Hedon Nursery School

131416 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 293748 Inspection number 30 November 2006 Inspection date Kathryn Dodd 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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Market Hill School address Nursery Type of school Hedon, Hull Maintained School category HU12 8JB 3 °4 Age range of pupils 01482 891396 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01482 891396 Fax number 129 Number on roll (school) Mrs Beth Featherstone Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Karen Hunter Headteacher 1 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293748 30 November 2006 3 °4 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

This large nursery school serves the town of Hedon and surrounding villages. Children attend part-time, either mornings or afternoons. They are from a mixture of social backgrounds, although mainly White British families. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very low. A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006

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Grade: 1

Hedon Nursery has many exceptional features that make it outstanding overall. This judgement matches the school’s own evaluation and that of parents. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school’s work. They rightly identify that their children quickly understand that ‘going to this warm, happy and very caring school is an extremely exciting and enjoyable thing to do’. Children are very enthusiastic and have total enjoyment of the many fun, interesting and challenging activities provided. As a result, children are developing extremely positive attitudes and a desire to learn which prepares them very well for future learning. Making sure that children enjoy learning, do as well as they can, keep safe and healthy and play an active part in the community have high priority in the curriculum and in the day-to-day life of the Nursery. Everyone agrees that the Nursery has improved since the last inspection. The excellent

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Grade: 1

leadership of the headteacher provides a very clear direction. She continually looks for even more exciting and interesting ways to present learning opportunities so that the children receive the best possible start to their education. Staff share this strong sense of common purpose. A clear focus on continued staff development at all levels, which is very effectively shared, ensures a consistency of approach to achieving goals. As a result, high quality teaching and learning makes a significant contribution to the Nursery’s success. Together, leaders and staff have developed an outstanding curriculum that is particularly well organised and resourced. It is balanced by a clever mix of both adult- and child-initiated activities. As a result, children effectively develop the skills that increase their independence, creativity, curiosity and understanding. Thorough day-to-day recording of children’s achievements, along with careful

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Grade: 1

identification of what they need to learn next, ensures that sufficiently challenging work meets the learning needs of all children. The result of this provision is seen in children’s outstanding progress in all the areas of learning. Consequently, standards are above those expected of children of this age by the end of Nursery, and even higher than this in some aspects of personal, social and emotional development. In pursuit of excellence, leaders have pinpointed areas for refining and improving provision still further. They have not yet, however, made full use of the good quality information already collected about children’s progress. As a result, plans to raise attainment further are not specific enough to give everyone a clear view of precisely where to focus attention. Nevertheless, the school has an accurate view of its overall effectiveness. This is an outstanding Nursery, proving excellent value for money and

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Grade: 1

is very well placed to capitalise on past success to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Make better use of the information collected about children’s progress when setting priorities for improvement. 2 Inspection Report: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006

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Grade: 1

When children start Nursery, their attainment is broadly typical for children of their age. A few children enter with lower speaking and listening and personal, social and emotional skills. Girls and boys make outstanding progress and have started to make up for their previous weaknesses, particularly in aspects of personal, social and emotional development. As a result, by the time they leave, most children reach above the standards expected in all six areas of learning. A small proportion of children reach standards that are well above those expected. This is because the progress of individual children is tracked extremely closely to make sure they all reach the high standards expected of them. Teachers skilfully adapt plans for future learning to reflect children’s individual needs. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities thrive in this very caring environment where staff effectively attend to their individual needs;

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Grade: 1

consequently, they achieve as well as other children.

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Grade: 1

Children’s personal development and well-being, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are excellent. A love for learning is clearly evident among all the children and is reflected in their good attendance. Children are polite and friendly with adults and one another. They show high levels of concentration, whatever they are doing. Children behave extremely well because they are purposefully engaged in interesting and stimulating activities that provide continual challenges. Children are eager to make their own decisions and to follow up their particular interests. Taking responsibility for their own learning effectively furthers their social development. Children are developing a keen sense of right and wrong. They understand that, in order to keep themselves safe, it is unwise to run inside. They remind one another of the rules and of appropriate ways to behave. Staff encourage children to eat healthily

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Grade: 1

and drink regularly. The newly developed outdoor learning area provides increased opportunities for taking part in physical activities. Children delight in using computers and the computerised whiteboard. This introduction to modern technology, along with the outstanding progress in all other areas of learning, equips children with the valuable skills they need for a successful future.

