Golborne & Maxilla Nursery School

Golborne Childrens Centre Inspection report

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100472 Unique Reference Number Kensington and Chelsea Local Authority 307396 Inspection number 18–19 September 2008 Inspection dates Derek Watts 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 0–5 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 48 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Eileen Menzies Chair Ms Janette Keller Headteacher 5 October 2004 Date of previous school inspection 2A Bevington Road School address London W10 5TN 020 8968 5622 Telephone number 020 8962 9248 Fax number

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0–5 Age group 18–19 September 2008 Inspection dates 307396 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

At Golborne Children's Centre, Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision is offered for children from 9 months until 5 years. It was formed in November 2006 after combining Ainsworth Nursery and the independently run Swinbrook Nursery. The Centre offers Nursery provision for children from 3 to 4 years old. About a quarter of the children are from a White British background and the remainder are from a wide range of other ethnic backgrounds. About 60% of children speak English as an additional language and all are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of children eligible for free school meals is well above average. The Centre provides day care for children under 2 years in the Baby Room and for children from 2 to 3 years. There is also after school care for children between 3 to 5 years. Both the Nursery and day-care provision are popular and oversubscribed.

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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: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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Grade: 1

Golborne is an outstanding Children's Centre. The children make exceptionally good progress in all areas of learning from their starting points because of outstanding provision and welfare. By the time they leave the Nursery, standards are above those expected for their age. All children are highly valued and thrive in the Centre's extremely positive and inclusive atmosphere. Parents are extremely pleased with the care and education provided for their children. The Centre plays a key role in the local community and successfully meets the needs of children, parents and carers. Many parents and carers are able to return to work or undertake further education and training while their children attend the Centre. Typical comments from the parents' questionnaire were, 'The Centre is excellent for both parents and children', 'Very pleased with Golborne Children's Centre', 'Very happy with care and teaching', 'Outstanding'

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Grade: 1

and 'It's wonderful'. Outstanding leadership and management is the key to the Centre's success. The Head of Centre is experienced and highly regarded by children, parents and staff. Her high expectations and drive for quality is shared by the staff. She successfully leads a talented and committed team of teachers, key workers and support staff. All are striving to do the very best for all children and their parents. Recent senior appointments bring very good experience and expertise to the school and have already made a positive impact. Policies, procedures and practice are all systematically reviewed. As a result, this organisation knows what it does well and takes highly effective action to bring about improvements. Comprehensive assessments and records mean that staff have a very clear picture of how each individual child is learning and developing. High quality provision contributes significantly to children's outstanding achievement. A wide

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Grade: 1

range of exciting and inspirational learning activities is provided. Children receive both challenging and enjoyable experiences particularly in the Baby Room and Nursery. Learning resources are of exceptional quality and used creatively in all areas of learning. Children learn in a highly stimulating environment. Outdoor learning areas are well equipped and the activities are well linked to children's needs and relevant to themes. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used exceptionally well in the Nursery to promote children's learning. Children benefit from focused adult-led activities as well as having plenty of opportunities to explore, be creative and work independently. Lively teaching and stimulating learning activities inspire and motivate the children. The assessment of children's progress is well developed with exemplary practice in the Nursery. Assessment is used very well to plan the next stages of

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Grade: 1

children's development. Day-care provision for the children from 2 to 3 years is good but the range of activities is not as dynamic or stimulating as the exceptional practice in other areas. Furthermore the use of ICT to support learning is less well developed. Excellent welfare contributes to children's learning and to their outstanding personal development and well-being. Procedures to ensure that children are safeguarded at the Centre are very thorough. Outstanding relationships between adults and children build children's confidence and so they are safe and secure. Children love their time at the Centre and this is shown by their enthusiastic participation in all activities. Most children are extremely well behaved. The school has built strong partnerships with parents and other agencies. Parents are kept well informed about their child's learning and development. At Golborne children are extremely well prepared for their next stages of learning.

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Grade: 1

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise the good day-care provision for children from two to three years to the exceptional quality of other areas of the Centre.

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Grade: 1

Children enter the Nursery with knowledge and skills well below those expected for their age. Communication, language and social skills are often limited. Children make outstanding progress because of high quality provision and outstanding care and support. Children, particularly those whose first language is not English make exceptional gains in language and communication. This is because of the emphasis staff place on developing speaking and listening skills. Children respond to the exciting challenges with great enthusiasm. They show curiosity and a love for learning. Even at this early stage of the year, children in the Nursery are developing independence as they actively explore and solve problems, when controlling model vehicles, for example.

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Grade: 1

Children show great enthusiasm for learning and are highly motivated by the stimulating activities provided. They feel safe and secure but are also keen to try new and challenging experiences such as balancing and climbing. Children are adopting a healthy life style. Good hygiene is part of their daily routine and they understand the importance of eating fruit and drinking liquids. They participate in physical activity with energy and enthusiasm. Most children are extremely well behaved and relate very well with adults and their peers. The very few with challenging behaviour show good improvement because of the high expectations conveyed and the skilled support by staff. Children from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures learn and play in harmony at Golborne. Children are extremely well prepared for the future. By the time they leave the Nursery, they possess well-developed communication, literacy, numeracy

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Grade: 1

and ICT skills. In addition to these, they have great curiosity for learning and extremely well developed personal and social skills.

