Abbey Wood Nursery School

Dates of inspection: 14 and 15 February 2002

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

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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. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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Appropriate authority: The Local Education Authority

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Name of chair of governors: Mrs Gill Crowley

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Date of previous inspection: 11/05/1998 Abbey Wood Nursery School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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Team members Area of learning responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 2731 Penny Holden Registered inspector Knowledge and understanding of the world. Creative development. 1; 2.1, 3, 7; 8; SEN

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9502 Rosalind Hall Lay inspector 5; 6 & 2.2 24465 Leslie Reed Team inspector Mathematical development. Physical development. Personal, social and emotional development. EO, 4, 7

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1395 Pauline Hoey Team inspector Communication, language and literacy EAL.

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360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London N17 9LN

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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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The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Abbey Wood Nursery School - 5 REPORT CONTENTS

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 22

Abbey Wood Nursery School - 6 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Abbey Wood Nursery School was built in the 1940s. As well as the original building there is a newly refurbished temporary classroom used for a variety of purposes including the before and after school care, speech therapy, toddler group and as the family room. There are 110 children at the school; 40 of whom have full time places. Children come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and about a quarter come from ethnic minority families. There are four refugee children. Eighteen children speak English as an additional language with 13 of these just beginning to learn English. The languages spoken by children other than English include Punjabi, Yoruba, Chinese, Albanian, Somalian, Tamil, Turkish, French and Ibo. Sixteen children are entitled to free school meals. Seventeen children are on the register of special educational needs with 15 with particular need including an unusually high number of children with speech

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and communication difficulties. The school is full with most children attending for four terms.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Abbey Wood is a very successful nursery school. Children achieve well because teaching is very good supported by effective leadership and clear management. Every child receives individual attention that helps each make very good progress in its learning. Considering all these factors the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Everyone who works in the school follows the same rules and expects all the children to do well. • Children make speedy progress and achieve very well because teaching is so often very good. • Children are given many rich and interesting experiences in school, both in classrooms and the garden, to develop their skills and understanding. • All relationships are excellent and contribute to the school’s strong ethos. • Children are independent and self-confident and keen to learn because the school gives them a safe and supportive place to work. • Activities are planned very well because adults assess what children know carefully and use this information to set demanding work.

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What the school does well

What could be improved • There is a wealth of assessment and observation information for every child but it is not used to identify how far each child has progressed towards the early learning goals. • More opportunities for children with good writing skills to develop their knowledge of different ways of story writing and composition. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in May 1998 and has improved significantly since then. There is now a clear school improvement plan with well-chosen priorities. The school is rightly aiming to improve the way it writes the success criteria. Assessment and target setting are effective and used well to plan what children need to learn next. Planning at all levels, long term, daily and for individual activities, is very good and now shows clearly what children will learn. Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now very good. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 7

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STANDARDS

Many children arrive at the school with skills that are below those expected for their age. The school has an unusually high number of children with special educational needs especially speech and communication difficulties because of the special help that is available. Some children learn to speak English for the first time when they start at the school. All the children make very good progress and achieve well.

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STANDARDS

By the time children leave the school many have achieved the levels expected for their age in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, physical development and creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. In communication, language and literacy children have achieved most aspects of the stepping-stones for their age but they are still developing their ability to write.

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STANDARDS

A particular strength of the children’s work is in science and in information and communication technology. Children use computers with confidence and skill and they investigate different materials with interest and know a great deal about living things. They are very creative and love producing individual and attractive pictures; and performing songs and dances. Children develop good physical skills and are able to run, climb and balance confidently and they use pencils, scissors and other tools well.

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STANDARDS

Because the school is a safe and supportive place to learn the youngest children quickly become independent and self-assured. They expect to clear up and put away for themselves and can concentrate for considerable periods of time. Older children take care of the younger ones often explaining how things are done at Abbey Wood Nursery. Every child is expected to play a part in running the nursery by helping in a range of jobs.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Children love coming to school and show an outstanding level of common sense for their age.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Very good. Children care for one another and want to do their best for the adults in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are excellent. This encourages the children to be self-governing and independent and to understand the rules and how they work, very effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is good. It is monitored carefully and children are expected to attend regularly.

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Aspect Comment

This is a very strong aspect of school life. Every person in the school, the caretaker, the cook, the teachers, the nursery nurses and other adults, work together to provide children with an excellent experience. This ensures children develop excellent attitudes to their work and they get a great deal of fun out of school. School is such a rewarding and interesting place for the children and they get on so well with the adults they are keen to behave very well. The sensory room, for example, encourages the children to reflect and develop spiritually and aesthetically. Children have strong views about how they should behave and what is right and wrong. They understand how important it is to care for one another and believe they can help the school run well. Children develop an understanding about the similarities and differences in people and show interest and respect for these. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 8

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

All adults who work at Abbey Wood contribute to the very good quality of teaching. Everyone works in a similar way, expecting the most from every individual child. This, and careful observation and tracking of individuals, ensures the needs of all children are effectively met. The teaching of personal, social and emotional development is excellent and every opportunity is taken to help children learn and become independent. Children are taught to take care of themselves, and of one another, and to help in the day to day running of the nursery.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Books have a very high profile: parents and adults in the school contribute well to teaching communication, language and literacy skills. When children speak they do so knowing that adults will take the time to listen to them and this teaches them the importance of listening themselves. Stories are used very well and become the focus of many activities. Whilst loving the stories children learn a great deal about how books work, about spelling and reading. There are many opportunities during play for children to write and most start writing early on in their time in the nursery. They are encouraged to write their names, write about their pictures and write as part of play activities.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Mathematical development is taught well. There are lots of activities and games used to help children count, recognise numbers and at every opportunity adults ask children simple practical number problems. Children learn to order and to write numbers. The activities planned for children to explore weight, capacity and measure are imaginative and effective. Children work well in all aspects of mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum A strength of the nursery. Such a good range of activities is planned. Tasks are imaginatively and carefully designed often with special activities to extend the most able or to support those with difficulty. Provision for children with special educational needs Adults know children’s special needs so well they always encourage, teach, explain and use every teaching opportunity possible. Provision for children with English as an additional language Children learning to speak English make very good progress. They quickly learn from other children and from adults who are vigilant in involving them in activities and helping them to become fluent speakers. Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good. Children are given opportunities to look after each other, to care about plants and animals and to wonder

