The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School

Inspection Report The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School

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120365 Unique Reference Number LINCOLNSHIRE LEA LEA 291703 Inspection number 4 July 2006 to 4 July 2006 Inspection dates Ms. Sheelagh Barnes AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Addison Drive School address Nursery Type of school LN2 4LQ Community School category 3 to 4 Age range of pupils 01522 531876 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01522 527193 Fax number 141 Number on roll Mrs.Melanie Markham Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms. Fiona Whimster Headteacher 21 May 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291703 4 July 2006 - 3 to 4 4 July 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 conducted by an Additional Inspector over one day. The inspector studied the school self evaluation and other documentation, including the previous report, schemes of work, governors' meeting minutes and assessment data. Tracking information for children with English as an additional language was scrutinised, as was tracking information for pupils with special educational needs. Discussions were held with the head teacher, the chair of governors, a visiting artist and staff members. One hundred and twelve parent questionnaires were read and analysed. Lessons were observed indoors and out, and children spoken to as they worked.

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Description of the school

St Giles Nursery is situated in a large housing estate to the north east of the city of Lincoln. One hundred and forty one boys and girls attend, some full and some part time. A broadly average proportion of the children have special educational needs, but no child currently has a statement of their need. Very few children speak a language other than English at home. Attainment on entry to the school is below average overall. Children are admitted after their third birthday. Children have different lengths of time in the nursery. The oldest children have six terms in the nursery and the youngest attend for three terms. Most move on to St Giles Infant school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School, 4 July 2006 to 4 July 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school, which is characterised by the provision of a wide range of exciting and interesting activities set in an orderly and calm environment. The school provides an excellent balance between established routines and opportunities for children to make decisions and to take responsibility. As a result, children of all backgrounds and abilities make excellent progress and achieve very well. The school lives up to its vision of a vibrant, purposeful environment where achievements are recognised, celebrated and developed, equipping the children who attend very effectively for future life challenges and opportunities. There are very good links and effective partnerships with other schools and a range of other agencies, including staff training as part of the school's Beacon status. The nursery provides excellent value for money. The school knows itself well as a result of the high quality of regular,

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Grade: 1

rigorous and accurate assessment and monitoring. School evaluation matched that of inspection very closely. The leadership of the school is excellent. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership in her continued quest to provide the best possible start to the children's learning. She leads the continuous review and improvement of all systems in an efficient and purposeful way. Her management of the school is very effective and has led to the very high standards noted by the previous inspection being at least maintained and in some instances refined still further. Governors support the school well but there are frequent changes of membership, due to the nature of the nursery school, with training implications. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently very high. All adults who work in the school are hard-working and have a shared commitment to excellence. This is demonstrated by the uniformity of approach

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Grade: 1

in each class and the very high expectations of behaviour and achievement all staff have of every child. Adults join in role-play in a sensitive manner to extend children's learning very effectively. There are very good systems in place to ensure safety and children feel safe and well supported. As a result, they make very good gains in their learning in all six areas of the curriculum, and many children achieve and even exceed the levels expected for children by the end of reception. Health issues are given a high priority and the school is working towards the healthy schools award. Children are very aware of health issues and all know, for example, that it is sensible to wear a hat and sun cream in hot weather. Each day is planned to ensure that there are regular opportunities for energetic play. For example, the children take great pleasure in playing in the soft playroom and laughter echoes around the area as they bounce

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Grade: 1

around following their teacher's instructions. Great care is taken to ensure that all steps are taken to ensure that learners are safe at all times, including regular staff training on safety issues. Procedures for safeguarding children are very good. The curriculum is exceptionally well organised and there is a very good range of exciting extra activities including visits and visiting experts. Planning is very good and ensures that children experience many varied and worthwhile activities each day. During inspection each class had a beach area, where children enacted swimming, fishing and picnicking with obvious great enjoyment. Self-esteem is developed very effectively and children are enthusiastic about their achievements: 'Yes, I've built the bridge! I've built it YES!' As a result they quickly become very confident learners. Assessment is 2 Inspection Report: The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School, 4 July 2006 to 4 July 2006

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Grade: 1

excellent and is used very effectively by teachers and managers to track the progress of individual children and of groups. It is used exceptionally well when planning lessons so that the social, emotional and learning needs of all children are met very well. Resources are good and are used very well. Children enjoy entering into the world of imagination with the excellent resources that support each topic: 'I'll take your picture' (picking up a toy camera) 'Smile please! Click click!' They are prepared very well for their future by developing skills such as using computers and reading or writing. Children choose these activities singly or in pairs and chat and work together very comfortably: 'Yes, this is the book I wanted! See! Spot. That's the one I was looking for!' Children then spend long periods completely absorbed in turning the pages and looking at the pictures. Great emphasis is placed on children's social development

