Caversham Nursery School

CAVERSHAM NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th – 29 th September 2004

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CAVERSHAM NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Caversham Nursery - 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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CAVERSHAM 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. Caversham Nursery - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery School category: Maintained Age range of pupils: 3-5 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 67

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 82 Gosbrook Road Caversham Reading Berkshire Postcode: RG4 8BH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0118 901 5429 Fax number: 0118 901 5429

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs. Amanda Martin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th July 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Caversham is a small nursery school that caters for the children in the Reading area. When they join the school the children are of generally below average ability, and come from households that are, overall, socially disadvantaged. There is a small proportion of pupils who are learning English as an additional language, and these children are from a range of ethnic backgrounds. There are very few children who leave and join the nursery other than at the normal time, and very few have been identified as having special educational needs. The school has just been awarded a kite mark in recognition of its high standards in caring for children. At the time of the inspection the school was being led and managed by an acting headteacher in the temporary absence of the headteacher. Caversham Nursery - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23288 Marianne Harris Lead inspector English as an additional language Personal, social and emotional development Mathematical development Knowledge and understanding of the world 9837 Roy Walsh Lay inspector 14997 Val Emery Team inspector Special educational needs Communication, language and literacy Physical development Creative development

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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). Caversham Nursery - 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

Caversham is a good school with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. It is well led and managed by an effective staff team and supportive governors. Teaching and learning are good and staff fully appreciate the needs of young children. The children enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• All children achieve well because staff ensure that they are fully included in tasks and activities. • Good leadership and management result in a staff team that works effectively together. • There is very good provision for children’s personal developments and this means that children behave well, form very good relationships and are eager to learn. • Teaching and learning are good, and all children are welcomed into the nursery. • The very effective links with parent’s means that children settle into nursery quickly and parents are supported in helping their children learn at home. • Children do not make as much progress in their mathematical development as they do in all the other areas of learning.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been good improvement since the last inspection in 1999. The issues that were identified at that time have been tackled very effectively. Children have access to good quality wheeled toys and have appropriate activities to develop their communication, language and literacy skills. The strengths in leadership and management, and in the partnership with parents, have been maintained successfully, and the school has continued to look for ways to improve.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

When children join the nursery they have skills and knowledge that are, overall, below average. A high proportion of children are not used to being with other children and take time to develop their social skills. The school now has a higher number of children who are at an early stage of learning English than they have had in the past. The children generally spend four or five terms in the nursery and inspectors judge how much progress they make during their time in the school. By the time they leave Caversham, children have made good progress in most areas of learning. They reach standards that are expected for their age, and most are likely to reach the expected goals for children’s learning by the end of the Foundation Stage. They make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development and achieve very well because all staff understand the needs of young children. However, they only make satisfactory

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

progress, and standards remain below average, in their mathematical development because there is not enough emphasis placed on some elements of this area of learning. For example, the older children are not taught the skills needed to work out simple addition and subtraction sums. Children who are learning English as an additional language, and those with special educational needs, are given good support so that they can make good progress during the time they spend in the nursery. Overall, children’s achievement is good . Caversham Nursery - 7 Children’s personal qualities are very good . The school makes very good provision for children’s personal development, and this means that children behave well and form very good relationships with others. They are keen to take part in all of the activities provided and there is no aimless wandering about because children are interested in what is being offered.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is good and they begin to learn about belonging to a wider community with many faiths, beliefs and customs. There is no national attendance data for nursery schools, so comparisons with other schools cannot be made. However, children usually arrive at school on time, attendance is satisfactory, and the school is beginning to follow up on any absences.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good . Teaching and learning are good , and assessment is satisfactory. All staff make sure that all children are fully included in the activities offered. The curriculum is broad and covers all areas of learning. Activities and tasks are relevant to the needs and interests of young children and learning is fun. All of the accommodation is used effectively and resources are good. The staff take good care of the children, helping them to get used to school routines. Very good links with parents means that they can help their children at home and are welcomed into school to help settle their children in and help with activities in any way they can.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The acting headteacher, in the temporary absence of the headteacher, has continued to emphasise the importance of teamwork and this has resulted in children continuing to make good progress overall. Governors support the school well. The responsibilities of a governing body are relatively new to the school, but governors have received training and are doing a satisfactory job. All staff work well together and ensure that all children receive appropriate support, and all statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND CHILDREN’S VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents express very favourable views of the work of the nursery. They are confident that it is doing a good job. They are happy with what their children are learning and know that they are welcome to come in at any time. They particularly appreciate the keyworker system, where their child is allocated a special adult in the nursery who will get to know them really well. Parents know that they can talk to this adult about any worries and will be told how their child is getting on. The children are very happy to be in school and are very keen to have a go at all of the activities offered.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important thing the school should do to improve is:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Provide children with opportunities to develop more advanced mathematical skills. Caversham Nursery - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning

