St Werburghs Park Nursery School

ST WERBURGH’S PARK NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th - 20 th April 2005

p.1

ST WERBURGH’S PARK NURSERY SCHOOL

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.

p.1

ST WERBURGH’S PARK 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. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 1

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery School category: Maintained Age range of pupils: 3 - 5 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 95 School address: Glenfrome Road St Werburgh’s Park Bristol Postcode: BS2 9UX Telephone number: (0117) 903 0323 Fax number: (0117) 377 2363 Appropriate authority: Bristol LEA Names of chairs of governors: C Kendall-Muniesa and N Birkelund

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th May 1999

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Werburgh’s Nursery School is located half a mile from Bristol city centre. It draws its children mainly from the surrounding area and other areas recognised as having high levels of socio-economic deprivation. The children’s levels of attainment on entry to school are low, particularly in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. There are few high attainers. Children for whom English is an additional language form a significant proportion of the school population. Around two-thirds of the children are from Black minority ethnic backgrounds and a significant number speak Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Somali or Dutch at home. Of these, 44 per cent of children are at a very early stage of language acquisition in English. A total of 95 children attend the school either full- or part-time depending on need. Eighty-two children attend on a full-time basis. Four children have special educational

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

needs, two of whom have statements of special educational needs. The nature of the children’s special educational needs include severe learning difficulties, autism and cerebral palsy. The school became part of an Educational Action Zone in 2000. It gained the School Achievement Award in 2001, the Arts and Interface Award in 2000 and the Investor in People Award in 2001. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 2

p.3

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22182 Fiona M Robinson Lead inspector Communication, language and literacy Personal, social and emotional area of learning Creative area of learning 9646 Geraldine Osment Lay inspector 13307 Ian Hancock Team inspector Mathematical area of learning Physical area of learning Special educational needs 21816 Beryl Thomas Team inspector Knowledge and understanding of the world English as an additional language

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Tribal Education 1 – 4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR

p.4

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). St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 3

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 8 - 11

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

p.5

This is a very good school that provides a very effective education, with excellent

opportunities for enrichment. The children achieve very well. Teaching and learning are consistently good. The leadership of the headteacher is very good and she is very well supported by all staff. Leadership and management are good. There are excellent relationships throughout the school and the children are very well cared for by all the adults who look after them. The school provides very good value for money.

p.6

This is a very good school that provides a very effective education, with excellent

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

p.6

This is a very good school that provides a very effective education, with excellent

• Children make very good progress in all areas of learning because they are well taught and they are eager to learn. • The curriculum is challenging and interesting with excellent opportunities for enrichment. • Children with English as an additional language are very well provided for. • The very good leadership of the headteacher creates a very effective team, who make sure that the school is successful. • There is excellent involvement of parents in the life and work of the school. • The monitoring role of the subject leader is not fully developed.

p.6

This is a very good school that provides a very effective education, with excellent

Improvement since the school’s previous inspection has been very good. As well as successfully addressing the minor issues identified by the previous inspection, the school has made considerable progress in many other important areas. The school improvement plan is a very effective tool for guiding advancement and governors are fully involved in strategic planning. Provision for children’s learning is very good in all areas of learning. A very effective staff team is successfully helping to carry forward the school’s plans for improvement. The strengths identified at the previous inspection have been maintained, for example the quality of teaching, and the very good links with parents and the community. The school is well placed to improve still further.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children’s achievement is very good. Most children join school with levels of attainment that are low, particularly in communication, language and literacy, and the mathematical area of learning. The children make very good progress against their prior attainment. When they transfer to Reception classes, most children are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals 1 in all areas of learning. A significant minority are on target to exceed these.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children with special educational needs achieve very well in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. Children with English as an additional language achieve very well from their starting points in school.

p.6

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

development, is very good. Most children join the school with personal, social and emotional development that is much lower than the levels normally expected. All staff work hard to develop this area of learning. Children’s attitudes, values and behaviour are very good. Relationships with one another and adults are outstanding. Attendance and

p.6

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

Early Learning Goals are the identified targets children are expected to have achieved by the end of their Reception Year. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 5 punctuality are satisfactory. Although the school is doing its best to promote good attendance, a small number of children are late each day.

p.6

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is very good. Teaching and learning are good across all areas of learning. The teachers and support staff know the children very well and have a very good understanding of the different areas of learning. Children are very keen to learn and apply themselves enthusiastically to the experiences they are offered. All staff have high expectations regarding the children’s behaviour and social development. The very good quality work of support staff and outside experts makes a significant contribution to the quality of learning, particularly for those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Assessment procedures are very good overall and very good use is made of the individual information collected on each child to take them on to the next stages of learning.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good broad curriculum with excellent enrichment through visits, visitors and other activities. The school’s accommodation is good. The quality and quantity of learning resources are very good. The provision for children with special educational needs is very good. The provision for children with English as an additional language is very good. The quality of care, guidance and support provided for the children throughout the school is very good and contributes very well to the very welcoming and supportive culture of the school. The school’s partnership with parents, other schools and the community is very good.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership is very good, and management of the school is good. The leadership of the headteacher is very good and strategic development is very good. She is very well supported by the acting deputy headteacher in all aspects of her work. There is very good team spirit amongst all the staff and a very good shared commitment to succeed. There are rigorous monitoring systems in place involving regular formal and informal observations and the monitoring of planning and learning by the headteacher and key staff. The current school focus is to develop the role of the subject leader in the monitoring of teaching. Governance of the school is good. The effectiveness of the management of the school is good. The school fulfils all statutory requirements.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Many parents are very pleased with the school and what it offers. They acknowledge that their children are very happy and make very good progress. The children enjoy coming to school and play and work enthusiastically.

