Grove House Nursery School & Children's Centre

GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 th – 23rd October 2003

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Grove House 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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GROVE HOUSE 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. Grove House Nursery School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery School category: Maintained Age range of pupils: 3 – 5 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 80 part time, 20 full time

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

School address: 77a North Road Southall Postcode: UB1 2JL

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Telephone number: 02085 710878 Fax number: 02085 711208

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority (Ealing) Name of chair of governors: Cllr. Mrs. Diana Pagan (See explanation below)

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 th March 1996

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Grove House is an inner city nursery school situated in a multi-culturally diverse part of Southall, in the London Borough of Ealing. The population in the area is more transient than previously and children come from homes with a wide variation in socio-economic circumstances, but overall they are well below average. Eighty boys and girls attend for sessional care and a further 20 for full day care, all between the ages of three and five. The great majority of the children who attend speak English as an additional language and many, about a third, are at early stages of acquisition of the language. The children are from mainly Indian, Pakistani, Asian British and other Asian backgrounds. The main languages spoken in the homes of these children are Punjabi, Urdu and Tamil. The proportion of children with special educational needs is broadly average, but the numbers with statements of their need is higher than average, at about three per cent.

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

Attainment on entry to the school covers a wide range but is well below average overall, particularly in communication, language and literacy and in personal and social development. The head teacher is also head of two other local nurseries that work together to form an Early Years Centre. Substantial building works are planned for the nursery, as part of re-organisation in the borough. Currently there is no Governing body, but there will be one again in the very near future and a chair of governors has already been appointed. At the time of inspection the local education authority was the appropriate authority. The school runs a number of courses for parents as well as a significant number of community outreach projects. It has participated in the Healthy Schools project, has been awarded Investors in People and has twice won a School Achievement Award. It has also taken part, for a number of years, in an early learning research

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GROVE HOUSE NURSERY SCHOOL

project with Worcester University. Grove House Nursery School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

16249 Sheelagh Barnes Lead inspector English as an additional language Communication, language and literacy Personal, social and emotional development Physical development 12672 Edmund Adamus Lay inspector 32168 Ann Keen Team inspector Mathematical development Knowledge and understanding of the world Creative development Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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.ofsted.gov.uk). Grove House Nursery School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY CHILDREN 8

Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very effective school with many excellent features . The leadership of the head teacher is of the highest quality. As a result of her clarity of vision and purpose, all staff work together very effectively to provide a high quality of education for all of the boys and girls in their care. Children’s attainment is well below average when they start, but they achieve very well due to the very good ethos, the very good teaching and the rich and very well planned curriculum. Assessment is excellent and information gained is used extremely well to ensure that each child’s needs are fully considered when planning activities. Links with parents, the wider community and other schools are superb and contribute to the very high levels of achievement attained. The school provides very good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The leadership and management of the school are very good overall and the leadership of the head teacher is inspirational which has a very positive effect on continually driving up standards. • Links with the community and other schools, in particular the two sister schools, are excellent and contribute very effectively to continued staff training and refinement of systems for teaching and learning. • Links with parents are excellent and they are fully involved and enabled to help their children do the best they can. • The quality of teaching is very good. All staff make very good use of information from the highly developed and efficient assessment and monitoring systems the school has, this ensures that the needs of all children are met very effectively in the work that is planned. • Provision for children with special educational needs is excellent and these boys and girls make optimum

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OVERALL EVALUATION

progress and achieve very well as a result. • Information and communication technology (ICT) is used very effectively by staff and children to make learning interesting and exciting. • The accommodation is good overall, and is due for imminent refurbishment. However, at present some parts of the teaching areas are not easy to supervise.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has responded very efficiently to the key issues highlighted by the previous report. All areas identified for improvement have been effectively addressed. In addition, the school has worked to maintain the high quality of provision noted at that time and to develop it still further. As a result, the school has earned the respect of the community and is popular with parents.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is very good . Boys and girls of all abilities and from all ethnic groups make very good progress in all six areas of learning for young children. There is no significant difference between the achievement of boys and girls, because of the careful focus on how well each child is doing. Children start in the nursery with standards which are overall well below those normally attained for their age. This is particularly the case in communication, language and literacy and in personal and social development. Due to the very good teaching they make very good overall gains in their skills and understanding. They are likely to attain the goals they are expected to reach in knowledge and understanding of the world, physical, personal and social, creative and mathematical areas of learning by the end of reception. Most children will also be on line to attain the goals in communication, language and literacy skills. A small proportion of