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Grade: 1

throughout the school and this is exemplary. Adults model behaviour very consistently and all help children to resolve any difficulties in a fair and calm manner. Behaviour is very good. As a result, children make outstanding progress in this aspect of their learning and work and play together very well with a maturity exceptional for their years. They enjoy school and are keen to come because of the harmonious atmosphere the staff create and the interesting tasks they are set. Development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills is very good. Children have a good understanding of their place in the community and are regularly involved in collecting for charity. Parents are very supportive of the school. The responses to the questionnaire were unanimous in their praise of the school. Very nearly all parents responded. They say: 'We can approach the nursery if we have any concerns or worries and time is always made for

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Grade: 1

us. The nursery is a valuable part of our community.'

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Grade: 1

Boys and girls of all levels of ability and from all groups do very well at St Giles and make excellent progress in their learning. Their achievement is very good and they develop a very positive attitude to school and to learning. As a result, they stick at tasks with determination, concentration and enjoyment. During their time in the school, children make very good progress from a below average base to above average results in all areas of the curriculum.

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Grade: 1

Children quickly learn what is expected of them, because all staff are consistent. There is an excellent balance between routine and opportunities for children to learn to take responsibility. As a result, the working environment is harmonious. Children perceive the rules to be fair, and their treatment of equipment and their interactions with staff and each other show great consideration for others. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. They enjoy school and attendance is very good. 3 Inspection Report: The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School, 4 July 2006 to 4 July 2006

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are of a consistently very high standard. Planning is very good and makes excellent use of the very good quality of information provided by the detailed and accurate assessment. Staff are alert to every learning opportunity whilst being sensitive to the needs of individuals. Questioning is very good and all staff who work with the children use it very well. This sensitive and careful drawing out of what children know enables all children, including those who are of an anxious nature, to take part at a level which is comfortable for them and so make the same very good progress as their more confident friends.

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Grade: 1

Teachers and other staff all work very hard to ensure that they create a stimulating and exciting learning environment indoors and out. The school has a great awareness of the learning needs of young children and responds to this very effectively in the curriculum it provides.

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Grade: 1

The school takes excellent care of all the children who attend. It develops children's personal and social skills particularly well. Children are very effectively prepared for the next stage of their education and for their eventual working life. The school works extremely well in partnership with parents who know that their children are safe in school and that they are encouraged and guided to adopt healthy lifestyles. Parents were unanimous in their praise and support of the work the school does. Their views and needs are taken into consideration and they are enabled to contribute very effectively to the life and work of the school and their children's learning.

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Grade: 1

The leadership and management of the school are excellent. Leadership is characterised by accurate assessment and appraisal of all areas of work, combined with an unstinting desire for the very best standards. Under the outstanding leadership of the headteacher all staff work together very effectively as a team. This, combined with realistic but challenging targets for improvement and very efficient management, has led to an ethos of pride where all staff know the value of the work they put in and work extremely efficiently. Governors support the school well and are keen to maintain and improve this standard through recruitment and training. 4 Inspection Report: The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School, 4 July 2006 to 4 July 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. 5 Inspection Report: The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School, 4 July 2006 to 4 July 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 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 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 1 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 2 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

I did enjoy visiting your school. Thank you for making me feel so welcome and for talking to me about your work. It was nice to see how much you enjoy working and playing together at nursery. Your parents are also very pleased at how much fun you have. Your nursery is excellent. It is why you are so keen to come and why you enjoy yourselves so much. Your teachers and headteacher are doing a very good job and take very good care to make sure you always have exciting things to do. I know you enjoyed playing at visiting the beach and learning about the things you might find there, like slimy sea-weed and shells. You are all looked after very well and know who to ask if you have a problem. All of the adults who work with you make sure you know what to do and what you need to learn next. You are all doing outstandingly well and are really learning quickly. This is because you are happy and so well behaved, and because

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

all of the adults know a lot about you and help you very well. It was very nice to see how you are learning about healthy eating and looking after yourselves. Your head teacher and governors work very hard to make sure school is a happy place where you can learn a lot. They are doing a very good job. Your governors know a lot about your school and I have asked them to carry on with the training they have planned so that they become even more confident to ask questions. I know they are keen to do this and that your head teacher will help them. I hope you will carry on having fun and learning so much. I really enjoyed my day with you.

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