All children achieve well, whatever their ability. Standards are average, except in mathematical development where they remain below average. All children achieve very well in their personal, social and emotional development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All children achieve well overall because they are taught well. • Children make very good progress in their personal development. • Children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress. • Children do not achieve as well in their mathematical development as they do in other areas of learning.

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Commentary

1. When they join the nursery, the children generally have skills and knowledge that are below those expected for children aged three. By the time they leave to go on to primary school, most are on course to reach the expected goals for children’s learning at the end of the Foundation Stage. This means that all children make good progress during their time in the nursery and achieve well. This judgement was supported by the standards seen during the inspection. All staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and this has a significant impact on the progress they make whilst in the nursery.

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Commentary

2. Most children will exceed the expected goals in their personal, social and emotional development, because they are encouraged to be confident, curious and excited about learning. They settle happily into school and quickly make friends. Staff make careful observations of what new children need in order to be able to settle effectively and know what resources to provide so that children can follow their preferred routines.

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Commentary

3. Children with special educational needs, and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress because they are well supported in school. The needs of all children are quickly assessed and effective support given so that they can be included in all activities.

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Commentary

4. Children do not make the same good progress in their mathematical development as they do in all other areas of learning. The activities and tasks provided do not ensure that the older children have enough opportunities to explore simple addition and subtraction problems.

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Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Children’s personal development is very good. They come to the nursery eagerly, with very positive attitudes towards the learning activities provided and their behaviour is good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Caversham Nursery - 9 Main strengths and weaknesses

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Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• Children’s eagerly participate in all activities. • The relationships in the nursery are very good, which promotes effective learning. • Children are offered a wide variety of experiences from different cultures. Caversham Nursery - 10 Commentary

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Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

5. Children’s very good personal development is carefully nurtured by all staff as they expect and set very good examples of desirable conduct and courtesy. The children enjoy being at Caversham Nursery and develop both confidence and self-esteem. They are willing and often eager to talk about the activities in which they are engaged. The school effectively meets their learning needs and includes all children. Children who are learning English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties are supported very well and encouraged to do things for themselves. All children take part in activities with gusto, work hard and take great pride in their achievements.

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Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

6. Behaviour throughout the school is good. All adults cultivate attitudes of mutual respect and care for others. They share a consistent application of strategies for helping children to understand right from wrong and understand the clear boundaries for behaviour. Incidents of over-boisterous or poor behaviour are dealt with firmly and sensitively with explanations of how it affects others. Older children, with guidance, discuss and develop the school rules, which they illustrate and display at points around the school. The relationships that are formed between adults and children are very good.

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Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

7. Children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is good. Children frequently experience spirituality through activities in which learning successfully feeds their sense of awe and wonder. For instance when studying spiders they were amazed at the intricacies of the webs they made to trap their prey. Children are encouraged to take responsibility and to recognise the consequences of their own and others’ actions by, for example knowing that they have to take turns and that some children may need help to accomplish activities. This helps them to understand right from wrong and improve both their moral and social development. They grow in understanding of their own and other cultures through stories and the celebration of important festivals such as the Chinese New Year. Parents from different cultures and faiths are invited to talk to the children about their values and beliefs. This successfully prepares the children to live and develop in a multi-

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Children’s attitudes, values and other personal qualities

8. There are no national comparisons for attendance rates in nursery schools. However, children attend regularly. The school’s systems for recording, monitoring and promoting attendance are satisfactory. Punctuality is satisfactory.

