Slough Centre Nursery School

Slough Centre Nursery School Inspection report

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109760 Unique Reference Number Slough Local Authority 310089 Inspection number 26 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 °5 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 135 School The local authority Appropriate authority Mrs Diane Lister Headteacher 7 February 2005 Date of previous school inspection Buckingham Avenue East School address Slough SL1 3EA 01753 521975 Telephone number 01753 554609 Fax number

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3-5 Age group 26 June 2008 Inspection date 310089 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 children of different abilities and backgrounds make progress. He investigated how well the children develop personal qualities which equip them for the future. The inspector looked at the ways in which the school ensures that teaching and learning are consistent. 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, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

The school serves a mixed area. Almost all of the children have minority ethnic backgrounds. About 20 home languages are spoken in the school and a high proportion of children are at an early stage of speaking English. A small number have been identified as having learning difficulties and most of these children have speech, language and communication problems.

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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: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 June 2008

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Grade: 2

'My child cries when the weekend comes and Nursery is closed,' wrote one parent. Indeed this is a fun place to learn where every child benefits from good teaching and exceptional levels of care. Because of these strengths, the children make excellent gains in their personal, social and emotional development and are well set on the road to successful learning. The many positive qualities in this good school contribute to the children's good achievement in all of the areas of learning. The vast majority start school with low levels of skill, knowledge and understanding but they benefit from a lively and challenging curriculum that stimulates their curiosity and enthusiasm. As a result, they are working at levels that are in line with those expected for their age when they leave the school and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. The staff are skilled in supporting vulnerable children, especially those with communication

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Grade: 2

difficulties or those at an early stage of learning English. They provide intensive support and much encouragement which enable these children to succeed and make outstanding progress. One delighted parent wrote, 'My child came in with no English. After one term she is conversing and forming sentences.' Another, thrilled with the support for those with learning difficulties, explained, 'My son is hearing impaired and gets extra help which has made a big difference.' Other strengths in the teaching include the excellent relationships between staff and children and the effective use of assessment to pinpoint the next steps in learning. Sometimes, adults talk too much and this limits opportunities for the children to practise their speaking skills. Although they ask lots of questions, they do not always give the children the time to answer. Staff work together well and plan thoroughly to make activities challenging. They make very

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Grade: 2

good use of stories to stimulate thinking and often encourage the children to act out what they have heard. This successful approach draws in the less confident who sometimes take a leading part in the drama. Because the staff get on well together and are welcoming and caring, the children easily make friends and enjoy one another's company. The children work together well and their behaviour is marked by kindness and consideration for others. They make excellent gains in their understanding of healthy and safe living. They independently help themselves to drinks, enjoy healthy snacks and energetically take part in vigorous activities. High quality care and support ensure that children are safe and secure in school. Staff are highly trained in all safeguarding matters and vigilant in identifying any concerns. Parents speak highly of this aspect of the provision. Many wrote of the approachability of the staff and the support they have received.

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Grade: 2

One summed it up by saying, 'Staff offer lots of tender loving care to the children and provide a caring environment for all.' The headteacher has built a well-focused and skilful team who share common ambitions for the children and have good capacity to build on the school's strengths. They have worked effectively since the previous inspection on improving assessment and raising attendance. They have also used the information from assessment to develop aspects of the teaching of mathematical development and improved children's skills of calculation. Governors provide helpful support but, as many are new, they are not sufficiently involved in checking on the school's work. The school has appropriate plans for further improvement that include extending the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) as the children have limited opportunities to use technology to support their learning.

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 June 2008 Leaders are always looking for ways to improve the school and regularly consult with parents, who greatly value these opportunities. Parents enjoy the regular discussions with their children's key workers. They also appreciate the written reports and evaluations of their children's work. One wrote, 'My child's amazing progress is shown in the excellent record of achievement book which is kept up to date with comments and photos.' Clearly, this is a school that puts the children and families at the centre of what it does. Summing up, one parent commented, 'I find the interest of the children is always number one at the Nursery.'

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Grade: 2

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 the children to practise their speaking skills.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the provision for ICT ensuring that children have sufficient opportunities to use technology in their learning. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 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: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 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? 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 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 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 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 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

09 July 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Slough Centre Nursery School,Slough,SL1 3EA I enjoyed my visit to your Nursery. Thank you for talking to me and for making me feel welcome. It was lovely to see how much you like learning new things. You know lots about books and it was great to see you dressing up as characters from your favourite stories. The teachers joined in and it was great fun. I could see how much you liked to pretend to be pirates, princesses and super heroes. You all looked lovely. I could see that you are good at sharing and being kind. Your mums and dads told me that some of you like coming to the Nursery so much that you want to come at the weekends. Your school is good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff look after you very well and make sure that you are healthy and safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are good at playing together and sharing toys and equipment.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everyone seems kind and helps to make the school a happy place.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The adults make sure that you have interesting things to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are learning a lot about how to read and write and I was pleased to see how well you count. ■ Those who find it hard to learn get lots of help.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ I like the way that you listen carefully, try hard and are good at concentrating.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I have asked the adults to find more ways to help you to get even better at speaking and answering questions. You can help by always trying your best to answer questions. I also would like them to buy more computers and other equipment to help you to learn. I hope that you will always be as happy at school. Yours sincerely Sean O'Toole Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Slough Centre Nursery School, 26 June 2008

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