Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre

CENTRE

Dates of inspection: 20 th - 22 nd September 2004

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CENTRE

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

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CENTRE

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. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 1

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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: 55 (full-time equivalent)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 10 Lollard Street Lambeth London Postcode: SE11 6UP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (020) 7582 9711 Fax number: (020) 7587 0711

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Paul Raikes

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th July 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

• The school is designated as a children’s centre, which means that it provides a range of services for young children and their parents; for example, out of school-hours crèche, care and clubs are available. • The school is also a base for Surestart and other family services and offers a range of adults’ classes. • The school has Investor in People (2004) and local authority Basic Skills Quality Mark (2004) awards. • The school has seven places reserved for children with particular special educational needs. • Currently, 40 children attend full-time and 30 are part-time for mornings or afternoons only. • Boys and girls on roll are approximately equal in number. • The largest ethnic groups represented are children from white families and black families. A relatively high number of the white children are not British. Other children are drawn from a range of other ethnic groups. • A very high proportion of children speak English as an additional language (35.7 per

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

cent). • The most common languages thought to be spoken at home are Spanish, Arabic and Twi. • Family movements in and out of the area are high. • The number of children with special educational needs is above average. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 2 • Most of the children with special needs have difficulties that are related to learning, although a few have behavioural or other difficulties. • Overall attainment on entry to the Nursery and socio-economic circumstances in the area are much lower than those usually found. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 3

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22028 John William Paull Lead inspector Mathematical development Physical development 9092 Ron Elam Lay inspector 16773 Raminder Arora Team inspector Personal, social and emotional development Communication, language and literacy English as an additional language 18498 J Denise Morris Team inspector Knowledge and understanding of the world Creative development Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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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 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 4

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 23

Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 5

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Ethelred Nursery and Children’s Centre is an outstanding school. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent and the school is managed very well at all levels, including very strong support from the deputy head. The quality of teaching is remarkably high and what is taught is very well adapted to meet individual children’s needs, which is directly reflected in the rapidity with which they make progress. Very good value for money is achieved.

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The school’s main strengths are:

• Its excellent quality of education, resulting in children’s very high overall achievement in all areas. • An extremely wide range of family services, including Surestart , which provide support for families, opportunities for further learning and guidance for adults. • Its excellent relationships and links with parents and the whole community, adding considerably to children’s progress. • Its excellent arrangements for making early contact with families in the area and inducting their children into the Nursery, enabling learning to occur from the moment that children start school. • The headteacher’s excellent leadership, based on clarity of vision, which inspires governors, staff and parents alike. • A remarkably strong and inclusive climate for learning, which results in very good overall achievement for all groups on roll (including, for example, boys, girls, those with English as an additional language, special educational needs and those who enter the Nursery

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The school’s main strengths are:

The school has improved very well since its inspection of 1999, when strengths clearly already outweighed weaknesses. What were issues then, including planning for the future, governors’ involvement in financial decisions and the use of teachers’ notes to plan for the progress for children with English as an additional language, are now strengths. Minor weaknesses, such as not enough occasions when children discussed things, have also been fully addressed. Furthermore, the school has been designated as a children’s centre. This development has resulted in considerable provision of extended services for families, including Surestart , toddlers’ groups and courses for parents and others living in the neighbourhood.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children’s achievement is particularly good. Children learn very quickly and, although many begin at the Nursery with very little English, their progress is considerable in all areas of learning. Despite some very low starting points, a high proportion of children are on course to meet the goals expected by the time they reach the end of their Reception Year. Progress in communication, language, literacy and mathematical development, for example, is especially rapid. Standards in personal, social and emotional development are on course to exceed normally expected goals. Outstanding teaching also supports those children with special educational needs and results in their making very good progress towards their targets and achieving very well. Support of children learning English as an additional language, including those at an early stage of understanding, is equally strong, so these children make similar very

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

rapid progress to all others, because staff make sure that no-one is left out. The school Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 6 operates as a secure, friendly and very harmonious community and children’s spiritual,

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moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. The spiritual and cultural

elements are simply excellent. Children have remarkably positive attitudes to school, skipping in happily every morning and then eagerly looking around them to wonder about what has changed in the Nursery since yesterday. They behave very well and get on exceptionally well with staff and each other. Systems for recording attendance and punctuality are very good and the rate of attendance has improved since the last inspection.

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The quality of education provided by the school is excellent and teaching and

learning are also excellent. The staff set high expectations for themselves and the children, who respond very strongly in their learning and behaviour. Owing to very good systems for observing and assessing children’s knowledge and skills, the staff have an excellent understanding of each child’s needs. Their expertise in meeting these needs through planning and adapting the nationally required areas of learning is also very highly developed. As a result, all boys and girls of all groups and backgrounds are enabled to learn and progress remarkably quickly. The staff operate as a closely-knit team, each acting as a keyworker for a group of named children. This system works very effectively. In all areas of learning, children’s strengths and what they find difficult are recorded and passed on very conscientiously to the keyworker. In this way, every individual’s needs are taken into account and teaching is tailored

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The quality of education provided by the school is excellent and teaching and

to ensure that everyone’s learning receives the support that is required. At the same time, parents know whom to approach to give and receive information, so the partnership with home is extremely effective and learning is further enhanced. Lack of exterior space hinders the staff from doing even more to promote children’s physical development. All staff treat children with great respect, which sets a very good example, to which the children respond admirably. They enjoy a very rich, interesting and broad range of experiences, extended by many high quality visits and local services, including clubs and crèches that operate beyond the normal school day. Information and communication technology is already used well across a wide range of areas of learning and the school is seeking further improvements. Levels of care are excellent.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good at all levels and the headteacher’s leadership is excellent. She is outstandingly knowledgeable about how young children learn and she communicates her ideas very clearly, willingly and unstintingly to the whole community, both in and around the school. As a result, everyone involved, including parents, governors, staff and other service leaders are enabled to manage the provision for which they are responsible very effectively, achieving united aims and ends. Together with the governors, the headteacher and staff evaluate what is provided very carefully and accurately. Governors are very successful in fully meeting their statutory responsibilities.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are delighted with the leadership and management of the Nursery and the quality of teaching that it provides. A very large majority indeed, representing a broad range of ethnic backgrounds, indicated their complete satisfaction in very strong responses to questionnaires and in everything that was said at the pre-inspection meeting for parents and carers. Keyworkers are very good at listening to the children, talking to them and responding to their ideas and needs. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 7

