children learn well, often swept along by the staff’s own interest and enthusiasm and the stimulating resources being used. The more able children, those who are gifted and talented and the children with special educational needs are catered for very effectively so that they achieve their best. The care and accuracy of planning and the management of the learning activities are outstanding characteristics of the teaching at Padgate Nursery School.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The staff are very careful to ensure that all areas of learning are covered in the planning and that children can build on their skills and knowledge consistently and progressively. Particular care is taken to plan for the development of personal skills and independence.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Excellent. The staff have a clear understanding of the needs of individual children and plan carefully to meet them. They are supported to ensure that they take part in all activities and gain maximum benefit from them.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent. Provision for moral and social development is outstanding, and for spiritual and cultural development it is very good. The staff are consistent in their approach to developing children’s awareness of their own behaviour and relationships.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. All procedures are in place to monitor and promote good behaviour, progress and personal development. Procedures for assessing children’s attainment and progress are outstanding and are a fundamental part of planning future lessons. However, while most registers are completed accurately, this is not always the case.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school works in partnership with parents Very well. The school provides parents with very good information, about its life and work and how well their children are doing. Many parents make a strong contribution to the school through the classroom activities they support.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides exceptionally clear and energetic leadership, ensuring that the school has a continuing focus on improvement. All staff undertake their responsibilities with enthusiasm and work very closely as a team. The senior teacher fulfils her role with understanding and commitment.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors understand their role and carry out their responsibilities diligently. They have a clear view of the strengths of the school and the areas planned for development. Padgate Nursery - 9 The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The systems for identifying the priorities for improvement are most effective and planning for improvement is carried out exceptionally well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school has a very clear view of what needs to be done to improve and uses its resources extremely well to support those priorities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has very good procedures to compare its work with that of others and to check the effectiveness of its initiatives.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school has high expectations and their children make good progress. • Behaviour is good and their children are helped to become mature and responsible. • The school is managed and led well and welcomes parents’ contributions. • The school works closely with parents and keeps them well-informed about their children’s progress. • There is a good range of activities outside of lessons. • The teaching is very good. • Their children like school. • No major concerns were raised.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Eight parents attended the pre-inspection meeting with inspectors and 42 questionnaires were returned. Parents hold the school in exceptionally high regard. The inspection supports their positive views in all areas. Padgate Nursery - 10

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their age in communication, language and literacy and mathematical

1. The children have very good speaking and listening skills. Almost all listen very attentively to adults and respond very well to instructions. Most are keen to talk about their experiences and talk at length about their interests: “I’m going to have a strimmer for Christmas and then I can mow the grass”. Many recall and discuss the main features of stories they have heard. They respond well, with developing sentence structure and give reasons for their answers to questions, such as “Is it morning or afternoon?” “It’s morning because I’ve just had my breakfast”. Their answers demonstrate a good general knowledge, for example when asked where penguins live, a child replied “The Orth Pole”. Another, when shown a picture of a palm tree, suggested that it was “a desert tree”.

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their age in communication, language and literacy and mathematical

2. Most children speak confidently and are developing well the ability to talk to other children about their activities. In the role-play area - ‘the Post Office’ - children had a detailed conversation about their Christmas cards, responding to each other’s contributions, taking turns in talking and asking relevant questions, such as “What are you writing?” They chat co- operatively about the ‘party food’ they are organising for the ‘disco’ and discuss the flavours of their sandwiches: “I’ve got a porridge sandwich.” One girl playing in the water tray explained that “I want a star but I can’t get one because it’s wriggling about.” Boys arranging the Christmas crib sorted the figures according to their own criteria, “This one can fly but that one can’t”.

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their age in communication, language and literacy and mathematical

3. The children’s early reading skills are developing well. By the end of the first term in school, almost all recognise their own name when it is written and are able to their knowledge to put their name cards on the register board when they come into the nursery. All enjoy listening to stories and looking at books, and most hold books the correct way, turning the pages in order. Many children choose to read books quietly on their own or with a friend and will make a story from the pictures they study carefully. Almost all know that the writing has meaning. The more able identify at least a few of the first sounds of words they hear and a few children are able to identify all. The most able children read at least a few words.