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

children, despite making very good progress do not reach the expected goals because their attainment when they start is so low. Grove House Nursery School - 7

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Children’s personal development, including their spiritual, moral social and cultural development

is very good . They have very good attitudes to school and to their work. Staff have high expectations of children’s behaviour and they respond positively. As a result, behaviour is good. Staff successfully encourage children to share and to consider the needs of others. Children like coming to school and attendance is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good quality of education for all of the children who attend .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of teaching is very good and all staff work together with a common purpose. Very good care is taken to ensure that the needs of each child are met effectively. Planning is very good and all staff know what they are doing and why. Assessment is excellent and all staff meet daily to discuss how well the children have got on and plan the most appropriate next step for each of them. As a result, lessons match each child’s needs very well. Boys and girls from all groups find lessons challenging and exciting. They take part enthusiastically and concentrate well. Consequently they make very good gains in their learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is very good and staff take good advantage of any opportunities to enrich it further with practical and exciting activities. For example, they link topics effectively to festivals and celebrations and take children on visits to places of interest. Levels of care are good and there is very good involvement of children through seeking and then acting on their views. The system for the provision of guidance and support of pupils is very good. The links that the school has developed with parents, the community and other schools are exceptionally good. Parents and guardians are positively encouraged to come into school and learn how their children learn and how to help them to get on as well as they can. The support for parents of boys and girls from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language enables these children to confidently take a full part in all activities and achieve in line with their peers.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good overall . The leadership of the head teacher is excellent and all staff give their best and work to a common purpose as a result. The head teacher has exceptional determination, commitment to the highest standards for the children in her care and clarity of vision. This, combined with the ability to inspire her staff, has led to the formation of a very effective and committed team with high levels of self-esteem and a strong belief in the importance of critical self- evaluation. The local education authority is currently acting as the appropriate body for the school and governance is good. A new governing body is being developed and training for new governors is planned. Statutory requirements are met and preparation for financial delegation is underway.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and children have very positive views of the school and are very supportive of its work. The responses of the parents’ questionnaire and the views expressed by parents before and during inspection Grove House Nursery School - 8 were very positive. Many parents regularly help in the nursery or take part in courses it runs. Children enjoy school and learn to work hard.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

This is a very effective school which has no weaknesses. There are no main points for improvement because the school already successfully identifies ways of raising standards and so ensures that all children are achieving their best. A few very minor points are mentioned in the main report. Grove House Nursery School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning

Achievement is very good. Children of all abilities and from all groups make very good progress in all six areas of learning and the majority are likely to attain all of the goals for nursery children before they transfer the next stage in their education. There is no significant difference between the achievement of boys and girls.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children start school with standards in communication language and literacy, personal and social and mathematical development which are well below those expected for their age. On entry standards in physical development, creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world are below those expected for their age. Boys and girls from all groups, including those from minority ethnic groups, and those with special educational needs or English as an additional language make very good overall gains in their learning as a result of the very well planned teaching. • Children all make very good overall progress towards the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception.

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Commentary

1. Children start in the nursery with standards which are overall well below those normally attained for their age. This is particularly the case in language development and in personal and social development. Due to the very good teaching, which is very well matched to the needs of each child, they make very good overall gains in their skills and understanding in all parts of the curriculum. The high quality of education noted at the time of the previous inspection has been effectively maintained. Children are given good opportunities to learn to use computers to help them in their learning in other areas of the curriculum, such as counting and drawing. Counting activities and those which develop their concept of mathematical vocabulary form a regular part of daily school life. Appropriate emphasis is given to teaching children about the beliefs and religious practices of the wider community

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Commentary

and children make good gains in their understanding, as a result.

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Commentary

2. The school works hard to support all children and places a particular focus on teaching children to work alongside each other, to become independent and to develop a wider vocabulary and skills and confidence in talking. Children from minority ethnic groups and those with English as an additional language are enabled to develop confidence and self-esteem. Staff have the same very high expectations of these children as all others who attend, due to the very good leadership and management and the consequent very good quality of teaching and learning.