p.7

school should do to improve is:

• Develop the monitoring role of the subject leader. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 6

p.7

Standards achieved in areas of learning

Most children start school with attainment that is low, and very few children have the understanding and skills normally expected of three-year-olds. The children achieve very well, including the significant number who have English as an additional language. Many are working at levels expected for their age by the time they leave the school and some exceed these.

p.8

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve very well in all areas of learning. • Children with English as an additional language make very good progress. • Children with special educational needs make very good progress.

p.8

Commentary

1. The children’s attainment on entry is lower than when the school was inspected in 1999. Most of the children now start school with attainment that is low rather than well below average. The children’s personal, social and emotional development is often very low, as indeed are communication, language and literacy and mathematical skills. These aspects of development receive strong attention from all staff and are promoted very well. The poor socio-economic backgrounds from which many children come provide barriers to learning. However, the school compensates very well by providing very good care for the children and high quality support to parents. The children’s limited language, communication and literacy skills initially hamper aspects of their progress across the areas of learning. However, children make at least good, and mostly very good, progress as a result of good teaching. The staff support and inspire

p.8

Commentary

the children, often individually or in small groups. They make very good use of assessment information which they collect. All children, including the higher-attaining children and those with special educational needs, are appropriately challenged and given focused opportunities and experiences. They make very good progress against their prior attainment. When they transfer to Reception classes, most children are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning. A significant minority are on target to exceed these. Children with special educational needs achieve very well in relation to the targets in their individual educational plans. Children with English as an additional language achieve very well from their starting points in school.

p.8

Commentary

2. Teachers are very aware of those children in their class who have English as an additional language, and these children achieve very well. A significant number of these are at an early stage of English acquisition. They achieve very well because activities are matched very well to their individual needs and all children are supported very well by the adults who work with them. This has a very positive effect on learning during lessons and promotes very good progress over time. The school’s very good assessment procedures allow staff to monitor the progress of children very carefully. Where an individual child’s language needs are more complex, specialist advice and help is available from the local authority. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 7 3. Children with special educational needs achieve very well in relation to prior achievement. These very good gains in learning are as a direct result of very good

p.8

Commentary

planning. Full advantage is taken of opportunities in the very good curriculum to reinforce children’s self-esteem and confidence. Activities are matched very well to their needs and very good support is given to them in their learning from all adults, including teachers and support staff.

p.9

Commentary

4. The school meets the needs of individual children very well. The very good relationships and links with parents facilitate a smooth start to school. Staff have a very good understanding of children’s development as soon as they begin school, which helps children to achieve very well. Equal opportunities are promoted very well. During the inspection, both boys and girls achieved equally well. The school very carefully monitors and evaluates any possible difference in gender performance.

p.9

Commentary

5. Children made good progress at the time of the previous inspection. The school has worked very hard to improve this through implementing a very good curriculum and very careful use of assessment to raise standards across the areas of learning. Good standards in personal and social and physical areas of learning have been maintained and standards in all areas of learning have improved as a result of good teaching. The use of information and communication technology is now a strong feature of lessons throughout the school.

p.9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Children’s attitudes and behaviour are very good. Their personal qualities are developed very well. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of relationships is an excellent feature of the school. • Children’s personal development is promoted very effectively and as a result, their attitudes and behaviour are very positive. • Regular attendance is contributing well to children’s very good standards of achievement but some parents do not bring their children to school on time.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

6. The very special relationships that can clearly be seen between members of staff and children create a strong sense of community in which all can flourish. All adults working in the school are very good role models and through their guidance and encouragement, the children are learning to play and work together co-operatively. This was seen during a good communication, language and literacy lesson when the children were taking turns to write down the ingredients for making a pizza.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

7. The nurturing of children’s personal skills has a high priority in the school. As a consequence, the children are developing an awareness of the feelings of others and of their own, for example, during circle time when they discussed feelings of ‘sad’ and ‘happy’. The children are developing independence through choosing their own in- class activities and playing outside with the very good range of equipment available to them. Their responses to these opportunities are very good and they are learning to think for themselves but with the knowledge that there are adults to help them. Parents are positive that their children are maturing during their time in the nursery. Social skills are being developed through the very well organised lunchtime St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 8 arrangements when children and staff sit down and eat together. Children’s understanding of their own culture and that of others is being encouraged very

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

successfully. Parents read stories to the children in their home languages. Important festivals including Eid, Diwali, Easter, Christmas and Chinese New Year are observed. An excellent range of artists, musicians, theatre groups and dancers visit the school. The children feel they are really valued as individuals and because of this, their attitudes to school and their behaviour in school are very good, which is resulting in their very good achievement.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

8. One hundred per cent of the parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire said that their children like school and the majority of the parents show their support for the Nursery by ensuring that their children arrive at school regularly and on time. The children self-register and teachers also mark registers and any unexplained absences are followed up. Regular attendance is having a positive impact on the standards that the children achieve and on their personal development. However, as reported at the inspection of May 1999, there is still a minority of parents who bring their children into school after 9.00am and this can be disruptive for teachers at the beginning of the morning sessions.

