Adderley Nursery School

Adderley Childrens Centre Inspection report

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103140 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 286572 Inspection number 11 July 2007 Inspection date Joyce Cox Reporting inspector

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

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Children's centre Type of school Community School category 0 °4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 126 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Yasmin Akhtar Chair Kay Gould Headteacher 1 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection 1, St Saviour Road School address Saltley Birmingham B8 1HN

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0121 4644183 Telephone number 0121 3279367 Fax number

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0-4 Age group 11 July 2007 Inspection date 286572 Inspection number .

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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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Adderley was designated a children's centre in 2005 having been an early excellence centre from 2002. It provides an extensive range of integrated services and day care facilities for families and children as well as full and part-time Nursery provision for children aged three and four. Many of the children who attend the centre come from families that face considerably challenging social and economic circumstances. Children's attainment when they start in the Nursery is well below the expected levels and particularly low in their communication, personal and social skills. An above average number of children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The majority of the children are from minority ethnic backgrounds and a large number of children are at an early stage of learning English and are supported in their preferred languages, which include Urdu, Punjabi/Mirpuri, Bengali, Pushto and Gujerati.

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Description of the school

The centre has secured many awards for its work, including an Achievement Award, a Partnership Award and the Birmingham Quality Framework Gold Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good centre with outstanding features. One parent, summing up the views of many, wrote, 'There is a very good calibre of staff, a positive environment and excellent management.' Staff are skilled in providing care, support and encouragement. This ensures that children's achievement is good in all areas of learning and that they are well equipped for their future education. Children love coming to the centre because the experienced and well-established staff sensitively encourage them to become confident and happy learners, prepared to try out new experiences and activities. By the time they leave, many children are working at the levels which are set for their age, particularly in their creative, physical, personal and social skills. An interesting indoor curriculum and an excellent outdoor environment, combined with good teaching, provide constant enjoyment, excitement and adventure. Children's individual learning

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Grade: 2

needs are identified and met because assessment is good. However, it is not yet possible to track children's progress easily from birth to age four. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities flourish, and their achievement is excellent because they are given a curriculum that matches their needs exceptionally well. Good provision for children with English as an additional language, coupled with talented bilingual staff, enables children to make good progress in learning English and to achieve well. More able children are identified but are not always provided with sufficient chances to improve their early writing skills. Adults have good relationships with each other and with the children and inspire confidence and success. The children's behaviour and attitudes are good and contribute much to their good achievement. The headteacher and the senior leadership team provide good leadership and management. This is reflected in the skilful ways in which the centre has

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Grade: 2

successfully evaluated and refined its work over many years. Good improvement has been made since the last inspection and there is a good capacity to build on the centre's many strengths. Governors provide a good level of support to the school and a satisfactory level of challenge. The centre works exceptionally well with other agencies. It has also established excellent relationships with parents, who express complete confidence in the staff and in the services they provide.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure more able children have sufficient opportunities to practise their early writing skills. ■ Devise a way to track children's progress easily from birth to age four.

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Grade: 2

Children's achievement is good. Children make good progress across all areas of learning and exceptionally good progress in their creative, physical, personal and social development. Many children reach the expected levels by the time they leave. However, more able children are not encouraged as much as they might be to practise their early writing skills. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities progress through their targets at a very good rate and achieve exceptionally well. Children with English as an additional language are encouraged to use their home languages and this helps them to build English language skills as well as extending their mother tongue. As a result, they achieve well and make rapid progress in speaking English. One 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007 parent writes, 'English is my child's second language and she can speak English fluently and

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Grade: 2

has learned her numbers and enjoys having a good time.'

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Grade: 2

Children's personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. They love coming to the centre and quickly grow in confidence and self-esteem so that they are able to make their own decisions and select their own activities. Attendance is satisfactory but sometimes affected by families taking extended holidays and children developing early childhood illnesses. Children's social skills develop exceptionally well so that they work effectively with others and cooperate well with adults. They know the difference between right and wrong and do their best to behave well and to be kind to each other. They learn to appreciate different cultures, faiths and languages. Children derive enormous enjoyment through participating in the wide range of interesting activities available for them and are very willing to try new things. They know which foods are good for them because they

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Grade: 2

proudly grow a large selection of fruit and vegetables in the centre's garden, which are cooked in the kitchen and enjoyed at lunchtimes. Children also love helping to use their fruit and vegetables to cook soups and curries in the centre's learning kitchen. The excellent outdoor facilities enable children to learn the importance of exercise because they enjoy daily physical activities such as climbing and balancing and running in the forest area. The centre works very closely with family groups to reinforce the importance of healthy eating and exercise so parents can support their children's well-being at home. The skills children learn and the independence they develop prepare them well for later life.

