Somerville Nursery School

BRENTWOOD NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 – 11 November 2003

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BRENTWOOD NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Brentwood Nursery School - 2 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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BRENTWOOD 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. Brentwood Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery School category: Maintained Age range of pupils: 3 – 5 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 51 part-time and 9 full-time

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brentwood Street Wallasey Wirral Postcode: CH44 4BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0151 6381567 Fax number: 0151 6381567

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Wirral LEA Name of chair of governors: Miss Ceridwen Jones

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 – 30 September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This small nursery school has 60 children on roll, 51 part-time and nine full-time (28 boys and 22 girls). The area served by the school has high levels of social deprivation. There are a few children from minority ethnic families, mainly Pakistani, with English as an additional language, but no children at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of children having special educational needs is small and they mainly have behavioural and speech difficulties. However, at this early stage of the year many are currently being monitored and assessed by the school. There are no children with a statement of special educational needs. Attainment on entry is below what is normally expected for children of this age, particularly in speaking and listening skills and personal, emotional and social development. The school is involved in a number of national initiatives including Sure Start and Early Start 1 , and there are plans for it to become a neighbourhood nursery, providing care and

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

education for children from 0 to 2 as well as the current 3 and 4 year olds.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

1 These are national initiatives for parents of pre-school age children that offer support, advice and an opportunity to meet with other parents and is organised and managed by a teacher in the nursery school. Brentwood Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

17976 Mr J R Francis Lead inspector Areas of learning for the Foundation Stage 11358 Mrs V Lamb Lay inspector 22421 Mrs V McGrath Team inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

3 Greenacres Puddletown Dorchester Dorset DT2 8GF

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Brentwood Nursery School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school is providing its children with a good education . Children achieve well. Standards are in line with those expected for the end of nursery in all areas of learning except mathematical development, where they are below. The quality of teaching is good and the curriculum is satisfactory. The headteacher provides good leadership and clear educational direction for the school.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Teaching and learning are good and children achieve well in most areas of learning • Leadership and management are good • There is a very good ethos for learning, relationships are very good and children have very good attitudes • There are very good links with parents and the community, other schools and colleges • The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs • Planning does not always ensure that sufficient attention is given to children's mathematical development • The school improvement plan does not show how checks will be made on how well things are going • The governing body is not sufficiently involved with long-term development planning

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Improvement since the previous inspection is good. The quality of teaching has improved, as have standards in communication, language and literacy. The accommodation has been extended and upgraded, providing better outdoor facilities. The curriculum has been improved.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children achieve well because teaching is good. Most children reach the expected level in communication, language and literacy, personal and social development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development by the time they move into the reception class. From a low starting point, children make very good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills and in their personal, social and emotional development. Mathematical development is below the level expected for children of this age. Children with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well. Children with English as an additional language achieve as well as others.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children's personal development is good. Children have very good attitudes to school and behaviour is good. Attendance is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided is good. The quality of teaching and children's learning is good overall. There is good teaching by both teaching and support staff.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is satisfactory. The only relative weakness is in the provision for mathematical development. Staff know children very well and their personal development is very well catered for. There are very good links with parents, the community and other schools. Procedures for children starting school are very good. Brentwood Nursery School - 7

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are good . The headteacher shows good leadership, drive and commitment. The governance of the school is satisfactory. However, governors have limited involvement in long-term development planning.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and children think highly of the school. Parents find staff very approachable and feel welcomed as partners in the education of their children.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Ensure that children achieve as well in mathematics as they do in other areas of learning • Identify how checks on initiatives and priorities in the school improvement plan will be carried out • Involve the governing body more directly in school development planning. Brentwood Nursery School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good overall. Standards are in line with those expected for children of this age in all areas of learning except for mathematical development where they are below. Higher attaining children and those with special educational needs also achieve well. Children from minority ethnic families with English as an additional language achieve the same as other children. There is no difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make very good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills and in their personal, social and emotional development • Children make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the world and in their physical and creative development • Children with special educational needs achieve well • Progress and achievement in mathematical development are satisfactory, but not as good as the progress they make in the other areas of learning

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Commentary

1. Many children come into the nursery with poorly developed speaking and listening and social skills. With the good teaching they make very good progress in developing their speech and are able to listen well and pay attention to what the adults and other children say. They make very good progress in developing their social and emotional skills. They achieve well in their knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development through well thought out topics and very good use of the school grounds for a range of projects linked to science and art. Good planning for developing physical skills ensures many opportunities for cutting, pasting and mark making. There are also good opportunities for outdoor play using large apparatus and equipment. Children achieve well in all areas of learning except mathematical development. By the time they leave the nursery they have attained the levels expected for children of this age in

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Commentary

communication, language and literacy, personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development.