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Aspect Comment

at the natural world. They learn about the different ways people celebrate important occasions and marvel at light, colour, music and sound. How well the school cares for its children Each individual child is known well and is challenged and guided to achieve their very best. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 9 The school offers an extended day for 12 children. The care they get is very good and gives them a calm home-like place for the hours they attend after school. Staff work very well with parents and other carers. Parents contribute a great deal to their children’s education. Some regularly produce materials for the children to use in school whilst others make things to sell to raise money. Parents help on trips and come into the nursery to offer special skills. They receive very good information about their child’s progress and about the work of the nursery.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. There is a strong agreed commitment to improve. Staff work together as a strong and united team where everyone takes responsibility for the strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are knowledgeable about the school and committed to helping it succeed. Working with the new headteacher they are now planning their work more systematically.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Everyone in the school constantly reviews how it is working and wants it to get better. The school improvement plan is clear and selects the important priorities for improvement but does not always identify how they can measure their progress accurately.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school has control over a very small part of its budget but it raises money well, for example, by bidding for grants and running fundraising events. It plans improvements well ahead of time.

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Aspect Comment

The accommodation is only just adequate in size and condition. However, staff use every corner extremely well. No area is underused and imaginative and attractive solutions are used to get the most out of every area. Some rooms badly need painting. The newly refurbished temporary classroom provides excellent additional accommodation for the extra before and after school care, toddler group, speech therapy, parent workshops, child minder drop in session and as a family room.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing is very good. There is a great deal of experience and expertise on the staff. Some staff are new and others have been at the school for many years but they all work together very effectively. Resources are very good; staff and children look after them very carefully, equipment lasts well. Parents contribute good quality toys and games and also raise money for new stock.

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Aspect Comment

The new headteacher has thoughtfully recognised the strengths of the nursery and has built on these to identify important improvements. She works effectively to obtain funding for developments through grants and other sources.

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Aspect Comment

A unique feature of the school is the way everyone, including the children, take their responsibility for its success and therefore contribute significantly to its management. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Behaviour is very good • The school teaches children good manners • Children become independent • Children love school • Better information about the dates of school events including closure days. • Work to do at home

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Ten parents attended the parents’ meeting and 25 parents returned the questionnaires. The vast majority of parents spoken to were very positive about the nursery and the opportunities it gave their children. The inspectors agree with these positive views of parents. The work the children are given to do at home consists generally of sharing books with their parents and this is appropriate for their age. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 11 PART B: COMMENTARY

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Many children arrive at the school with skills that are below that might be expected. The school has an unusually high number of children with special educational needs especially speech and communication difficulties because of the special help that is available. Some children learn to speak English for the first time when they start at the school. All the children make very good progress and achieve well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Attainment in personal, social and emotional development is a strength of the school. By the time they leave the school children are interested, excited and motivated to learn. They are confident to try new activities and initiate ideas. They concentrate well, and have good relationships with adults and peers and most have achieved the expected levels for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In communication, language and literacy children have achieved most aspects of the stepping stones for their age but they are still developing their ability to write. Children work well in groups or pairs and are often talking about their activities. They express their ideas clearly and use vocabulary that is growing fast. They respond with delight to stories, rhymes and songs and are enthusiastic to act out the stories themselves. They become deeply involved and often show attention to detail that is the result of good observation.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In mathematics children have achieved the expected levels for their age. They use mathematical language to describe shape, size, quantity and position. They are developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems. They say and use number names in order in familiar contexts, for example in counting the plates for dinner. They recognise numerals to 10 and use language such as ‘more’ or ‘less’ to compare numbers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the time children leave the school many have achieved the expected levels for their age in knowledge and understanding of the world. They are particularly skilled in science and in information and communication technology. Children use computers with confidence and skill. They have a good understanding of the natural world and show real curiosity and wonder in how things work. They can talk about past events and about people they know. They have developed a respect for other cultures and different ways of doing things.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Attainment in physical development is very good for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language. Children move safely, with confidence, control and co-ordination. They show an awareness of space, both with regard to themselves and others. They competently use a range of small and large apparatus and travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment. They handle tools, construction and malleable materials with increasing control.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. By the time children leave they have attained the levels expected for their age in creative development. They explore colour, texture and shape in 3D and 2D, when making constructions and collages. They respond spontaneously and sensitively to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel. The sensory room offers exceptional opportunities for this. Children love making music and responding to movement, dance and sound.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The school is a safe and supportive place to learn and the youngest children quickly become independent and self-assured learners. They expect to clear up and put away for themselves and they do. They concentrate for considerable periods of time both when playing on their own and in adult led activities. Older children take care of the younger ones often Abbey Wood Nursery School - 12 explaining the rules. Every child is expected to play a part in running the nursery by helping in a range of jobs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. A major strength of the nursery is the way in which young children become confident and independent individuals. This is key to the work of all staff and is highly appreciated by parents.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Children show very excellent attitudes to the nursery and happily part from their parents to become quickly immersed in the wide range of activities offered. They have settled extremely well into the routines of a new environment. They come to nursery purposefully and ready to learn. They are very confident and talk openly with visitors about what they are doing. They listen carefully and ask questions thoughtfully. They are enthusiastic and concentrate for long periods of time such as when they paint their night skies inspired by the work of Van Gogh or when cutting out stars in dough.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour at all times is very good and there were no incidents of inappropriate behaviour. The high standards reported at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained which is a significant achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Children work very well together and relationships with adults and with other children are outstanding. A group of boys worked at the sand tables outside organising the task of moving heaps of sand using the digger and dumper trucks collaboratively. Boys and girls of all different backgrounds play happily together. Children are polite to each other and to adults; they say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’ automatically. They show a high level of understanding of the feelings of others and of the impact of their actions on others. A very strong feature of the nursery is the high degree of independence shown by each of the children. They find and put on outdoor clothes competently, and lay and clear the tables at lunchtime carefully asking staff what jobs they can do to help. They are able to choose activities well and are very responsible in getting resources such as aprons for painting. When they have finished