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Commentary

3. The detail and care with which activities are planned matched all children’s needs very well, including those with special educational needs. As a result children from all groups make very good progress. They are likely to attain the goals they are expected to reach in knowledge and understanding of the world, physical, personal and social, creative and mathematical areas of learning by the end of their nursery education. Most children will also be in line to attain the goals in communication, language and literacy skills. Grove House Nursery School - 10 Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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Commentary

Children have very good attitudes to school. Behaviour and attendance is good. The high standards noted at the time of the previous inspection have been effectively maintained.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • Children have very good attitudes to the activities in the nursery and behave well. • The school stimulates a desire to learn in children and attendance is good. • The school effectively promotes racial harmony.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

4. Children from all groups come into the nursery happily and generally they settle down quickly. Parents are very aware of the importance of this and arrive on time. On occasions when children have to be taken out of the nursery due to family circumstances, they are given a booklet so parents can help them continue their education whilst absent.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

5. The relationships that children in the nursery form with the staff are very good. Staff have high expectations of children’s behaviour and work hard to manage inappropriate behaviour. Consequently, children generally behave well and are on course to attain the goals expected of nursery children, in personal, social and emotional development, by the time they transfer to their next schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

6. Racial harmony is promoted well throughout the nursery; a variety of cultures and traditions are embraced. Overall, the school provides children with a very good social, moral, cultural and spiritual education which prepares them well for life in a diverse multi-cultural society. They are being taught how to behave and learning what is acceptable and what is not. They are introduced to the beliefs and values of those who follow different traditions. Music and art are used particularly well to give an insight of a variety of traditions, for example, learning to use African drums or learning about an Indian wedding.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

7. Staff effectively build the children’s self-esteem and confidence by treating them with respect. All of the adults in the nursery place high emphasis on listening to children and acting on the views and opinions they express. For example, they have consulted them about some of the features of the renovations, such as the lay out of the washroom areas. As a result, the children learn that their opinions are respected and valued.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

8. Staff provide interesting and stimulating activities so children are keen to learn. By using games, they ensure that the children want to participate in the activities and learn whilst involved in enjoyable experiences. Staff are often very animated in their approach and use humour to interest the children. Consequently, the children learn that being at school is an enjoyable experience.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.4 School data : 0

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

9. Attendance is good and the school takes effective steps to promote it, for example by checking the reasons for absence. Grove House Nursery School - 12 QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

The quality of education that the school provides for the children who attend is very good. Activities are planned that are interesting and exciting and build very effectively on what children have already learnt.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

The quality of teaching is very good and all staff work together with a common purpose. As a result, children of all levels of prior attainment make very good gains in their learning. This is an improvement since the previous inspection, when teaching was judged to be good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All staff place appropriately high emphasis on the development of language and mathematical skills as well personal as social development. • Assessment is excellent and is used very effectively to plan work that matches children’s needs and which challenges them in their learning. • Boys and girls with special educational needs, those from minority ethnic groups and those with English as an additional language are monitored very carefully and dual language teaching is used when appropriate to ensure they all make good gains in their learning. • Activities are planned with the specific needs of each child in mind, including higher attaining children, in order to help make the next step in their learning. • Staff monitor the activities they are supervising effectively, and keep a careful eye on the activities of those around them, but staff absence for example, and visiting volunteer help can result in some areas

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Main strengths and weaknesses

having less rigorous supervision at times.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in eighteen lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 9 8 1 0 0 0 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

10. Assessment is excellent, as a result of the focus placed upon it by the leadership of the school and all staff are very thorough in tracking the progress all children make and identifying the next step in their learning. As a result, children from all groups are given very good opportunities to take part in a range of interesting and exciting experiences that provide them with very good opportunities to learn. Staff make very good use of cameras, as well as notes, to record what children have achieved. Assessment of children with English as an additional language is linked to the stepping stones for young children’s attainment. All staff meet daily to discuss how well the children have got on and plan the most appropriate next step for each of them. At these daily “feedback” meetings staff share their observations and tailor plans even more tightly to the developing needs of each child. As a result,

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Commentary

activities match all the children’s needs very well and staff are able to have a very consistent approach to each child. Boys and girls of all levels of ability and from all groups find lessons challenging and exciting and consequently they take part with enthusiasm and make good gains in their learning.

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Commentary

11. Very good care is taken to ensure that the needs of each child are met effectively. Teaching in all six areas of the curriculum for young children is very good. There is appropriately high emphasis on developing those areas highlighted as being weaker in initial assessments when children enter the school. Activities are laid out in different and exciting ways each day, as well as some familiar activities which Grove House Nursery School - 13 some children love to return time and time again, such as rolling tyres or playing in the home corner. Particular activities are planned which are specific to the needs of individual children, such as music therapy or speech therapy, which are particularly used for children with special educational needs. The groups children go to for story are changed occasionally, in order to target specific needs more accurately. For example, on occasion potentially higher attaining children with greater levels of

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Commentary

concentration are given opportunity to listen to and talk about stories with more complex and challenging themes. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language, higher attaining children and those from minority ethnic groups make very good overall gains in their learning.