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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 and the curriculum is broad and relevant to the needs of young children. The children are well cared for and the very effective links with parents mean that children settle into school happily.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall. Staff are all knowledgeable about how young children learn and encourage them to make good progress. Assessment is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff make sure that all children are fully included in all activities. Caversham Nursery - 11 • Resources and the outside areas are used well so that children are interested and keen to learn. • Sessions with designated key workers are not planned in sufficient depth and opportunities are missed to extend learning.

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Commentary

9. Good teaching in the nursery ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, achieve well in acquiring their early skills. This is because a good number of other adults are used well to support small groups and individual children. This results in the children learning good basic skills in their language development, and in them learning how to get on with each other.

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Commentary

10. The accommodation and resources are good and the teachers take full advantage of this. Every day a range of different activities is planned which interest and excite children. This helps them to stay on task and not wander from activity to activity. For example, one day the painting area was used for printing with fruit and vegetables and the next day children were painting spiders and spiders’ webs. Children play regularly with water, but the focus changes, for example, by the addition of colour or corn flour, to add texture and develop the language of what it feels like. Water play toys are changed to add a creative aspect to water play.

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Commentary

11. The outside areas are used particularly well for outdoor learning. A whole range of activities, covering all areas of learning, are provided, resulting in children being enthusiastic about going outside to learn. Mathematical games using number tiles and writing and painting areas are provided, together with access to a very good range of wheeled vehicles, two climbing frames, a large sandpit and water play. Creative play was focussed around a ‘hat shop’ which was well resourced with a variety of hats, money and a mirror. Children created their own stories and situations and as a result, learned well.

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Commentary

12. Although the planning of activities and their resourcing are generally good, there is a weakness in the planning for the time that children spend with their designated key worker at the end of sessions. These plans are minimal and do not always show what children will learn, or how they can be encouraged to make good progress.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 sessions

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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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The curriculum

Caversham Nursery - 12 The curriculum is broad and balanced with practical activities that are relevant to young children. There are satisfactory opportunities for children to learn beyond lessons. Accommodation is used well and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development is very good. • There is good provision for children with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language. • The high number of adults in lessons means that many practical and interesting activities are well supported.

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Commentary

13. The curriculum covers all areas of learning and is based on practical and relevant activities that interest young children and make learning fun. Longer term planning is based on a book theme such as ‘The enormous water melon’, which was the focus during the inspection week. A team approach to this planning, which involves all the staff, means that everyone works together well in helping young children to learn. Visits and visitors are planned well to link with the current theme or to add extra interest to the curriculum. Visits to the post office, pet shop or vets have been included. Musical groups have visited the nursery and the children have watched workmen erecting guttering and laying tarmac, all of which adds to the curriculum. This results in children increasing their knowledge of the world around them.

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Commentary

14. Provision for children’s personal and social development is very good and this means that children behave well and form very good relationships. Although the inspection took place early in the school year and some children were just 3 years old, most were happy to settle to the wide range of activities offered. Even those who were not so confident were distracted by the good resourcing and settled happily. By putting on dressing up clothes, for example, a child was able to settle quickly into his chosen activity and became happy and confident.

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Commentary

15. A significant proportion of children are at the early stages of learning English. Very good support from a range of adults means that they can access activities and be fully included. Staff use many pictures and dual language books and because of this good support, children are able to concentrate and learn well. Children with special educational needs are also well supported because staff are deployed very well to help them to access all activities. One child was being helped to move the mouse on the computer confidently so that she could join in the same program that other children were using.

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Commentary

16. The accommodation is spacious for the number of children and includes a well-resourced outside area. All areas are used well and children have regular access to the outside area for learning. This results in all areas of learning being covered well. Because of the imaginative use of good resources, children enjoy exciting and interesting practical activities and they learn well.

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Care, guidance and support

Caversham Nursery - 13 The school provides good care and welfare for its children. Staff listen carefully to the children’s ideas and support their learning well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The care and welfare of all the children are priorities for the school. • All staff develop very good and trusting relationships with the children and their parents and carers. • Induction arrangements are very good and children of all abilities settle quickly and happily into school routines.