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

their paintings they put their own work on a rack to dry and ensure the painting table is left ready for the next child with a fresh pot of water. All participate well in tidying up and those who undertake special jobs such as collecting lunch choices from adults or bringing the milk cartons to each classroom do so very responsibly and proudly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Children make good use of all the activities available at the sessions. All are engaged fully for the entire time they are there. They choose their activities carefully and commit time to them with good results; puzzles and games are completed and story tapes listened to their end. They handle resources carefully such as the plasma balls and the fibre optic lights in the sensory room. They share resources well such as the musical instruments as they accompany a member of staff as she plays the guitar and sings ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The children’s personal development is extremely good. They respond to music with wonder and delight, expressing their feelings verbally and with appropriate gestures and movements. They are aware of which behaviour is acceptable and have a good knowledge of right and wrong, of taking turns and of fairness. They play together very well even when an adult is not directly involved. They respect one another and react positively to differences between themselves. When exploring the celebrations of other cultures and religions children listen with obvious pleasure to appropriate music, share stories and special foods. 15. Attendance for this age group is non-compulsory but it is clear from the registers that parents make good use of the places available. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 13

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Almost all the teaching is very good and the remainder good. All the adults working in the nursery play their part in teaching the children and helping them get the very best from their time at school. Nursery nurses, teaching assistants and teachers work together in a very effective partnership and all play an important part in teaching throughout the day. When the caretaker feeds the fish, for example, he involves a small group of children and ensures they learn from the activity. The result of the very good teaching throughout the nursery means that pupils learn very well and develop very positive attitudes to work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. A strong emphasis of the teaching lies in developing the children’s personal, social and emotional skills, which all the adults in the nursery do very skilfully. This ensures children feel secure and that they settle well into the nursery. Adults are careful to give the children freedom do things for themselves and give them time to try things out. When a child was having difficulty hanging up his coat, for example, he was shown how to do it and then allowed to do it himself even though it would have been far quicker for the adult to do it. At meal times the staff give children real responsibilities: they expect the children to put out knives and forks, bring serving dishes to their table, clear up their own plates and wipe the table. They are expected to choose what they wish to eat, to ask clearly and to stick to their choices, which they do. Lunchtimes are planned well to encourage the children’s good behaviour and, for example, there are clean

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

tablecloths and flowers on each table. Staff skilfully teach table manners and other social skills which parents mentioned with gratitude. Parents felt that the teaching helped their children become better behaved, more confident and able to tackle new situations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of communication, language and literacy is very good. Adults are very good at using any situation that arises to develop the children’s knowledge and ideas. They are clever at getting children to talk about what they are doing and helping them develop their vocabulary. At the end of each day teachers and nursery nurses sit down to discuss how each activity went and what individual children have learnt. They then use this information to plan future work for the children and ideas for themes. They plan a very good range of interesting activities always trying to make them stimulating and understandable to children.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. All staff work hard to extend children's imagination; areas such as the role-play area and the sensory room are used extremely well to encourage the children to play imaginatively. A girl playing in the darkness of the sensory room shone a torch across her face and spotted her shadowy reflection in a mirror. “Look, look at me “ she said to her friend and they started to play a game of ghosts. Staff teach children to read and write very well. They develop the children’s love of stories, of being read to and of looking at books. They use a wide range of school-made and bought resources very well. Children who had heard the Dear Zoo story played a beautifully school-made board game based on zoo animals and puppets were used to help the children listen intently to the story in moonlight room. Children show absolute delight when familiar puppets are ‘naughty’ or get a word ‘wrong’ and will often readily answer a puppet when they are