p.10

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good quality of education. Teaching and learning are good overall. A very good broad curriculum with excellent enrichment is offered that very successfully meets the needs of all children. The staff provide very good levels of care and support. There are strong links with parents.

p.10

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are consistently good. Assessment procedures are very good and very well focused on the individual needs of children.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff have a very good command of the areas of learning. • Staff make very good use of resources and successfully capture children’s interest and enjoyment. • Children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are well taught. • Staff have high expectations of the children, who are very keen to learn.

p.10

Commentary

9. Teachers and nursery nurses and support staff work very well together. Team spirit is first-rate. All staff are experienced and have a very good understanding of how young children learn. They are fully aware of the different needs of children. Staff carefully adapt activities to meet children’s individual needs and they always praise their efforts, however small the step in learning. A strength is the way in which all staff engage children’s interest and encourage them to develop their skills in adult-led activities. For example, children enjoy playing musical instruments, which was well demonstrated by the lively session using large and small drums to make the sounds of wind and thunder as part of a story. The children were inspired by the very good examples set by adults. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 9 10. Staff have very high expectations of children’s behaviour and deal with any issues

p.10

Commentary

promptly, very effectively and quietly. They have very good expectations of what children can achieve in all areas of learning. Assessment information from previous lessons is used very well and successfully informs learning objectives. There is a strong focus on children acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding and very good use is made of learning resources. Staff use questions well to check children’s understanding and to help move their learning on. Children apply themselves productively and well to their activity.

p.11

Commentary

11. Staff make effective use of teaching strategies to enhance children’s learning. In child-chosen activities, adult support is well measured, and builds well on children’s interests and strengths. Staff generally make effective use of time, especially in adult- led activities. This allows enough time for those children who become engrossed in their learning to explore and work in depth.

p.11

Commentary

12. Staff have worked hard since the last inspection to improve the quality of their planning and assessment. The good standards of teaching found at the time of the last inspection have been maintained. Assessment procedures have improved. Staff use the information gained successfully to guide future work, and to track individual children’s development and achievement over time. Procedures used are very good. Staff carefully monitor the progress of children with special educational needs and help to provide the best learning opportunities for individual children.

p.11

Commentary

13. The quality of teaching of children with English as an additional language is often very good. Staff set very good examples of spoken English and use effective questioning to extend and develop the children’s vocabulary and speaking skills. They encourage children to take part in all the activities, and the high level of adult help readily supports them. Throughout the school, assessment is used very well to track progress and achievement in language acquisition. Teachers’ and nursery nurses’ skilful evaluation of teaching and learning helps to guide future work.

p.11

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.11

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

The curriculum is very good. It is greatly enhanced by the excellent opportunities for enrichment, including an extensive range of visits to support children’s learning.

p.11

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

• The school provides a very wide range of rich experiences to support children’s learning. • Very high priority is given to develop children’s personal and social and language skills. • Provision for children with special educational needs and English as an additional language is good. • Activities, including visits and visitors, to enrich the curriculum are excellent. • Accommodation and resources are used very well to support learning. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 10 Commentary

p.11

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

14. The school provides a very rich curriculum, which embraces all the areas of learning. The curriculum has developed and improved significantly since the last inspection so that learning is meaningful and challenging to all children. This is because staff are planning very purposeful tasks that respond to children’s interest to fully capture their imagination. As a result,all children are achieving very well. Particular strengths within the curriculum include the very good provision for physical and creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. This greatly enriches learning where children demonstrate high levels of engagement in their work.

p.12

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

15. The school greatly values the children’s own cultural heritages and gives very high priority to inclusion, which is reflected well in the curriculum and learning resources. The curriculum for children with English as an additional language is good. It enables children to take part in activities, encourages learning and develops skills in communication in English. As a result, they make very good progress and achieve very well.

p.12

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

16. The school’s good provision for children with special educational needs means that individuals in need of support are identified at an early stage. Very good support is provided by staff to ensure that children with special educational needs progress in a confident manner. The curriculum is adapted to ensure that their needs can be well met through detailed specific targets in individual education plans.

p.12

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

17. Very high priority is given to the provision for children’s personal and social skills in all activities from the time they enter the Nursery. This enables all children to gain much in independence and confidence and significantly raises their self-esteem. Adults are aware of the low levels of language the children have on entry and high priority is given to the development of basic language skills, including during circle times. Healthy eating and living are encouraged and the daily well-organised lunchtime sessions greatly promote good personal and social skills, where children demonstrate very good manners and excellent behaviour.

p.12

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

18. An excellent range of visits and visitors to the school enrich the curriculum very well. These include visits to Bristol Old Vic theatre, a science museum, art galleries, the local park, City Farm, local supermarkets and trips on the bus and train. Visitors include representatives from ethnic communities, musicians, theatre groups and the police. Such activities emphasise the excellent commitment to inclusion and have a very positive impact on children’s learning and achievement.