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Commentary

17. All pastoral care procedures show a commitment to ensuring that all children are valued and develop as independent learners in a safe and healthy environment. There is a high level of competent supervision at all times and children are taught to care for themselves and learn about personal hygiene, such as washing their hands and eating healthy foods.

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Commentary

18. Parents very much appreciate the care taken to prepare children for entry to the nursery. From the beginning of a child’s association with the school, very good and trusting relationships are developed with the children, their parents and carers. A key worker is allocated to each child, and this enables them to feel safe and secure. Many children transfer into the nursery from the pre-school toddler group, which ensures that they settle into the routines and surroundings very quickly. Information about each child’s progress is sent to and discussed with parents every term. Targets for future development are included so that parents are encouraged to provide help with the learning process at home.

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Commentary

19. All staff are well trained and qualified to ensure that children’s interests and welfare are safeguarded. Staff know individual children very well and those caring for children with special educational needs have additional training to enable them to be effective. Child protection procedures are good and update training for all staff is planned for the near future.

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Commentary

20. Children’s views and preferences about the activities they take part in are listened to, ensuring that they all obtain the most benefit from the learning experiences provided. The older children have been actively involved in discussing and suggesting appropriate school rules.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership between school and parents and carers is very good. Links with other schools and the community are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in high regard and the links provided ensure close co-operation. Caversham Nursery - 14 • Parents are encouraged to become involved in their children’s learning and a number take part regularly in school activities. • The toddler group provided by the school ensures very good preparation for children’s entry into the nursery.

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Commentary

21. Parents and carers are very pleased with the standard of education and care that their children receive. They unanimously agree that teaching, the progress their children make, the arrangements for settling in, and the way their children are treated are good. They have high confidence in the work of the school and in the acting headteacher and staff.

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Commentary

22. The detailed termly reports inform parents and carers of the progress their children are making and are easily understandable. They also provide targets for future development. The prospectus is good and provides all the relevant information presented in a very clear way. The information on the parents’ notice boards provides information on the curriculum, weekly teaching programmes, and other important information. The governors’ annual report to parents is satisfactory but would be enhanced by more detail on the areas covered.

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Commentary

23. A number of parents and governors give up time to work regularly with the children in school: supervising activities, helping with multi-cultural issues and providing specialist expertise, for example in information and communication technology. Opportunities are also available for parents to support their children’s learning before they start school through the very effective toddler group. Similarly the school’s toy library provides children and their parents with the opportunity to try out new toys and games and parents see this as a good way of encouraging their children’s learning. The school has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, which coupled with an allocated special key worker for each child allows parents to easily express their views and any concerns they may have. Staff parents and carers work well together in supporting the children’s learning.

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Commentary

24. Satisfactory links have been established with other schools and the community. Students from the local technical college regularly undertake training in the school and work experience placements in the nursery are offered to pupils from local secondary schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed. The acting headteacher has continued to emphasis the importance of teamwork and this has resulted in all of the children continuing to make good progress. Governors are supportive of the school, but many are new to their responsibilities and are learning about financial management, for example. All staff work effectively together to make a good staff team.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All staff are committed to including all the children in every activity. • Staff are very well organised so that they can work effectively as a team. • Clear leadership has ensured that there has been no interruption to the children’s learning. Caversham Nursery - 15

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Commentary

25. The acting headteacher has been very successful in continuing the work of the nursery in the temporary absence of the headteacher. The well-established systems and procedures in place in the school meant that its work could continue uninterrupted. Parents commented on this fact at the parents meeting and explained that it was a testament to the good team- work that exists in the school. The school development plan is very succinct and to the point. It details the things that the school has correctly identified as areas to work on.

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Commentary

26. All staff work very closely together, planning tasks and activities that are relevant to the needs of young children. All children are included in activities. Staff support each other well and use the expertise they have to benefit the children. For example, one adult has taken responsibility for helping the children to master the computers. This has resulted in the children being really confident when using the machines, accessing relevant programs independently. All of the staff are very well organised and take responsibility for a small group of children, getting to know them very well, and acting as the first person parents and carers go to if they want to know how their children are doing, or if they have a problem. This is good management of time and expertise.