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Commentary

12. There is an appropriately high emphasis on the development of good attitudes to work and independence and responsibility, which effectively builds children’s self-esteem. Personal and social development is nurtured very well and all staff have a consistent approach and encourage children to work together. Staff are all also aware of the need to build children’s vocabulary and do this very well through stories, role-play and other activities. Adults model good use of language for the children, including in languages other than English and encourage even the most shy to take part in discussions about the stories they have listened to. For example, one group talked enthusiastically about the food they enjoyed after listening to a story about “Lima’s red hot chilli”.

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Commentary

13. Great care is taken to develop children’s understanding of number through singing rhymes and making counting an integral part of many activities, such as measuring out ingredients when cooking or counting the ringing of bells when talking about giving Puja. Staff take care to teach children to listen for the different sounds in words, but sometimes place to much emphasis on the name of the different letters. They work together well to establish an environment with uniformly high expectations of children in terms of response and concentration. Staff carefully and effectively supervise the activities they are leading and the activities around them. However, the complex lay out of the accommodation in the nursery means that some parts are not conducive to easy supervision. As a result, despite the very good ratio of adults to children, on days when volunteer or new staff are unclear about which areas to

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Commentary

monitor, more forceful children can engage in overly assertive behaviour.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is very good. It is planned very effectively to be exciting and interesting and relevant to the needs of all of the children. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection, when planning was judged to be “thorough in its intentions”.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The nursery provides a very broad curriculum. • Provision for children with special educational needs is excellent. • Children’s personal social and emotional development is very good. • Children have equality of opportunity. • The curriculum is constantly being developed.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

14. The curriculum in the nursery is based on national guidelines and very effectively provides for all six areas of learning. The school ensures that the children receive an interesting and stimulating range of activities suited to their needs. The curriculum is rich and many opportunities are taken to teach children about the varied world around them. For example, the school makes good use of festivals such as Diwali for children to talk about and compare different foods linked to celebrations. Overall, the children achieve very well as a result. Grove House Nursery School - 14 15. The management of the nursery ensure that the curriculum is constantly being developed. Various projects are used to research the work in the school and their findings are used to impact on the children’s learning. For example, staff monitor boys’ writing to ensure they make progress in line with the girls and research how children work together to help them to make the best possible progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

By listening closely to what children say, the staff are able to understand more effectively how children think and how to improve their learning and well-being. The children’s personal, social and emotional development is a high priority. This ensures that the children are happy and confident, ready to settle in their day at nursery.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

A noticeable strength of the nursery is the help given to children with special educational needs.

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The excellent quality of assessment benefits all children, and especially those with particular

educational needs. Staff establish a strong partnership with the parents from the beginning. They visit children in their homes, creating an atmosphere of trust and security even before children start school. Staff use the exceptional system of assessment to make sure that each child is fully understood and helped. Staff jot notes on sticky labels every day when they are working with their small groups. Every day they meet to discuss the children after school and feed that information into the next day’s activities. The head teacher makes sure that the support staff are helped and guided to interpret their observations accurately. Specialists such as music and language therapists are brought in, so that no stone is left unturned to help the children start their education successfully.

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The excellent quality of assessment benefits all children, and especially those with particular

16. The school has sufficient, appropriately qualified teachers. They have a good number of well trained support staff. A particularly strong feature of the school is its emphasis on training. Both teachers and support staff are trained alongside each other on a regular basis. Staff work with specialists to ensure that the children receive the best support possible. For example, all staff are currently receiving training on the use of information and communication technology. This opportunity is also extended to the parents who then help in the classrooms. In the past, parents have been trained so effectively that they have then subsequently obtained employment at the school.

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The excellent quality of assessment benefits all children, and especially those with particular

17. The resources and accommodation are good, meeting the needs of the curriculum. The rooms inside are divided into various sections which enable the school to provide different areas depending on the teaching planned. Unfortunately not all of these areas are conducive to easy supervision at all times as children and staff move about. The area outside is large enough and accessible to the children to allow independent learning. The resources are used well to provide for all areas of the curriculum.

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The excellent quality of assessment benefits all children, and especially those with particular

The care, guidance and support that the school offers to children is very good.

