Bradley Nursery School

Bradley Nursery School Inspection report

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119078 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291306 Inspection number 17 May 2007 Inspection date David Earley 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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Nursery Type of school Maintained School category 3 °4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 140 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Susan Nike Chair Mrs Jacqueline Mitchell Headteacher 1 April 2001 Date of previous school inspection Bradley Road East School address Nelson Lancashire BB9 7QH

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01282 615183 Telephone number 01282 697438 Fax number

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3 °4 Age group 17 May 2007 Inspection date 291306 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Bradley Nursery School is situated in the centre of Nelson. It provides education for children aged 3 and 4 years. It is part of a Children’s Centre that offers a wide range of extended services for children from birth to five years. It serves an area of considerable social and economic deprivation. A large majority of children are from Asian backgrounds and most speak Panjabi or Urdu as their home language. A high proportion of children learn English as an additional language. A small proportion of children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and there is a small number of looked after children. All children attend either morning or afternoon session part time. Attainment on entry is very low when compared with expectations for three year olds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school, which gives excellent value for money. Excellent leadership by the headteacher leads to very effective teamwork and a shared determination to improve. This is a significant factor in children’s impressive personal development and achievement. When children come into the Nursery their attainment is much lower than is usual for three year olds. They make excellent progress so that by the time they are ready to move on to full time education all children reach the goals set in personal, social and emotional and physical development, though not in all areas of learning. However, a minority do reach the goals set in all the areas of experience. Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is excellent and this provides a firm foundation for the excellent achievement. Within the warm and challenging family atmosphere, children grow in confidence and self esteem. They know about healthy

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Grade: 1

lifestyles and thoroughly enjoy coming to Nursery. Children feel safe and secure and relationships are excellent. They are very well prepared for the next stage in their education and contribute well to the local community. They entertain patients in the community hospital with their singing and raise funds for local charities. Teaching is excellent. Teachers and support assistants know the children very well and use assessment very effectively so that work is well suited to all children; whatever their age, ability or background. Typically teaching is challenging and stimulating so that children want to learn. Teachers use questions and discussions very effectively to extend language and mathematical ideas through a wide range of activities. Complementing the teaching is the excellent curriculum. It is well adjusted to the different needs of children so that they are challenged at the appropriate level. Enrichment is particularly good, enhancing the many exciting and practical

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Grade: 1

activities children experience. The curriculum is extended by strong links with outside agencies. Care guidance and support are excellent. There is a very strong family atmosphere where children feel safe and well cared for. All children are well known and highly valued by staff so that their confidence and delight in learning blossom. Assessment and tracking are used very effectively in order to check progress and make improvements. Leadership and management are excellent at all levels. No stone is left unturned in pursuing the best for all children. Governors and staff work well together in evaluating performance and devising a very clear plan for improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• There are no major areas for improvement.

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Grade: 1

Achievement is excellent. By the time they are ready to move on to full time education, all children reach the goals set for their learning in personal, social and emotional development and in physical development. A minority of children reach the goals set for all the areas of learning and many are close. This represents excellent achievement and progress from their very low starting points, particularly for the large proportion of children who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Children who initially had difficulty 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007 expressing themselves are confident to discuss how they helped to milk a goat on a visit to a farm and many can write their names and understand terms such as illustrator and author. This is because the curriculum is rich, and bilingual staff help them to establish the foundations of their learning in their mother tongue. There is a very strong focus on providing children with

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Grade: 1

challenging practical experiences so that, for example, their mathematical skills and knowledge and understanding of the world rapidly increase. They count to 10, understand number and some begin to add and subtract. When boys start school, their attainment is generally lower than girls. Because the school plans its activities to manage this, boys achieve as well as girls.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being, including spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, are excellent. Relationships are excellent and teachers ensure that learning is enjoyable so that children quickly settle to daily routines and make very impressive gains in their personal, social and emotional development. At the beginning of each session, children come in with a spring in their step and a smile on their face and quickly become absorbed in their tasks whether teacher led or from their own choice. They enjoy everything they do and know how to behave well, take turns and work safely. The school is very careful to ensure that children learn about healthy eating and hygiene and children are very keen to extend their physical skills outside and indoors. Children’s very good social and emotional development, together with the development of basic academic skills, prepares them very well for the next stage in their

