Eastfield Nursery School

Inspection Report Eastfield Nursery School

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104280 Unique Reference Number Wolverhampton Local Authority 286897 Inspection number 20 February 2007 Inspection date Dorothy Bathgate HMI 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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Griffin Street School address Nursery Type of school Off Willenhall Road Community School category Wolverhampton WV1 2HH 3 °5 Age range of pupils 01902 558140 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01902 558141 Fax number 60 Number on roll (school) Francis Docherty Chair The governing body Appropriate authority J Baker Headteacher 27 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 286897 20 February 2007 3 °5 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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Eastfield Nursery School is situated on the outskirts of Wolverhampton in an area of significant deprivation. Almost half of the children are eligible for free school meals and half are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Although all the children have English as their first language, they require significant support to develop their language skills. The school is on a campus site which includes a 0-3 unit, a community centre and Eastfield Primary School. As part of the Sure Start programme, the school was designated as a Children's Centre in March 2006, working in partnership with the other providers on site. An 'Atelier' space to support early years artwork has been built as a studio for the nursery, using grant funding.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007

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Grade: 1

Eastfield Nursery School is an outstanding school where children flourish because of the strong focus on helping them to be kind, thoughtful and enthusiastic learners. At the heart of the school's success is the passionate belief that every child is special and can succeed. The outstanding care, guidance and support ensure that children make exceptional progress in their personal, social and emotional development, and are well equipped for their future lives. From the moment children and parents arrive at the nursery, it is obvious that this is a happy, safe and lively learning environment. Children are quickly engaged in the activities and parents spend little time settling them in. Children enjoy nursery enormously because learning is fun. An emphasis on physical and mental activities provides a strong foundation for healthy living. Children are encouraged to express their ideas and to take on levels of responsibility which are impressive for such young

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Grade: 1

children. For example, each child has their 'Special Day' when they are responsible for taking the register to the office and for carrying out other duties such as preparing and serving the milk drinks. Children enter the school with levels of skills, knowledge and understanding which are well below those expected, but under the care and support of all staff they feel safe, gain confidence in their own abilities and achieve well. They are eager to try activities and to explore new ideas. Those who are in the early stages of learning English are very well supported and therefore take full part in all activities. Outstanding teaching and a very well-balanced curriculum stimulate children's interest and excitement in learning. By the time children leave nursery, the vast majority meet or exceed what is expected on entry to primary school. Adults have excellent relationships with children and inspire confidence and success. Consequently, the children's behaviour

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Grade: 1

and attitudes are exemplary and contribute much to their outstanding achievement. The leadership and management are outstanding and this is reflected in the many strengths found throughout all aspects of the school's work. The school's self-evaluation is accurate and honest. Staff and governors share a deep commitment and passion to provide high quality nursery education. The excellent improvements made since the last inspection, especially in developing the curriculum, show that there is both the desire and outstanding capacity to improve further. Governors provide excellent support to the school and are increasingly involved in evaluating its work. Although some successful workshops and activities have been organised to support parents and carers in becoming effective co-educators in the lives of their children, the school has identified this as an area for further development; this is the one area

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Grade: 1

to address in this otherwise extremely successful school.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Develop further the existing partnerships with parents and carers, through providing access to activities and workshops which will support their needs in becoming more effective co-educators in the lives of their children. 2 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007

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Grade: 1

Children make outstanding progress because the quality of teaching is outstanding and the exciting curriculum encourages them to learn. Standards in all areas of learning are above or in line with the expected levels. Standards in personal, social and emotional (PSE) development are outstanding. In 2006, 99% of children achieved Level 7 or above for dispositions and attitudes at the end of their nursery education. Communication, language and literacy (CLL) skills improve rapidly because there is a wealth of opportunities for children to practise speaking and listening and to begin to learn to read and write. Boys and girls of all backgrounds and abilities make excellent progress and become competent and confident learners. Children at an early stage of learning English make rapid progress because successful strategies quickly enable these children to gain an active vocabulary and understanding. Children with learning

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Grade: 1

difficulties or disabilities enjoy exciting practical activities that capture their interest and help them to make equally good progress.

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Grade: 1

Children's personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. In particular, their ability to work independently, take responsibility and care for one another is exceptional for such young children. Children interact happily with one another and relationships are very good. Children thoroughly enjoy nursery school and want to attend regularly because it is a friendly, happy and exciting place. Children's behaviour is exemplary and their attitudes to learning are extremely positive. Children use their knowledge of how to keep safe and healthy. They wash their hands carefully, use cooking tools safely and enjoy fruit snacks. Children's positive attitudes to work and their ability to work and play together happily prepare them well for the next stage in their learning.