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Commentary

2. Children do not achieve as highly in mathematical development as in other areas. While they make satisfactory progress, this area of learning is not developed and integrated into daily routines as well as are the others. Fewer activities are planned for children to experience this aspect of their learning and opportunities are missed to reinforce mathematical knowledge and understanding.

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Commentary

3. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. While attaining below the expectations for their age, the teaching strategies to promote communication and good behaviour are effective in promoting very good attitudes to learning. The high ratio of adults to children, and the quality of support offered to individuals and small groups, contributes to their good achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Provision for pupils’ personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is good. Behaviour is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Brentwood Nursery School - 9 • Children show high levels of confidence and self-esteem, supported well by very good relationships • Children behave well, and share and co-operate in their play • The daily routine promotes good independence, perseverance and very good attitudes to learning • Awareness of the children’s own, and other cultures, is promoted well

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Commentary

4. Children’s PSED is given a high priority within the curriculum. Adults have high expectations for children's behaviour and independence, and the majority of the children achieve very well.

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Commentary

5. Good emphasis on positive behaviour teaches children what is right and wrong, how to follow directions and how to share. Behaviour and social development are good, and this reflects the very supportive relationships between staff, children and parents. Children learn to help and care for each other, following the good examples set by adults in the classroom. All adults provide good role models in the respect they show to children and each other. The use of well-chosen music played throughout the school creates a calm atmosphere to which the children respond well.

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Commentary

6. Children are encouraged to develop independence and organise themselves from the start. The daily routines, which allow children to choose and organise activities for themselves, promote initiative and decision making well, enable regular and frequent opportunities for teaching and learning in PSED. Children with special educational needs demonstrate very good attitudes to their work. They particularly enjoy small group work or individual activities and respond well to individual support

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Commentary

7. Children develop a good awareness of their own and other cultures through celebrations such as the Chinese New Year, saints' days and learning African drumming patterns. Teachers are skilful in making local and national events meaningful for young children. For example, during the week of Remembrance Day, children were encouraged to talk about wounded toy soldiers and to care for each other in the play hospital. Similarly, during the building improvements, children observed, painted and discussed the changes. This enrichment makes learning meaningful for young children, and promotes very positive attitudes to exploration and learning.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3% School data 0% The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

Attendance and punctuality are very good and are monitored well by the school. The school's approach is well supported by the parents, which ensures a high level of regular attendance.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good. The curriculum is satisfactory.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Brentwood Nursery School - 10

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Classroom management is very good • Good teamwork and effective deployment of learning support assistants (LSAs) supports teachers and children • The range of strategies for improving communication for children with special educational needs is good • Some opportunities for reinforcing mathematical development are missed • Short-term planning for the adult led activities does not always identify clearly what children should learn

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Commentary

8. Teaching is good. Good teaching was seen in half of sessions observed. However, the children's achievements and the progress they make indicates consistently good teaching over time by both teachers and LSAs, who are a significant part of the teaching provision. There is a suitable balance between direct teaching by teachers/LSA and self-selected activities by the children. Classrooms and activities are well organised. With the sensitive approach by all staff, children develop confidence and settle quickly into the daily routines. There are high expectations of children's behaviour and children are regularly praised for their manners and consideration for others. Discipline is firm but unobtrusive and children respond well to this. Teachers use praise effectively to encourage children. The use of praise and positive reinforcement makes children confident and they quickly adopt the expected standards of behaviour.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 12 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

9. Children who have special needs, particularly in aspects of communication and language are well supported. Gestures and signs are gradually introduced to make communication with these children more effective and help them to understand what is happening and what they need to do. Children with English as an additional language are well taught and learn spoken English quickly.

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Commentary

10. While the provision for mathematical development is satisfactory, it is less well developed than other areas of learning. Mathematical development is appropriately planned for in directed activities. However, opportunities to extend children's knowledge of number are often missed.