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

This excellent Nursery has no important issues of which it is not already aware. Those that it has identified, staff are already working on successfully. Therefore, to improve further, it needs to continue the implementation of its own strategic development plans. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning

Children’s achievements are very good in all areas of learning. They are on course to reach the goals expected by the end of the Reception Year in all areas of learning. Standards in personal, social and emotional development and in some elements of creative development are likely to exceed these goals.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make very good progress across the areas of learning, including the particularly important areas of communication, language, literacy and mathematical development. • Children make very good progress in information and communication technology. • Achievement in running, throwing, catching and similar activities is adversely affected by a lack of space outside. • All groups of children, such as those who are learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, make very rapid progress towards the targets that are set for them. • Standards are high in personal, social and emotional development and in elements of creative development. • The extended services provided help children to achieve very well from the moment that they enter the Nursery.

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Commentary

1. Children’s progress and achievements are very good. At the last inspection, children were generally progressing well, indicating that further improvement has occurred since. During this inspection, the standard of work that was seen in lessons was below what is normally found. However, as many children had only just started at the Nursery, this judgement reflects their attainment on entry, rather than what they can do by the time they leave. A sample of the work of children who had just left to join local primary schools was of a much higher standard. This work was indicative of attainment matching that usually found in the relevant age group. In communication, language, literacy and mathematical development, for example, nearly all children were working on higher stepping stones or were close to the early learning goals (nationally published descriptions of what is normally expected of young children in Nursery and/or Reception classes). Bearing in

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Commentary

mind their often very low starting points, such a standard is consistent with very rapid progress through the Nursery. It is also consistent with the very good achievement and high-quality teaching that was observed in lessons. Furthermore, it shows that, at the point when they leave the Nursery, children are on course to attain the early learning goals by the end of the Reception Year. Information and communication technology is used well to support other areas of the curriculum. Progress and achievement in this subject are very good, matching those in other areas.

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Commentary

2. While it is satisfactory, achievement in some aspects of physical development does not match that of other areas. The main reason is that a lack of exterior space prevents resources such as pedal cars, tricycles and some types of ball from being available at all Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 9 times. As a result, in throwing, catching and the development of co-ordination with the use of toys that can be steered, progress is not as rapid as in other areas. Nevertheless, apparatus for climbing, balancing and jumping is always available to children and they achieve well in these aspects, as they do in the development of co-ordination between hands, fingers and eyes.

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Commentary

3. The staff of the school operate as a closely-knit team. The deputy headteacher, teachers, qualified early years educators (known elsewhere as nursery nurses) each act as keyworkers for their own group of named children. In all planned activities, the member of staff who is responsible for the teaching and learning evaluates children’s strengths and the things that they find difficult. A very effective system is in place to pass this information to children’s keyworkers on a daily basis . As a direct result, the progress and learning requirements of children of the various ethnic groups and backgrounds in the school, including those with English as an additional language, special educational needs and those of higher prior attainment, are discussed fully at planning meetings. These meetings are skilfully led by the deputy headteacher. Because expertise in planning for such needs and knowledge about how to meet them is very good, all these groups

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Commentary

achieve very well. Thus the children make very rapid progress towards the targets that are set for them. At the time of the inspection, for example, a new educational year had just begun and many new children had only just arrived in school. As many came from backgrounds where English is an additional language, the planned emphasis was correctly on communication and spoken English. All adults took every opportunity to talk to children almost incessantly and they accurately modelled the words and sentences that children needed to acquire. As a result, children’s acquisition of vocabulary was very rapid and achievement was evident. Frequently children were observed repeating the words and phrases that they were hearing. Furthermore, they did so with considerable enjoyment and relish. Similar strong systems and high-quality provision ensure that all other groups make very good progress and achieve very well.

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Commentary

4. Owing to excellent teaching, which is very well planned, children make very rapid progress in personal, social and emotional development. They are on course to exceed the goals expected for their age at the end of the Reception Year. At all times, adults treat children with great respect, setting a first rate example, to which the children respond very well. Creative development is another area in which attainment is very high. Examples of children’s painting and artwork frequently match the higher stepping stones and, in some respects, the goals that are not normally expected until they reach the end of the Reception Year.

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Commentary

5. It was very clear during the inspection that new children settle to work very quickly on entering the school. For example, nearly all of them were already familiar with the routines of the Nursery. Many of the children’s families make use of services such as Toddlers’ drop-in and others. As a result, children are already used to coming into the building and joining the older children before they start school. This experience enhances their personal, social and emotional development and thereby increases their readiness to learn and progress well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES, VALUES AND OTHER PERSONAL QUALITIES

Children’s attitudes and relationships are excellent . Arrangements for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good overall. Attendance and punctuality are very good . Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 10

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children from all backgrounds get on exceptionally well. They play and work together harmoniously. • Cultural and spiritual development is excellent. • Children rapidly develop a good level of maturity and a well-developed sense of responsibility. • Most children are on course to achieve the expected standards in personal, social and emotional development and some will exceed them. • Children are very considerate and sensitive to others’ needs. • Children enjoy their time in the Nursery and arrive promptly at the beginning of the session. • The school ensures that parents understand the need for regular and punctual attendance.

