Newtown Nursery School

Newtown Nursery School Inspection report - amended

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103141 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 301780 Inspection number 3 May 2007 Inspection date Helen Barter 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 °5 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 60 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Monica Campbell Chair Roger Redgrave Headteacher 9 November 1999 Date of previous school inspection Hockley Close School address Newtown Birmingham B19 2NS

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0121 3592476 Telephone number 0121 3592476 Fax number

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3-5 Age group 3 May 2007 Inspection date 301780 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to factual inaccuracy

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Most children come from the local Newtown district, close to Birmingham City Centre, and have a wide range of cultural, social and economic backgrounds. Eleven different minority ethnic backgrounds and 10 mother tongues are represented. The number of children from minority ethnic backgrounds or who are asylum seekers or refugees has increased significantly since the last inspection. A large proportion of children entering the Nursery are at the early stages of learning English or have learning difficulties relating to maturity of communication, speech and language. Children's attainment on entry to the Nursery is well below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 May 2007

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Grade: 1

This is an effective and inclusive nursery which provides a high quality of education. The Nursery's success is attributable to excellent leadership and management at all levels, careful monitoring of children's progress to make sure that they all achieve as well as they can and a strong recognition that parents play an important part in their children's education. All those who work in the Nursery are eager to help parents understand how their children learn and how they can help them overcome communication difficulties so that their children are well set up for the future. Given their very low starting points, children's achievement is outstanding. They make excellent progress so that most are working close to the expectations for their age. At the end of the year, some are well on their way to reaching the goals expected by the end of the Reception Year in primary school. Others, particularly those who are at the early stages of learning English,

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Grade: 1

who have learning difficulties or who join the Nursery later in the year, still have a little way to go to catch up with their communication, language and literacy skills. The personal development and well-being of the children is outstanding. Excellent relationships and exemplary care, guidance and support make children want to learn. Their happy, smiling faces show that they cannot wait to play when they arrive in the morning. Parents are delighted by their enjoyment and typically describe the Nursery as 'a brilliant place', 'giving them a great foundation to build on' and 'the best nursery that I have ever seen.' The outstanding teaching and curriculum are highly effective in meeting the full range of children's needs. Excellent staff teamwork results in all children achieving success. Very good procedures for assessing children and tracking their progress ensure that children who need additional support in areas such as speech and language and physical skills make swift progress.

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Grade: 1

Staff are particularly skilled at teaching early aspects of literacy and recognise the importance that good physical development has in all aspects of children's learning. Recently introduced groups for more able children help them to extend their skills and learning even further, although the school recognises that this practice now needs to be consistently reflected in the planning of day-to-day activities. Through excellent self-evaluation and reflection, the Nursery continually improves its practice. This is seen particularly through the new curriculum which provides children with greater opportunity to experience a wide range of learning activities which fully meet their needs. The headteacher has successfully managed a period of staffing and accommodation changes and led the Nursery to its current level of success. He has been very effectively supported by the first-rate leadership and management skills of all staff and together they have excellent capacity

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Grade: 1

to improve the Nursery even further. The Nursery modestly judges itself as good because it is always looking for ways to do even better.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that challenge is consistently planned into daily activities for the more able children.

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Grade: 1

The achievement of all children is excellent. Through careful guidance, well planned activities and focused support for the development of their speech and language skills, children gain 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 May 2007 confidence and independence in their learning. This means that by the time they leave the Nursery many are on the way to reaching the standards expected by the end of Reception Year at primary school, with still a year to get there. A small number of faster learners reach these standards before leaving the Nursery. Slower learners and some who join the Nursery later in the year still have some ground to catch up in terms of their communication, literacy and language skills. Inclusion is at the heart of the Nursery's work and is an important factor in children achieving as well as they do. Children at the early stages of learning English make excellent progress, as

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Grade: 1

do those with learning difficulties, through highly effective teaching and additional support groups. All children make outstanding progress in their personal, social and emotional development through the wide range of planned activities, exceptionally caring guidance of staff and positive support for their learning from their parents.

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Grade: 1

Children really enjoy Nursery, describing it as 'fun' and 'happy'. They behave exceptionally well and their attendance is good because they greatly enjoy the activities. Children's outstanding personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is a significant factor in their doing so well and in their readiness to go on learning in the future. The Nursery is a racially harmonious place where children get on well with others from different backgrounds in the local community. They take turns and share and are eager to help by tidying up after play. At lunchtime, they learn very good social skills as they enjoy eating together. They have a very strong awareness of the need to eat healthily. They recognise many vegetables, such as aubergines and sweetcorn, and know that foods such as cake and pizza should not be eaten all the time. Children greatly enjoy regular exercise indoors and outdoors and know how

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Grade: 1

to play safely on the climbing frames and when manoeuvring large wheeled toys around. Parents praise how much their children 'come on' in the Nursery and say that their family's economic well-being is also well supported because they feel confident that their children are being well taught and looked after while they are at work.