p.12

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons

19. The well-trained experienced nursery nurses work in very effective partnership with the teachers and provide very good support to children’s learning. They work hard, show initiative and have forged very good relationships with children and parents to make learning very effective. The school’s accommodation has greatly improved since the last inspection and is now good. It includes a new family unit and much work has recently been completed to re-develop the grounds and outside area, which are used very well. Resources are very good overall. They are used very well in all areas of learning.

p.12

Care, guidance and support

St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 11 Procedures to ensure the care, guidance and welfare of the children are very effective. Achievement and personal development are monitored well. The children’s involvement in school development is satisfactory.

p.13

Care, guidance and support

• The school’s arrangements to ensure children are safe are thorough. • Very good arrangements to settle children into the Nursery prepare them for learning. • Assessment procedures are very well used to support and guide the children.

p.13

Commentary

20. The systems for safeguarding children’s health and safety are very effective and have improved since the inspection of May 1999. The headteacher and governors have produced a thorough health and safety policy; risk assessments are carried out regularly and members of staff are vigilant and also carefully monitor off-site activities. Child protection procedures, first aid and medical support are very good; policies are regularly reviewed and staff training is up to date. The school works closely with other agencies to provide additional support if necessary or relevant; these include health visitors, the educational psychologist, speech therapists and behaviour support teachers. Lunchtimes are very well organised and the children are very well supervised when playing or working outside. Parents are very happy with the care that is taken of their children; one parent at the pre-inspection meeting commented

p.13

Commentary

21. Parents are very happy with the settling-in procedures. All parents are invited to receive a home visit and the evaluations that they make following these visits show they feel the visits are invaluable to them and their children. Members of staff work very hard to build positive relationships with parents so that feelings of mutual trust and respect are established. In this way, children’s needs and any concerns can be discussed easily and problems quickly dealt with. Members of staff welcome the children and their parents into school in a very friendly way at the beginning and end of each session and this helps to reinforce the very strong home/school partnership.

p.13

Commentary

22. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is very carefully monitored and very good examples of this were seen in the learning diaries during the inspection. Staff know the children very well and offer very good advice, support and guidance in relation to their personal development. They are very aware of children’s learning needs and do their best to support them. Very good use is made of assessment to plan the next steps in learning for all children, including those with special educational needs and children with English as an additional language. A very clear profile of children’s progress and their growing personal, emotional and learning development is built up over time.

p.13

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a very good partnership with the parents. Links with the community and other schools are very good.

p.13

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

• The school actively encourages parents as partners in their children’s education. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 12 • Parents are very well informed about the progress their children are making. • The school’s partnership with the community and other schools greatly enriches the curriculum.

p.13

Commentary

23. Responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire and meeting and discussions with parents during the inspection were overwhelmingly positive and show that parents have great confidence in the Nursery and are pleased with the new headteacher. They feel there is a strong team spirit and find the headteacher and staff easy to approach. Members of staff are very welcoming to parents and try very hard to accommodate their needs, for example providing translations of written information and interpreters for meetings. Parents are encouraged to spend time in the classrooms in the mornings, to share books in the library with their children, and to help in school if they wish.

p.14

Commentary

24. Parents feel that communication is a strength of the school. Members of staff are willing to talk to them about their children at the beginning and end of sessions. There are three parent/teacher consultations during the year, and the learning diaries and reports to parents give them a very clear picture of how well their children are achieving. The annual reports to parents have improved since the last inspection and give them a very good understanding of what the children know, can do and understand.

p.14

Commentary

25. The home visits and prospectus ensure parents have a very good knowledge about all that the school offers. The many noticeboards and half-termly newsletters are well presented and inform parents of what is happening in school, and of other services they can access.

p.14

Commentary

26. The curriculum is greatly enhanced by the variety and number of visitors into school from the local and wider community. Artists, musicians, parents and grandparents share their skills and interests with the children, including the ‘Shadowplay’ activities, story-telling, a Caribbean party, Eid, Divali and Christmas celebrations. Parents and local people are supporting the garden project and articles about the school are published in the community newspaper. Teachers use the local area very well to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, for example Mina Park to collect leaves and conkers, the City Farm, the Chinese and Asian supermarkets and the sari and motorbike shops. Links with primary and infant schools are strong and help the children make a smooth transition to the next stage of their education; parents who were spoken with during the inspection felt that this transition was

p.14

Commentary

planned very well. The children regularly use the primary school’s outdoor space and climbing equipment, they are invited to performances at the primary school and some Year 5 pupils are ‘reading buddies’ with the Nursery children. The Nursery welcomes work experience students from local secondary schools. All of these experiences have a very positive impact on the children’s personal, social and emotional development.

p.14

Commentary

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 13 Leadership is very good, and management is good. The headteacher provides very good leadership. Governance is good.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership by the headteacher provides a very clear sense of direction. • Staff work as a very effective team. • English as an additional language and special educational needs are led very well. • Strategic planning is very good. • Nursery nurses provide very good support. • The governors support the work of the school well. • The monitoring role of the subject leader is not fully developed.

p.15

Commentary

27. The new headteacher has a very clear vision for the development of the school. She enjoys the full support of staff and governors in realising this. She provides a very good role model for staff and successfully promotes a very good sense of teamwork in all areas of the school’s work. There is a strong resolve to achieving the highest possible standards. The school’s strategic planning builds very well upon its self- evaluation work. Challenging but achievable targets for improvement are set. Priorities are carefully costed, and provision made for progress to be rigorously monitored and evaluated. The headteacher is forward-looking and ambitious for the school. She is very well supported by the acting deputy headteacher in all aspects of the school’s work.