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their age in communication, language and literacy and mathematical

4. Many children hold pencils correctly and nearly half write recognisable versions of their own names by the time they have been in school for a few weeks. They take great pride in their competence and all the children make great efforts to make their own marks on paper. The ability to do so is promoted consistently through such routines as children writing their own names on a board as they enter the nursery. There is great enthusiasm for writing a ‘letter’ to Father Christmas, and some children use their knowledge of the letters of their own names in their attempts to put down their thoughts. The ability to control a pencil or crayon develops very rapidly because all staff ensure that the children build on their skills in a consistent way. The adults often record children’s own descriptions, such as the high-quality reflections on leaves in autumn, so that the children can see their contributions displayed in

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their age in communication, language and literacy and mathematical

5. The children’s mathematical knowledge and understanding also develop rapidly because the activities are well-planned and interesting. At this relatively early stage in the year, almost all of the children count to at least five by rote and most count at least five objects. The more able count at least 10 objects and write some numerals. The most able Padgate Nursery - 11 children count to 20 when playing ‘hide-and-seek’ and write numerals to 10. The ability to count is reinforced constantly through daily routines, for example during registration when children count how many children are present. Most children pick out at least two simple two- dimensional shapes such as a square, circle, rectangle and triangle when given the name and the more able name all these shapes. Many are able to cut their wrapping paper to a reasonable size when wrapping their parcels in the ‘Post Office’, or to make simple repeating

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

6. Teaching throughout the school is very good. It was at least satisfactory in all lessons observed, and was good or better in almost all. Teaching was very good, and sometimes excellent, in almost half of lessons. The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection, when it was good.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

7. Lesson planning is a considerable strength. Staff have a very clear idea of what they want their children to learn and set tasks that are well-designed to achieve their objectives. In a very stimulating and effective mathematical activity the teacher introduced the concept of ‘pairs’ through a game of matching ‘Santa’s socks’. The children were amused and motivated by this lesson and developed their understanding of pairs very rapidly. Their social skills were built on carefully through the need to wait for their own turn. The teacher then used a very carefully designed activity to reinforce and extend their understanding with the appropriate language.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

8. Teachers organise their pupils exceptionally well and manage behaviour in a positive and relaxed way, using humour very well. Their high expectations are demonstrated by the challenging and interesting work they set for their children and the brisk pace at which lessons proceed. Teaching is lively and enthusiastic, transmitting very successfully an enjoyment in learning to children. In an outstanding language and literacy activity, the teacher introduced children to the format of a letter. The use of a ‘letter from Father Christmas’ entranced the children and promoted much discussion. She used excellent strategies to promote thinking skills and to support the less able children through using their own suggestions to move forward. The teacher consistently focused on the development of early reading and writing skills, including the sounds and shapes of letters and the format of a written letter. She supported the children very well by using their existing knowledge of letter

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

sounds to ‘write their own letters to Santa’. This knowledge was reinforced by the use of ‘sound cards’ for the children to identify the shape of the letter-sound they wanted to write.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

9. A strong characteristic of the work of all staff is the way in which they use their daily assessments to moderate the pace of lessons and modify planning for future lessons. They use questions very well, in order to promote thinking, to develop understanding and to assess learning. This was a particular feature of an outstanding activity where children made holders for candles. The teacher asked many stimulating questions that required pupils to think and give answers of some length. For example, when the children had some difficulty with shaping their holders, she asked them ‘What can we do about this?’, guiding them gently to a solution. The lesson also demonstrated a key strength of the teaching at Padgate: the children were encouraged at every opportunity to exercise free choice but also to develop their language, understanding, and to use and extend their own ideas.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

10. The staff ensure that there is an exemplary balance between free choice and direction by adults. Direct teaching is used very well to build on the children’s existing skills and knowledge and free choice activities are planned to extend and reinforce the teaching. All staff are aware of when it is necessary to intervene to support or develop learning and when it Padgate Nursery - 12 is important to leave children to an activity to develop their independence. Every opportunity is taken to enhance children’s skills, particularly in communication, mathematics and social development.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