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Commentary

11. Planning for the adult directed activities is generally good, but sometimes there is no difference between planning for what children should learn and what they will do. This makes it difficult for the adult to accurately assess children's progress and be clear about what they have learnt. Assessment is satisfactory; the school is in the middle of changing its system for recording children’s attainment and progress and has the potential to track children's progress more accurately.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory overall with a number of strengths. Brentwood Nursery School - 11

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good balance of activities promotes very good PSED and speaking and listening development • Provision for children with special educational needs is good • Enrichment of the curriculum promotes good knowledge and understanding of the world and cultural awareness • The accommodation has been significantly improved since the previous inspection • Planning is satisfactory but does not always ensure, for example, mathematical development is given an appropriate amount of teaching time

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Commentary

12. There is a good balance between direct teaching through carefully planned adult led activities and those selected by the children. Opportunities to collaborate and engage in imaginative play promote speaking and listening well. A stimulating range of mini topics promotes good awareness of their own and other cultures as children enjoy visits and visitors, multi-cultural religious and family celebrations. This enriched curriculum promotes positive attitudes to school. Since the last inspection the school has satisfactorily addressed the weaknesses relating to the planning of the curriculum, which now covers the six areas of learning. However, the time allocated for teaching each area of learning does not always ensure an appropriate balance. In particular, less time is given to the teaching of mathematics than other areas.

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Commentary

13. Provision for children with special educational needs is good. Involvement in a number of initiatives for teaching children with special educational needs has enabled the school to capitalise on additional funding, training and expertise. The curriculum provides equal access for all children, regardless of social, linguistic or ethnic background. However, the educational plans for these children need to be further developed in order to ensure all staff know about individual targets, and how to help children attain them.

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Commentary

14. The accommodation is good, has been improved recently, and is still under-going refurbishment. Learning areas, both indoors and outdoors, are well resourced.

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for children's care, guidance and support is very good. Monitoring of children's achievement is satisfactory and personal development is good, as is the involvement of children through seeking and acting on their views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a very caring and secure atmosphere for the children • Very good relationships help children to feel secure • Procedures to prepare children for the nursery are very good • Staff actively seek children's views and respond to them • Annual reports are not individual or clear enough • Not all staff have received up-to-date training in child protection

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Commentary

15. The school provides a very caring environment for children where staff are conscientious in working in children’s best interests. They supervise children carefully and help them to learn how to move around and use the equipment safely. They foster very good relationships with children Brentwood Nursery School - 12 and their parents and gain a good knowledge of their needs. This helps children to feel secure and confident that they have someone to turn to for help if they need it. Staff use simple, imaginative techniques to find out what children like about nursery and to help them contribute to improvements.

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Commentary

16. Good procedures for child protection follow locally agreed arrangements. Senior staff are trained and very experienced in working with support agencies but not all members of staff have received up-to-date training. However, they know who to inform of any concerns and keep a careful watch on children. Health and safety procedures are thorough and the school promotes healthy living. Lunch is provided for many children and is very well managed to give them a high quality social occasion. This makes a very good contribution to their welfare and personal and social development.

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Commentary

17. Staff use sound procedures to monitor children's progress and provide good support, advice and guidance based on the needs that they identify. They work closely with parents and outside agencies as appropriate.

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Commentary

18. The school’s arrangements for helping children prepare for nursery are very good. Care and support for children begins before they enter. In partnership with other childcare providers, the school runs activities for babies and toddlers with their parents so that families can get to know the nursery as a happy, exciting place to visit. Arrangements for children to settle in are very supportive; they are flexible enough for children to be given time to feel secure without their parents and for staff and parents opportunities to share essential information. Good partnerships with primary schools build on these processes so that children are well supported in moving to full-time school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents and the community are very good. There are very good links with other local schools and the pre-school groups. Parents receive good information on their children's progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are very good relationships between staff and parents • Staff share many skills with parents that they are then able use to help their child at home • The school plays an active part in involving, and providing activities for the local community • There are very good links with other schools, colleges and outside agencies

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Commentary

19. Very good arrangements help parents to become involved in their child’s experiences at nursery from the very start and support their child’s learning and personal development. Staff clearly welcome parents' involvement and value them as partners in the education process. Parents find this very reassuring. Consequently, relationships between home and school are very constructive. There are good communications between staff and parents. Staff are keen to hear from parents about anything that will help them to meet the needs and particular skills and interests of the children better.