p.15

Commentary

28. All staff work very well with each other. Performance management is fully embedded and professional development is an important element of the school for both teaching and support staff. The current school focus is on developing the role of the subject leader. They have begun to monitor planning and the children’s work, but not all subject leaders have monitored the quality of teaching in their area of learning. The headteacher and key staff have a good understanding of what happens in the classrooms through performance management monitoring and regular formal and informal observations. They rightly intend to develop the monitoring role of the subject leaders.

p.15

Commentary

29. The leadership of English as an additional language and special educational needs is very good. The headteacher has developed very good relationships with all adults who work with children with these needs. As a result, day-to-day systems in all classes run very smoothly. All staff are very confident at their job, highly regarded and always very well prepared. Both English as an additional language and the area of special educational needs are very well managed. Resources are used very well to support children in their learning and there are very good links with external agencies. Very good assessment of their language and communication skills sets the children off on the right road from the start.

p.15

Commentary

30. Since the last inspection, standards of achievement have improved. There have been significant improvements and extensions to the building and learning resources are much better. The very good progress most children make in all areas of learning reflects the school’s much improved provision. The strength in their personal, social and emotional education has been maintained. Staff performance management is successfully heralding improvements in the quality of children’s learning and the standards they achieve. There is a good balance between the personal development St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 14 of staff and the wider developmental needs of the school. Arrangements for the induction of new staff are thorough and the school welcomes students undertaking child-related courses at further and higher education institutions.

p.15

Commentary

31. The governance of the school is good and this aspect has improved well since the last inspection. Both chairs of governors work very closely with the headteacher and provide a good steer to the work of the governing body. Governors act as critical friends to the school. They are well aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They have a good understanding of the work of the school and bring a range of expertise to their roles.

p.16

Commentary

32. Teachers are very well supported by the nursery nurses and support staff. There is a very good team spirit amongst all the staff and a very good shared commitment to succeed. Staff are very good role models and make a very positive contribution to children’s learning, attainment and development.

p.16

Commentary

33. Daily routines are well established and the school runs smoothly. Financial management is rigorous and the school actively seeks best value in all its purchases. The school manages its budget effectively. The planned use of the current carry- forward, which is higher than usual, is connected with the building programme and completion of the outdoor environmental area and the re-structuring of staff. The school makes full use of the resources available and the standards achieved indicate that it provides very good value for money.

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 610,378 Balance from previous year 13,118 Total expenditure 558,614 Balance carried forward to the next year 51,762

p.16

What is the effectiveness of the provision for English as an additional language?

The overall quality of the provision for English as an additional language is very good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff are very committed to raising standards across all areas and the very good curriculum supports this well. • Induction procedures are very good. • Teaching and learning are very good and children achieve very well as a result. • The quality of resources is very good and supports learning well. • Assessment procedures are very good. • The development of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • The school has excellent relationships with parents. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 15

p.16

Commentary

34. The number of children for whom English is an additional language has doubled since the last inspection. Children for whom English is an additional language form a significant proportion of the school population. Around two-thirds of the children are from black minority ethnic backgrounds and just over a half are from homes where English is an additional language. Amongst this group of children, almost 40 per cent belong to families from Pakistan who speak Urdu or Punjabi. There are also a significant number of Somali children who speak Somali or Dutch at home. In addition, there are a few families from Bangladesh and India who speak Bangla, Punjabi or Hindi at home. Forty-four per cent of children are at a very early stage of language acquisition in English. Half of these pupils are poor in home language.

p.17

Commentary

35. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery is fully committed to celebrating the rich ethnic diversity of their children and their families, promoting a positive and happy environment that embraces and reflects the different lifestyles in the community. As a result, all children with English as an additional language feel very welcome and happy to come to school.

p.17

Commentary

36. The headteacher, staff and governors are very committed to raising standards in the school for all children. As 23 per cent of the children have no or little language when they come into school, they require considerable support. The headteacher ensures that the curriculum meets their needs. The development across all areas of learning meets the needs of all nursery children well, providing a wealth of first-hand experiences, with a very good curriculum matching this stage of very active learning.

p.17

Commentary

37. EMAS 2 staff are involved in supporting this group of children and their families from when they start at the Nursery. They accompany the Nursery staff visiting the homes of all the new children. This enables them to form very good relationships with children and parents as well as establishing their needs. Where possible, information to parents is given in their own language throughout the year. At the time of the inspection, the Nursery did not have a bilingual speaker for the Somali children but most of the Nursery staff are experienced in working with bilingual families and make good use of their skills, using additional language strategies to aid and develop language acquisition.

p.17

Commentary

38. When children work as often as they do in supported, structured, small group activities, teaching and learning is always very good. Teaching is matched to individual needs with achievements being recognised and celebrated. As a result, all children with English as an additional language achieve very well. The majority are on target to achieve the early learning goals in physical, creative and personal, social and emotional areas of learning. Evidence gleaned from the adjacent primary school shows that children with English as an additional language continue to achieve well in Reception, and meet the required standard in all subjects by the end of Year 1.