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

shy about answering an adult. When children begin to read or write as part of play or during an adult led activity their efforts are praised and celebrated well in the attractive displays.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Staff are very respectful to the children. Adults speak to the children calmly and nicely even when chastising them. Voices are not raised and nothing is taken for granted. An adult working with a small group of children to produce their own book after a visit to a pet shop asked a boy if she might write his name on his work so it would not get lost. Children’s persistence and application are encouraged and they flourish as learners with the praise they receive, the good relationships and the interesting activities supplied.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in the other areas of learning is equally good. Staff have a very good understanding of how children at this age learn and they work well with group and with Abbey Wood Nursery School - 14 individuals making important teaching points. They plan to make sure that all the areas of learning are developed and that each child is being exposed to all aspects of the curriculum. They do this in their planning and in day-to-day supervision. An example was when the adult on duty outside told the adult in the rainbow room that two boys had been in the garden all afternoon. The boys were encouraged to come in and take part in a table-based activity. Children learn to take part in a whole range of activities during the day, some they will choose and others they are directed to, consequentially they become good school learners.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Staff know that young children need to play and discover for themselves and they are extremely good at setting up activities that help the children play purposefully. Outside, for example, several sand trays had been linked with planks and a limited number of dumper trucks had been put out. This encouraged children to fill the trucks and take them in convoy along the planks to deposit their loads at the other end. They discovered a great deal about capacity and about taking turns as part of their game. Children learn quickly and effectively because adults foster and encourage their interest and curiosity.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Adults take into account the needs of all children well. They know each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and use this knowledge to encourage them to develop. Sometimes more than one adult works with the same child with special needs over the course of a week. They take very great care to use the same strategies and expect the same responses from the child so as not to confuse. They work very patiently and consistently with children with special needs.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The quality and range of learning opportunities overall is very good, with excellent provision being made to ensure the children have equal access to all areas and resources. The strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy skills are good. The children use the local community very well and there are very effective relationships with partner institutions. For example, there are very good arrangements for helping the children move from nursery to the nearby primary school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Opportunities for learning are provided for all areas within the Foundation Stage, with particular strengths in personal, social and emotional development, creative development and physical development. All children have full access to all the activities within a rich and highly stimulating environment. The staff teach children about relationships and behaviour through their own actions and how they deal with people. The recently introduced extended day care, before and after school, for 12 children further enriches the provision, and is a good example of the school’s commitment to extend its work in the community.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. Children have a base room where they start every session and where the register is taken, but once school has begun, they move freely throughout the three indoor rooms. Each room has an emphasis on specific areas of learning. Outside there are activities designed to involve children across the six areas of learning. The school provides an education which includes all children so that they all progress well. They are well supported in a range of adult led and child led activities. The school's equal opportunities and anti-racist policies promote an awareness of, and an effective attitude to, equality of opportunity for all children. This is reflected in all stages of planning and ensures that children have access to a full and rich early years’ curriculum. Within the school improvement plan there are proposals for further development within all curricular areas. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 15

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. There is an agreed approach to learning in which play is valued highly. Staff have a well understood, shared approach and response to children’s learning, both focused and spontaneous, and this has a positive effect on children.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Overall provision for children’s personal, social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is very good. There is a strong positive ethos amongst the children, and the school places an enormous value on raising self-esteem. There is encouragement of mutual respect between children and between children and adults. . The school strives to make the children confident, independent workers. Emphasis is placed on developing the child’s sense of responsibility, for example, in children taking responsibility for specific tasks such as the order for lunch every day.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Provision for children’s spiritual development is very good, for example in use of the sensory room, which allows for children to engage in quiet reflection. Their visual, auditory and tactile senses are developed through the use of colourful fabrics, sounds and special artefacts such as an indoor fountain, lights and fibre-optics. Staff provide a stimulating and varied environment, encouraging children to observe and to ask and answer questions such as why, how and where.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school makes excellent provision for the children’s social and moral development. Children are skilfully made aware of the standards of behaviour that are expected. There is great emphasis on the building of positive social relationships, and staff give very good support to children who need the security of a familiar setting, accompanying these children around the school, indoors and outside. Children are taught about what is right and wrong and of the importance of taking turns. They recognise the small but important achievements of each child. For example, celebrating when a child goes outside for the first time without being distressed. The organisation of lunchtime for those children staying full-time makes a highly positive contribution to the children’s social responsibility and developing independence.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Provision for children’s cultural development is very good. The school succeeds in its aim to educate children so that they are able to play a positive role in a society where cultural diversity is recognised, respected and valued. The school recognises the importance of the experiences and learning that children bring from their homes and local communities. Each child is valued as an individual and diversity and differences are celebrated in the school community. A range of resources is provided to support cultural development. The school celebrates ceremonies with the children, which link to religious and secular events within the school community, for example Eid, Diwali and the Chinese New Year. Children are given opportunities to listen to festival music, listen to stories about these occasions and to try special foods. These events provide good opportunities for parents to become involved and they make

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

a significant contribution to the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Procedures to ensure the health, safety and well being of children are good. A member of staff and a governor carry out health and safety inspections regularly and action is taken promptly to address any issues. All staff are mindful of health and safety matters and supervise children very well. The nursery follows the local guidelines for child protection and the headteacher and staff have undertaken training. There is good coverage for first aid and records are kept of any incidents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Although attendance is non-statutory at this stage in a child’s education, registers are kept accurately and are monitored regularly. Absence is followed up and parents are made aware of the benefits of regular attendance. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 16 34. The procedures to promote good behaviour are excellent and are implemented with total consistency by all staff. All staff provide excellent role models for children and pupils respond positively to instructions and to praise. All staff know each child as an individual and the respect they show to children is echoed in the children’s responses and in the way children talk to each other. Care is taken to ensure that from the start of their time at the nursery pupils understand the high expectations that all staff have of their behaviour. The good informal communication that takes place between staff and with parents supports this positive approach.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Children with special educational needs are cared for well. They are well known to staff who are very consistent in their approach. Any individual educational plans are understood and used well, often with prompts to help all remember. For example, in one room there is a chart showing photographs and pictures of the communication signs one boy is currently learning so that everyone can remember what to use with him. Additional support through the speech therapy service is given in the parents’ room and this adds much to the care the school can provide. Parents are very well involved in what the school aims to do and are very positive about the care given. One parent at the parents’ meeting was disappointed about the care her child had received a few years ago but inspection evidence shows that the care given now is good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Older pupils attend the nursery at lunchtime. This is well organised and relaxed and provides great opportunities for social development. Children sit at tables of six with a member of staff present and there is plenty of time for eating and for conversation. Parents commented that children were more adventurous in their eating and use knives and forks competently as a result of this communal activity. After the meal children are expected to clear the tables, wipe their mats and take the tablecloths to the laundry area. They do this very maturely.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school is working towards the Healthy School award and has had visitors such as the dentist to encourage pupils to clean their teeth regularly. The transfer arrangements to the primary school are planned carefully. Children visit their new class for story time and experience lunch at the primary school, which they also visit for special assemblies and performances. Teachers from each school liaise formally to discuss each child’s progress.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. This term the nursery has opened an extended day facility, where 12 children are looked after before and after school hours, which is run by two additional staff. The provision is well resourced and comfortable and complements the nursery sessions well. It provides the children being cared for with a homelike and relaxed environment.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Assessment procedures are very effective. Regular observations are undertaken which feed into an individual ‘Record Of Progress’ which details progress on a termly basis and is used for discussions with parents at consultation evenings. Notes about how the child has settled in are also included. Parents are presented with the full document when their child leaves and a copy is passed on to the receiving primary school. The system allows progress to be tracked within the Early Learning Goals but as the documentation is not tied closely enough to each of the stepping stones a more accurate record of precisely where each child is currently unavailable. The nursery has already started to look at other systems that would enable this to be achieved. The use of assessment to guide the planning of the curriculum is very good. For example, at the end of each day staff in each room review the activities and discuss children’s