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Commentary

6. The school operates as a secure, friendly and very harmonious community. Parents report that their children greatly enjoy coming to school. They play and work together very well, which strongly supports their achievement. The staff are excellent role models and their influence is very evident in the school’s work to promote children’s personal development. Cultural diversity is celebrated very strongly with the children and relationships between children of different ethnic groups are natural and easy. The underlying messages, promoted consistently by adults through the school, have a real impact and are reinforced through reflection, in discussion and story time and in social activities outside lessons. This powerful provision contributes very effectively to pupils’ personal development, particularly so in spiritual and cultural matters, which are simply excellent, while social and moral development is very good.

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Commentary

7. Children have remarkably positive attitudes to school and their behaviour is very good. Each morning and afternoon, they arrive with their parents and enter very willingly, eagerly looking around to see what has changed in the Nursery since yesterday. They register themselves independently and the headteacher and staff greet them with a welcome in one of the home languages that is spoken in the community. All the children and their parents respond very favourably to this start. Nearly all new equipment is purchased only when the staff are sure that children can use it themselves. In this way, opportunities are plentiful for children to show and develop responsibility and independence. As a result of such excellent provision, children are well on course to attain the normally expected goals for personal, social and emotional development by the end of their Reception Year and many are likely to exceed them.

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Commentary

8. One of the strongest aspects of children’s behaviour is their sensitivity towards others. They follow the excellent lead that is given by the staff. As a result, they are nearly always kind, considerate and very willing to help each other and to share. Children benefit from a space, known as The Thinking Space, where they can go if they feel like being quiet, and are encouraged to sit whenever they feel uncomfortable or angry, so they do not affect others and are able to calm down without tantrums. Children with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties are particularly encouraged to use this area. The system works very well, as it prevents the loss of time on rancorous quarrels, thereby contributing to the overall rate of progress. Parents spoke highly of the effectiveness of this provision at the Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 11 pre-inspection meeting. They support and understand its uses, offering further evidence

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Commentary

of how well the school communicates its practice to them.

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Commentary

9. Children enjoy what they do at school and parents report that willingness to come to school is not an issue. The level of attendance has improved since the last inspection. Last year the attendance of the children attending full-time and part-time for morning sessions was well over 90 per cent. Absence rates for children attending for afternoons are higher. Nevertheless, unauthorised absences are rare. The school telephones home on the first day of any unexplained absence and repetitions are followed up by meetings with the headteacher or governors. The very effective arrangements at the start of each session mean that the great majority of parents arrive promptly, which enables the children to settle quickly. Only a few arrived late during the period of the inspection. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 12

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 15 0 0 White – Irish 2 0 0 White – any other White background 10 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 5 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 10 0 0 Black or Black British – African 16 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 4 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education at the school is excellent . Teaching and learning reflect this quality very well indeed. What is taught and the provision of care and links with parents and the community are very good and also include several examples of excellence.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The overall quality of teaching and learning is excellent .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ knowledge of the areas of learning, methods of teaching and individual children’s needs is outstandingly high. • The school’s use of keyworkers contributes strongly to the use of assessments to promote the effectiveness of planning. • Different ways of learning, children’s preferences and the special educational needs of individuals and of groups of different backgrounds and ethnicity, including those with English as an additional language, are promoted exceptionally strongly. • The particular skills of parents, early years educators and teaching assistants are recognised and used to support teaching and learning very strongly indeed.

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Commentary

10. At the time of the previous inspection, the quality of teaching and learning was good, but insufficient time was spent on the development of children’s speaking and thinking. Considerable improvement has occurred since. Teachers, early years educators and teaching assistants alike are very aware of the need to engage children in talk and conversation. Constantly they ask questions about what the children are doing; they offer them new words and explanations and help the children to form whole phrases and Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 13 sentences to communicate ideas. This very good practice continues across all areas of learning and at all times. It is one of the reasons why the children are so confident, as they are praised fulsomely for their responses, especially when they repeat a new word or sentence back to adults. Based on this vital improvement, which offers children exactly

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Commentary

the type of linguistic development that they need most, the overall quality of teaching and learning is now excellent. Furthermore, teachers’ expertise across all areas of learning is outstanding, including mathematical development, and they adapt their methods and what is taught very effectively to meet the needs of individuals and groups of children. Another very strong aspect of what is provided is that activities are planned that lend themselves to progress across the full range of areas of learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 21 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 6 11 4 0 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

11. The table indicates that a high proportion of teaching in lessons was of high quality (including over a quarter in the very highest category) and the remainder contained nothing other than good. This excellent quality overall is the main contributory factor to children’s very rapid progress and very good achievements across the areas of learning.

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Commentary

12. In order to promote knowledge of the children, their wellbeing and their learning requirements, the school uses a system of keyworkers. This arrangement works very well indeed. All adults who are involved with teaching or its support keep daily records of children’s successes and what they need to experience and learn more fully. These daily notes are passed to the child’s keyworker, who then ensures that this information is used during the next planning session, so each individual’s specific learning requirements are met. This arrangement is particularly useful in the case of children with English as an additional language and also for those with special educational needs. It provides a manageable system through which their individual targets in learning plans or individual education plans are regularly checked and updated. As a result, their progress towards such targets is at a similar very good rate to that of the other children. During the

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Commentary

inspection, with many new children in the Nursery, most of the daily notes were sensibly focused on personal, social and emotional factors and on communication, language and literacy. It was apparent that the system is very effective, as this focus was producing much teaching and other provision of excellent quality, which resulted in very rapid progress and high achievement for such young children.

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Commentary

13. This system of keyworkers is also used to help track progress and to feed information into children’s records and assessment folders. Sets of notes are very conscientiously kept and then synthesised to establish longer-term progress against the national stepping stones and thereby rates of progress towards the early learning goals.