p.17

Commentary

39. Teachers and nursery nurses place a very high priority on, and are skilled at, promoting the mathematical and communication, language, and literacy areas of learning. Children are able to see and hear their home languages used routinely in the Nursery. The bilingual pupils in the nursery make very good progress in their English acquisition, hence opportunities to access the other areas of learning for these

p.17

Commentary

EMAS– Ethnic Minority Achievement Service. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 16 children are good. This is due to very effective support and encouragement that help the children to work hard and persevere with their tasks with the teachers and nursery nurses in school.

p.17

Commentary

40. Children’s well-being, achievement and creativity are at the centre of the Nursery and their ideas and opinions are listened to. Children are given a wide range of equipment and experiences to develop their understanding and skills e.g. shadow puppets, music sessions, visits and visitors into school. Activities are based on diverse life styles; for example, making a Shalwar Kameez for a doll, and making chapattis.

p.18

Commentary

41. The assessment procedures are very good. The school makes a thorough assessment of children’s overall development and uses this information to identify which children need extra support. Weekly liaison with parents ensures that they understand their child’s progress or issues and are able to contribute in the decision- making of the provision.

p.18

Commentary

42. The development of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Everybody at the school works very hard to promote awareness of different cultures and beliefs. All children celebrate Christmas, Eid, Diwali and Chinese New Year. All adults are particularly good role models and show respect and value all the children; consequently, the outcome is a racially harmonious Nursery where there are very good relationships between all members of the school community.

p.18

Commentary

43. The school has excellent relationships with parents and has a very good knowledge of the children and their backgrounds. During the school week, parents are encouraged to share their skills and become involved in the life of the school. They regularly contribute to translations of key information in their own language. Staff development includes workshops on cultural awareness on Pakistani Muslim families, Somali families and on African and Caribbean families. The school is very well regarded locally and has a very good reputation for valuing, respecting and expressing creatively the diverse cultures, faiths and ethnicity of the community. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 17

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve very well. • Staff know the children very well and respond very successfully to a wide range of needs. • Relationships with adults and peers are excellent. • The children are very happy and well settled at school. • Experiences encourage interest and a very positive start to learning.

p.19

Commentary

44. Children make very good progress and most are on course to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage 3 . The personal, social and emotional development of most children when they join the school is low compared to the levels normally expected. The school places considerable emphasis on this area of learning and the children achieve very well. The good standards achieved at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained. The staff provide a very stimulating environment and plan exciting and interesting activities that motivate the children and encourage them to want to learn. The quality of teaching and learning is very good.

p.19

Commentary

45. Many children lack confidence and feel insecure when they join the Nursery. Their very limited language skills can make it difficult for them to work and communicate initially. The staff very quickly build very good profiles on each child based on observational assessments. This ensures that the needs of all children, including those with English as an additional language and special educational needs, are very well catered for. The children settle into school very quickly and are very happy and highly motivated in all they do.

p.19

Commentary

46. Staff work very hard to establish a calm environment within each classroom. This helps children to make decisions and work with each other or independently. They develop excellent relationships with each other and the adults that care for them. Staff help children become independent through establishing familiar routines and giving children responsibility. For example, at the beginning of each session, the teacher provides a valuable opportunity for children to register themselves and listen in a group as they are welcomed by an adult. Most children settle quickly to their activities and nursery nurses and teachers support children very well in their learning. Very good opportunities are provided for the children to work outdoors where they can play with each other or work with an adult at a very good range of activities, both indoors and outdoors.

p.19

Commentary

47. Staff know the children very well and a very good range of experiences encourage children to take an interest. The children are very keen to ‘have a go’ with their

p.19

Commentary

The Foundation Stage caters for children from the age of three to the end of the Reception Year. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 18 learning, dress themselves and help tidy up. Most take themselves to the toilet and wash their hands. Older children happily work with others, take turns in the Health Centre, and share books and toys. A few children find this difficult, but staff use a range of successful strategies to ensure that all children participate. Sharing is encouraged at snack time. It provides a very good opportunity for the children to socialise further and to practise saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ – not always an automatic response.

p.19

Commentary

48. All staff are very good role models for the children and all children are treated equally. Staff listen very sensitively to what they have to say and celebrate when children have behaved very well or tried a new activity. Resources are used very well to encourage excitement and interest. For example, preparing pizzas involves making choices of toppings and sharing sensibly with others. The children are very well supported as they explore their feelings in circle time 4 and hang their happy, sad and angry faces on the ‘feelings tree’.

p.20

Commentary

49. Adults make very good use of assessment information to monitor the children’s progress over time. Individual children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language are catered for very well and they achieve very well.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a clear focus on developing the children’s language skills. • Teaching and learning are good. • Adults support the children very well, which enables children of all abilities to achieve very well. • A wide range of high quality resources and experiences supports learning. • Staff make very good use of assessment information to move children’s learning forward.

p.20

Commentary

50. Staff recognise the importance of language development for these children. Most of them enter school with language skills which are low compared to those expected for their age. The quality of teaching and learning is good, and sometimes very good. Children make very good progress overall in relation to their prior attainment. Many are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. A significant minority are on target to exceed these. Children have a wide range of cultural backgrounds and experiences. The school responds very well to individual needs, and places importance on helping children to speak and listen in different situations. This in turn supports very good progress. Children with English as an additional language and special educational needs make very good progress from the time they start school.