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Commentary

20. The school provides parents with many opportunities to find out about their child’s education, including written reports and formal and informal meetings with staff. Parents find the staff approachable and willing to answer their queries and make suggestions. Parents and staff make very good use of these meetings. However, annual reports to parents are largely written in technical terms that are not easily understood by people who are not educational specialists. This limits their usefulness to parents. Parents are very supportive of all aspects of the nursery school’s work but indicate that this is an area where they are least happy. Parents receive much better information from their regular meetings with staff. Brentwood Nursery School - 13 21. The school has established a very good range of links within the local and wider community that enhance children’s experiences. The school is used well by local people for learning and leisure

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Commentary

activities and plays a central role in major new developments locally. Space is provided for activities to take place, and crèches are provided to enable parents to take part. Although community links are very good, the school has identified this as an area for further development to meet more of the needs of local people. Several local businesses and neighbours donate money or items of interest to the children.

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Commentary

22. The school's very good range of links with other schools supports children's personal and social education very well, especially in helping them to move confidently to primary school. There are very good links with other support agencies, such as speech therapy and paediatric services to help meet children's specific needs. Adult learners, including many parents, are well supported through the school's links with other local nurseries and family learning groups. The school also provides good training facilities for students from local colleges.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are good overall. The leadership, drive and commitment of the headteacher are good. The governance of the school is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher leads and manages well and she has a clear vision for the future development of the school and is supported well by senior staff • The school improvement plan has good long-term view but lacks clear detail on how these priorities will be monitored and evaluated • Governors are very supportive of the school but have little involvement in school development planning

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Commentary

23. The headteacher is a leading practitioner for early years education and has worked hard to improve the range of facilities and opportunities offered by the school. Day-to-day management is good and the school operates smoothly. The school is moving towards becoming a neighbourhood nursery, which will provide full-time care and education for children from 0 to 4. Parents are being encouraged successfully to take up the range of opportunities offered by the school through local and national initiatives such as the 'Sure Start' and 'Early Start' schemes, managed by the senior teacher. This is making the school a focal point for the whole community.

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Commentary

24. The school improvement plan covers the next three years and is very detailed. However, the wealth of detail makes it difficult to track and record progress on all of the developments. The plan's format does not show how progress towards the developments is to be monitored or evaluated. While the headteacher knows what has been achieved it is difficult for other people, in particular the governors, to get a view of the progress being made.

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Commentary

25. Governors are committed to the school and are well led. Governors are better informed about the school than at the time of the previous inspection. However, their involvement in strategic planning is limited. With the school due to receive a delegated budget in April 2004, they are very aware of what they now need to do to enable them to fulfil this new role effectively. Training is being given through the LEA to enable them to take greater responsibility in setting the direction for the school.

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Commentary

26. The school does not have a delegated budget. Money provided for resources and equipment is used effectively and accounted for correctly. Spending decisions are evaluated to ensure best value for services and materials. Brentwood Nursery School - 14 Brentwood Nursery School - 15

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision for children is good.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

27. There are good arrangements for introducing children to school and school routines. As a result, most children are happy to leave their parents and carers and quickly settle. The quality of teaching is good overall, resulting in good progress for most children and very good progress in developing their PSED skills and speaking and listening skills. A significant minority exceeds the level they are expected to reach in these areas by the end of the nursery. By the time they transfer into the reception class, most are in line to reach the expected levels in all areas of learning except mathematical development. This represents good achievement given the low starting point of many. Although they make satisfactory progress, children's mathematical development is below the level expected. The curriculum both indoors and outdoors provides a wide range of activities that are imaginative and well matched to the children’s needs. The

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

provision is well managed, and the children’s progress is carefully monitored. Good care and support ensures that the needs of all children are well met. In the previous inspection, there were issues for the school to address relating to the planning of the curriculum, particularly in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. These have been successfully addressed in communication, language and literacy, but some weaknesses remain in promoting children's mathematical development.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good planning enables children to make independent choices and take responsibility for themselves • The children make very good progress and reach standards in line with those expected for their age

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Commentary

28. The school continues to provide very well for children's personal and social development maintaining, and in some aspects improving, the quality seen at the time of the last inspection. Teaching is good and personal and social development is promoted well across all areas of learning. All children are supported well by all staff. The standards are set by the headteacher and all staff provide good role models for the children. Praise is used effectively to promote helpfulness and independence and all opportunities are taken to reinforce positive attitudes. Children quickly become familiar with routines and are encouraged successfully to make choices for themselves. As a result, children develop confidence, behave well and consider the needs of others during their activities. Brentwood Nursery School - 16

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good • Children make very good progress in developing speaking and listening skills

