Church Hill Nursery School

103028 Unique Reference Number Waltham Forest LEA LEA 276809 Inspection number 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006 Inspection dates Nick Butt AI Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Woodbury Road School address Nursery Type of school Walthamstow Community School category London E17 9SB 3 to 4 Age range of pupils 02085204919 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02085209196 Fax number 77 Number on roll Susan Peacham Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Sandra Campbell Headteacher 30 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276809 24 April 2006 - 3 to 4 25 April 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

The school serves a mixed urban area with local authority and privately owned housing. Almost two thirds of the children come from minority ethnic groups, a significant number being Pakistani. Half the children speak English as an additional language, many at an early stage of acquisition. Urdu and Panjabi are the main first languages. There are five children with learning difficulties, of whom one has a statement. The school is designated to become a Children's Centre in 2007. It has Investors in People and Healthy Schools awards.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Church Hill Nursery, 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006

p.3

Grade: 1

This is a first-rate and inclusive school providing a very high standard of education. It is a little corner of paradise, with dreamlike grounds where children can run and play to their hearts' content. Excellent leadership and management have built up an extremely effective team of adults, who equip children very well with the skills they will need to become lifelong learners. The school correctly believes its capacity to improve is excellent, but is too modest in judging the overall effectiveness as good. This is actually outstanding. Children enter the school with standards that are, in general, below those typically found in three year-olds. By the time they leave, most of them are reaching standards above what is normally expected on entry to primary school. This very good progress is because of extremely effective teaching. As one parent put it, 'The range of resources and learning experiences is truly wonderful'. Staff know the children really well, and

p.4

Grade: 1

innovative ways of recording progress mean that planning is very well tailored to their individual needs. The school now wants to develop more sophisticated systems for measuring the progress of different groups of children, such as those from minority ethnic groups. Children's personal development is excellent because of the emphasis on building social skills and the superb role models provided by all members of staff. Children love coming to school and their parents wholeheartedly support its work. It is an even better school now than it was at the time of the last inspection and provides excellent value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

* use and interpret data to monitor the performance of different groups of children, such as those from minority ethnic groups

p.4

Grade: 1

Children enter the school with a wide range of abilities, but a majority have standards that are below what is normally expected. This is especially the case in personal and social development and in language skills. Children's very good progress stems from high quality teaching and learning. Planning is closely linked to their needs and based on a very strong knowledge of their abilities. All adults have very high expectations and encourage and inspire children. A rich and stimulating learning environment, especially outdoors, builds confidence and promotes independence. Most children reach standards above those normally expected by the time they leave the Nursery. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities are fully integrated and make excellent progress. The same is true of those children who speak English as an additional language, because the curriculum is carefully planned to meet their needs, for example

p.4

Grade: 1

by using visual aids. Specific provision is made for more able children, who benefit 2 Inspection Report: Church Hill Nursery, 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006 from challenging activities to extend their understanding. In one such session on 2D shape, a girl observed, 'That's not a circle, its' an oval!'

p.4

Grade: 1

Children's personal development is outstanding because of the emphasis of the whole staff on building self-esteem and promoting positive values. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The Nursery celebrates its multi-cultural diversity extremely well and encourages parents to share their traditions. Children frequently experience awe and wonder because of the imaginative and exciting activities they enjoy. For example, some children became potters by spinning mini-wheels on which to shape their clay. They know about healthy lifestyles and get plenty of exercise and fresh air from constant use of the extensive outdoor areas. One girl said, 'I brush my teeth after lunch to make them clean.' Children show care and consideration when using tools, such as hammer and nails, and when playing outside with the wheeled toys. They make parents welcome and help to look after younger children on the

p.5

Grade: 1

weekly Visiting Days. They are bursting with enthusiasm and joy, and behaviour is excellent. Attendance is satisfactory. The school is working to discourage families from taking extended trips abroad during term time. The school's focus on teaching basic skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT and its success in developing the whole child, places children firmly on the path to becoming lifelong learners.

p.5

Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding because all members of staff have very high expectations of the children and know their individual needs really well. Children are assigned a link worker, who has time to observe them and to make clear assessments about their progress. Daily meetings of all staff are held to share such information and a very detailed picture is built up of children's achievements. Planning then contains targets for different children. There is absolute consistency in approach and method, so that children receive similarly high quality experiences whichever adult they are working with. In particular, children's language is developed and their understanding extended through skilled questioning. This was evident when a teacher used the story of Goldilocks to encourage children to make books and tell the story back to her. The needs of children with learning difficulties and disabilities are extremely well served.