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

achievements and then amend the plans for the next day’s activities if necessary. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 17

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Parents’ views of the school are very positive and are backed by the positive judgements made by the inspection team. From the results of the questionnaire all parents agree that their child likes school, that behaviour is good and that teaching is good. A high number of parents strongly agree that the school works closely with parents and that the nursery is well led and managed. At the meeting and during the inspection parents spoke highly of the approachability of all staff and the very good levels of self-esteem, confidence and independence that the nursery has encouraged in their children.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. A small number of parents raised concerns about the amount of homework children are given to do at home but the inspection team judged this provision to be good. A particular feature is the quality and range of the books that children can take home to share with their parents.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The nursery has made very effective links with parents, which ensures that all parents are given the opportunity to become involved in the education of their child. The quality of information they receive is very good. The prospectus and regular newsletters are detailed and a useful range of booklets enables parents to support pupils’ learning well. The first day of each term is open only to new pupils and their parents, and so liaison with parents is established early. After this the settling-in of new pupils is staggered and after a few weeks each child’s progress is reviewed formally with parents. From the start relationships are very positive and parents appreciate the daily communication about their child. As children leave the nursery to move onto their primary school parents receive the full ‘record of progress’, which shows the progress made while at nursery on a termly basis. This record is used as the basis for

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents help regularly in the nursery sessions and with outings. During the inspection a group of parents were planning the summer fair. This group meets weekly to make resources for the nursery and games to sell at the fair. The funds they raise are used to buy additional resources and to fund outings and visitors to the nursery such as musical groups or storytellers. The school has established very good relationships with those parents for whom English is an additional language and the family literacy programmes that take place in the parents room are well attended and successful.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. All who work at the nursery feel that the involvement of parents is essential to its work. The quality of the relationship forged between home and the nursery has a very positive impact on the quality of children’s learning.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school is led and managed very well. The school has a long held reputation of providing children with a good education and is keen this continues. There is strong and effective partnership between the school and those who work with them including parents, governors, neighbourhood schools and the local authority. Staff work together in an effective and cohesive team where everyone feels they have a responsibility for what the school does well and what it needs to improve. No one says it is someone else’s fault. Everyone is happy to give the credit of any success to others.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Governors visit the school regularly and are very knowledgeable about how it works. They willingly give their time and show their support in a variety of ways: including attending meetings and helping in practical activities. They are committed to helping the school succeed. With the encouragement and assistance of the new headteacher, governors are planning the work of the governing body in a more methodical and analytical manner. The senior managers Abbey Wood Nursery School - 18 and the governing body are increasing their monitoring roles. There is a policy for monitoring with a plan showing where monitoring is to take place, who is to do it and what activities will be undertaken. The areas they have chosen to examine are sensible and although quite extensive should be manageable and support the school improvement plan.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Everyone who works in the school constantly reviews how they are working and wants to get better and to enhance, where possible, the experience children are given. The reviews are carried out formally and informally; for example, at the end of every day the adults working in each team discuss how the day has gone and what could have been improved. The school improvement plan instigated by the new head teacher is based on the previous plan but in a new format. This format is clear and useful and includes information that will help the school carry out the actions identified for improvement. However, it does not always help the school measure whether goals have been achieved and therefore to calculate how far they have progressed, accurately. This is because the statements describing what will be achieved for each action, the success criteria, are written in a very general terms and do not specify an

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improvement in the children’s experience that could be measured.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school has control over a very small part of its budget but it raises money well, for example, by bidding for grants and running fund raising events. It plans improvements well ahead of time. The new headteacher has thoughtfully recognised the strengths of the nursery and has worked to continue these whilst identify important improvements. Once these changes have been identified she works efficiently and effectively to obtain funding through grants and other sources.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

(1) Make the wealth of assessment and observation information for every child easier to use for tracking how well each is doing by: • finding a simple format that would show how far each child has progressed towards the early learning goals. Paragraph 39.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

(2) Give the children with good writing skills more opportunity to develop their knowledge of different ways of story writing and composition by:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

• Using the QCA guidance for early literacy work to identify and plan additional suitable writing activities. Paragraphs 3 and 64.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

Minor issues When writing the school improvement plan select success criteria that can be more easily measured.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

Paragraphs 47. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 19 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 5

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 75

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 16

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 17

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 18

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

p.19

Attendance

School data n/a School data n/a Abbey Wood Nursery School - 20 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 21

p.19

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.8 £

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 23,495

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 103 Expenditure per pupil 314

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year n/a

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 5.8 Balance carried forward to next year 2,608

