The Lawns Nursery School

Inspection Report The Lawns Nursery School

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109758 Unique Reference Number Windsor and Maidenhead LEA LEA 278260 Inspection number 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006 Inspection dates Jo Curd AI Reporting inspector

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

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Imperial Road School address Nursery Type of school Windsor Maintained School category SL4 3RU 3 to 5 Age range of pupils 01753 865351 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01753 865351 Fax number 120 Number on roll Mrs Pamela Baldwin Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sian Thomas Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278260 8 May 2006 - 3 to 5 9 May 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The Lawns is a large nursery school maintained by the local authority. It has 156 places. Of the children on roll, thirty four stay all day. Most of these children have attended pre-school. Children's backgrounds are socially diverse, most are of white British heritage. The number that would be eligible for free school meals is lower than average. There are currently sixteen children with learning difficulties or disabilities, none of these have statements, but most receive additional early years funding. Twelve children have English as an additional language, one is at the early stages of learning this. The school is set to become a Children's Centre, though plans for accommodation and funding have not yet been finalised.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Lawns Nursery School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. Staff and governors know their school well. The fact that some of their self evaluation judgements are lower than inspection findings is due to their desire to improve further rather than limited knowledge about themselves. They are correct in judging their nursery as outstanding. Although there were no significant areas for development at the last inspection staff are not complacent and the nursery has developed well since then. Staff and governors successfully strive to make it even better, as the head teacher says they are 'continually forward looking' and there is very good capacity for improvement to continue. The Lawns provides excellent value for money. Leadership and management are outstanding. Teaching is good with outstanding features and all the children are making good progress. By the time they leave the nursery standards in all areas of learning are good. Staff listen intently to children.

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Grade: 1

They skilfully and successfully use frequent assessments to plan and modify an outstanding curriculum. Personal development is outstanding. All the children make particularly good progress in developing confidence and independence, though not all of them are involved in putting things away at the end of sessions. They are happy, well behaved and most are eager to come to nursery and keen to learn. Care, guidance and support are outstanding, all the children and families are valued, know how well they are doing and know how they can improve even further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Monitor the involvement of all the children at the very end of sessions so that they all take responsibility for resources and make good progress in this aspect of their personal development.

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Grade: 2

Although there is a great diversity in standards of children starting at the nursery most are in line with national expectations. Due to good teaching and learning all, including those with English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties and disabilities, make good progress and many exceed national expectations by the time they leave. Staff have high expectations for children's development and most successfully rise to meet, or exceed, these. Published results of national assessments made in the summer term do not always show this good progress as many of the older children have moved into school by this stage. All the children make particularly good progress in personal and social development especially in developing confidence and independence which are successfully promoted at almost every opportunity. 2 Inspection Report: The Lawns Nursery School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006

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Grade: 1

Children's progress in personal development and well-being is outstanding. They are keen to come to school, very well behaved and eager to learn. Attendance is good. Children's confidence and independence are strongly and successfully encouraged. They help themselves to drinks and fruit when they choose and move between activities calmly and purposefully. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are outstanding. Warm relationships throughout the nursery, links with a nursery in Africa, a range of visitors, stimulating practical activities and exciting exploration of the garden shrubbery all contribute well to these. Children settle at, and concentrate on activities very well. They enjoy these with other children or peacefully and reflectively on their own. They are successfully developing healthy lifestyles through fresh fruit snacks and active play outside. They use resources and equipment carefully and safely.

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Grade: 1

Staff listen intently to children's ideas and suggestions and work effectively to help them put these into practice. They actively seek children's views on the nursery and how this can be improved through an appropriate 'school council'. Children's contribution to shaping daily activities and future provision of the nursery is outstanding. For example, it was the children's idea to change the flush system of the lavatories and to introduce a treasure box for children to explore in the nursery foyer. Good progress in learning provides a firm foundation for children's later development and economic well being. Not all children help well with tidying up at the end of sessions however, preferring to carry on with activities or take refreshments. Staff do not always notice or rectify this.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good with some outstanding features. Activities are well matched to individual children's interests and needs as they are based on careful, detailed and frequent recorded assessments of children's learning. Learning is successfully extended and challenged through high expectations and imaginative teaching. For example, an older high attaining boy took photographs of potato planting with the nursery's digital camera, displayed these on the interactive white board and explained them to others. Children who have learning difficulties or disabilities are supported extremely well. An assessment based on 'involvement and well being', is used in each child's third week at nursery and successfully identifies any who may need extra support with accessing activities or mixing with others. Other additional needs are quickly identified through ongoing assessments. Staff act effectively to