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The excellent quality of assessment benefits all children, and especially those with particular

A strong culture of vigilance exercised by all staff ensures a good learning environment where children feel happy and safe. The all-inclusive ethos of the school is evident in all relationships. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships between pupils and adults are very good sustaining an atmosphere where children feel content and confident • Staff effectively use opportunities to enable pupils to be reflective and thoughtful Grove House Nursery School - 15 • Teachers are systematic in the way they track pupils’ progress and thorough in supporting special educational needs • Very good procedures for induction ensure that pupils become fully integrated into the life of the school in the shortest possible time

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Commentary

18. All staff and helpers adopt an open style of leading pupils into greater self-understanding and esteem. Adults do not raise their voices to children in any instance. Aside from minor isolated incidents of challenging behaviour, the staff succeed in providing children with space to interact with each other that is animated but orderly. At various points in the timetable, teachers lead pupils in “philosophy” sessions where they are encouraged to reflect on relationships, how to encourage and show appreciation for other cultures and beliefs. In one lesson pupils were invited to eat and share samples of food which had been prepared by children in school to mark the celebration of the festival Diwali. Staff are conscientious in noting the ongoing progress and needs of individual pupils during activities. This information feeds into a daily staff meeting at the end of the school day in order to shape the

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Commentary

immediate and long term implementation of the curriculum.

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Commentary

19. The school has high standards of induction, for example, visits which are carried out by two members of staff to the home of each prospective pupil. This extends the pastoral care of the school for families, instils confidence in parents, particularly those from ethnic minorities, and enables children to be well prepared for beginning at nursery. Overall the care support and guidance of pupils provides a balanced and rounded foundation for them and succeeds in helping them to develop happily.

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Commentary

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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Commentary

Parents and the local community have the highest regard for the school as a result of the hard and committed work of all staff. The links with other schools, colleges and the community are exceptionally good and have a direct impact on the quality of education provided. The high standards noted at the time of the previous inspection have been improved still further.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents highly approve of the level of care that goes in to children’s education. • Parents are fully involved in the education of their children. In particular parents from minority ethnic groups are given very good support. • Creative and innovative ways for engaging with the community clearly relate to the central purpose of the school. • Very good links with other schools ensure continuity when children leave the nursery. • Inspirational leadership succeeds in securing all potential benefits from shared and linked provision with other schools, especially the two sister schools.

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Commentary

20. Parents are very supportive of the school with a considerable number responding generously to appeals for help. Parents are very positive about the caring atmosphere in the school. A regular newsletter is sent home providing up to date information on scheduled events and issues. Parents are very confident in approaching the head teacher and staff about issues, and these are dealt with in a professional and caring manner. Grove House Nursery School - 16 21. The leadership of the school ensures a very close partnership with parents is maintained through curriculum plans, meetings and parents’ evenings, starting with the initial home visit before the children start school. A significant number of parents commented on how they are made to feel part of their child’s progress. For example, practical help is offered to parents to help them involve children in household chores in an educational way. There are “Keeping up with Children” classes which show

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Commentary

parents how to recognise what stage of learning their child is at and how best to supplement learning in school with parental instruction at home.

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Commentary

22. Regular volunteers offer their skills to enrich the life of the school throughout the year. One particular initiative offers support for any male helpers who come to the school so as to provide positive male role models for the children. Parents and members of the community who attend various skills courses within the Southall Early Years Education Centre continue to bring whatever support they can to lessons and other activities. This includes parents who benefit from the English language classes held in the school itself, national vocational qualification (NVQ) childcare classes and those who attend the ten week computer training workshops, which are organised in partnership with the City Learning Centre. The school is very effective in its efforts to support parents in being the “first” teachers of their children. It achieves this by being acutely aware of the social and economic needs of

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Commentary

the locality and by supplying practical support such as toy and games libraries. The Government funded “Wraparound Project” for working families illustrates this, has a positive effect on standards and has merited a public profile which is well deserved.

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Commentary

23. Links with other schools and institutions are of an exceptional quality, in particular with the continuing success of the partnerships created by the Southall Early Years Education Centre under the supervision of the head teacher. The Centre has received awards from the Department for Education and Skills for two consecutive years and ongoing research for this project is being carried out by Worcester University. The Centre is currently awaiting the outcome of an entry bid for “Sure Start Partners in Excellence Awards.”