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 22

p.21

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 36 4 0 12

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 64 36 0 0 0

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 20 32 12 4 32

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 48 8 4 4

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 20 8 0 0

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 24 4 4 24

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 48 40 4 4 4

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 60 28 4 0 8

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 44 4 0 8

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 48 24 0 4 24 Abbey Wood Nursery School - 23 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

49. Attainment in this area is a strength of the school. By the time they leave the school children are interested, excited and motivated to learn. They are confident to try new activities and initiate ideas. They concentrate well, and have good relationships with adults and peers. Children who have English as an additional language are developing good social skills. They are confident in their surroundings and are eager to participate in the range of activities available. The progress of these children is good. The attainment of children with special educational needs is good. They are very well supported by staff, and make good achievements in their learning.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

50. Children move well from activity to activity and from room to room. They are knowledgeable about the equipment and resources which are available, for example knowing that a magnifying glass will make the spots on the shell look bigger. They have opportunity to choose their favourite activity as well as taking part in focused activities with staff. They are confident in their surroundings and able to carry simple messages from one part of the school to another, for example by collecting orders for lunch.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

51. Children readily talk about the activity they are engaged in. They develop imaginative use of equipment in their play, for example the children moving sand with the diggers in the outside play area, where they discuss their plan to complete the transportation. They play imaginatively in small groups and by themselves, using equipment to represent real and imagined situations such as the hairdressers in the role play area of Rainbow room. They invent or re-create stories, for example in Moonlight room re-enacting the story of the three Billy Goats Gruff using appropriate farm animals and a troll.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

52. Children persevere with an activity until it is finished to their satisfaction. For example in work on Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ they experiment with sponges and a palette of colours to create the effect they want. Throughout the time they are engaged in the activity, some thirty minutes, the children are fully on task. They are thoughtful in their responses to the teacher’s questions of how the stars are painted, and careful as they select appropriate resources. Good use of praise as the pictures are completed reinforces the children’s learning. They concentrate well.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

53. Children are confident and independent. Those children, who stay for lunch, for example, wash their hands beforehand. They competently lay their space for lunch and take responsibility for clearing away at the end. They understand how to wait to be served, and respond appropriately when asked what they would like to eat, and when the plate is passed to them. They say which foods they like and dislike, but are always willing to try something they have not had before. They laugh when watching funny situations with their friends, for example when Sebastian visits at the end of lunch-time.

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

54. Children have an understanding of cultures other than their own. They understand the importance of specific religious festivals such as Eid, Christmas and Diwali to their own family and the community. They experience tasting particular foods that are served at various occasions and festivals, and enjoy having their hands painted as part of the celebration of Diwali. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 24 55. They express their feelings appropriate to the circumstances, for example laughter with another child as they roll down the slope outside on the ‘wheeled tyres’, and sympathy when a child hurts their finger. They play co-operatively with their peers without adult intervention, for example when building sand castles in the sand tray of Moonlight room, they improve the structure through discussion and experimentation. Outside they develop games with simple rules, using and sharing the available equipment. They use the outside resources to re-enact

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

the story of the Bear Hunt, and readily talk to peers and adults about what they are doing.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

56. The children sit attentively as a group and listen to a story, for example, in Star room the reading of “Can’t You Sleep Little Bear.” They understand that they listen when the adult is reading the story. They know how to take turns in simple card and board games, for example the ‘Maths Zoo Game’ in Rainbow room. In the outdoor area they wait patiently to take a turn on the wheeled toys, whilst in use of the computer they have a clear understanding that their turn finishes when the sand timer runs out, and they readily make way for another child. They have a good sense of what is ‘fair’, knowing that they take turns using crayons and scissors, and share toys which are available.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

57. The school develops a clear understanding that it is usual to greet adults and friends on meeting, and say goodbye on parting. As they arrive in their base area, every child is individually welcomed by name, and they respond appropriately to staff when they say ‘Good morning.’ They know that they should treat all adults and children with respect. They respond pleasurably to praise, and have begun to develop a recognition of what is right and wrong. They feel good about themselves when praised for their kind actions, thoughtfulness, or persistency in completing a task, and say ‘thank you’ to some one who has helped them or passed something to them. They show happiness when their teacher celebrates a birthday and eagerly join in with the singing of ‘Happy Birthday.’

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

58. Teaching in this area of learning is very good. Personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority by the school. It is well planned in both long term and weekly planning, and appropriately recorded in children’s records.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

59. In communication, language and literacy children have achieved most aspects of the stepping stones for their age but they are still developing their ability to write. Considering where many children start, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, they make good progress. Children listen attentively, not only at story time when they are gathered round the teacher on the carpet, but also generally to each other. They take notice and follow instructions: for example, when mixing powder paints to make new colours. They follow up suggestions: for example when making cards for their family and friends.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

60. Children work well in groups or pairs and are often talking about their activities. Whether in role-play in the beauty salon, in the sand or building with a construction kit, they express their ideas clearly and use vocabulary that is growing fast. They respond with delight to stories, rhymes and songs and are enthusiastic to act out the stories themselves. They become deeply involved and often show attention to detail that is the result of good observation: for instance, children playing in the outside home showed a clear understanding of domestic food preparation. Children are encouraged to ask questions. They often ask "what's this for?" when selecting materials and are constantly challenged by the stimulating range of activities arranged for them.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

61. Children enjoy reading activities and choose to sit with adults looking at books and retelling stories in their own words. They know about books: that text carries meaning and that Abbey Wood Nursery School - 25 illustrations give useful clues to help understanding. They handle books and turn pages carefully and have definite preferences about the type of book they enjoy. Books with flaps remain a firm favourite with children of all ages. Children are at different stages of reading: some can recognise their first names and others can also recognise familiar words.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