11. Teachers establish a very good learning atmosphere in their classrooms and children are encouraged from the time they enter the nursery to adopt a very positive attitude to the activities. Classrooms are stimulating and attractive environments, with a good mix of well- displayed children’s work to celebrate achievement, commercially-produced materials and interesting resources to motivate the children. These are often of a very challenging nature, for example an incomplete electrical circuit was placed by the side of ‘Little Bear’s Cave’, for the children to experiment with completing the circuit to light the cave. The nursery nurses make a valuable contribution to the groups and individuals they support and are very well- prepared for their work: all staff work closely together to plan the activities and therefore all are aware of the skills and knowledge that are to be developed.

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The quality of teaching and learning is very good and procedures for

12. The school has developed a stimulating and most effective approach to homework for the children. As well as a lending library, run by parents, the ‘story sacks’ provide a very good link between home and school. These are sent out on a weekly rota, so that each child receives a sack every month. The sacks contain a fiction and a non-fiction book, a related activity, tape and other resources for parents to use with their children, and the school asks parents to evaluate these sacks each time they use them. The contents of the sacks are altered in the light of parental comments.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

13. The provision for spiritual development is very good and children have many opportunities to experience the wonder of the natural and man-made worlds. A small group of children gasped in wonder at the variety of resources they had been given to make their candleholders. They sat and watched reverently as the Advent candle was lit and were enthralled by the changing lights on the Christmas tree. There was great excitement in the outdoor area when children noticed and discussed the colours in the bubbles they were blowing. Staff consistently encourage children to reflect on their feelings and talk about their beliefs. The school celebrates festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year and pays close attention to the meaning of Christmas at the children’s level of understanding.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

14. The children’s moral development is fostered in an exemplary way. All staff work effectively with them to make them aware of the differences between right and wrong. The school encourages the principles of honesty, fairness and caring for others throughout all the activities. The children are taught to reflect on the reasons for their actions and their impact on others. The children’s attitudes to learning and their behaviour are very good. They enjoy their activities and tasks, taking part with enthusiasm and an eagerness to contribute. Almost all have a well-developed understanding of the expected conventions of behaviour. They are considerate and polite, showing a very positive level of respect for each other and the adults who work with them.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

15. Provision for the development of social behaviour is outstanding and all staff have very high expectations of the children. Opportunities for learning and practising social skills are built into the daily routine, for example, during conversations round the snack table. The children’s social skills are extended well through many facets of nursery life, learning to sit quietly, wait their turn and speak aloud to the whole group. Their independence is developed very well through such activities as taking responsibility for changing the date during Padgate Nursery - 13 registration time, spreading jam on the bread for snack time, clearing up after work and choosing their own activities.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

16. Children respond very positively: almost all will enter into a group conversation, talk about what they are doing and the most able explain their work in some detail. Most concentrate very well with their work, even when they find it difficult, and applaud each other’s efforts and achievements. The children treat each other thoughtfully and with increasing sociability, particularly during outside activities when making musical sounds together, playing ‘hide-and-seek’, or giving each other rides in the ‘taxi’. Many children are developing a good social attitude to others when working on their activities: two boys told a story together, about the train they were using and its journey “to London to see the Queen”. Four children in the ‘Post Office’ took on different roles to write the letters, put them in envelopes, write the addresses and deliver them. In the water tray, a girl helped another to reach a star she

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

wanted. Almost all children tidy up their resources sensibly and some help others to do so. They learn very quickly that they must wash their hands before having their snack and to dress and undress themselves with little help from adults.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

17. Provision for cultural development is very good. The school provides regular and interesting opportunities for pupils to learn about cultures other than their own and the library contains books that develop their awareness. There are many occasions on which they listen to music, poetry and stories; sing and play a variety of instruments and have visits from people who expand their knowledge. For example, a visitor from Africa gave the children an insight into the dress, music and customs of her country. When the school celebrated Diwali, the children looked at Indian party clothes and books about that country.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