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Commentary

The leadership and management of the school are very good overall. The leadership of the head teacher is inspirational. The local education authority is currently the appropriate authority and it effectively ensures that all requirements are met. The high quality of education noted by the previous inspection has been improved still further. The school is currently involved in on-going research through the Effective Early Learning project supported by Worcester University.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a clear philosophy and vision for excellence on the part of the head teacher which inspires all staff. • There is regular and rigorous monitoring and accurate evaluation of all aspects of school life. • Very clear, obtainable targets are set for development which are made very explicit to all so that all are working towards common aims. • Training is very effectively matched to the needs of the staff and the school and has a positive effect on standards. • Financial control is efficient and the school administration is smooth and effective. Grove House Nursery School - 17 Commentary

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Main strengths and weaknesses

24. The head teacher is a superbly effective leader and has very high aspirations for the quality of education provided to all children by the school. She is fully committed to the promotion of equality and establishing a very positive climate for learning for children, staff and parents alike. She has a very clear vision for the development of the school and the Early Years Centre as a whole which she shares very effectively with all staff and adults who work or help in the nursery. As a result, everyone knows what they are doing and why. They also know what needs to be done to improve provision still further. The school is committed to improvement through well targeted and appropriate training. It extends this commitment to providing opportunity for parents to also develop their skills and confidence and also to obtain recognised national qualifications. This results in a conformity of practice at school linking effectively with home, which provides security for the children as well as

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Main strengths and weaknesses

challenge and excitement and this has a very positive effect on the standards they achieve. It has also led to the continued significant improvements made in many aspects of school life since the previous inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

25. The regular and rigorous monitoring of all aspects of school life extends to also monitoring provision for all boys and girls, including those with special educational needs, children from minority ethnic groups, higher attaining children, and those with English as an additional language, in all six areas of learning. There are clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the school and effective lines of communication. The leadership of provision for minority ethnic children and children with English as an additional language is very good and that for children with special educational needs is excellent.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

26. Financial control is good and all of the recommendations of the most recent financial audit have been fully implemented. The school does not yet have a fully delegated budget, but this is imminent. Approaches to financial management are efficient and the principles of best value are firmly applied. At present the local education authority is acting as the relevant authority, while a new governing body is being established as a result of recently devolved powers to nursery schools, in line with other schools nationally. It effectively ensures that all requirements are fully met. Training for the new governors has been planned to provide them with the skills and confidence to shape the direction of the school and to challenge and support senior management.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

27. Day-to-day administration is efficient and welcoming. The ethos of the nursery is reflected in the welcome extended to all parents and visitors. This friendly and welcoming manner establishes the relaxed yet highly professional approach of all staff and this contributes very effectively to the excellent relationships with parents and guardians and the success of the school as a whole.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

(As the school does not yet have a fully delegated budget the table has been omitted.) Grove House Nursery School - 18

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for all children who attend the nursery is very well planned and organised in all six areas of learning. It provides a very sound base for them to start to become effective and confident learners. The high quality of education noted at the time of the previous inspection has been effectively maintained and developed.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children learn to develop confidence in approaching adults and other children and initiating simple conversations. • Children are encouraged to learn to look after their own basic needs such as fetching and putting on coats and washing their hands. • Paired activities are promoted effectively to help children to learn from each other. • The school places strong emphasis on the development and celebration of children’s individual identity. • Careful use is made of role models to give examples of equality of access to boys and girls in all activities.

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Commentary

28. All of the adults in the nursery work in a consistent manner to develop the children’s skills and confidence and the quality of teaching and learning are good. On entry to school many children find taking turns and working together difficult. Staff are aware that many children have not had to share toys or adult attention and this is handled sensitively and effectively at all times. They help the children to learn to take turns with games and other activities and to listen to others and work collaboratively. The well planned and exciting activities and the uniform manner of all staff helps to ensure that children from all groups, including minority ethnic groups and children with English as an additional language or those with special educational needs, learn to feel valued and to develop their confidence and self- esteem.

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Commentary

29. Initially many of the youngest children stay on the edges of activities, watching with interest or occupying themselves quietly with the many carefully chosen toys and games. All staff allow them this chance to assimilate the routines, keeping a watchful eye, so that they can swiftly intervene if needed. Adults in the nursery all place appropriately high emphasis on reinforcing the need to learn to take turns in conversation or in play, and step in quickly and calmly to halt any inappropriate or selfish behaviour. Children soon develop confidence and know that their views are important and so develop an open and friendly manner.

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Commentary

30. Good emphasis is placed on developing children’s confidence and skills working in pairs on a range of activities. There is also a very positive building of role models, such as when fathers, grandfathers and other men come into school to cook, play instruments and work with the children. Many exciting activities are planned and adults all encourage children to be as independent as possible in catering for Grove House Nursery School - 19 their own needs, such as washing their hands before cooking or after using the toilet and learning to put on their coats before going outside. Very good attention is given to learn about festivals and beliefs and this has a very positive impact on children learning to respect the customs of others. For example, children playing in the “Mandir” were shown how to take their shoes off before entering, which prepared them well for the visit later in the week, as part of the work on Diwali.