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Commentary

14. In addition to their own considerable teaching skills, teachers are quick to spot and use the talents of other adults to support children’s learning. For example, a parent who has in the past co-ordinated music in a primary school was observed teaching children how to sing and to play simple percussion instruments. The quality of teaching and learning was very good, based on her strong knowledge of the subject and good techniques for Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 14 involving all the children in the group. Similarly, a early years educator with excellent knowledge in information and communication technology has taken the responsibility for planning activities in the subject and works very effectively with the teaching staff to raise skills and expectations of what young children can achieve. In a very good lesson, she engaged children’s interest very effectively with an electronic toy car. They were

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Commentary

fascinated by how the remote unit could be used to control its direction and movement. This innovative use of a toy worked very well to introduce the use of technology to control devices from a remote position. Considerable progress resulted. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 15

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The curriculum

The school provides a very good curriculum overall, with a wide range of opportunities to enrich what is taught. A good range of resources and the very good level of staffing enhance the provision further.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality and breadth of opportunities are very good and exceptionally well planned to match children’s needs. • There is a particularly strong commitment to include all children in what is provided. • The quality of support given to children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language is very good. • An exceptionally good programme promotes children’s personal, social and health education. • Highly knowledgeable teachers plan together with a strong team of early years educators and other staff known as keyworkers . • Lack of exterior space sometimes limits the availability of toys that support physical development.

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Commentary

15. The school’s curriculum is very broad and balanced and reflects the school’s aims. The young children whom it serves have very good opportunities in both indoor and outdoor settings, with continuity of care and high expectations in all areas of learning. The very good curriculum reported at the last inspection has been well maintained and enriched even further. For example, recently drawn up plans to improve scientific learning and the teaching of new technology are already being introduced into practice. Staff are very good at planning their work. They meet together frequently to decide upon approaches and themes. The needs of individual children are raised, so what is taught is adapted accordingly. Consequently, activities are relevant, captivate children’s imagination and promote enjoyment. A very good balance of teacher-directed and children’s self-initiated activities is achieved. Regular opportunities are planned for children to draw and paint

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Commentary

using a variety of materials and tools, often independently.

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Commentary

16. Planning is firmly grounded in the national guidance contained in The Curriculum for the Foundation Stage (a government publication that explains what children should be taught in Nursery and Reception classes) and the staff adapt this guidance to meet the needs of individuals and various groups, such as those with special needs or who speak English as an additional language. These adaptations are characterised by very good understanding of how young children learn and how they develop good behaviour and positive attitudes and habits. Such skilful and knowledgeable planning of the curriculum makes a strong contribution to learning and rates of progress.

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Commentary

17. The curriculum is enriched further with opportunities for children to visit, for example, places in the city, the local shops, the London Aquarium and the Embankment. Visiting experts such as a music teacher, a yoga teacher, drummers and theatre groups provide enrichment of what is taught on a regular basis.

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Commentary

18. The school has excellent strategies for equality of access and opportunity. For example, adults ensure that activities are not limited by their appeal to one gender. Children with Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 16 special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language receive well-planned support to enhance their progress. Needs are carefully assessed and targeted with extra help and support when necessary. Those children with special educational needs have well considered individual education plans that are written in straightforward language with very clear targets. All groups of children make the same very rapid progress as others, based on a climate for learning that is exemplary in its inclusion of everyone. For example, story sessions are often translated into home languages to enhance and reinforce specific learning. All staff recognise the need to

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Commentary

encourage and develop children’s “talk” though role-play and many other opportunities for discussion about what they are doing. This area has clearly improved remarkably since the last inspection, when it was an issue. Homework, in the form of borrowed books and story packs, is used particularly well to promote children’s love for books.

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Commentary

19. Staff know the age group very well and the number of teachers, qualified early years educators and teaching assistants is good. Learning resources of good quality contribute extremely well to children’s achievements. The accommodation is satisfactory overall, although its imaginative use by the staff enhances its contribution to learning very well. Everyone involved works hard at making the school’s environment welcoming and stimulating. However, exterior space is somewhat limited, so opportunities to kick balls about or to use tricycles and other pedal-vehicles are not always available to children and have to be planned carefully to ensure safety, for example, by clearing other equipment to ensure sufficient room is available. The senior managers are aware of the restrictions that the accommodation causes and are seeking advice and means of remedying the situation. This lack of space is overcome by the skilful use of what there is, so rich

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Commentary

experiences in all aspects of children’s work, including the development of physical skills such as running, climbing, jumping and balancing are available.

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Care, guidance and support

The arrangements for pupils' care, welfare, health and safety are excellent . The support and guidance that are provided and the involvement of children through seeking and acting on their views are very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has particularly careful and effective procedures for ensuring a healthy and safe environment and such arrangements have improved significantly since the last inspection. • Children are cared for meticulously. • The school’s keyworker system is excellent. • Induction arrangements are excellent. • The school’s healthy-eating initiative is very apparent.

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Commentary

20. All matters of health, safety and children’s welfare are taken very seriously and include regular risk assessments and the involvement of trained governors and relevant outside agencies. All staff are trained in first-aid and any incidents are recorded and the circumstances are properly passed on to parents. Importantly, this notification includes symptoms that might indicate the need to visit an Accident and Emergency Department . Such attention to detail reassures parents that their children’s interests are paramount Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 17 when they are at school and adds considerably to the climate of partnership that is achieved.

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Commentary

21. All the staff know the children well and a system known as keyworkers ensures that a particular adult knows a named group of children very well indeed. Owing to this system, children’s needs are met from their earliest days in school and issues of equality of opportunity and inclusivity are catered for very consistently. Because everyone is included so well, children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, for example, do very well. This excellent keyworker system also ensures that each child has at least one adult in school whom they know and trust implicitly, so they are happy to come to school, feel confident in their surroundings and relate very openly to someone. Likewise, individual difficulties are quickly identified and parents feel confident that their children are very well known and cared for. All of this smoothes the way for working effectively on the areas of learning and thus contributes to very good progress.

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Commentary

22. Parents have completely open access to well constructed information about their children’s progress. This is a direct result of the key worker system.