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Grade: 1

Teaching is outstanding because of the staff's excellent knowledge of how young children learn. Adults have excellent relationships with children and inspire confidence and success. Incisive assessment makes sure all children's individual learning needs are identified and met. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities are set precise, achievable targets and consequently they make excellent progress. Similarly, there is excellent support for those at an early stage of learning English. Staff are highly skilled at incorporating the children's interests and ideas into their planning and this leads to a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Learning for a purpose has a high priority. For example, when children take the register to the office, they 3 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007 count the number of children in their group with the school clerk. Children also counted

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Grade: 1

the required number of eggs into the pancake mixture.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding because a rich and varied range of learning activities gives children a flying start. The curriculum is based on an excellent understanding of how young children learn through play. Excellent use is made of the outdoor environment and boys in particular benefit from the wide variety of enticing activities such as the tyre play, tree climbing and garden trails just waiting to be explored. Planning ensures that all six areas of learning are covered, whilst providing good opportunities to follow and extend the children's interests. Staff ensure that all children's needs are met and this contributes to their outstanding progress. The school places a high priority on learning through first-hand experiences and the use of investigation, discovery and imagination. Children benefit from many visits to places of interest such as the vet's surgery, the supermarket, the garden centre and Walsall

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Grade: 1

art gallery. The outstanding work done by the artist-in-residence, including showcase events such as the Easter Hat Fashion Parade held in the local shopping centre, supports the school's philosophy of developing competent children who are active learners and who take ownership of their learning.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding care, guidance and support provided by the school are recognised and appreciated by many parents. One parent commented, 'Eastfield Nursery has given my child a great start in life'. All children are highly valued as individuals. Their emotional well-being is promoted extremely well and children feel very safe and well cared for. Vulnerable children and those with learning difficulties and disabilities are quickly identified and supported appropriately by outside agencies. The school takes the well-being of its pupils very seriously and procedures for safeguarding children are fully in place. The school's partnership with parents is excellent. One example of this is the individual 'Learning Journey' CD for each child, which is shared with parents and provides an innovative record of each child's progress. Parents are asked to contribute to this by recording significant learning events at home. Some successful

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Grade: 1

workshops and activities have been organised to support parents and carers in developing their child's learning at home. However, the school recognises the need to extend and develop this further. Children transfer to one of three local primary schools. Transition arrangements are good and include visits, sharing of assessment records and an individual exit profile for each child. Children's progress is tracked extremely thoroughly and the nursery maintains a wealth of data to show how children are progressing and to identify where extra help is needed. 4 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007

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Grade: 1

Outstanding leadership from the headteacher has created this outstanding school where a vibrant, happy ethos is reflected in an imaginative curriculum and stimulating teaching. The headteacher provides clear direction and vision to a strong team who work exceptionally well together. As a result, there are high levels of achievement by children of all abilities and backgrounds. Well- established procedures for monitoring teaching and learning and tracking children's progress provide the senior leadership with an accurate overview of the school's effectiveness. The governing body has developed its role effectively since the last inspection and is well informed and involved in strategic planning. The school is extremely well placed to improve further because leadership and management at all levels possess an excellent understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development, and are totally committed to promoting

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Grade: 1

the well-being of all pupils. The school offers excellent value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 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? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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

1 How well do learners achieve? 2 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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?

1 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. 7 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 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? 8 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I enjoyed my visit to your nursery very much. I really enjoyed watching you make and eat your pancakes! Thank you for talking to me and showing me what you were doing. I know your mums and dads think that your nursery is a very special place and I agree with them. I would like to tell you what I liked best. • You are very good at working hard and listening to your teachers. • The teachers care about you very much and make learning really interesting and fun. • Everyone in the nursery is happy and friendly and works together to make it an exciting place for you. • You love learning new things and are very good at painting, climbing, counting and weaving. • You behave very well and are helpful and kind to each other. • You are good at keeping safe and trying to be healthy by washing your hands and eating lots of fruit. I have asked Miss Baker to help your mums and dads by giving them ideas for things to do with

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you at home, to help you learn at home as well as at school. It was really great to see that you are so happy at nursery and doing so well. 9 Inspection Report: Eastfield Nursery School, 20 February 2007

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