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Commentary

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• On entry to school many children have a very limited vocabulary of words in English. Many show little interest or involvement in writing, but due to the encouragement of staff they make very good progress. • Good use is made of children’s home languages to help them to understand and to develop their language skills still further. • All staff work to make activities interesting and exciting, particularly making tasks such as writing attractive to boys. • There is appropriately high emphasis on learning songs and rhymes to develop language and learning to hold a pencil or crayon to draw and make marks. • Especial care is taken to listen to children and record what they say.

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Commentary

31. The very good quality of teaching of this aspect of the curriculum, combined with very effective planning to meet the needs of boys and girls from all groups, results in children making very good gains in their learning and achieving very well. The majority of the children are on course to meet the expectations of children at the end of their time in the nursery.

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Commentary

32. Staff make the most of all opportunities to make writing interesting to all children and particularly boys. For example, they tape lengths of paper to the playground amongst the climbing and adventurous activities and put pens and crayons nearby so that children can practise making marks in between taking part in more strenuous activities. Children are encouraged to hold pencils and crayons correctly and staff note carefully the stages they achieve, as part of the monitoring of their progress, in order to build in greater challenge in future activities.

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Commentary

33. There is a good emphasis on teaching children to recognise the sounds at the start and end of words, including using computer programs to make this interesting and exciting. On occasion, though, too much emphasis is placed on trying to teach the name of the letter, contrary to the school’s policy. There is a very positive commitment to the development of language and vocabulary and all staff ensure there are very many well planned opportunities for children to talk and listen throughout the day. They model good examples of language and encourage even the shyest children to talk about what they are doing and why. Very good use is made of using the languages children speak at home to give them confidence and support in learning to use English.

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Commentary

34. Children are given very good opportunities to learn to enjoy books. There are many quiet times when they are encouraged to look at story books and turn the pages. Some children take the opportunity to look at books during free choice sessions, or while waiting for story time. They are also Grove House Nursery School - 20 encouraged in their love of nursery rhymes and songs, taking up the laminated sheets and pointing at them as they sing well loved songs such as “Twinkle, twinkle little star”.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff are very good at teaching children about numbers. • Staff use appropriate methods to teach skills. • Assessment is excellent. • Teaching is very good and children make very good gains in their learning as a result.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

35. Very good teaching, based on a very well-planned range of activities ensures that the children achieve very well in this area of learning. Children are likely to progress very well along the “stepping stones” towards the early learning goals. This means that they are likely to leave the nursery at the level that would be expected for their age. Staff base their teaching on very detailed knowledge of the children’s capabilities. They discuss the children’s progress on a daily basis and consequently plan the children’s learning to cater for their individual needs. Those children who have special educational needs are also provided with teaching focused specifically on their needs. Staff are particularly good at recording the children's progress which means they keep track of how well the children are doing. Staff teach specific skills through focused groups. They also provide independent learning for the

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

children ensuring that the methods used are appropriate for the age group. Children's interest is stimulated by involving them in practical activities such as looking for numbers outside in the play area. Children learn to count very successfully and staff provide a range of activities to help them succeed. As a result children can recognise numbers and some of the children are learning to write numbers accurately.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

36. Children are learning to use numbers in context, like counting spoonfuls of flour when cooking. By the time they leave the nursery children are learning to put numbers in order. The children are learning number songs, such as ‘Ten Fat Sausages’, which helps them to understand numbers naturally and enjoyably. Children’s language is supported well throughout the nursery, which results in them developing a growing awareness of mathematical vocabulary. Although the many of the children speak English as an addition language, staff use very specific mathematical language so the children “pick up” specific words and phrases such as, “more”, “take away” and “lots of”. By playing with different-sized containers in the water, the children learn about size and volume, for example. Children enjoy using the computers to develop their mathematical skills; they are available as a tool for learning and the children are very well supported by adults in using them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Grove House Nursery School - 21 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Information and communication technology is used very well with the children. • Children are learning about a range of cultures and beliefs. • Children experience a wide range of activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

37. The quality of teaching and learning is very good in this area of learning. Children are given a wide variety of activities, such as using shadow puppets experimenting with magnifying glasses and cooking. Consequently the children’s experiences are being extended and those children for whom English is an additional language are helped to develop their vocabulary naturally and through practical activities. The children’s ideas are extended by providing unusual experiences such as having red and blue spaghetti to play with. Children are encouraged to use their senses like feeling different substances and materials, blowing bubbles and smelling vegetables.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