62. The school promotes the importance and value of books in children's learning to parents at every opportunity. Home/ school links are productive and particularly good use is made of "book bags" to encourage worthwhile reading. A book fair was held and parents were able to browse through the wide selection of books as they collected their children at the end of each session.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

63. Children have many opportunities to express themselves on paper in drawing and painting and are becoming early writers. The practice of having name cards available for children to copy from is successful and many children are forming letters recognisably. The children visit the writing tables freely and regularly and are keen to experiment with their own signs and symbols to tell stories and communicate with others. Similarly, they experiment confidently with the letters, numerals and symbols on the keyboard of the computer to record their ideas. Book making is a regular feature of the school's work.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

64. The teaching of communication, language and literacy is generally very good. Teachers plan a wide range of activities and use assessments of children's performance to determine and develop future work. They are very good at using spontaneous situations to develop children's ideas. They listen effectively and their relationships with children are excellent. All staff work hard to extend children's use of language and imagination. Staff create many excellent opportunities for children's development, managing resources well to stimulate discussion. They are encouraging of all children's efforts towards reading and writing and celebrate children's work well in the attractive displays. Some children are now ready to extend their writing skills into additional forms of story writing.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

65. Children for whom English is an additional language are making sound progress in the use of spoken language. They are developing confidence and are willing to use gestures, facial expressions and basic words to communicate with others. They benefit from the support of specialist staff, the language rich environment created by the nursery teachers, the outstanding ethos of the school and the excellent relationships formed with adults and other children. They achieve levels in communication, language and literacy in accordance with their abilities.

p.25

Mathematical development

66. In mathematics children have achieved the expected levels for their age. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress. Children use mathematical language to describe shape, size, quantity and position. They are developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems. They say and use number names in order in familiar contexts, for example in counting the plates for dinner. They recognise numerals to 10 and use language such as ‘more’ or ‘less’ to compare numbers.

p.25

Mathematical development

67. Children readily join in with number rhymes such as ‘Five little monkeys swinging in the tree.’ They are familiar with such number activities as counting the spots on the ladybirds in the ladybird number game, and can count objects such as beads, bricks and counters using one-to- one correspondence. They recognise the spoken names of numbers, and their written figures, which they practice using a white board. They recognise the relationship between a figure and the number of objects referred to, for example by making pairs of earrings in the role play area. Older children show increased confidence with numbers by identifying errors. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 26 68. They have a concept of size, and children for whom English is an additional language are able to show their support assistant which elephant is bigger than another on a floor puzzle. In the role play area they sort bracelets and ear-rings by size. In discussion they use appropriate

p.25

Mathematical development

vocabulary such as ‘we need one more plate’ to add to the four we have, to give us the five we need for the children having lunch on a particular table.

p.26

Mathematical development

69. In practical situations they are beginning to add numbers together, and in playing with the animals know that if they have four sheep and two goats they have six animals altogether, which they discover by counting accurately.

p.26

Mathematical development

70. They recognise shapes and use words such as circle, triangle and square. They also have an awareness of symmetry which they explore in painting. They follow simple directions to place objects under, on, behind or in front of other objects. In physical activities outside they understand and follow instructions such as ‘climb up the ladder’ and ‘go through the tunnel.’ They calculate the correct number of knives, forks, spoons and plates with which to lay the table for five children, and they recognise some numbers of personal significance such as the number of their house. Most children make satisfactory progress including those with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language. However, older children and more able children do not always make the progress of which they are capable, and would benefit from being given more opportunity to relate addition to combining two groups of objects,

p.26

Mathematical development

71. Teaching in mathematics is good. Children are well managed and activities are well planned and resourced. Mathematics is developed both inside and outside the classroom, often in combination with other areas of learning, for example in use of the computerised toy.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. By the time children leave the school they have achieved the expected levels for their age in knowledge and understanding of the world. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress. Children are particularly skilled in science and in information communication technology. Children use computers with confidence and skill. They have clear rules and procedures for using them. A boy working at a computer in star room clicked on an icon to open up a programme and selected the version he wanted to use with assurance. He worked at the computer with concentration, dragging and moving items on the screen until another child sat down to play. The original boy pointed to the egg timer he was using to time his turn and continued working. This was clearly a well-established routine and the second child accepted the fairness of this and went off to do something else. When the egg timer said his turn was

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

over the boy moved off. Programmable, computerised toys are used to plan routes and to follow the outlines of shapes. Children use simple adventure games and make interesting and colourful drawings on the computer.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. The children have excellent opportunities to take part in scientific activities; for example, they investigate using their senses. In the sensory room they notice what they see with the lights dimmed and how they become accustomed to the dark. They listen closely to sounds and recognised the sound of the sea and could explain how waves moved. They look at reflections in distorted mirrors and notice how light is reflected by the mirror ball. They experiment by placing different materials onto the light box and notice how some are transparent and others opaque. They develop a good understanding of how things change; children collected ice from the climbing frame and watched it turn to water in their hands. They noticed that the sand had become crunchy with the presence of ice. Over time children have very good opportunities for looking closely at similarities, differences and patterns. Abbey Wood Nursery School - 27

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. The children are fascinated about the natural world and are developing a very good understanding of it. They do excellent work in the school’s outside environment, which has been very well planned to offer many opportunities for study. Children have a meadow, a garden and a pond as well as several trees to explore. Stories and poems are used well to add to the children’s knowledge. A boy could explain that owls were nocturnal and that that meant they were awake at night. Other children could name a barn owl and explain that they hunt mice for food. A visit to a pet shop added to their knowledge of animals and how they live.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Children also develop good designing and making skills; they construct using linking bricks and other construction toys. They make their own careful choices of materials and tools from a good range, which they use to make models and pictures. A visit to a building site close to the school allowed the children to look at what houses are built of and how. The visit had been recorded with photographs, which meant it could be used on future occasions to help children learn.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