Leadership and management are outstanding.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

18. The school is led and managed in an exemplary way. The headteacher, staff and governors have worked hard to ensure that there are appropriate aims, values and policies in place and that these are shared by parents. They are fully reflected in the life and work of the school. The headteacher and staff work very closely together and have created a corporate approach to decision-making that operates most effectively. There is a very caring atmosphere, based on care for the whole individual, in which children feel valued and develop their confidence and self-respect. The headteacher has built a strong team of committed staff to take the school forward, with a highly effective learning environment where relationships are very good. There is a particularly strong ethos, reflected especially in the close teamwork of all staff and governors.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

19. The headteacher’s very strong leadership has been most effective in providing a very clear educational direction for the school. Planning to raise standards is firmly based on a good knowledge of the children and their capabilities. Development planning is exceptional; staff and governors have a close involvement and the appropriate priorities for school improvement are identified accurately. Strategies for appraisal and performance management are securely in place, having been introduced earlier than was required, and make a very effective contribution to planning for improvement.

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

20. The systems for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school are outstanding and give the management of the school a clear view of where development is required. The senior teacher has an excellent understanding of her role in school improvement and takes the initiative very well for planning to introduce interesting initiatives to enhance provision. She co-ordinates the systems for planning very well, to ensure that the coverage of the curriculum is manageable and the communication is efficient. The organisation of groups and individuals is most effective and the school’s systems run very smoothly. Padgate Nursery - 14 21. The governing body is very supportive of the school and conscientious in carrying out its responsibilities. Governors keep themselves well-informed about the work of the school and have a good understanding of its strengths and the areas to be developed. Financial planning and management are very good and all the issues identified during the previous

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excellent and consequently their attitudes, behaviour and personal and social

inspection have been addressed. The planning for that part of the budget that is delegated is matched carefully to the priorities for development and progress on plans and expenditure is tracked by the staff and governors through the year. The school has effective systems to check its effectiveness, consult on proposed initiatives and to measure the impact of spending decisions.

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The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning

22. The school provides a rich curriculum of very good quality throughout the school. Since the last inspection the school has continued to maintain and improve the quality of its curriculum and the activities it provides for its children. There is a wide range of learning opportunities to support children’s academic and personal development. Provision is matched very well to the six areas of learning for this age group. The children are provided with very effective opportunities to develop through selecting activities independently, exploring and investigating. The curriculum is particularly well-designed to promote their language and mathematical skills, and their social and personal development. There is a particular emphasis on these areas in the children’s first term, so that they have the communication and social skills they need to make the most of the opportunities they are given.

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The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning

23. The curriculum is planned very carefully to ensure that all the strands of the Foundation Stage 1 curriculum are covered at all levels of the ‘stepping stones’ 2 and there are opportunities for the children, who are capable of doing so, to reach the Early Learning Goals 3 . The children take part in at least one focused and taught activity each day and these cover all areas of learning through the week. These activities are very well-designed to meet their needs, and to cater for all levels of attainment. Well-constructed free choice activities are changed each week to match the focus of the main activities. For example, the role-play area was set up as a post office when children were learning about writing letters. The staff ensure that all children are guided to the activities they need to build on previous experiences and that they do not miss any aspects.

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The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning

24. The environment is bright and attractive and carefully organised to make the best use of the indoor and outdoor space. The two main rooms are organised very well and there are two grassed areas that are well-supplied with interesting and stimulating resources. Outdoor provision also includes a quiet area, designed well for children to reflect and to share quiet time. Daily routines are very effective in promoting children’s basic skills. For example, during registrations, children develop their mathematical skills by counting to the date, counting other children and the spaces on the Advent calendar. Their knowledge of the days of the week, months of the year and the weather is reinforced constantly.