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Commentary

23. Induction arrangements are excellent. Children have many opportunities to visit the school and they benefit from home visits. As a result, they nearly always begin confidently even on their first day, so learning and progress begin immediately. Several attend Drop-in or Mother and Toddler sessions in the family centre before they reach Nursery age. On a regular basis, they come into the main Nursery and grow used to joining the older children, so that they look forward to starting school. Very good links with pre-school and family services provide an abundance of information about each child’s preferences and requirements, ensuring that teachers are able to adapt provision accordingly and to give the correct guidance to parents to smooth the early days at school even more effectively, which also contributes strongly to children’s readiness to learn.

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Commentary

24. The school’s healthy eating initiative is a further strength.

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PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS, OTHER SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY

Links with parents and the local community are excellent and links with other schools are very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in very high regard and are very supportive of what it provides. • The school’s arrangements for working with local organisations and agencies lead to parents' support both at home and in school and make an excellent contribution to children’s achievements. • The school provides an extensive range of information about school life and children's progress. • Very good links exist with the local primary school.

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Commentary

25. In their very high response to the OFSTED parent’s questionnaire and at the well- attended meeting, parents indicated strong support of what the school provides for them and their children. They believe that their children like school, that the staff expect the children to work hard, and that progress is very rapid. They consider that the staff are Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 18 approachable and keep them well-informed about what happens at school and how their children get on. These comments are similar to those of the last inspection report, except that they are expressed more positively, with a higher proportion of parents indicating strong agreement. Inspectors consider that these parental views are fully justified and that such high quality provision contributes very effectively to learning, progress and achievement.

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Commentary

26. The school sends home regular news and other letters about general matters and, each term, provides ideas about how parents can support their children’s achievements. Teachers and keyworkers are readily available and conversations with parents are straightforward and relaxed. For example, many informal discussions with parents were seen taking place each morning and at the beginning of the afternoon sessions. It is very apparent that parents are comfortable talking to the staff. The children's learning files are readily available in the entrance and parents are actively encouraged to make their own comments in these records of achievement, which provides a further good means of communication that supports learning and progress very effectively.

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Commentary

27. Parents are encouraged to say what they think of the school. For example, the parent- governors actively seek the views of parents, grandparents and others, including child- minders, carers and parents of children who are not yet in school. Many parents help in the school and support their children by taking books home to share. A particularly innovative idea is the use that is made of disposable cameras. These are provided by the school, to take photographs at home and in the local neighbourhood to create individual home/school books. As a result of such innovations, parents are very supportive and their enthusiasm for the school infects their children, promoting in them a strong desire to learn.

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Commentary

28. The school works very closely with the staff of the Surestart initiative and the adjoining children's and family centre. These partners provide extensive opportunities for families to meet and support each other, to prepare children for life at school and to enable adults to improve their own skills. Examples include before- and after-school clubs and certificated courses. Parents are very clear that such activities show that the school is concerned about helping them to raise their own expectations and self-esteem, helping them to help their children to get on even better. Community links further afield extend children’s experiences. For example, recent visits have taken place to the theatre, the Tate Gallery , Tate Modern and visitors such as the local police officer and an expert on snakes have come to the school. Such links provide the children with a range of first-hand experiences that support planned activities across the areas of learning, increasing

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Commentary

29. Close links with the local primary schools help to promote a smooth transfer into Reception classes. The children visit their primary school before they start and the Reception class teachers come to the Nursery to meet the children. A very telling feature is that the Nursery provides the funding for a supply teacher, allowing Reception class teachers to learn about the Nursery school’s curriculum and its approach to teaching. Local secondary school students visit to gain experience of work in a Nursery and, at the same time, help the children with their reading and with work in the garden. It is planned to extend this link to provide a certificated course for teenaged babysitters. The school is a very valued partner of the London Institute of Education, providing places for trainee and student teachers and, in return, receiving up-to-date information about the latest teaching methods and results of research.

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Commentary

Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 19

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the headteacher is excellent . The leadership of key staff, the effectiveness of management and the governance of the school are all very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The clarity of vision, sense of purpose and high aspirations of the headteacher are excellent. • There is an excellent commitment to inclusion in the school. • Governors support the school very well. • The headteacher is very ably supported by senior staff. • The school is very well managed.

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Commentary

30. Leadership of the school is excellent and has improved since the last inspection. The headteacher has a very clear vision of the school’s future and a very clear philosophy of education, which is worked out in her strong practical grasp of how young children learn and thrive. She communicates these ideas to the whole community extremely well, so direction and sense of purpose are reflected in very good management. Much strong and innovative change has occurred since the last inspection, building on what was already a good school. As a result, overall improvement has been very good. Issues in the last inspection have been fully addressed. The headteacher has led this improvement very ably indeed and has received the very capable support of senior staff and governors. For example, the strengths and training needs of staff have been thoroughly analysed, recognised and managed very effectively. A collegiate approach has been established

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Commentary

so that the strengths of everyone are used in the process. The inspirational approach to leadership has led to the setting up of very effective teams and a highly motivated and skilful staff. The importance attached to the workforce has been recognised in the school’s success in gaining a 2004 Investor in People award. 31. Commitment to include and meet the needs of all individuals and groups, irrespective of background, ethnicity or prior attainment, in all areas of provision is an extremely strong element in the school’s success. Children of all abilities and backgrounds work and play together very well and have equal opportunities to take advantage of all the activities on offer. Comments from members of the local community, as well as parents, suggest that the school already meets its stated aim to “…be hailed as a model of inclusion where all children benefit as much as they can”.

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Commentary

32. The governing body supports the school very well. It has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and works hard to build on them and to identify ways in which it can develop improvements. Governors are fully involved in the school’s Strategic Improvement Plan and work with staff on a regular basis to check and monitor developments. They challenge and contribute to all aspects of school life in an active and positive way. Parent-governors make it a point to talk to other parents and to be available, directly seeking views and opinions that they put to the headteacher, who responds openly, positively and sensitively. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 20 33. Senior staff are fully committed to the changes that have taken place and thrive on the collaborative management style and leadership of the headteacher. They are very hard working and contribute their expertise willingly and always with the interests of children

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Commentary

and families in mind. They have developed very good skills, thriving on the delegation of management tasks and the overarching commitment to high achievement. These very positive developmental skills apply equally to the extended services that are based at the school. All practitioners share the same powerful aims and mission and work together in a united purpose that serves children and their achievements, producing an excellent Nursery School and Children’s Centre.