38. Children are learning to explore and investigate successfully. They search for “treasure” in the play area which gives them opportunities to discuss the soil and various things they find outside. Children have regular opportunities to play in sand and water so they learn about the different properties of materials. The children have a good range of construction toys, which are used effectively to initiate their own learning. The large building blocks were very popular during the inspection, many children created interesting and adventurous constructions.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

39. Children with special educational needs are supported very effectively through their individual education plans. Children are given good opportunities to experience a range of materials that they use purposefully to shape, such as using clay to make divas. The school’s focus on information and communication technology is a strength of the school. Staff and parents alike are trained well to help children use the computers. Observations are used on a daily basis to assess the children's progress and to move them forward in their development. Children have opportunities to listen to tapes and are becoming adept at operating the recorders themselves.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

40. Good attention is drawn to a variety of cultures and beliefs. The festival of Diwali was used very well during the inspection to support children’s cultural and religious development. Children were well prepared for their visit to the Mandhir and understood the customs involved. Many children are likely to progress very well along the “stepping stones” towards the early learning goals in this area of learning. As a consequence, they are likely to leave the nursery at the level that would be expected for their age.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Children are given a wide range of opportunities to develop physical skills and confidence. Grove House Nursery School - 22 • Staff make good use of the outdoor area, setting apparatus up in exciting and different ways each day.

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Commentary

41. Teaching in this area of the curriculum is very good. All staff plan a wide range of different and exciting activities for boys and girls to develop their physical skills and confidence. For example, there are many different activities each day designed to help children to learn to hold tools, and manipulate a range of materials. These range from working with their hands to use dough, clay, paste or spaghetti, using pencils, scissors and simple tools, playing with construction toys or tapping out simple rhythms with drums. All these activities make a very positive contribution to the development of skills of co- ordination, including hand and eye co-ordination and early pre-reading and writing skills.

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Commentary

42. Opportunities are given in-doors for children to move to music, sometimes using coloured streamers, learning to balance and turn, increasing their agility and suppleness. There are many different and interesting outdoor activities to give children an opportunity to work energetically rolling tyres, climbing, balancing, riding tricycles or running around obstacle courses placed out for them. This results in them building strength and agility effectively, as well as learning to work together developing self-confidence and esteem. There is suitable opportunity for children to use large apparatus and, as a result, learn to climb and hang from their arms to develop their upper body, for instance. Children are likely to progress very well along the “stepping stones” towards the early learning goals. This means that they are likely to leave the nursery at the level that would be expected for their age.

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Commentary

Provision for creative development is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children use their senses to learn very well. • Children are given a wide range of experiences and use a good range of materials. There are very good opportunities to listen to and join in with music from a range of cultures. • Opportunities are planned that are exciting and interesting and which encourage children to take part in new activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

43. Overall, the teaching and learning in the nursery in the area of creative development is very good. Children’s development is promoted through a wide range of experiences, which includes art, music, dance, developing the senses, using their imagination and listening and discussing stories. Most children are likely to progress very well along the “stepping stones” towards the early learning goals for creative development. As a result, they are likely to leave the nursery at the level that would be expected for their age.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

44. Children enjoy a wide range of experiences allowing them to develop their imagination through using construction toys, role-play and “small world” play. Children enthusiastically pretend to be lions or act out the story of “We’re Going On a Lion Hunt”. Stories are used successfully to help the children to expand their imagination and express their thoughts. Children with English as an additional language are supported in their language development through listening to stories in their home language. The children are learning songs and rhymes, sometimes related to special events like, “Diwali Is Here Again”. Grove House Nursery School - 23 45. Children move imaginatively pretending to be frogs or dancing with ribbons. The children in the nursery enjoy painting and creating their own pictures. Throughout the nursery the children have many opportunities to explore different materials, textures and colours. The fabrics in the

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

Mandhir were provided to create a sensory experience to feel the different textures of materials. Materials such as play dough are provided so that children can create shape and form, during the inspection children made imaginative divas, covered in glitter. Grove House Nursery School - 24

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The overall effectiveness of the school 2

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 2

The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 1 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3

p.24

The quality of education provided by the school 2

Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 2

How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 1 The quality of the school’s links with the community 1 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 1

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The leadership and management of the school 2

The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 1 Grove House Nursery School - 25 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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The leadership and management of the school 2

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

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