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The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning

25. This curriculum is enriched by interesting visitors through the year. The children were entranced by the visit of a wildlife expert who brought some owls for the children to see and to learn about. Their knowledge of birds was considerably extended and, some weeks later, they were still talking about the unusual nature of owls’ wings. The visit of the crossing patrol

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The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning

1 The Foundation Stage covers the nursery and reception years. 2 'These describe the stages towards the Early Learning Goals. 3 The standards that most children should reach by the end of the reception year. Padgate Nursery - 15 warden gave children a valuable opportunity to understand some of the different jobs in the community, to develop their appreciation of road safety and to ‘act’ the role.

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The school provides a rich and varied curriculum and procedures for planning

26. Children’s progress is tracked carefully in all areas of learning. Procedures for assessing children’s attainment and progress are excellent, and very good use is made of the information gained. Assessment is detailed and linked clearly to teachers’ lesson planning. All children are assessed at each activity in which they participate to build up a complete view of them from which to measure progress and to target support.

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

integration of, children with special educational needs, is excellent.

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

27. Staff are careful to ensure that all pupils have equal access to every aspect of school life, through their detailed planning for all ability groups. The activities can be undertaken at different levels and children are given different levels of support, so that they are able to build on their existing knowledge, skills and understanding progressively. Resources are chosen specifically to appeal to both boys and girls and to develop skills in both. For example, one very popular activity with all children was the opportunity to use small hammers to fix shapes onto a background with nails. Boys are encouraged to take part in the ‘picnic’ and ‘disco’ and girls to use the train track. Boys and girls respond well to these opportunities, taking part with enthusiasm. Gender stereotypes, such as ‘Boys don’t wear socks with flowers on’, are challenged very effectively by stimulating children to think about these ideas. The few children

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

from ethnic minority backgrounds are integrated very well into the nursery and their cultures and beliefs celebrated.

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

28. Staff are very careful to ensure that the children who attend in the morning and afternoon receive an equal curriculum. The systems for identifying pupils who need additional support and those who are more able work very effectively. The more able are given work that challenges and stretches them to higher levels. The talented and gifted are identified and often set tasks that develop these abilities very well. A boy who is already reading some words was asked to read from a chart which song was to be sung next. When he showed interest in mixing and experimenting with colours, the teacher encouraged him to do so and discussed with him the results of his investigations.

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

29. The school has specialist provision for children with special educational needs and this operates in an exemplary fashion. Each child is in the care of one of two trained nursery nurses who support them to ensure that they have access to all activities and take a full part in them. Because all the staff plan together, the activities are designed to meet the needs of these children as well for other children, and the additional resources are in place to support them. Some children have difficulty communicating and the nursery uses a very effective pictorial system to ‘talk’ with them and to make sure that the children develop the habit of communicating their needs. The expectations of these children are high and staff do not assume that those who have difficulty with communication have problems with other areas of learning. For example, one boy is achieving at a very high level in mathematical development,

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

and is encouraged to build rapidly on his ability to count and recognise shapes. The children make very good progress because provision is designed particularly for them.

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The school ensures equal opportunity for all children and provision for, and

30. The school has recently acquired a very exciting ‘soft play area’ that is particularly designed to support the physical, social and sensory development of children with special educational needs. The equipment is used very effectively to stimulate the children with its lights, sounds and large soft shapes. All the children in the nursery benefit from the opportunity to use this resource. Padgate Nursery - 16 31. Record-keeping for pupils with special educational needs is exceedingly thorough. Their individual education plans are precise and rigorous, identifying their personal difficulties, and setting out specific plans designed to address them. Their progress is recorded each day, sometimes by video, and the tapes are made available to parents to demonstrate the progress being made.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. The school has no major issues to address. Padgate Nursery - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 9

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 52

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6 Padgate Nursery - 18

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.5 £

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 1,362 Total aggregate hours worked per week 130 Balance brought forward from previous year 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.7 Balance carried forward to next year 5,000

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Padgate Nursery - 19

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 81 14 0 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 76 14 0 0 10

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 66 24 5 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 68 15 7 2 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 83 14 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 24 0 2 10

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 76 21 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 93 7 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 76 21 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 72 15 2 0 10

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