Rosegrove Nursery School

Inspection Report Rosegrove Nursery School

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119070 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 291303 Inspection number 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Kathleen McArthur Reporting inspector

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

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Havelock Street School address Nursery Type of school Burnley Maintained School category Lancashire, BB12 6AJ 3 to 5 Age range of pupils 01282 436928 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01282 436928 Fax number 63 Number on roll Mrs Anne Lardner Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Angela Barker Headteacher 1 June 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291303 16 May 2006 - 3 to 5 17 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Rosegrove Nursery School is a small, purpose built school with attractive grounds. It serves an area of considerable social and economic deprivation. Children are admitted in the term after their third birthday, and attend on a part-time basis for at least three terms. When children enter the nursery, their attainment is broadly typical for their age, but language skills and personal and social development are a little lower than normally seen. The number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is very low. The nursery offers extended day care provision and a lunch club. There is close collaboration with Rosegrove Infant School. The nursery received an Achievement Award in 2002 and holds the ‘Smiling for Life’, National Health Service dental accreditation.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rosegrove Nursery School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good nursery school with outstanding features. It gives good value for money. The inspection confirmed the school’s view of its performance but found that personal development and the way children are cared for and kept safe are outstanding. Consequently, children are very eager to learn, attend well, and their behaviour is excellent. Parents are very positive about everything the nursery offers. Children with LDD are very well provided for. Good teaching ensures that children achieve well and make good progress. They progress very well in their personal and social development. By the time they leave, most children reach standards above those expected in all areas of learning except language, where skills remain a little below expectations. Children’s interest and enthusiasm is stimulated well by the rich curriculum and they love using the outdoor learning area. The nursery is currently working to include more

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Grade: 2

outdoor learning opportunities in the activities that children can choose themselves. The outstanding leadership of the associate headteacher has successfully moved the nursery forward after a difficult period. She has established the extended day care services and made valuable links between families and external agencies. The strong collaboration with Rosegrove Infant School has successfully strengthened provision at the nursery. Improvement since the previous inspection has been good and all areas for development have been successfully overcome. The nursery has good capacity to build on its work and make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve children’s language acquisition by ensuring that all staff are sufficiently knowledgeable, skilled and trained to implement the nursery’s plans. • Broaden children’s choice of learning opportunities by incorporating more outdoor learning activities into the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Children achieve well and make good progress overall. They make very good progress in personal and social development, seen in their enthusiastic, eager attitudes to the rich range of learning activities they experience. Progress is good in all other areas. Good teaching ensures that most children reach standards just above those normally seen by the time they leave, although speaking, listening and vocabulary skills are still somewhat below. Staff take every opportunity to develop number skills, for example, helping children count how many are lining up. Children show good physical skills and coordination on the challenging outdoor equipment. They follow rhythms whilst playing 2 Inspection Report: Rosegrove Nursery School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 musical instruments and enthusiastically join in action songs. There is no difference between the achievement of boys and girls. Older children generally make more progress because they have spent longer in the

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Grade: 2

nursery. They act as good role models for younger children, which helps reinforce good personal and social skills. Children make very good progress in information and communication technology (ICT) skills because they enjoy using the exciting equipment, particularly the interactive whiteboard. Well informed, specialised support and carefully planned programmes of learning ensures that children with LDD progress well.

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Grade: 1

Personal development is outstanding. From the moment children enter, staff focus strongly on developing personal and social skills to help them gain the maximum benefit from their time in the nursery. Children know how to be safe and happily follow routines to help them become responsible members of the nursery. They feel safe and secure in the warm, friendly atmosphere and stimulating environment. Consequently, they are eager to learn, explore and investigate. Their behaviour is excellent. The great majority attend well and come on time. Many parents report their child ‘really enjoys nursery.’ Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Children’s rapt expressions showed great involvement when examining mystery parcels in a language session. Children are helpful and caring towards each other, saying ‘we like playing with our friends’. Discussions, stories and gentle prompts help children to understand

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Grade: 1

the difference between right and wrong, to take turns and to share equipment. They learn about different ways of life by celebrating festivals such as Christmas, Divali and Chinese New Year. Children also experienced local history during a boat trip on the canal. Children are encouraged to taste different fruit and vegetables at snack time. They eagerly tackle the physically challenging activities outside. They raise money for charity, work in the ‘garden shop’ and are developing good learning and ICT skills for their economic future.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall. Lessons and activities are very thoroughly planned. Assessment information on each child’s progress is used well; for example, to plan focused activities for small groups with similar abilities ensuring the needs of every child are met. Time is carefully structured to ensure that children experience the full range of activities each day. Good quality equipment and resources support learning well; for example, the ICT equipment. Learning is made fun and often becomes a game, such as the ‘animal hunt’ when the outdoor area became an imaginary jungle, capturing children’s interest and enthusiasm. Consequently, they enjoy the activities, concentrate 3 Inspection Report: Rosegrove Nursery School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 on their tasks and learn well. However, actions to improve children’s speaking, listening and vocabulary skills have been slow to show results as staff’s skills, knowledge and