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Grade: 1

education. Children enjoy celebrating the major festivals of their own and other cultures and there is a very welcoming, family atmosphere. Children know their key workers very well and feel safe and secure. Attendance is satisfactory overall. The school is taking steps to address the attendance of a small group of children whose parents do not ensure that they attend regularly.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. A significant factor in the rapid progress made by most children lies in the teaching of personal and social skills. This provides a very firm foundation for their future learning. Because relationships are excellent and teaching is typically lively and stimulating children quickly become engrossed in their tasks. For example, teachers and children shared their excitement when they discussed the features of a snail discovered in the garden. Teachers make very good use of assessment and tracking to provide work that is very well suited to the wide range of differing abilities and aptitudes. They have high expectations so that children work well independently; for example, they tidy away equipment when they have finished. Teachers work very closely with support assistants ensuring continuity and consistency of learning. An important element in teaching and learning is the quality of teachers’ questioning

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Grade: 1

and the discussions they initiate, leading to the extension of skills and increased understanding of the use of language. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is excellent. As part of the outdoor provision, the school has established an ‘enchanted trail’, designed to promote practical and imaginative development. This encapsulates the whole of the curriculum, which is founded on stimulation, challenge and excitement so that learning becomes irresistible. This contributes significantly to personal development and achievement of children. It is carefully adjusted to meet the needs of all children and is enriched by a range of visits and visitors to school that help to make learning exciting. When children return from their visit to a farm they are eager to discuss and record what they have done and seen; as a result, their knowledge and understanding are widened. They become really enthralled when listening to African drummers or work with a potter to make tiles. There is a strong focus on social and emotional development and on the promotion of healthy lifestyles. The curriculum

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Grade: 1

is extended by strong links with outside agencies, including the Children’s Centre.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are excellent. Staff care exceptionally well for children and support families very effectively through the close links they maintain. Parents have very positive views of the school and are well informed about their children’s progress. All adults are very sensitive and caring and act as good role models. This helps to create a family atmosphere and to enhance confidence and self esteem. All procedures are in place for maintaining child protection and safeguarding health and safety. Children have particularly close relationships with their key workers and this helps them to make progress in their personal and academic development. Provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, looked after children and those who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language is very good and enables them to make the same rate of progress as other children. The school makes very good

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Grade: 1

use of assessment and tracking in order to check progress and identify areas for improvement.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are excellent. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership. She has a very clear vision for raising standards and improving provision. She shares this with staff and governors so that there is a very strong commitment to set challenging targets leading to high levels of achievement and personal development. She is very well supported by staff who form an extremely cohesive and committed team. There is a very purposeful drive to provide the best for children resulting in an extremely stimulating learning environment and imaginative use of resources and accommodation. The school has in place very good systems for self evaluation, which result in a clearly prioritised improvement plan. Teaching and learning are very carefully monitored in order to make improvements and staff are eager to take part in professional development in order to improve their skills and bring new ideas for consideration

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Grade: 1

to the school. Governors are very supportive and know the school and the locality very well. Thus, they are well placed to help shape the direction of the school and to hold it to account for its performance. The budget is carefully managed in order to support improvements and issues from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007 Very strong leadership, high levels of skill and commitment and thorough self evaluation give the school an excellent capacity to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 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? 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

18 May 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Bradley Nursery School, Nelson, BB9 7QH I really enjoyed my visit to your Nursery. Thank you for making me so welcome and talking to me about all the interesting things that you do. I was very pleased to see that you get on well with each other and that the grown ups make sure that you are cared for very well. It was good to learn that you like healthy foods and get lots of exercise. Your teachers make sure that you have lots of exciting things to choose from so that you want to learn and enjoy coming to the Nursery. You are very good at choosing what you want to do and work hard when you have made up your mind. During your time in the Nursery, you learn a lot so that by the end of the year you are ready to move into the infant school. I enjoyed watching you in the outdoor area and hearing about the lovely time you had when you visited the farm and helped to milk the goat. Any one who

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

needs extra help is given it and your parents are pleased that you come to the Nursery. Your headteacher is very clever at running the school and together with all the adults is always thinking of things to make your Nursery even better. Because your school is so good, it is a shame that some of you miss coming sometimes, and miss all the exciting things that are going on. Thank you for making my visit such an enjoyable one. Yours sincerely, David Earley Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Bradley Nursery School, 17 May 2007

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