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Grade: 2

address these. Planning, which covers all the required areas of learning well, is thorough, detailed and flexible. Resources for all areas of learning are varied, attractive and of good quality. Time is used well to maximise learning. There is a very good balance of, 3 Inspection Report: The Lawns Nursery School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006 and smooth transition between, adult led and child chosen activities in each session. Accommodation is currently sufficiently spacious and used extremely well.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. It is totally based on children's interests, ideas and needs, enabling them to make good progress in all six areas of learning. Children's ideas and interests contribute well to daily activities and longer term plans. The curriculum covers all the nationally required elements and is sufficiently varied to motivate, support and extend each child. It is embedded in practical active learning through play, which successfully promotes learning. Full use is made of all the nursery's facilities indoors and out in all weathers. A wide range of activities outside contribute particularly well to children's exercise and health. The curriculum is imaginative and encourages children to persevere and take wise risks, for example, learning to ride a two wheeled bicycle even if it means occasionally falling off. This has lasting effects on children's confidence and future approach to learning and life. Children enjoy a

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Grade: 1

wide range of additional special activities such as massage sessions, visits from the fire service, puppeteers and a yoga teacher and visits out to farms, shops and the local community.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding. All the children are known well by staff through effective questioning, sensitive listening, close observation and careful assessment. Because staff are skilled and have high expectations for all aspects of learning and development they use this information very well to ensure that learning, personal development and well being are maximised for each child. Staff are very sensitive to individual children's needs, for example, parents or carers are encouraged to stay with children for as long as it takes them to settle when they start at the nursery. Parents value the fact that all the staff, especially the head teacher, know them and their child well. Parents are guided well in the information they are given about their child's development and through courses such as 'the stress free family' and 'language through play'. Children develop a good understanding of how well they

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Grade: 1

are getting on through frequent and appropriate praise from staff. Children also help, guide and support each other well. For example, a young boy suggested that two girls squabbling over a toy should share it instead. Comments from staff include helpful and sensitive suggestions of how children can improve or some possible next steps of learning. Mechanisms for child protection and safety are secure and thorough. There is a very strong emphasis on provision for and development of all aspects of children's health and well being. 4 Inspection Report: The Lawns Nursery School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 2006

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The head teacher, who has been at the nursery for less than two years, has developed the nursery very well. Changes include improved team work, increased outdoor play and stronger involvement of parents. She knows the nursery, foundation stage curriculum, child development and individual children extremely well and is very ably sharing her expertise with others. Governors are keen, astute, supportive and challenging. Many are actively involved in daily activities and support the nursery in a diversity of ways such as sewing clothes for imaginative play. Curriculum coordinators monitor, review and develop their areas and children's achievements in them well. Inclusion of all children and families is given high priority. Their various needs are met flexibly and well. All who are involved in the nursery work extremely well together and teamwork amongst staff is seamless.

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Grade: 1

Self-evaluation, monitoring and review are extremely effective. There is a lack of complacency and all staff strive together to continually improve the nursery's provision and overall development of all the children. One parent said 'I didn't think the nursery could get any better but it has.' Staff and governors are actively committed to training and development, including travel to see excellent provision abroad. Resources and accommodation are currently suitable and used extremely well. Capacity for improvement is very good. Links with other schools and external agencies are highly effective and are used well to disseminate good practice and improve provision. 5 Inspection Report: The Lawns Nursery School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 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: The Lawns Nursery School, 8 May 2006 to 9 May 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 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

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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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 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 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

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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 Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes 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

Children Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when I came to visit your nursery. I enjoyed being with you, watching you play and seeing some of your work. I think that your nursery is outstanding, which means it is very, very good. You all behave well, have fun, work hard and nearly all of you are very happy to be at The Lawns. Your teachers know you very well and work hard to help you with your learning. They make sure that there are lots of fun things to do which will be interesting and help you to learn even more. They know that you can all do well. I was pleased to see how well most of you help with the tidying up. I noticed that some of you carry on playing or have a drink instead of helping. It would be better if you all helped so that you are all good at it and all work together to get the job done. I have asked your teachers to watch carefully to see that you all help and get better at this.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have also asked that grown ups make sure there is always enough space and time for learning and fun at the Lawns, especially if there are any changes there in future. With best wishes Jo Curd Lead Inspector

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