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Grade: 1

The meticulous organisation and planning of activities that capture children’s interests and challenge their thinking make a significant contribution to the high quality of the teaching and learning found in all areas of the Nursery. Teachers, nursery nurses and other adults work extremely effectively together. Weekly planning meetings ensure 3 Inspection Report: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006 that everyone is fully aware of what children are going to learn. As a result, opportunities to help individual children to achieve well are not overlooked. Staff know the children particularly well and record evidence of their progress regularly. This ensures that work builds step by step on children’s earlier achievements. Teaching and learning in personal, social and emotional development are exceptionally good. This is because staff are warm, respectful and consistent in their expectations of the children.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is exceptionally good. The outstanding range of activities, which are always on offer, match children’s needs and interests very well. Children benefit from a careful mix of opportunities to select their own activities or to be guided in a more structured way by staff. This ensures that children are able to talk with adults at every step, while developing confidence to make their own learning choices. Activities are planned around specific themes which cleverly link all areas of learning. Imaginative resources and many first hand experiences stimulate children’s interest and fire their imaginations. Children’s curiosity and desire to ask questions are encouraged, for example, by visits into the locality. As a result, children are making rapid progress in their personal, social and emotional development. The development of the outdoor curriculum since the last inspection has made a good contribution to achievement in

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Grade: 1

Parents agree that the quality of care provided by the school is outstanding. All adults make the school a very safe place to learn. There are well-thought-out procedures for protecting and safeguarding children, and health and safety is a high priority. Adults are committed to children’s welfare; they know the children and their specific needs very well. Nominated pastoral support teachers ensure that children always have an adult to go to if they are worried or need help. As a result of the very warm and caring welcome from staff, regular daily routines and the total enjoyment of their activities, children settle quickly into Nursery life and feel safe and secure. Systems for assessing the academic and personal achievements of individual children are clear. Staff use this information particularly well on a day-to-day basis to pinpoint children’s next steps for learning and to provide them with outstanding guidance and support. Parents

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Grade: 1

appreciate how well their children are doing, and are delighted with how much they are learning.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The success of the school is founded on the extensive experience and commitment of the headteacher, who clearly understands how young children learn best. She values highly the contribution of 4 Inspection Report: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006 everyone and inspires staff to work together to bring about further improvement. As a result, the school benefits from particularly highly qualified teaching practitioners, who ensure that outstanding teaching practices are applied consistently. As a team, leaders and staff have planned and provided an outstanding curriculum that enables children to make great strides in their learning. Governors, many of whom are new, are playing an increasing part in checking how well the school is doing. In pursuit of excellence, school improvement planning has focused on making sure that the already outstanding provision is fine-tuned. Key priorities for improvement, however, are not

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Grade: 1

specified. This is because leaders do not yet make full use of the information collected about children’s progress over time to pinpoint precisely whole school priorities. Nevertheless, self-evaluation is accurate and the successful strengthening of provision and achievement since the last inspection demonstrates excellent capacity to continue to improve in the future. 5 Inspection Report: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006 .

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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: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006

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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 2 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 2 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: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006

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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: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Hedon Nursery School Market Hill Hedon Hull HU12 8JB 30 November 2006 Dear Children Thank you for welcoming me and for showing me the things you do each day. I really enjoyed my visit and wish that I could have stayed longer to watch you play and learn, especially to see you getting ready for your Christmas show. I agree with you, your parents and with the school that you come to a wonderful Nursery. How lucky you are! It was good to see you all arriving smiling and ready to work and learn together. I can see why you enjoy coming so much. All the adults care about you a great deal. They give you so many chances to do lots of things that are really exciting, interesting and fun, so that you want to learn. I expect this is why you all behave so well and learn so much. I was really impressed by the way you got on with one another and that you are learning how you can keep yourselves and your friends safe. All the adults who work with you are really clever because they make sure you are getting the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

very best start to your learning. They are looking for even more ways to make your time spent in the Nursery the best that it can be. Your teachers write very good things about what you can do while you are playing so that they know what they should give each of you to do next. I have asked your Nursery to work out what you do best and what you might be able to do even better. This should help them to make sure that you are equally good at everything by the time you start full-time school. I hope that you have a lovely Christmas and enjoy the rest of your time at Nursery. Best wishes Kathryn Dodd (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Hedon Nursery School, 30 November 2006

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