p.5

Grade: 1

All adults are patient and kind, bringing out the best in children. A structured programme to support children whose first language is not English means they make very rapid progress. 3 Inspection Report: Church Hill Nursery, 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006

p.5

Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. Children enjoy a rich variety of stimulating and imaginative activities that reflect the huge wealth of skills and experience of all members of staff. This enables learning to take place rapidly and gets them off to a flying start, including those children at the early stages of learning English. The garden and grounds are an exceptional resource, heaving with play structures, a wildlife area and pond, a hill, grassed areas and mature shrubs and trees. It makes a very strong contribution in all areas of children's learning. A permanent covered resource-base enables children to work outdoors whatever the weather. The curriculum is very well adapted to take account of individual need. For example, younger children are given a series of short lively activities because they have reduced concentration spans. The ethos is to build up independence and for children to take more responsibility, so they are often presented with choices. This was seen when

p.6

Grade: 1

children programmed a toy robot to visit different shops on a street plan. Children's experiences are enriched through regular visits to places of interest and making the most of parents' talents. Visiting Days bring in families to share and enjoy the life of the Nursery, and enable staff to meet younger siblings.

p.6

Grade: 1

Provision for care, guidance and support is outstanding. Adults know all the children as individuals and have created a safe and nurturing environment. The school has extremely effective links with parents. Through weekly Visiting Days, staff get to know young families and younger siblings who will be coming to the Nursery, and can identify needs very early. Very thorough and friendly induction procedures build on this knowledge and set parents at ease. Excellent support is put in place for children at the early stages of learning English, so that they come on in leaps and bounds. The school's outstanding way of recording individual progress ensures that there is a shared understanding of all children's achievements, whatever their level of ability, and what the next steps in learning should be. The school is developing ways of measuring the attainment of groups of children and observing trends over time. Child protection

p.6

Grade: 1

procedures are robust and regularly updated, and all risk assessments are in place.

p.6

Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding because the headteacher provides excellent leadership and has built a highly successful team, whose combined skills and experience offer children the highest quality education.This means that they achieve very well and attain high standards by the time they leave. The headteacher is very ably supported by the Senior Teacher, and governors are fully involved in the life of the school. All adults work together extremely effectively, providing a consistent 4 Inspection Report: Church Hill Nursery, 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006 approach in everything they do. This gives the children confidence and security, so that they are not afraid to take responsibility or to become more independent. The school is self-critical and embraces change enthusiastically. Courses for parents and regular Visiting Days have strengthened links with families. Preparation for a Children's Centre on site will extend this involvement further. Governors have been

p.6

Grade: 1

active in raising the profile of the Nursery within the community, and have successfully worked with the school to obtain additional support in speech therapy. The school monitors its work effectively and has a clear idea about its many strengths and what it needs to do next to improve further. Occasionally, the focus is too much on what the school is providing, rather then what different groups of children are getting out of it, such as those who speak English as an additional language. Its ethos of inclusion is welcomed and appreciated by parents, who feel their views are readily taken into account. One parent commented, 'Everyone at Church Hill puts their heart and soul in the children.' The continuous improvement since the last inspection shows that the school is extremely well placed to get even better in the future. 5 Inspection Report: Church Hill Nursery, 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006 .

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Church Hill Nursery, 24 April 2006 to 25 April 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise NA Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse NA Learners are educated about sexual health

p.10

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

p.10

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Children I wanted to write to thank you all for being so friendly to me and making me feel so welcome for the two days that I spent with you. I enjoyed talking to you and seeing you having such a fun time with all the interesting things you were doing. I think your school is absolutely wonderful. The adults care for you really well and set out exciting activities for you to do. I love your garden. I think I could happily spend all day there. There is so much for you to do and enjoy. I was pleased to see that you get along so well together, and how kind you are to one another. It was good to see you taking turns and helping other children. The older children look after the younger ones very nicely. The adults are very good at giving you things to do that will interest you, and they know just what you need to enjoy Nursery even more. I think they are very clever. I have said to them that if they can put

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

everything they know about you on the computer they will be even more clever! Perhaps they will show you when they have done it. Thank you once again for making me so happy. I will take away many happy memories of your lovely Nursery. Yours sincerely, Mr. Nick Butt, Lead Inspector.

p.11