Rowland Hill Nursery School

Rowland Hill Nursery School Inspection report

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102072 Unique Reference Number Haringey Local Authority 307893 Inspection number 17 °18 September 2007 Inspection dates Sean O'Toole 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 Community School category 0 °4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 75 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sarah Crowe Chair Ms Sharon Ellis and Ms Julie Vaggers Headteacher 28 January 2002 Date of previous school inspection 315 White Hart Lane School address Tottenham London N17 7LT 020 8808 6089 Telephone number 020 8801 7303 Fax number

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0-4 Age group 17 °18 September 2007 Inspection dates 307893 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Rowland Hill draws its children from a wide area and a range of backgrounds. The school offers a wide variety of services including parental support, adult learning, and support for families with English as an additional language. About a third of the children have home languages which include Turkish, French and Arabic and most of them are at an early stage of learning English. About 15 per cent of children have learning difficulties.

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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: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007

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Grade: 2

This good school has several outstanding aspects which contribute well to the children's good achievement. Parental opinion is very positive and several commented on the dedication of the staff. Others praised them for their approachability; one wrote, 'The staff are very friendly and welcoming, so you feel free to approach them.' Because the staff focus on meeting the needs of each child, parents are confident that their children are well cared for. Indeed, levels of care, support and guidance are outstanding and enable the children to thrive both academically and socially. The children's excellent personal development and well-being are partly the result of high quality assessment procedures that staff use to guide the children on how to improve. Another contributory factor is the use of mixed age teaching which provides opportunities for older children to learn alongside and take some responsibility for those who are younger. Children's

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Grade: 2

very good personal and social skills equip them as skilful learners who are ready for the challenges facing them when they move to another school. They are good at making choices, concentrate for long periods and clearly enjoy themselves. The children are sociable, friendly and behave very well. They have an excellent understanding of how to live healthily and use the testing outdoor apparatus enthusiastically. The school benefits from leaders and managers who work effectively to promote high standards of care. Their good mix of skills and expertise have brought good improvement since the previous inspection and contributed much to the successful expansion of extended services. There is a good strategy for further development although some targets in the school's plans are not sufficiently focused. Senior staff regularly monitor the quality of teaching and track the children's progress. Staff plan thoroughly and take good account of those with learning

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Grade: 2

difficulties and those who are new to learning English. They are sensitive and often intervene at just the right point to move learning on at a good pace. Because of good teaching, children improve well in almost all aspects of their work. However, because resources are not used sufficiently and skills are not developed consistently, progress in mathematical development is no more than satisfactory. Governors take a keen interest in the school and have good systems to keep a check on its work. There is a strong sense of teamwork and leaders are skilful in using expertise from within and outside the Nursery. This means that children and their parents benefit from a wide range of support services. The strong emphasis on nurturing each child regardless of background and ability enables children to grow in confidence. As one boy said, 'It's good here. I feel happy.'

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Grade: 2

As a nursery school, the foundation stage is completely covered by the overall effectivness section.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve children's mathematical development through more focused teaching and by making better use of resources to help children understand mathematical ideas. ■ Sharpen up strategic planning so that it includes well-focused measures of success. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007

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Grade: 2

Children start school with a wide range of early learning experiences but most are working at levels which are below those expected for their age. This is especially the case in language and mathematical development. Because the staff use accurate observations to pinpoint the children's needs they provide challenging opportunities. As a result, children make good progress and achieve well. By the time they leave, they are well equipped for the next school. They make very good progress in physical, personal, social and emotional development and are working at levels in these areas which are in advance of those expected. In most of the other areas of learning standards are in line with those expected for their age. Achievement in mathematical development is satisfactory and opportunities to explore and investigate mathematical ideas are rather limited. The staff make sure that the planning for those with learning difficulties clearly identifies each

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Grade: 2

step in learning. Consequently, children grow in confidence and skill. Those new to learning English benefit much from the focus on practical work and the development of simple vocabulary so that they quickly gain competence in communicating their ideas and feelings. As one parent explained, 'My daughter did not speak any English but now she is helping me.'

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Grade: 1

The centrepiece of the school's success is the way in which children learn to manage their own learning, cooperate with others and become self-assured. The excellent opportunities to explore the natural world enhance spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In one session, the children intently observed small creatures, giggled excitedly as spiders scurried around and made sure that the minibeasts were returned to their habitats. Because the children play in a safe environment they feel secure in attempting challenges which increase their self-reliance and confidence in making choices. Through cooking, having opportunities to eat healthily and to take plenty of energetic exercise the children have an excellent awareness of their bodies. They enjoy all the Centre offers, responding enthusiastically and imaginatively. They have high levels of curiosity and become absorbed in activities such as learning about science through sand and water play. Because the

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Grade: 1

children are busy and active they remain focused for long periods and their behaviour is excellent. They enjoy working alongside younger children and this helps them to develop caring and responsible attitudes.