p.20

Commentary

We refer to circle time as a positive and inclusive practice, which can be very helpful in supporting children’s social and emotional learning. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 19 51. Staff develop very good relationships with the children and, as a result, the children respond positively to all the activities they are offered. Most children listen well when adults speak or read to them, but for some, their ability to ask a question is more limited. However, the children are given a very good amount of well-focused support and by their actions show that their understanding of what they hear is progressing very well. The children have very good opportunities for speaking and adults are frequently promoting the children’s speaking skills and reinforcing new words.

p.20

Commentary

52. Throughout the school, staff have good questioning skills and encourage children to talk about their learning and listen to what others have to say. Younger children respond well to ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions. Older children acting in role play in the jungle start to expand on each other’s ideas and enjoy taking turns in conversation. For example, ‘In the jungle I can see a tiger creeping up on me’. Children with English as an additional language make very good progress because of regular focused support from staff, adults and visiting teachers.

p.21

Commentary

53. A strength in language and literacy experiences is the very good range and quality of resources. The new library, story sacks and puppets stimulate interest and enjoyment in reading. Children enjoy recreating their favourite stories such as ‘The Three Bears’ and ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruf’. They enjoy reading along with adults and recognise the difference between pictures and words. Many four-year-olds sequence stories, and recall important events. A significant number are starting to recognise common words and link letters with their sounds. Children made very good progress during a story time session based on the story ‘The Sari Game’. They enjoyed being challenged to think of other uses of a sari. Their imaginative ideas were good. ‘Cover me, I will be a tiger’. Other children felt they were beautiful when they used the sari to dress up as a princess.

p.21

Commentary

54. Provision for writing has improved since the last inspection, because staff have developed their own skills in promoting and developing early writing. Good links are made between the spoken and written word. Children are beginning to write for a range of purposes such as producing prescriptions in the ‘doctor’s surgery’. Staff frequently model writing. Children enjoy helping them to complete words and sentences. Staff have high expectations of more confident readers and writers. Children are well supported as they use the computers to develop basic language and literacy skills.

p.21

Commentary

55. Adults make very good use of assessment information to monitor the children’s progress. Staff target additional help for children with special educational needs and this supports very good progress. Extra help for children learning English as an additional language enables them to make very good progress and to communicate and share experiences with others. A very effective range of assessment procedures are used, particularly in adult-guided experiences, enabling staff to track achievement carefully and guide future learning.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Main strengths and weaknesses St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 20 • Staff provide children with a good range of opportunities to develop their mathematical skills and understanding. • All children are well supported by adults. • The monitoring role of the subject leader is not fully developed.

p.21

Commentary

56. Children’s achievement is very good. From a low entry level, many are on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage and higher attainers are on target to exceed them. The children identified as having special educational needs and those withEnglish as an additional language also achieve very well in relation to their starting points as a result of the very good individual support they receive from the staff.

p.22

Commentary

57. Number rhymes, songs and games are used effectively to practise counting and subtraction. For example, children participated enthusiastically in singing songs such as ‘There were five in the bed’ and were keen to predict how many were left. Many opportunities for the promotion of mathematical skills are incorporated successfully into daily routines including sequencing seeds to make a pattern, counting the sides and corners of various shapes, playing with sand and water to develop children’s understanding of measures and spending money in the classroom shop as part of role-play. Numerous visits out of school into the local area promote the development of mathematical skills well, including shopping in the local supermarkets, where children’s basic vocabulary is well extended.

p.22

Commentary

58. Teaching is good. Teachers work very closely with experienced nursery nurses to plan purposeful tasks that respond to children’s interest and encourage their independence at every opportunity. All children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, benefit from the strong emphasis on practical activities. As a result, children are happy, very settled and eager to learn. Staff have established very good relationships with children and their parents. They use very good quality resources well to support learning and regularly note down how well children are doing in their individual learning diaries. The subject leader gives good support to colleagues. She monitors the planning of staff and children’s work on a regular basis, but has not yet had the opportunity to monitor teaching.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

• The very good use made of the outdoor and indoor classroom for exploration and investigation. • All children achieve well because of the very good strategies the teachers use, which are focused on developing children's skills through a practical, imaginative curriculum. • There are excellent visits and high quality resources, which broaden the children’s experiences. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 21

p.22

Commentary

59. When the children enter Nursery, many of them have few experiences to draw upon. Teaching and learning in the structured taught small groups is very good and all children achieve well. This method is particularly helpful for children whose home language is not English. Teachers are skilled at helping children to understand and guide them with their underdeveloped language skills.

p.23

Commentary

60. The children are given very good opportunities to be confident investigators, examine objects and living things. Activities are planned to stimulate children's curiosity and enhance their understanding, for example using the activity Dora the Explorer to look at a herb garden as a basis for exploring the senses of smell, touch, hearing and sight, using magnifying glasses to look at centipedes and slugs, investigating mirrors, magnets and exploring properties of materials, understanding floating and sinking and experimenting with ice and watching it melt. Children are aware of light and dark, giving simple explanations of what happens after experimenting with shadows.