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Commentary

34. The school is also very well managed on a daily basis. Day-to-day administration and financial control are very good. Consultation is a key feature in decision making. The evaluation of outcomes, by both staff and children, is given a high priority so that issues can be resolved as soon as possible and plans put in place to improve where necessary. All areas of development that were found through the inspection process were already in the development plans of the school and prioritised sensibly. The headteacher herself explains her debt to the senior management team, including especially the deputy headteacher, explaining that “…its expertise ensures that the operational running of the school is seamless. It is this factor that permits leadership to flourish!” Inspectors agree with this remark, which was also fully echoed by parents at their pre-inspection meeting. National guidelines about how to achieve best value are well known and regular checks

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Commentary

from a financial consultant ensure that funding is well managed and closely linked to developments and what is required to support children’s work and achievements.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 735,069 Balance from previous year 130,787 Total expenditure 636,856 Balance carried forward to the next year 229,000 Expenditure per pupil 6,369

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Financial information

35. The school’s unspent sums (shown as balances in the second column) are proportionately much higher than in most schools. However, in 2003 and 2004, these balances contained funds that related to services provided by the Children’s Centre and costs of other extended services that were not included when the budget statements were prepared. The budget for 2004-5 is projected to reduce this figure considerably. Owing to funding that the school receives for its extended services, its expenditure per pupil is also comparatively high. However, inspectors found that this expenditure results in many benefits to children and their families that impact very positively on the quality of education and children’s achievements. The value for money that is achieved is therefore very good.

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Financial information

EXAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE No opportunity is ever missed to harness the skills of adults either already working in the school or living locally, enhancing greatly the quality of teaching and learning for the children’s benefit. Adults contributed their skills wholeheartedly and other staff were always ready to learn from them. In this excellent climate of improving the skills of all, a Early years educator with expertise in the use of computers was willing to take the lead, co-ordinating the teaching of new technology and developing other staff. She had excellent ideas that intrigued and involved children greatly, such as the use of a remote-controlled car to introduce early notions of using electronics to control other devices. Other telling examples were the use of a Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 21 parent-governor, who read from an Arabic version of Handa’s Surprise and the very effective involvement of

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Financial information

another parent in the teaching of music, which added very strongly to children’s creative skills. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 22

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THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The Nursery operates in two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Most children begin with a part-time place in one of these sessions. Older children take a full-time place as they approach transfer to Reception classes in local primary schools. A few enter the Nursery at a younger age than usual or are offered a full-time place for social or other family reasons. Seven places are designated for children with special educational needs.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is excellent .

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Most children are on course to meet the goals expected at the end of their Reception Year. Several are likely to exceed these goals. • Children achieve very well because of the very high quality of teaching. • Children have excellent attitudes to learning. • Excellent relationships between all adults and children result in a very harmonious and positive climate for learning. • Children are given very good opportunities to use their initiative and to develop independence.

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COMMENTARY

36. Several children are on course to exceed the national goals in personal, social and emotional development and nearly all are likely to meet them at least. This achievement is remarkable as many children are immature for their age when they first begin at the Nursery. They settle down quickly because of a very supportive atmosphere where each one feels known and cared for. Furthermore, older children, who have already been subject to the excellent teaching in the Nursery, set a very good example of enthusiasm for learning, confidence and a sense of play that is unselfish and purposeful. Children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make equally rapid progress in learning to care for themselves and others. The high standards reported at the last inspection have been improved even further. Very positive relationships are to the fore at all times, so children feel secure and happy. Parents in the

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COMMENTARY

pre-inspection meeting were very pleased with the boundaries set for their children’s behaviour in the Nursery and the excellent role models set by adults. Inspectors fully agree. These attributes contribute strongly to the exceptional working practice that gives children great security and opportunities to develop self-esteem. As a result, children are attentive to adults and eager to learn and thus find it easy to learn and to conform to the high standards of behaviour and attitudes that are expected. They follow routines with understanding; they move purposefully about their classroom and are nearly always reliable and sensible, while enjoying good humour and play. Children of the wide range of backgrounds and ethnicity represented in the Nursery work and play in harmony and show consideration and respect for each other’s feelings and property. They enjoy coming to school and take pride in their achievements.

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COMMENTARY

Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 23 37. The overall quality of teaching is excellent. The proportion of excellent and very good teaching was very high during the inspection. Teaching assistants are used extremely well, working very effectively and knowledgeably, supporting the teaching of social skills. Children’s play and responses are extended sensitively through good questioning, prompting and leadership of play. Adults treat all children with respect, listen carefully to them and encourage them to make suggestions that are always taken seriously. Children are given every opportunity to develop their initiative and to manage tasks independently. A telling example of this very high quality provision occurs routinely at the start of each morning and afternoon session. Children take personal responsibility to register their presence in a circular space in the centre of the Nursery. This clever arrangement means

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COMMENTARY

that parents and children come right inside the Nursery, so they are immediately absorbed in spotting what is new in the very rich learning environment on offer. As a result, any awkwardness that children might have felt about being left is completely removed as they select activities, show their parents and settle very quickly. They work on activities for good lengths of time for their age. At the end of sessions, they make good contributions to clearing up afterwards. For example, one child echoed the words of an adult at this point in the day, “Clear up your own mess first, then help someone else with theirs”. It was clear that this practice is a daily routine. All staff have high expectations and very sensitively support children’s understanding of right and wrong. They make regular checks of the level of children’s involvement in activities and constantly encouragement them to do well. At every step of learning, children are likely to be

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is excellent .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is very good from often very low starting points. • Teachers and other key workers provide a rich language environment, which supports the very rapid development of children’s vocabulary. • The adults are skilful listeners and also use talk to very good effect. • An excellent range of well-planned activities provide interest and stimulation for children to develop their speaking and listening skills. • The quality of teaching and learning is excellent.