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Grade: 2

There are several strengths in the teaching. Staff have excellent relationships with the children and inspire confidence and a love of learning. They capitalise on the children's interests so boys and girls sustain concentration for long periods. Excellent use of observations to assess the children means that those with particular learning needs receive focused support. One teacher, working with a small group with little English, cleverly enabled them to practise and learn new words moving learning on in small steps so that the children achieved good success. Staff are knowledgeable about how young children learn and planning is meticulous. They skilfully 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007 introduce the children to books and encourage early writing in a range of activities. Drawing on the expertise of speech therapists and those working with the hearing impaired the staff

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Grade: 2

acquire new skills so that they make learning fun and accessible to all. Although there has been additional training, staff are not quite as confident in teaching mathematics. These skills are often taught through other areas of learning but there are some gaps due to insufficient use of apparatus and focused activities.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good range of opportunities which are matched well to the children's needs. The good provision for those with learning difficulties includes the excellent involvement of outside agencies. Children with English as an additional language are given one to one support and many practical experiences. The most successful aspect of the curriculum is in promoting children's personal development. Staff plan thoroughly, take good account of national guidelines and match activities to children's needs and interests. The children have an interesting mix of practical and physical activities which contribute to their collaborative and independent skills. The use of the outdoor area is especially effective as children are free to explore within a safe but challenging environment. Another strength is the way that older children work alongside those who are younger. This arrangement is mutually beneficial and

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Grade: 2

also involves parents in their children's learning.

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Grade: 1

The school states that its main purpose is to provide 'an inclusive supportive environment in which children and their families can make positive relationships, learn together, grow in self respect and be happy.' It is highly successful in these aims because of the outstanding levels of care it provides. Staff are extremely effective in pinpointing the learning and personal needs of the children through the excellent ways in which they keep a check on progress. They keep detailed records which provide guidance on planning the next steps in learning. Children's health and well-being receive the highest priority. All staff are trained in safeguarding children. Robust procedures for health and safety and risk assessments give parents much confidence in how well their children are supported. As one said, 'I know I can leave my son here and that he will be happy and safe.'

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Grade: 2

The school's good record in managing change has resulted in a hard-working team who are keen to learn from each other and to improve the quality of education. The way that senior leaders share responsibility is especially effective. All staff know the direction to take and are single-minded in helping the children to achieve, although some of the measures of success in the development are not as sharp as they should be. Drawing on the leadership's strengths, especially in creating a common vision, key personnel have improved the curriculum and raised the quality of teaching. Staff are self-critical and their accurate self-evaluation, identification of issues such as mathematical development and successful track record in tackling change are clear indicators of the good capacity for further improvement. Governors also play an important part in checking on the school's work. With the staff, they have set challenging targets and

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Grade: 2

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007 achieved good success in raising attendance and promoting an awareness of healthy lifestyles among the children. Everyone working in the school contributes to its positive and inclusive ethos which helps to create keen and excited learners. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 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? Yes 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? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 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 2 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 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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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: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

27 September 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Rowland Hill Nursery School,London,N17 7LT please see attached pupils' letter. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Rowland Hill Nursery School, 17 °18 September 2007

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Letter to pupils explaining the findings of

Inspection of Rowland Hill Nursery School, Tottenham, N17 7LT.

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Letter to pupils explaining the findings of

I really enjoyed my visit to your Nursery. Thank you for being so helpful and making me feel welcome. What a lovely place to learn! It was great to see how interested you are in finding out new things. When you were watching the spiders, worms and snails, I was pleased to see how careful you were not to hurt them. Lots of you talked to me and told me that you like coming to school. I could see that you have great fun and that you are good at sharing, being kind and helping. I know that your mums and dads are pleased that you go to Rowland Hill and lots of them said they would like to come too.

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Letter to pupils explaining the findings of

Many things make your school a good place to learn. ☺ The staff really care about you and look after you very well. ☺ You are good at playing together and have lots of fun. ☺ The older children are very good at looking after the little ones. ☺ You are kind to everyone and make the school a very happy place. ☺ The adults are good at helping you to learn. ☺ You are good at playing with balls, climbing and exploring. ☺ I liked the way that you are kind to each other and listen to the adults.

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Letter to pupils explaining the findings of

You can help to make the school even better by learning more about counting and shapes. I have asked the adults to find more ways of checking on how well the school is doing.

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Letter to pupils explaining the findings of

I hope that you continue to enjoy school and hope that you all stay as happy as you are now.

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