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Commentary

27. The governors are very supportive of the school and the work that it does. Some are very new to their role and most are new to financial management. They are doing a satisfactory job and are undertaking training to make sure that they are aware of their responsibilities. All statutory responsibilities have been met.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 166,932 Balance from previous year 29,534 Total expenditure 169,085 Balance carried forward to the next 27,381 Expenditure per child 2,523 Caversham Nursery - 16 PART C: THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN AREAS OF LEARNING.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children settle quickly into school because staff work closely with parents and have well- established routines and teaching is very good. • The many activities provided interest the children and they concentrate for long periods of time. • Children learning English as an additional language are very well supported so that they can join in with all activities.

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Commentary

28. The school has well-established systems for settling children quickly and happily. Visits to the school, and encouraging parents to stay when necessary, all result in the children being happy and keen to learn. Activities are well planned so that the children are confident when choosing what they want to do and are interested in what is happening. They do not wander aimlessly about, but choose an activity and concentrate for long periods of time. By the time they leave the nursery the children behave well, make good friends with others and are beginning to understand that it is important to cooperate with each other. This is very good progress for all children, and above the standards seen for children of a young age. Staff set high expectations for behaviour and, consequently, children behave well. They get excited about using the outside area and play well together, discussing their games and tasks. They listen attentively to each other and are

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Commentary

polite and well mannered because this is how staff expect them to behave. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Staff know what is needed to help children learn and make very good progress. Children who are learning English as an additional language are very well supported so that they can make good progress. Staff use pictures and gestures so that they can be fully included in all activities and all children are made to feel part of the school community.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

• Children achieve well because they are well supported by a good number of adults who interact well with them. • Phonics are taught well, supporting children’s early reading and writing skills. • A wide range of rhymes and songs are taught regularly, which supports children’s speaking and listening skills well. Caversham Nursery - 17 Commentary

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

29. Teaching is good and children achieve well and are on course to reach the expected level. This is because all teachers and other adults interact well with children in their work and play through questioning and commenting on their activities, thus encouraging the development of language, writing and reading skills. On the ‘mark making’ table, for example, children were encouraged to write their names or copy captions from Humpty Dumpty pictures. In another area, an adult was sharing a book and establishing early prediction skills by encouraging careful observation of pictures and was using good questioning skills. Older children have regular small group teaching of their sounds and letter shapes which excite and interest them because they are well thought out and practical. This supports their reading and writing skills well. A puppet was used well to introduce the new letter and this was explored well by looking at children’s names written

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

on the whiteboard and then as the initial sound of objects taken from a bag. Finally children were given stick-on labels with their new letter written clearly and they went around the nursery, excitedly looking for the identified letter in the very good range of labelling on display. Parents have access to a good collection of books in the school’s library, which they select with their children, to be taken home and shared together. This helps children to share an enthusiasm for books with their parents. All adults in the nursery have a good range of songs and action rhymes which they sing regularly with the children. This provides particularly good support for the development of all children's clear speech, and supports the understanding of the language for children who are learning English as an additional language, enabling them to be fully included in activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children learn a wide variety of mathematical language that they use in everyday situations. • Children learn to count accurately. • There are too few opportunities for the older children to learn about simple addition and subtraction.

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Commentary

30. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children make reasonable progress in this area of learning and most are likely to reach the expected goals for children’s learning, but few are likely to exceed them. They learn a wide variety of vocabulary that helps them in their play. Children discuss how much sand is in certain containers and can talk about the relative sizes of objects. Most children count confidently to ten and beyond, and most of the older children can correctly match the number to a set of objects. In a small group session the children were confident in matching the number of children present to the numbers displayed on a number line. They explore patterns and shapes and are generally interested in mathematical activities. However, there are few examples in the planning of the programme for mathematical development that show how the older children can begin to understand about simple addition

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Commentary

and subtraction. Opportunities are missed for staff to discuss, for example, how many children are present and how many are away, and how many would there be if everyone was in school. Caversham Nursery - 18

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children experience a good range of activities that help them make good progress in this area of learning. • Information and communication technology skills are very well developed. • The outside area is used very well to encourage the children to learn about the natural world.