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Commentary

38. All children make strong gains as a result of high expectations and constant encouragement to do well. Achievement is very good. However, a smaller proportion than is usually the case is on course to reach the relevant learning goals by the end of the Reception Year. The specific reason is that many children speak only a little English when they enter the school and a large proportion is at an early stage in overall language development. Nevertheless, all keyworkers support them very well indeed and a strong emphasis is placed on developing speaking and listening skills. Instructions for activities are very practical. Demonstration and use of visual information, including signs and symbols, enable all children, including those who are completely new to English, to understand what they have to do. Very good teaching strategies, such as sharing favourite stories and talking about pictures, strongly support children’s early literacy

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Commentary

development. The excellent use of role-play, dressing up, puppets and story “props” Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 24 stimulates children’s imagination. For example, in an excellent session, the children demonstrated their developing understanding of Mr Gumpy’s Outing in their role-play, very effectively supported by the teacher. Excellent use is made of resources to support children’s understanding. In this session, part of the outside climbing equipment was rearranged to create Mr Gumpy’s car, which was labelled and used very effectively so that children could imagine the trip.

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Commentary

39. The overall outstanding teaching is having a strong impact on children’s learning. The staff show that they value children’s efforts at communication. They respond to children’s utterances tirelessly, using facial expressions, modelling sentences and offering new words. In response, children are keen to talk about their experiences interestingly and to develop new vocabulary in all aspects. Those children with little English thrive in this environment and quickly pick up words and phrases and their progress and needs are assessed very well, recorded and planned for.

p.26

Commentary

40. Most children show improving early writing skills. They draw and paint with increasing control. Very good progress is made because adults work in small groups or on a one- to-one basis whenever the need arises to give children individual attention. This excellent practice was noted in a session inspired by the story, Handa’s Surprise, which included the variety of fruit linked to the story. Children successfully developed vocabulary such as “juicy”, “sour” and “spikiness”. Teachers and early years educators harness children’s natural fascination with what they hear in stories, poems and discussions across many well-planned activities. This story was brought alive to children when the teacher dressed as Handa. A basket of fruit on her head aroused children’s interest further, extending their ideas and engaging them in thoughtful discussions. A further dimension was added when a parent-governor brought an Arabic version of the same book into the Nursery.

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Commentary

41. The book area in the Nursery is very well resourced and inviting for children, who are encouraged to develop a love for books, handle them carefully and take them home to share with adults. Those children who speak English fluently and those who attain highly are also very well catered for. Some of these children are beginning to associate sounds with words and letters and to make recognisable letter shapes when they spell their names. These children are on course to meet the expected goals and are equally well encouraged and planned for, which is another example of how well the school provides for different needs on an individual and group basis. Teachers very effectively familiarise children with written vocabulary through stimulating activities to focus on key words. Class discussions and well-focused play activities provide excellent opportunities for children to try out their ideas independently. This remarkably flexible and varied provision also

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Commentary

includes time for thinking, so children gain in maturity and are introduced early to ideas about planning what they want to say or write.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• The very good quality of teaching, comprehensive planning for a wide range of interesting activities and careful checking of progress enables children to achieve very well. • Children are on course to achieve the expected goals for mathematical development by the end of the Reception Year. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 25

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COMMENTARY

42. When children begin at the Nursery, their mathematical skills are often restricted. Several contributory factors are apparent. Some children understand only a little English; others have had little experience in relating numbers to actual objects and a larger proportion than is usual have identified special educational needs that affect learning. Very good teaching in which adults are very quick to seize opportunities to count with children or to teach mathematical vocabulary results in very rapid progress and very good achievements. For example, on an outing, when children went downstairs, all of them were involved in counting the steps. Higher attaining children were asked to compare the flights and to say which one had more steps in it. As a result of using such situations, whenever they present themselves, as well as interestingly planned sessions at a table set aside for numeracy, children develop enthusiasm and enjoyment and progress very

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COMMENTARY

well in this important area of learning. Teachers and other staff organise and plan very effectively, consistently checking children's understanding and knowledge and passing information to the relevant keyworker. At the time of the inspection, nearly all the children who had already been in the Nursery for a term or so could recognise and use numerals at least up to five and a few could go a lot further. The younger children, who had only just started, showed much interest and joined in with counting and number songs such as Five Speckled Frogs with considerable enjoyment and relish for learning, taking the lead from others, copying and listening to the adults very attentively.

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COMMENTARY

43. Mathematical language is used frequently to establish ideas of shape, position and space. Samples of work indicated very good achievement when children used pulleys and acquired vocabulary such as “high”, “low”, “above” and “below” and ideas related to weight. An excellent lesson at the mathematics table, involving counting and matching real objects up to five, was followed up in sand and water play, when children were invited to count shells of particular types or colours. This reinforcement of knowledge across the areas of learning is typical of the overall quality of teaching and learning in the Nursery. At the same time, children are encouraged to sift and pour and to compare amounts of liquid, sand and other objects using jugs and containers. In this way, plenty of opportunities to acquire skills of comparison, as well as early ideas of capacity are frequently provided. Children’s individual needs are very well catered for and groups of

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COMMENTARY

different prior attainment, of different ethnicity, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make very good progress.

