Wingate Community Nursery School

Wingate Nursery School Inspection report

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113971 Unique Reference Number Durham Local Authority 311433 Inspection number 12 May 2008 Inspection date David Earley 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 77 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Margaret Greener Chair Mrs Barbara Beels Headteacher 1 July 2005 Date of previous school inspection Partridge Terrace School address Wingate County Durham TS28 5BD 01429 838206 Telephone number 01429 838206 Fax number

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3-4 Age group 12 May 2008 Inspection date 311433 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 one Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: strategies to improve the progress of boys; the use of assessment and tracking; the effectiveness of leadership and management in raising standards and improving provision. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average-sized school serving a former coal mining area. There are high levels of social and economic deprivation. Children attend either morning or afternoon sessions part time. All children are from White British backgrounds. An above average proportion of children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school provides a special educational needs outreach service for other nurseries within the Local Authority. Since 2006 the school has been at the hub of an Early Years Training and Research base and a Children’s Centre which incorporates a Family Centre and Community Childcare provision. The school has Investors in People Award. The school has received national Early Years Setting Awards and School Achievement Awards.

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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: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 2008

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school that gives excellent value for money. The headteacher provides inspirational leadership. She shares with staff, governors and parents extremely high aspirations, a very clear vision for improvement and a relentless determination to provide only the best for each child and family. This is based on extremely exciting, challenging teaching, a most stimulating, enriched curriculum within an extremely supportive and caring atmosphere. At the graduation ceremony at the end of their time in Nursery, children are presented with an exceptionally detailed journal recording their time in the school. This is accompanied by the words, ‘We believe you can fly.’ In terms of their progress, they can. Achievement for all children whatever their background or ability is excellent. When children begin school they show a wide range of abilities, although attainment is generally below that

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Grade: 1

expected for three year olds. They make excellent progress so that by the time they are ready to move on to full time education most children exceed the goals set for their learning. The strategies implemented to improve the progress of boys have been successful and their rate of progress is excellent. Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. This provides an extremely firm foundation for learning. Relationships are excellent and children show exceptional levels of confidence and self-esteem. For example, at the end of each year they plan and perform a concert for parents and produce a computer generated programme, including photographs they have taken. Behaviour is excellent and children willingly collaborate with others and talk confidently and articulately to visitors. Children have an extremely well informed awareness of how to lead healthy lifestyles. There are lots of opportunities for exercise.

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Grade: 1

Healthy snacks are readily available and parents and grandparents cook a healthy meal each week shared by staff and children. Attendance is good and children come to each session smiling eagerly as they anticipate the warm welcome and the challenge and stimulation awaiting them. They develop an excellent awareness of the school and wider community. Excellent basic skills in language and mathematics and outstanding personal social and citizenship skills prepare them extremely well for the next stage in their education. Teaching and learning are outstanding. Exceptionally well focused assessments give teachers a very clear picture of what children need to do in order to improve. Staff recognise the different ways in which children learn and plan carefully to meet their individual needs. For example, in a small group activity, enlivened by the use of puppets and a model train and the use of challenging questions, more able children counted on in twos and slower learning children were

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Grade: 1

supported in their calculations with a number line. Basic skills in the areas of learning are woven very carefully into every task so that learning becomes irresistible. For example, vocabularies are increased during searches for mini beasts and mathematical ideas are extended when children create landscapes for dinosaurs. Teachers and nursery nurses work extremely well together so that there is continuity in learning. There is an excellent balance between teacher led and more independent activities, where children plan their tasks for each session. The curriculum is outstanding. It is an Aladdin’s cave of excitement and challenge, both indoors and outside. This makes a significant contribution to the excellent progress and the very positive attitudes to learning. It is exceptionally well planned to take on board children’s interests. There is an excellent range of high quality, well organised, accessible resources and activities indoors

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Grade: 1

and outside. This is enhanced by the regular use of the local woodland area to make tasks more 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 2008 interesting and relevant and to increase understanding of environmental issues and citizenship. There is an excellent focus on the use of information and communication technology to extend learning. The curriculum is further enriched by the links with the wide range of services available in the Training and Research Centre and Children’s Centre and by many visits and visitors. Care, guidance and support are excellent. There is a very caring atmosphere where all children and their families are very well known. This is enhanced by the very close links the school maintains with the Children’s Centre and the Family Centre. These are very effective in helping parents to support their children’s learning and well being and help children to settle into the

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Grade: 1

Nursery very quickly. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive excellent support so that they progress at the same rate as their peers. The school does everything it can to ensure that children are safeguarded. Parents have very positive views of the school and are very well informed of their progress. Speaking for many, a parent commented that children are guided, ‘to love themselves and respect each other.’ There is an extremely positive partnership between home and school. For example, in the ‘Learning Stories from Home’ scheme, children and parents bring stories and interesting artefacts from home and this helps to increase confidence and extend skills. All staff are extremely skilled in observing, recording and tracking progress. This enables teachers to plan meticulously for what children need to do in order to improve. Leadership and management are outstanding. The leadership of the headteacher is exemplary

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Grade: 1

and she is very well supported by the assistant headteacher. She leads the school with considerable determination, flair and energy. A shared commitment to leave no stone unturned in meeting the needs of each child underpins the drive to raise standards and improve provision. This leads to high academic and personal achievement and enables children to thrive in this inspiring environment. As part of its vision to enrich the learning and lives of children and parents the school ensures that the Children’s Centre and Family Centre complement its work. The Early Years Training and Research Base helps the school to keep at the cutting edge of educational developments and helps to give children and staff increased confidence in articulating their ideas to the many national and international visitors. Very effective self evaluation leads to a clear and realistic school development plan. Progress since the previous

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Grade: 1

inspection has been excellent. Governance is excellent. Governors are very enthusiastic and supportive. They know the school extremely well and play an important role in helping to shape the direction of the school and in holding it to account for its performance. Excellent leadership, a shared commitment to raise standards and improve provision and thorough and accurate self evaluation give the school excellent capacity to improve further.

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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

■ There are no major areas for improvement. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 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: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 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? 1 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: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 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: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 May 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Wingate Nursery School, Durham, TS28 5BD I think your school is brilliant. I really enjoyed coming to see you because you all made me feel at home. You all really love coming to school because everyone is so friendly and there are so many wonderful and exciting things for you to do. I was pleased by the way you have lots of chances to do things like climb and run and balance and to eat good food. The school takes very good care of you so that you play safely and you are very careful to look after all the toys and equipment that you use. You are very kind to each other and share your toys and it is very good to see how you plan what you are going to do and work well on your own. I thought the clay models you made of the animals you had seen at the farm were wonderful and I really liked your paintings of the flowers and peacocks. I was really pleased to see how well you are learning to read, write and count. You know about

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

how tadpoles turn into frogs and what happens to seeds when you plant them. You have a great time when you visit the woodland and understand about taking care of special places. You know how to use computers and cameras and are really good at mixing sand and paint and pushing wheel barrows. You are always helped to try your best and your school keeps a very good check on how well you are learning so that it can help you to do even better. I could see you enjoyed playing in the hair dressers and adding up the scores in your bowls game. You really enjoyed the mini beast hunt and I enjoyed your singing about the worm you found. It’s such fun being in your school. I bet you don’t want to leave when its time to go home. I know I didn’t. Your mums and dads and grandparents are very pleased to see how well you do. I think they are right. Thank you once again for being making me so welcome. David Earley Lead inspector

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

9 of 9 Inspection Report: Wingate Nursery School, 12 May 2008

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