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Grade: 1

A parent correctly commented, 'Delighted with the environment and the scope of activities on offer'. Staff are highly effective in promoting children's learning and development. They have considerable expertise and knowledge of an EYFS curriculum and how children of these ages learn. Staff are creative and imaginative in their approach. These attributes contribute to the planning of high quality learning programmes and experiences for children. Provision in the Baby Room and Nursery is excellent. Children are provided with a wide range of stimulating and exciting activities both indoors and out. Learning resources and equipment are high quality and promote learning extremely well. The use of ICT to support teaching and learning is particularly impressive in the Nursery. Role-play opportunities promote learning very well. For example, in the doctor's surgery, children practised telephone skills and developed basic writing

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Grade: 1

skills. Provision for children aged 2 to 3 in day care is good but not always inspirational or as 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008 well developed as other areas of the Centre. Across the Centre, the development of language pervades all activities and staff are skilled in questioning, prompting and promoting new vocabulary. As a result, children, particularly those at an early stage of learning English make remarkable progress in speaking and listening. Assessment of children's learning is very effective and in the Nursery it is exemplary. Teachers have a very clear understanding of what children know and can do. Careful observations contribute very well to assessment. Staff use this information to plan the next steps of their learning. There is a highly effective blend of adult-led learning and enabling children to be creative, explore and work independently.

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Grade: 1

The welfare of the children is promoted exceptionally well in all areas of the Centre. There are highly effective procedures to ensure that children are protected and safeguarded. These systems are consistently implemented by all staff and regularly monitored by senior leaders. The Centre works very closely with parents and carers. Parents of children in day care meet regularly with staff. The detailed daily 'communication book' provides parents with clear information about their child's sleep patterns, meals and general well-being. Children's individual social and language targets in the Nursery are shared with parents so they can effectively support their child's learning. Adults are excellent role models for the children. Relationships are a clear strength and all children are valued and provided with outstanding support. Behaviour management is highly effective and the few children with behavioural difficulties are skilfully supported. This leads

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Grade: 1

to significant improvements in their behaviour. The accommodation is spacious, extremely well organised and fit for purpose. Problems with room temperature identified in the last inspection have been robustly tackled. The room temperatures are now closely monitored and remain at a constant level. Risk assessments, the recording of accidents and the administration of medicines are carried out thoroughly.

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Grade: 1

Parents astutely commented, 'Fantastically run centre'. The experienced Head of Centre has a clear vision which is shared and lived by all the staff. High expectations and a relentless focus on providing high quality provision and welfare pervade the day-to-day work of the organisation. Leadership and management are having an excellent impact on the quality of provision and on the outcomes for children. The Head of Centre is well supported by other senior leaders. The two recently appointed senior leaders of learning bring considerable expertise and experience to the Centre. Members of the senior leadership team are highly effective and possess a wide range of skills which are utilised well in developing the Centre's high quality provision. Leadership responsibilities have been effectively shared so that other staff have key areas to develop and improve. Leaders are empowered to lead, develop and find solutions to problems. Teamwork among the staff is

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Grade: 1

strong and there is a commitment to high quality and continuous improvement. A parent commented, 'Staff really convey their enthusiasm and commitment to the school'. Staff are appropriately qualified and much importance is placed on their professional development. As 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008 well as regular training, several staff are seeking higher qualifications and some are engaged in research into how children of this age learn. Governors are supportive and have been effectively involved in the development of the Centre. Governance is also outstanding. The different areas of provision have been successfully integrated into one outstanding organisation for children. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008 .

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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: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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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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EYFS?

NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do children in the EYFS 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/or disabilities make progress

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children?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 2 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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The quality of provision

1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of the children in the EYFS promoted? 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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Leadership and management

1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed? How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Golborne Childrens Centre,London,W10 5TN Thank you so much for welcoming me into your Centre and letting me see your learning and how well you get on with others. I enjoyed my visit and would like to tell you what I found out. Golborne is a fantastic Children's Centre and one you can all be very proud of. These are the strengths of the school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you enjoy your time at the Centre and all the wonderful activities offered

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your teachers are brilliant which is why you learn so much

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your behaviour is really good and you get on very well with others

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ all the staff know you very well and give you excellent support

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the Head of Centre is a great leader and she is helped very well by other senior staff

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your parents and carers give the Centre good support and are very pleased with the care provided. I have asked your teachers to work on one thing.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Some of the activities for two and three years old could be more exciting like those in the rest of the Centre. I wish you all the best for the future. Yours sincerely Derek Watts Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Golborne Childrens Centre, 18–19 September 2008

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