p.23

Commentary

61. Natural science activities are an integral part of the curriculum. The garden is a resource rich in opportunities for exploring science ideas. For example, the children became very curious when they were shown frog spawn, planted seeds and bulbs, and observed ladybird eggs very carefully until they hatched and eventually flew away. The visit to the farm and the pets brought into school help the children observe animals at close range and the wormery in the classroom puzzled some of the children, as ‘they did not know what they ate’. All the children are given a wide range of equipment and experiences to develop their understanding and skills. They experience planting seeds, bulbs, peas, and beans and taking part in mini beast hunts.

p.23

Commentary

62. Children have a good understanding of their environment from the many visits they make to the shops which represent different cultures, the parks, the City Farm and taking a bus into Bristol city centre to ride on the ferry. These take place often because of the effective support and encouragement from the teachers, parents and other adults in school.

p.23

Commentary

63. Everybody at the school works very hard to promote awareness of different cultures and beliefs. All children celebrate Christmas, Eid, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. Computer skills are well taught on a daily basis. Staff build up children's confidence in using the computer. As a result, they have positive attitudes and display a good level of competence on the computer. Children’s learning diaries and the very good use made of the digital camera to capture the children’s learning help towards assessing each child’s achievement. The subject leader has begun to monitor teaching, planning and learning on a regular basis.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical education is very good .

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• All children achieve very well due to the very good range of activities provided on a regular basis. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 22 • Teaching is very good where quality resources are very well used to ensure learning is very effective. • The monitoring role of the subject leader is not fully developed.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

64. Children make very good progress in physical development and achieve very well. Most are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage and many will exceed them.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

65. Child-chosen activities provide a very wide range of opportunities to encourage children’s physical development. Staff draw on a very good range of learning resources to ensure a good mix of activities that develop hand and eye co-ordination and the finer skills. Children enjoy playing musical instruments, which was well demonstrated by the lively session using large and small drums to make the sounds of wind and thunder as part of a story.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

66. The school has very good outdoor resources to help develop children’s physical skills, including a wide range of large wheeled vehicles, tyres, skittles, balls and remote control cars. Fixed play equipment at the adjoining primary school provides plenty of opportunity and variety for children to climb and travel in different ways besides stimulating imaginative play. Good use is also made of the local park equipment such as the roundabout, climbing equipment and slide. Most children are very confident in their use of this equipment and demonstrate good co-ordination and balance.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

67. Teaching is very good. In classroom activities, staff pay very close attention to developing children’s accuracy in using various tools such as scissors, rollers and paintbrushes of different sizes. They actively promote the correct way of holding pencils, markers and crayons and are fully aware of the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Staff intervene appropriately to help children develop and improve their skills and improve confidence during outside activities. Staff know the children well and pay good attention to the children’s physical welfare. Children with physical difficulties are looked after well and given the very good support they need. Children with English as an additional language integrate very quickly into all physical activities and thoroughly enjoy working together and taking turns. The subject leader has worked hard to

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

improve provision in this area of learning. She monitors planning and children’s work, but has not had the opportunity to monitor teaching.

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Staff provide a wide range of activities to stimulate children’s creativity. • Children achieve very well due to very good teaching. • The children are encouraged to think and talk about their experiences. • Children are very well supported by all adults.

p.24

Commentary

St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 23 68. Children make very good progress due to very good teaching and a rich creative curriculum. This includes children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. Most children are on target to meet the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. A significant number are on target to exceed these. Adults plan a very good range of artistic experiences for all children. In all activities, a very good appreciation of children’s learning needs successfully helps children to achieve very well. The skills of a visiting musician are used very well to develop skills and knowledge. These sessions are very interesting and dynamic. During one very well planned session, children made very good progress in their singing games and sound games. This was due to all the staff in this session being very good role models. Children were very keen to guess which animals were inside

p.25

Commentary

the box and readily demonstrated what sounds they made. They sang tunefully and demonstrated a good sense of pitch and rhythm.

p.25

Commentary

69. Younger children especially enjoy sand play. They concentrate very well and co- operate well with a partner to solve a problem, such as how to get compacted sand out of a bucket and build a castle. They are very keen to handle and mould sand.

p.25

Commentary

70. Children enjoy using the light table to create different patterns and effects and especially enjoy creating silhouettes and scenes for their shadow play. They have created very good quality marbling pictures: ‘I enjoyed squeezing the paint gently on the water’; ‘I liked giving it a little swizzle with a stick’. Adults are very good role models and take every opportunity to develop children’s language and encourage them to talk about their experiences.

p.25

Commentary

71. The curriculum is very good. It is very rich. Children are invited to explore colour using paints. They produced some very good Islamic tile printings and enjoyed building a house together. They made a good range of kites to fly and experimented with sewing with golden thread. They created trains out of cardboard boxes and created little faces using clay. They are provided with an excellent range of opportunities of working with professional artists. They have been inspired by cubist art and made a very good range of sculptures after looking at some work by Barbara Hepworth. This area of learning provides very well for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.25

Commentary

72. In both adult-led and child-chosen activities, staff are very keen to promote children’s confidence in experimenting and trying different ways to express themselves. There is very good use made of assessment to plan the next steps in learning. Displays in classrooms and corridors are of a very good quality and help to provide a very bright, stimulating and purposeful environment for children to work in. St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 24

p.25

The overall effectiveness of the school 2

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

p.26

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2

Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.26

The quality of education provided by the school 2

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.26

The leadership and management of the school 3

The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 3 St Werburgh’s Park Nursery School - 25 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.26