76. Children have a good knowledge of the neighbourhood and can name the street they live in and the number of their house. They have visited local parks and shops and can talk about both identifying what they like and do not like. They have a good general knowledge about places such as rainforests, jungles and forests. People such as the school lollypop lady have visited and children can recall information about the job they do. They have a good sense of time and can recognise themselves in photos as a baby, for example. In group sessions they talk about what has happened earlier today, during the last week and further in the past.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. The school uses the experiences and learning that children bring from their homes and local communities to help others understand a variety of different life styles and beliefs. A good range of resources help the children value and understand, for example, children used chopsticks and rice bowls for a play dough activity. The school celebrates events such as Chinese New Year. Religious and other festivals are used to investigate special foods. A parent helped the children make samosas which they enjoyed eating. Children listen to music and stories from a variety of cultures.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Teaching in this area of learning is very good as staff have a great deal of interest and expertise. Resources are very good and imaginatively used.

p.27

Physical development

79. Attainment in this area is very good for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language. Children move safely, with confidence, control and co-ordination. They show an awareness of space, both with regard to themselves and others. They competently use a range of small and large apparatus and travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment. They handle tools, construction and malleable materials with increasing control.

p.27

Physical development

80. In the outdoor area children walk, run, skip, hop and climb. They incorporate into their play pretence, for example acting out the ‘Bear Hunt’ theme. They are becoming aware of how high they can climb and how far they can stretch. They repeat their physical activities with increasing dexterity, and enjoy repeating an activity that they have mastered such as balancing on the tree stumps, throwing and catching a soft ball with an adult or with a friend over a short distance, and controlling a ball with their feet.

p.27

Physical development

81. Children are aware of their own and others’ space, for example when using wheeled toys they take great care to avoid crashes. On the outdoor stage they dance and move to music, using the appropriate space to move their bodies into. They are becoming increasingly skilful with bats and balls. They throw balls with reasonable accuracy and lob a soft ball to a Abbey Wood Nursery School - 28 partner in the correct trajectory for catching it. In all such activities they display growing confidence, dexterity and enjoyment. They make good use of climbing frames, and during directed activities can follow instructions to go over the bench and through the tunnel.

p.27

Physical development

82. Tools such as cutlery, scissors, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and the computer are handled appropriately. They dress and undress themselves to go outside. They use construction materials such as plastic linking bricks with confidence, and in their use of wet sand and play dough press moulds and cutters to make various shapes. They confidently complete puzzles with interlocking pieces and play with plastic people and other small world toys. They take good care of resources and take responsibility for putting them away.

p.28

Physical development

83. Teaching in this area is very good. Physical activities are well planned both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor provision, in particular, is well resourced and well used as a natural extension to work done inside the classrooms. Specific activities are planned for the outside area, for example, a programmable robot toy being used to plan routes, and the stage area being a focal point for creativity, music and dance.

p.28

Creative development

84. Children make good progress in creative development and by the time they leave the school they have attained levels expected at their age. They explore colour, texture and shape in 3D, for example, the children made large ingenious constructions using amongst other materials, wood, plastic and buttons.

p.28

Creative development

85. Children looked at Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting and because of the adult’s really good questioning noticed how the stars had been painted and the colours he had used. The children were very thoughtful in their response to the task and selected their resources carefully. They experimented with sponges and paint to create their own versions, which were individual and excellent.

p.28

Creative development

86. Children at the nursery have many well-planned occasions on which to respond to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel. In particular, the sensory room offers exceptional opportunities to children to observe with soft lighting; bubble lights, mirror balls, mobiles and mirrors for example. Adults play music in the room and ask the children to listen carefully for certain sounds and describe what they hear.

p.28

Creative development

87. With adult encouragement, when children look at fruit or flowers, for example, they carefully smell and gently feel and when cooking are very conscious of smell and texture. Children are encouraged to record these experiences in drawings and paintings. On other occasions children make models in recycled materials, plasticene or clay to record visits or things they have studied. Some children had made clay models of foxes, badgers and owls to illustrate the story they had been sharing.

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Creative development

88. The children love dressing up and role-playing. During the inspection children, boys and girls were happily using the jewellery, scarves and hats in the role-play area. Children also use puppets and small world models for make believe. The outdoor playhouse and the sand are used for elaborate imaginative and creative games. A small group of boys using the sand trays joined with planks invented a very collaborative game of transporting the sand from one end to another. The good teaching with carefully planning which offered the children only tipper trucks initially, had sparked what turned out to be imaginative and complex play. 89. Children have excellent occasions for making music. They love responding in movement, dance and sounds. They have a good repertoire of songs from a variety of countries, which they sing very tunefully. They remember both words and actions well. There are many good quality musical instruments that children use both with adults and independent.

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Creative development

Abbey Wood Nursery School - 29 Children on the performance platform were listening to the music of the Jungle Book whilst accompanying the songs with a variety of instruments including guiro, cymbals and triangles. Several children were also waving silk scarves and dancing along with the rhythm. Adults provide good role models; singing along with the music, some playing instruments such as the guitar, and taking turns with percussion.

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Creative development

90. By the time they leave the nursery, children can name all the primary colours and many secondary ones. They readily identify the colour of the animals they are playing with and have strong views about their own favourite colours. Many know that you can mix two colours and make a third. They use colour very well in their paintings and collages.

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Creative development

91. Teaching of creative development is very good because staff give children excellent activities and give them the chance to try out their own creative ideas. Resources for creative development are very good and stored so that children can select their own and tidy up after themselves.

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