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Grade: 1

The excellent teaching and exemplary teamwork are the reasons why children achieve as well as they do. One parent wrote, 'My daughter has learned a lot at the Nursery. The teachers are so helpful and always give feedback about how she is getting on.' This was echoed by many other parents who consider the guidance given to them to support their children's learning at home as a significant factor in their children's excellent progress. Assessment information is used well to sharply analyse children's progress and to provide imaginative activities which support all areas of their learning, especially their speech and language and personal development. Skilled teaching in small groups for children who need extra support for their communication, language or physical skills results in them making excellent progress from all their starting points. More able children also progress very well although there is scope to more consistently plan daily activities in order to further extend

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Grade: 1

their learning. Staff are exceptionally skilled at knowing when to help children and when to let 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 May 2007 them learn independently and, as a result, no child is held back from making the progress of which they are capable.

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Grade: 1

The lively and well planned curriculum builds very effectively on what children have already learned and can do and offers them an immense range of learning opportunities across the whole Nursery. Planning ensures that there is a very good balance between play that is initiated by the children and in tasks directed by adults in well taught 'focus activity groups'. Observations, evaluations and planning ensure that children have lots of opportunities to explore, experiment and investigate through a wide range of practical activities and play. Every opportunity is taken to extend children's language, literacy and personal skills so that they achieve as well as they possibly can. Children gain much from visitors to the Nursery and visits to places of interest which extend their learning beyond their local environment. Their interest and tender care for animals, for example, is strongly promoted through visits to a farm.

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Grade: 1

The excellent pastoral care provided for children results in them feeling very happy, safe and secure. There is very good attention given to health and safety and robust procedures for keeping children safe. Children's health and hygiene is very well promoted and they know that they must wash their hands before eating. Parents are delighted with the caring ethos of the Nursery and feel confident that their children are learning in the best environment possible where staff are 'very approachable' and have every concern for children's learning and well-being. All staff have a genuine understanding and concern for children's needs. Their knowledge of how children take the first steps to learn English, the support needed to overcome speech and language difficulties and the extra attention required for some children's physical development, result in all children doing exceptionally well.

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Grade: 1

The leadership has ensured that the quality of provision and children's achievement has continued to improve upon the already strong picture reported at the last inspection. All staff are skilled and competent leaders and managers and, under the strong leadership of the headteacher and his deputy, have shared responsibility for providing the best possible education for the children. The promotion of equal opportunity is exceptional, not just for the children but also for the staff as they are encouraged to grow and develop in their leadership and management roles. The Nursery is not complacent and continually self-evaluates and refines its practice in the light of new initiatives and responses from children, staff and parents. Governors are highly supportive of the school, effective in promoting the Nursery and gaining respect for its place in the local community and are developing good skills in holding the Nursery

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Grade: 1

to account for its performance. The Nursery has outstanding partnerships with the community, other schools and local support agencies and uses these to very good effect to ensure children's personal development and achievement is as good as it can be. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 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 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 May 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Newtown Nursery School, Birmingham, B19 2NS Thank you for making me welcome when I came to visit your Nursery and helping me so much when I talked to you about your play. It was lovely to meet you all and your families. Your Nursery is a really excellent place to be. I know that you think that because of your happy and smiling faces when you arrive in the morning. I saw that you enjoy Nursery very much and you cannot wait to try out all the play activities inside and outside because there are lots of fun things to do. You behave very well and it is really good that you want to come to Nursery as much as you can. You are very kind and helpful to each other and it is lovely to see you getting on well and sharing toys, bikes and books. Thank you for helping around the Nursery. You tidy up well and do what adults ask you to do. It was lovely to see so many of you enjoying your lunch. Thank

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you for being so polite and kind when I came to eat with you. You make such good progress because the adults give you lots of exciting things to do and teach you well. They really care for you and help you if you are feeling worried or upset. They check that you are learning as well as you can and are very good at giving you extra help when you need it. They also tell your mums, dads and carers how you learn best so that they can help you at home as well. This means that you all do very well indeed when you are at Nursery. I know that you and your families are very proud of the Nursery and I think you are right to be so. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Helen Barter Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Newtown Nursery School, 3 May 2007

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