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Commentary

31. Teaching and learning are good and children make good progress in developing their understanding of the world. The wide range of activities cover all elements of this area of learning and children become increasingly confident. When using the computers the children independently access the machines and a wide variety of relevant programs. There is an adult who works in the nursery with a particular interest in computers and her skills are used very well to teach the children what they need to know. Consequently standards in computer skills are higher than would normally be expected and children make very good progress. Early designing and making skills are promoted well because the children have access to a wide range of resources that encourage them to make models and talk about what they have built. Visits into the local area, such as the pet shop for supplies for the guinea pig, help children

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Commentary

understand about the locality, and they can identify certain features like the park and the shops. Children talk about their experiences and were very excited about the two babies born during the time of the inspection. Early science skills are taught well. Through activities such as looking at the plants and insects in the outside area, and by examining objects close up, children learn that living things need food and water to grow and flourish. They have learnt about their taste buds and have discussed the various tastes of fruit.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The skills children need for their physical development are taught well, because the outside area is used imaginatively. • Children learn to use a wide variety of small tools safely with increasing control. • Access to climbing frames and wheeled vehicles is carefully controlled by teachers to ensure children’s safety and development.

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Commentary

32. Teaching is good. Children achieve well and are on course to meet the goals expected of them. All children have regular access to the outside area where there are ample, well thought out activities for using a range of both small and large equipment. The focus of these activities is changed regularly and they are well supervised by adults, keeping children safe and helping them to learn. Small and large construction apparatus is used, for example, to build towers for marbles to run down. The large building blocks were used Caversham Nursery - 19 to build a house in the sand pit, which was further developed by the addition of builders’ safety helmets. Children worked happily here, playing out the story of building the house and learning to work together co-operatively. Access to the climbing apparatus and the good variety of wheeled vehicles is an exciting and very much looked forward to activity

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Commentary

for the end of the sessions, when allocated adults are available. This means that activities are well controlled and children are safe and learn well. Inside the nursery, there is a further good range of activities to promote physical development. For example, construction with re-cyclable materials, using tools to roll and cut clay. Children regularly use scissors, paint brushes, glue sticks, pens and pencils with increasing skill. Regular access to this wide range of activities means that children’s physical development progresses well.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of regular activities encourages children to use their imagination. • Children have good access to well-resourced role-play areas, so that children make up their own stories and act out their experiences. • Adults interact well with children in their creative play, which extends their experiences and their imagination.

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Commentary

33. Teaching is good and children achieve well. They are on course to meet the expected goals in this area of learning. Children have good access to a number of creative play areas, both for home play and other chosen themes, which means that they are stimulated and involved well in creative play. The home corner is well resourced and children frequently go to the shelves to collect items of clothing or objects to extend their play. Outside there is a well-resourced ‘hat shop’, where children play and interact well with each other. Adults are frequently in these areas and interact well with the children, using questions and comments skilfully, to extend their experiences. For example they suggest further resources that might excite and interest the child to extend their play. The sand and water areas are again well resourced to extend imaginative play. Pirate boats, sharks, dolphins, an octopus and starfish are but a few of the extensive resources provided.

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Commentary

Regular clay, printing and painting activities are provided and supported well by adults. This means that skills of cutting, rolling and moulding clay are taught well. On the painting table there was careful fruit printing and painting activities were extended by using a story book and miniature plastic spider to help children to observe and paint what they saw. In a group session at the end of the morning, children were encouraged to dramatise the ‘Water Melon Song’ using a range of dressing up clothes and home made objects. This encouraged them to perform in front of other children and order their actions to match the words of the song by listening carefully. Songs and rhymes are enjoyed regularly and children use a range of untuned musical instruments in their activities, all of which are good experiences. They learn the names of the instruments and how to play them correctly. A wide range of music is always evident in the outside area as a background for

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Commentary

activities and includes the music of other cultures, helping children to develop an appreciation of a range of music. Caversham Nursery - 20 Caversham Nursery - 21

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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 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 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 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 0 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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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). Caversham Nursery - 22

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