Broomhall Nursery School

Inspection Report Broomhall Nursery School

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106973 Unique Reference Number Sheffield LEA 277672 Inspection number 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 Inspection dates Ms Joyce Taylor CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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

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4 Broomhall Road School address Nursery Type of school Sheffield Community School category South Yorkshire S10 2DN 3 to 5 Age range of pupils 0114 2721453 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0114 2738994 Fax number 113 Number on roll Mrs Sally Smith Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Gill Peacock Headteacher 6 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277672 26 April 2006 - 3 to 5 27 April 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Broomhall Nursery is a recently designated Children's Centre, combining the resources of a Nursery School and Early Years Centre to meet the needs of children nought to five years and their families. The children in the Nursery classes attend for part-time sessions of two and a half hours in either the morning or the afternoon. Some of these children remain on-site all day, attending extended care facilities as well as their Nursery session. The Nursery serves the immediate disadvantaged community and the more affluent areas in the south west of the city. The pupil population therefore is very diverse. Almost 40% of the children have English as an additional language. A small number of children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and some have statements of special educational need. Several children are from areas experiencing high levels of social and economic difficulties and some may leave at short notice thus influencing

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Broomhall Nursery School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with several outstanding features that are better than in the school's own evaluation of itself. Leadership and management are exceptional. The headteacher has an extremely clear grasp of how to move the school forward. The children's personal development and their care and support are excellent. Teaching is good. The children achieve well and generally reach above average standards by the time they leave. Standards in aspects of early reading and writing are average for some children and, for these aspects, achievement is satisfactory. Assessment profiles clearly show how well children are learning but have yet to be used to aid the planning of specific learning targets. The curriculum is satisfactory but there are some aspects of it that limit the range of learning opportunities for the children. The capacity to improve is excellent. Since the time of the last inspection, the school

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Grade: 2

has extended provision to include childcare alongside education. New initiatives are changing and improving the work of the school without reducing the very high quality of support the school provides for the children. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use assessment data to identify the next steps in children's learning and to identify specific targets for children to reach. • Strengthen the links between class activities and outdoor learning opportunities. • Provide more opportunities for children to extend their decision making skills.

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Grade: 2

The children's achievement is good. Overall, they start in the Nursery with standards that are typical for their age. About a quarter begin with higher than average standards and a similar proportion start with difficulties linked to speaking and communication, mostly due to understanding English as an additional language. By the time the children leave the Nursery, most reach standards above those expected, and in personal and physical development many reach even higher standards. Children's level of achievement in speaking and listening and mathematics is high whilst in aspects of early reading and writing it is satisfactory. The few children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve as well as the others. Their needs are identified early and outside assistance is frequently sought to advise staff and provide support. As a result, the children who show an early gift for some aspect of their learning are supported effectively and reach the higher levels

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Grade: 2

that are appropriate for them. Several members of staff have received additional training which has enabled more effective support for those children with difficulties and the more able learners, speeding their progress as a result. The children who speak 2 Inspection Report: Broomhall Nursery School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 English as an additional language achieve well and achievement is outstanding for some who reach above average standards by the time they leave the Nursery.

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Grade: 1

This is outstanding. Children thoroughly enjoy being at school and their parents say they look forward to each day. The children now represent many more ethnic groupings than at the time of the last inspection and learning about cultural diversity is an exceptionally strong feature of the school. All children concentrate and work independently on their activities for long periods of time. They are ready to resolve problems by themselves. One child helped herself to a toy; 'I had that one first' her friend said, only to be told, 'No, you've got this other one'. The children's behaviour is exceptionally good and the classrooms are quiet and harmonious. Children settle extremely quickly when they move to the Nursery. Those who move directly from the 'toddler care' available on-site have already played frequently with the older children and investigated their classrooms. Children new to the school visit over several days

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Grade: 1

and all parents are invited to stay as long as they like to ensure children settle well. Children respond very well to the messages about healthy lifestyles. The breakfast club introduces unusual fruit and one child, setting up her own version of the breakfast table in the role play area, included a large fruit bowl. Visits to the local area help children understand they are part of a wider community, for example, by planting wild flowers in a local environmental area. Attendance is broadly satisfactory and the school uses numerous effective strategies to encourage improvement.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Staff work effectively to extend children's learning and provide them with the self-assurance to explore new resources confidently. They sit with children and discuss their work to encourage and improve their speaking, listening and investigation skills. Children are helped to broaden their knowledge by looking closely at frogspawn, for example, or studying their own features in a mirror whilst staff question and explain. Classroom management is good and staff are friendly and warm towards the children. All groups of children receive effective support that enables them to make good progress overall. Assessment and monitoring systems record the children's progress as they move through the school. Data is beginning to provide a longer term view to show how much progress children make during their time in Nursery. The assessments are also used to clarify children's standards against what is typical nationally, enabling staff to