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Commentary

29. Children make good progress and achieve well. This is an improvement in both provision and outcome since the previous inspection. Many children are confident speakers and these skills are developed well, with many opportunities for them to talk. The teaching of speaking and listening skills in particular is very good and adults' speech gives good examples for children to copy. Children listen attentively to stories and listen to what others in the group are saying during discussion times. The children are encouraged to build on their vocabulary during stories, teacher directed tasks and while at play. Early writing and knowledge of letter sounds are taught well. For example, when children were addressing letters and cards to parents, their knowledge of initial letters was reinforced through writing and saying the letter sound. Children are encouraged to take books home to share with their parents and parents also are able to select

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Commentary

books for their children or themselves from the school's lending library. This is aimed at encouraging good reading habits for children to copy. It was too early in the year for there to be much in the way of children's written work, but wall displays showed attempts at early writing and word-processed sentences that children had composed.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults use accurate mathematical vocabulary • Some opportunities are missed to include mathematical development in other aspects of learning

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Commentary

30. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress and their achievement is sound. Children are encouraged to count through games, rhymes and songs. Practical activities, such as building with bricks and counting out or adding on one more, reinforce these early skills. Most of the older children count accurately to five, matching the object to a number, and a few count up to ten. Most recognise and identify a range of colours and this is reinforced through aspects of creative development. Adults use appropriate mathematical vocabulary, for example relating to shape, size and position. However, opportunities are missed to plan elements of mathematical development into the daily work or to take incidental opportunities to teach mathematical ideas, for example when children are using the sand tray or making collage pictures. Brentwood Nursery School - 17

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Planning identifies meaningful and stimulating topics with good focus on seasonal topics • There is good use of the school grounds as a learning resource

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Commentary

31. Teaching and learning are good. While only a limited range could be observed, good photographic records show a wide range of experiences from building large-scale models to cutting up and examining fresh fish. Children make good progress and achieve well through a good range of well-planned topics, often relating to important events in the calendar or seasonal changes. The school grounds are used well throughout the year to promote children's knowledge and understanding of natural history and wildlife. Planning includes the celebration of a wide range of festivals such as saints' days or the Chinese New Year, and is supported by a good range of practical activities and artefacts. Children learn to celebrate the similarities and differences in the way people live. Good use was made of the recent school building project to develop children's understanding of work and construction by copying the outside activities in the

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Commentary

classroom. Children have opportunities to use computers and the programs used are appropriately matched to the topic being studied. While many are still at the exploration stage with computers, some have developed good skills in controlling the mouse pointer or using the cursor keys to move objects around the screen.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children's control over pencils, pens, brushes and scissors is good • Planning for outdoor play does not always show what teachers expect children to learn

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Commentary

32. Teaching is good and standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Children are given many opportunities to develop their fine and gross motor skills. For example, children's skills in using tools are developed well through cutting, pasting and assembling pictures and collages, completing jigsaws or working with clay. There is always a wide range of activities on offer for children to work at, either self-selected or adult led, for example making poppy pictures or prints to link with Armistice Day. The outdoor areas offer good opportunities for climbing, balancing and riding using tricycles, scooters and climbing barrels. All children have equal access to these areas and are well engaged in play. However, resources are not always used effectively to promote, for example, role-play. The children achieve well in developing physical control, mobility and awareness of space indoors and outdoors. However, planning for outdoor

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Commentary

play does not always show what teachers expect children to learn during these times. As a result, opportunities are missed to develop children's skills in, for example, climbing and jumping. Brentwood Nursery School - 18

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The range of well-planned activities provided provides a wide experience for all children • Children's observational skills are good • There is sometimes a lack of stimulus to encourage children's creative ideas

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Commentary

33. Children's achievements are good; they make good progress and reach standards in line with those expected for their age. Teaching is good. The play areas are well thought out and linked to current themes providing stimulating activities and responses from children. For example, the military hospital was well linked to the current theme of Remembrance Day and both boys and girls took turns at being patients, doctors or nurses. However, for some activities, for example free-painting, there is rarely any additional stimulus to encourage children, or provide examples of different things they can do. The displays around the school show good response to topical themes such as 'bonfire night' and demonstrate the range of materials available to children when creating their pictures. There are good examples of children's work using the school grounds and their pictures show a good level of attention to detail. Children learn a wide range of rhymes and

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Commentary

action songs by heart and enjoy taking part in these, moving in response to the music and the teacher's lead. Brentwood Nursery School - 19

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 2 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Brentwood Nursery School - 20

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