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EXAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

Children who are new to the Nursery, some of whom speak very little English, acquire counting skills very rapidly, owing to very high quality teaching and reinforcement activities. A teacher gathered a small group around her and skilfully aroused interest, pointing to objects and toy animals. One or two children did not know the English words for some of the objects, but recognised them in their home languages. When they were given the English names, they said them with great relish and received fulsome praise. All the children were full of smiles, glowing with their achievements when they counted the objects successfully up to five. Later on, over at the water-tray, the same children demonstrated very good recall when they counted shells into groups of five and were again praised wholeheartedly for their cleverness.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good . Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 26

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children achieve very well in this area of learning due to very good teaching. • A very good range of resources and activities keeps children focused. • The use of the external environment and the local area is a strength.

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COMMENTARY

44. Children achieve very well in this area of learning considering their low attainment when they first enter the Nursery. All children, including those with special educational needs or with English as an additional language, make very good progress and records show that the vast majority are likely to achieve broadly average levels by the time they leave the Nursery. The very good teaching that they receive in this area and the exciting range of learning opportunities are the main reasons for this very good achievement over time. Teachers know children very well. They plan, often individually, so that each child can achieve their task. Questioning is a key feature of the success of this area of learning. Teachers extend children’s thinking and their knowledge by asking questions to help them solve simple problems. In one session, children were investigating an adult bicycle. They were intrigued by the switches for the lights, by the moving parts and by the bicycle’s

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COMMENTARY

sheer size. The teacher asked “What makes the wheels go around?” Several children thought about this very carefully and tried many different things before they realised that it was “the pedals”. They learned by experimenting and observing the bicycle and by trial and error. Teachers and staff consistently offer new and exciting vocabulary to extend children’s language. In this particular situation, children learned that wheels ‘turn’ and that the ‘faster’ the pedals went, the faster the wheels went around.

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COMMENTARY

45. Teachers make excellent use of the external environment, including trips into the local community to further extend children’s awareness of the world around them. During the inspection, a group visited a local environmental centre, called Roots and Shoots to look at different habitats and plants. By the end of the session, the rich, high-quality environment had led to keen participation by many children and a better understanding of the variety of plants and seeds, as well as the contribution of bees to making things grow. This activity resulted directly in very good learning and achievement.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Development of skills in the use of small equipment such as brushes, pencils, scissors and similar small tools is very good. • Jumping, balancing and climbing are very well taught and children acquire these skills very effectively. • Accommodation limits occasions when equipment that requires a lot of space can be used.

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COMMENTARY

46. Planning and teaching for a wide and relevant range of physical activities both indoors and outdoors are very good and sometimes excellent. Children have many and varied Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 27 opportunities for physical development that is purposeful and challenges them. In most of the indoor activities they learn how to develop control over a wide range of simple tools and materials. For example, in very well taught lessons, they were observed exercising their fingers and they developed hand and eye co-ordination very successfully. They are taught to hold pencils and crayons correctly and many opportunities are provided for them to mark paper and to experiment with the use of malleable materials, making models and artefacts out of clay and similar materials. Several children are able to squash and mould clay with considerable accuracy when making fish shapes and shells. Outside, they are

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COMMENTARY

given opportunities to work with simple hammers and other woodworking tools in a well supervised and safe area. Their work suggests that, in these aspects of physical development, many are on course to exceed the goals that are normally expected by the end of the Reception Year.

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COMMENTARY

47. Outside, children have constant access to climbing frames, beams and areas of safer surfacing to practise climbing, balancing and jumping very successfully. Good links are made with creative development and other areas of learning when children practise counting songs and rhymes and then jump off a beam to show “one less”. At the same time, they develop co-ordination and control in the required movements. Teaching and learning are very good. However, exterior space is limited, so opportunities to kick balls about or to use tricycles and other pedal-vehicles are not always available and have to be planned carefully in order to ensure safety. Nevertheless, children are generally still likely to reach normally expected goals in these aspects. Nearly all of them are confident on the equipment and, with the help and support of the staff, use the climbing frames with enthusiasm and to good effect and purpose. Senior managers are aware of the

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COMMENTARY

restrictions that the accommodation causes and are seeking advice and means of remedying the situation.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is excellent .

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children achieve very well because of excellent teaching. • Children are given many and varied, very well planned opportunities to use their initiative, make choices and improve their skills. • Resources are very exciting and are presented to children extremely effectively, helping them to enjoy their learning and to achieve highly.

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COMMENTARY

48. Many children enter the Nursery with very little experience of creative activities. However, they very quickly take a full and active part in the many exciting creative opportunities that are a daily feature of Nursery life. This is due to the very encouraging atmosphere that staff have created and because they are skilled at providing activities that capture children’s imaginations. Consequently, children achieve very well in this area of learning so that, by the time they leave the Nursery to enter the Reception Year, the vast majority achieve levels in line with expected standards for their age. Children are eager to take part and enter into painting, drawing, singing and making activities with enthusiasm. They develop their imaginative play with high levels of enjoyment, benefiting from the rich Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 28 learning environment that is created for them. They are attentive and willing to learn and

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COMMENTARY

work closely with their peers in a fully inclusive setting.

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COMMENTARY

49. Teaching is often excellent and all staff work hard to establish a learning environment that stimulates children’s creative abilities and ensures that they have fun whilst learning. Children are given very good opportunities to use their initiative during their creative activities. Because teachers and staff make very good use of questioning and offer a wide range of choices, children learn to make decisions about their work and play. They choose their activity and improve their social skills as they negotiate with adults and each other about materials, colours, styles and activities. They work well together, taking turns and sharing with their peers.

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COMMENTARY

50. Resources are exciting. Many varied, colourful and unusual resources are available to stimulate children’s desire to play, make a picture or model, or make music. In one such session, children were excitedly making streamers to fly in the wind. They collected coloured ribbons, tape, sticks and scissors and worked hard to make their toy. They benefited from adult interventions which enabled them to learn how to hold scissors correctly and safely and which extended their thinking about the need to secure the ribbons firmly so that they did not fly away. Constant encouragement ensured that each child successfully completed the task set. Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre - 29

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 1 How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 1 Attendance 2 Attitudes 1 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 1 The quality of teaching 1 How well pupils learn 1 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 1 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 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 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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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).

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