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Grade: 2

approaches in this area vary. Teaching assistants are becoming more active in teaching and learning. They are deployed well and provide good support. Children with LDD receive specialised support and progress well.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and provides a rich range of activities. Children have a busy time, with a carefully balanced mixture of adult-led activities and choices they make for themselves. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are carefully introduced and children enjoy stories, writing orders in the shop and counting games. Good ICT resources enrich the curriculum well and are much appreciated by the children. The attractive outdoor area provides a very good range of large equipment, bikes and a climbing frame for challenging physical activities, and green areas for digging and planting. Children go outside each day. This area is not yet fully part of the activities available for children to choose independently. This limits the choice for those who would benefit from even more time learning outside.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding. All staff are fully committed to ensuring the health, safety and well-being of every child. Very effective systems support this aim: letters home about bumps, careful supervision, improving the system for collecting children at the end of each session. All staff have recently received child protection training. Health and safety procedures are rigorously applied, and risk assessments are fully in place for all activities. Strong, effective links between parents and the nursery provide further support for the children. The nursery reaches out to families, helps them access health, education and welfare agencies and provides premises for community groups. The lunch club opened in response to requests from parents. Children’s academic and personal development is very carefully observed and progress thoroughly monitored and recorded. This information is used to direct extra help where

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Grade: 1

it is most needed and to plan the next steps in learning. Children with LDD receive knowledgeable support and expertise.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good overall. The leadership of the associate headteacher is outstanding. Her strong vision of ‘a happy, safe and stimulating environment’ and clear plans for the future have created a united team of staff and successfully led the nursery through a difficult period of uncertainty. She is ably supported by the teacher-in-charge. Teaching assistants now have a wider role. The innovative collaboration with governors and staff from Rosegrove Infant School has 4 Inspection Report: Rosegrove Nursery School, 16 May 2006 to 17 May 2006 strengthened the nursery. Numbers have steadily risen, and children achieve well. Extended services have been established and are much appreciated by local families. One parent commented: ‘the management has worked hard to provide out of school care’. All children are fully included in all activities, including those with LDD. The nursery evaluates its performance thoroughly, constantly seeking to develop its

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Grade: 2

work, and acknowledges that improving language skills requires further work. Finances and resources are managed shrewdly to support improvement and meet the future needs of all children and the local community. Governance is satisfactory. The governing body is well led, and is becoming more confident when challenging the nursery’s performance, particularly since working with the infant school. Good links with parents and outside agencies create valuable partnerships that support the work of the nursery well. Areas for improvement at the previous inspection have been successfully overcome, and there is good capacity for further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Rosegrove Nursery School, 16 May 2006 to 17 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: Rosegrove Nursery School, 16 May 2006 to 17 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 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 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 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 2 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 2 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 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 The Children Rosegrove Nursery School Havelock Street Burnley Lancashire BB12 6AJ 18 May 2006 Dear Children I really enjoyed being in your nursery school for two very interesting days. Thank you for welcoming me, helping me and telling me about lots of good things about your nursery. I will remember your excellent behaviour and how you are really friendly, polite and kind to everyone. Your nursery is very clean and bright, and the ‘jungle’ is an exciting place for you to learn all about animals. I enjoyed listening to you sing and play musical instruments. You are very good at using the computers and the white board. I was pleased to see you try different fruit at snack time and I hope you found some new tastes that you like. Outside, you have lots of different things to do and play with, and I was glad to see how careful you are when you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

ride round the ‘road’ or scramble on the climbing frame. Mrs Barker is a very good headteacher. All the staff care for you all exceptionally well. They work very hard to make your nursery a happy, colourful, safe and friendly place with lots of interesting things for you to do. They teach you well, make sure everything you do is fun and this helps you to learn lots of new things every day. The staff and governors are always looking for ways to make your nursery even better. I have asked the staff to make sure that you can listen well and learn to use lots of new words when you talk about what you are doing. They are also going to plan ways to let you choose to work outside even more than you do now. I hope you always enjoy your time at Rosegrove Nursery. Keep on behaving really well and continue to do your best. Best wishes to you all Mrs Kathleen McArthur Lead Inspector

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