Sheringham Nursery School & Children's Centre

Sheringham Nursery School Inspection report

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102705 Unique Reference Number Newham Local Authority 308093 Inspection number 4 June 2008 Inspection date 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 Maintained School category 3 °4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 120 School The governing body Appropriate authority Ms S Tuttiett (Acting Chair) Chair Mrs M Haynes Headteacher 25 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Care of Dersingham Infant School School address Lawrence Avenue London E12 5QP 020 8553 2479 Telephone number 020 8553 2479 Fax number

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3-4 Age group 4 June 2008 Inspection date 308093 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. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated how well leaders and governors maintain high quality and provision especially in teaching and learning. He focused on how well the school provides a rich and vibrant curriculum that enables children of all abilities and backgrounds to improve their skills, knowledge and understanding. Another focus included checking on how the children develop personal, social and emotional skills that equip them as effective learners. Evidence was gathered from the analysis of children's work, teachers' assessments, observation of lessons, parents' questionnaires, and discussions with the headteacher, governors, parents and children. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given its self-evaluation,

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Introduction

were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

The school provides part time places. The vast majority of children speak English as an additional language. About a fifth have refugee status. About 20 per cent have speech, language and communication difficulties. The school recently moved into temporary accommodation while a new children's centre is built.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 2008

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Grade: 1

There are many reasons why this school is outstanding, not least because of the high quality of staff who are led exceptionally well by an inspiring headteacher. Parents speak glowingly of the quality provided and are delighted with the excellent progress made by their children. They value the exceptional way that staff treat their children as individuals, know their needs and provide rich and challenging opportunities for learning. Underpinning the school's success is the strong focus on providing high quality care, guidance and support. As one parent said, 'The children get special, individual attention which makes them feel safe so they can learn.' Staff are highly skilled in nurturing each child and this enables all to achieve outstandingly well and to thrive in developing personal, social and emotional skills that equip them for the future. Their caring approach means that new entrants, including refugees, feel part of a secure

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Grade: 1

environment where they receive much support. Children's needs are always put first. Leaders and managers take a dynamic lead in driving improvement and there is no sense of complacency here. The staff team have wide-ranging skills and expertise which they willingly share so that every individual, whether adult or child, is included and valued. The headteacher is supported by excellent governors who have developed highly effective methods of monitoring and evaluating the school's work. They and senior staff regularly track children to ensure that high standards are maintained. The school's accurate self-evaluation highlights areas for development and is used to guide improvement. The school is always looking for ways to do even better and this ambitious approach means that the children get the best possible start to their education. As a result the school has an excellent capacity to improve. Almost all children start school with skills that are much lower than those expected for their

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Grade: 1

age. Because of the excellent teaching, most children leave the school with levels of skills, knowledge and understanding that are appropriate for their age. The staff make learning fun and children buzz with excitement from the moment they step through the door. They quickly adapt to routines and learn to work independently and to cooperate with others. As one boy said, 'I like playing with him, he is my friend'. Children are excellent listeners and adventurous learners who are keen to please. They willingly tackle new situations and love the opportunities to work with the adults on exploring new ideas. This is particularly the case in communication, language and literacy. The children are often held spellbound by imaginative story telling and go on to produce their own books and to act out the stories. Those new to speaking English make exceptional progress because staff use every available method to capture their interest

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Grade: 1

and to promote speaking. Others with speech and language difficulties make great leaps forward in communicating because the teaching is tailored to their needs and includes support from outside agencies and high quality guidance from the special educational needs coordinator. Teaching is highly successful because staff make excellent use of assessment to pinpoint the next steps in learning. They quickly identify any shortcomings in children's learning and skilfully provide additional support. The staff keep excellent records of the children's progress, and parents contribute much to these 'special books.' These books illustrate how well each child is achieving, although mathematical development is not as well represented as the other areas of learning. Although they have many opportunities to learn about number children do not often record their mathematical work. The curriculum is vibrant and extends children's fascination

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Grade: 1

with learning. Excellent visits to the farm and park and opportunities to use other schools' facilities compensate for any gaps created through the temporary relocation. Staff ensure that 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 2008 every child in the school counts and this involves celebrating their cultures, languages and traditions. This is much appreciated by the parents who value this inclusive approach. As one said, 'My family feel like they are a part of this school and that is because the teachers treat us like special people.' The school's success in reaching out to the community and families has a beneficial impact on the children's learning.

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Grade: 1

As a Nursery school, the Foundation Stage is completely covered by the Overall Effectiveness section.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Extend opportunities for children's mathematical development and improve staff's recording of their observations in this area of learning. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 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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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? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 2008

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 June 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Sheringham Nursery School,London,E12 5QP I can see why you love coming to school. The Nursery is fantastic! I had a lovely day with you. I wish I could have gone on Mr Gumpy's outing with you because you had such fun on your boat trip and were so well behaved. I enjoyed watching you work and was very impressed by how well you joined in the story of Handa's Surprise and pretended to be some of the animals. Thank you for talking to me and showing me your work. All of you said how much you like coming to the Nursery. Your mums and dads told me that they wish they were three so that they could come too. Your school is outstanding which means it is an extra special place where you learn a lot. There are many lovely things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All of your teachers work hard to help you and make learning good fun.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ They care about you and look after you very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are super at playing together, sharing and taking turns.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know a lot about how to play safely and how to keep yourselves healthy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are good and kind to everyone and make the school a very happy place.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Those of you that are just starting to learn to speak English are doing very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All of you are good at listening and trying new things.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Mrs Haynes and the other adults in school do everything they can to help you and to improve the school. I have asked your teachers to find ways of helping you to do even better when learning about numbers and shapes and to keep a record of how well you are doing. I hope that you will always enjoy school as much as you like coming to Sheringham Nursery. Yours sincerely, Sean O'Toole Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Sheringham Nursery School, 4 June 2008

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