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Grade: 2

Staff work hard as a well organised and effective team to plan carefully for children's different needs and interests. Activities are stimulating and exciting and enable children to be actively engaged. Most importantly, children's learning is made fun so that they want to join in. More able children are not always encouraged to develop their mark making skills. For instance, staff write children's names on their work when clearly some children can do this for themselves. Adults use language carefully, often slipping between English and children's home languages to ensure children understand their learning. Children are encouraged to make choices and work together which effectively supports their personal development. There is a good balance of adult-directed and child-selected activities. Small group teaching is particularly effective. However, some staff are more successful than others at intervening when children are engaged

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Grade: 2

in their chosen activities to extend children's learning.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum meets children's needs well. Staff undertake detailed analysis of each child's needs and interests and increasingly are considering the best ways in which individual children learn. Rich learning opportunities, such as hatching ducklings and taking care of the pet rabbits, provide unforgettable experiences for children. The outdoor area is unique and exceptionally well used to provide a stimulating resource through which all aspects of the curriculum are 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007 taught. For example, the garden is used to teach children about growth and living things, the forest area provides a great stimulus for climbing and imaginary games, and the home area enables children to engage in domestic chores such as hanging out the washing. Staff and children make good use of the information and communication technology (ICT) resources that are available, but children's access and use are hampered to some extent by limitations in ICT

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Grade: 2

equipment. Visits and visitors such as artists in residence enhance the curriculum exceptionally well. Provision for personal and social development is particularly strong and permeates every activity.

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is outstanding. The headteacher and her staff are passionate about ensuring the welfare and care of their children and families. Hence, they have established highly successful connections with a vast range of agencies and services, some of whom are actually based at the centre. As a result, children are happy and secure, and this is a key contributory factor to their good progress. The quantity and quality of the advice and guidance available from staff and specialists make a significant difference to the learning and the lives of the children and their families. One parent comments, 'I feel the standard of care is outstanding. I could not ask for better provision.' Children learn to talk through tasks and problems either in the preferred languages or in English. There is a good system for assessing and recording Nursery children's progress. However, it is not currently possible to track children's progress from birth to age

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Grade: 2

The good leadership and management is a key factor in the centre's success. The headteacher has provided highly effective guidance and vision for some time. She is ably supported by an efficient leadership team, which has also played a pivotal role in maintaining and improving upon the centre's provision since the last inspection. The headteacher knows the centre very well and this is reflected in the school's accurate self-evaluation and clear improvement plan. The governing body is a strong supporter of the centre and is gaining in confidence and knowledge to question and challenge the leadership about the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Parents are extremely happy with the leadership and all that the centre provides. One writes, 'An excellently run establishment. All staff are friendly, very welcoming and understanding.' 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 July 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Adderley Children's Centre, Saltley, Birmingham B8 1HN We enjoyed our day at your centre and, like you, particularly liked the outside area and the ducks and the rabbits. We think you go to a good centre and have great fun. There are lots of great things about your centre:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are good at working hard, helping each other and listening to your teachers, and do well in all your activities. ■ The staff care about you very much, they are good teachers and make learning interesting and fun. ■ The staff leaders are very clever at running the centre and make sure you all have a good time and do well. ■ Anybody who needs extra help with learning English, or with work, is always given it.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You love learning new things and are good at sharing, taking turns, talking and being kind to each other. Kay and all the other staff have lots of good ideas to make the centre even better. We agree with their ideas and think that it would be good if teachers could make sure you get more chances to practise your writing. It would also be good if staff leaders could find a good way to write down all the great things you learn from when you start to when you finish at the centre. You can help the staff by always being good, working hard and taking good care of each other. We wish you all the very best for the future. Joyce Cox (Lead inspector) 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Adderley Childrens Centre, 11 July 2007

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