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Grade: 2

identify whether or not children reach average expectations. As yet, activities in classes and outdoors are not generally planned with attention to earlier assessments, so tasks do not target children's different abilities often enough. 3 Inspection Report: Broomhall Nursery School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. Interesting activities provide a wide choice helping children make good progress. At the creative tables, for example, access to paint, glue and collage materials encourages the children to pursue tasks thoughtfully. However, staff rather than the children select the resources. As a result, the finished work falls within the adults' expectations rather than providing for flights of individual creativity. Resources are good, particularly in the very attractive outdoor area. Ladders and frames encourage climbing, scrambling and swinging, and enticing nooks invite children into secret hideaways. Learning topics are interesting and staff provide a good level of information. However, there are too few opportunities for the children to extend their learning by designing their outdoor play around what they may have learned in classes. All staff are expert at supporting the children's personal development, and the

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Grade: 3

curriculum for personal, social and emotional development is very effective. Staff intervene instantly to remind children to be kind to each other. When two little boys fell out, having them shake hands ended the conflict and they happily resumed their activities. The school has worked hard to ensure a calm and caring community.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support for children are outstanding. All staff know the children extremely well and react very quickly when children appear unsure or parents raise concerns. The school works effectively with outside agencies and parents to ensure children receive any additional support they may need, especially for vulnerable pupils, those identified with English as an additional language or with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Children's personal skills are strongly developed, for example, in talking over difficulties and explaining why some behaviour causes problems. The assessment of children's work is detailed and helps teachers identify what children have mastered. As yet, this data is not used to set targets. Extremely thoughtful notes of children's personal development record their well-being alongside their standards. The development of these young learners is very clearly documented.

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Grade: 1

Child protection procedures are in place and appropriate safety checks are made on all adults who work with the children. Accidents involving pupils are quickly and effectively managed and detailed records are maintained. Thorough risk assessments are carried out in advance of school trips and around school generally. Children are highly valued and treated with great consideration. They trust and like the adults they work with and feel completely confident and secure in classes and outdoors.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. In only three terms, the headteacher has successfully resolved significant historical concerns over reductions in the number 4 Inspection Report: Broomhall Nursery School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 of staff and the need to unite two teams of workers in the building. She knows exactly what is going on in the school and what needs attention, for example, having made detailed arrangements to improve the curriculum. She has an exceptionally clear view of how to move the school forward. The extent of her influence is best seen in the significant degree to which she has strengthened provision for personal development for vulnerable children, with outstanding development of children's skills in this area. Evaluations to maintain and improve the children's learning have been far reaching and have resulted in children experiencing, for example, excellent continuity as they

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Grade: 1

move from the toddler provision into the Nursery classes. New and highly appropriate initiatives, such as rigorous assessments of the children's learning, are beginning to show the children's rate of progress and where strengths and weaknesses in provision lie. The school improvement plan clearly identifies ongoing priorities, for example, the need to strengthen the curriculum. The governors make a very effective contribution to the school. They strongly support the work of the school and readily offer their professional skills, several in aspects of childcare, to help the school's projects reach successful conclusions. The school serves the community extremely well by boosting less confident families and providing opportunities for parents to extend their own learning. Several parents have contributed their time as volunteers. The school is flourishing and has an excellent capacity for further improvement.

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Grade: 1

5 Inspection Report: Broomhall Nursery School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006 .

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Broomhall Nursery School, 26 April 2006 to 27 April 2006

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Overall

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

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 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

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

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

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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 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

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

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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.

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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 1 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 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your help when I visited your school last month. I enjoyed talking with you about your work and finding out about the things you like doing. I found that your school is particularly good. Your headteacher is terrific at spotting what needs improving and she knows how to make things better. Your school helps you settle happily and play well with your friends. You enjoy being in school; you get on well together and are kind and helpful to each other. You work hard and reach high standards. Your teachers also work hard and are good at helping you learn quickly. I think your school could be even better if you had more opportunities to investigate when you are playing outdoors and if you had more chance to organise some things for yourselves. Your teachers know you very well and could give you activities that make you think really hard. I have asked your teachers to arrange this. I would like those of you who do not attend regularly enough, to come to Nursery each day to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

benefit from the many opportunities open to you. You are enthusiastic and I hope you carry on enjoying school and helping your teachers make Broomhall Nursery a good place for learning.

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