Hornsea Nursery School

Hornsea Nursery School Inspection report

p.1

117699 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 312676 Inspection number 30 April °1 May 2008 Inspection dates Ruth McFarlane Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Nursery Type of school Community School category 3 °4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 113 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steve Smith Chair Mrs Catherine Swan Headteacher 1 May 2005 Date of previous school inspection Newbegin School address Hornsea East Riding of Yorkshire HU18 1PB 01964 534396 Telephone number 01964 534396 Fax number

p.1

3-4 Age group 30 April °1 May 2008 Inspection dates 312676 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Almost all the children in this rural, coastal nursery school are White British and come from the local area of varied but sometimes significant socio-economic need. None has English as an additional language (EAL). All are part time. Lunch is not provided. Children start at the beginning of the term following their third birthday and leave for their primary schools’ Reception classes on a termly basis. About a fifth of the children require extra support with their learning. The headteacher was appointed in January 2007 and in April 2007 a new Chair and Vice-chair of governors took office.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school where children feel happy and safe and personal skills are strongly promoted. Parents are very pleased with the way that their children are cared for, commenting on the ‘friendly, safe environment’ and the ‘dedicated, very caring and approachable' staff. The school has improved since the last inspection because the staff work well as a united team focused on providing a nurturing environment for learning. Together with the particularly fruitful partnership with parents, this helps ensure children are prepared well for their futures. Standards on entry to the school are below those typical of three year olds especially in speech and language and creative development. By the time they leave, standards have risen and are broadly typical. Most children achieve well in each area of learning in the comparatively short time they spend in the school. This is because the teaching is good; staff know the children

p.4

Grade: 2

very well, encourage them to try hard and support their needs very well. There is not enough opportunity available for children to talk about their learning and express their ideas and opinions. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities gain confidence in themselves as learners and make good progress. More able children enjoy the activities on offer but are not always challenged by what is planned. The good curriculum provides a wealth of opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. Staff work together well and astute use is made of their expertise to plan a lively range of activities each day. They log children's progress diligently, but do not yet make enough use of this information to plan challenging targets. The children receive very good care for their everyday needs, assisting them to achieve well in their personal development. For example, they are learning how to be healthy through good provision at snack time, where staff talk to

p.4

Grade: 2

them about making healthy choices and the importance of hygiene. Behaviour is very good. The children show very keen interest in all that is provided and enjoy their time in nursery very much. They make a good contribution to nursery by helping to clear up each day and are making a contribution to the wider community by fund-raising activities. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher leads the school well and has a clear understanding of the areas that need to improve further. Effective procedures exist for the leaders to check on the quality of teaching and learning and to evaluate the provision. The assessment system, introduced by the new headteacher, is producing useful data for the school to assess the quality of its provision and raise standards. The use of this and other data is insufficiently developed as yet, and this affects progress for some children. The positive impact of these recent improvements and the emphasis on teamwork means that the school is well

p.4

Grade: 2

placed to continue its improving path. Governors are strongly supportive of the school and are developing their roles as critical friends.

p.4

Grade: 2

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

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide more opportunities to all children to plan and talk about their learning.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the challenge for the more able children. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008 ■ Use assessment and other data to set challenging targets to raise standards.

p.4

Grade: 2

Children start school with varied levels of skills and capabilities but in most cases these are below those typically found, particularly in speech and language and creative development. By the time they leave for their primary schools standards have risen and are broadly in line with those expected for four year olds in all areas of learning. Children make good progress and achieve well because the learning environment is so supportive. For instance, the identification of those with additional learning needs is speedy and accurate and specialist help is especially effective in developing speech and language skills. Inspection evidence shows that although these remained less strong in previous years, they are now reaching national expectation. All those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Most children make particularly good progress in creative development, from the generally low

p.5

Grade: 2

start. Aspects of imaginative play are well developed and the children enjoy making music, singing and developing their understanding of rhythm. The more able children make good progress, but could achieve more. Boys and girls achieve equally well, understand routines, and learn to work and play together cooperatively.

p.5

Grade: 2

Children show that they enjoy coming to school very much by their smiles on entering the nursery and by the quick way they settle and leave their parents and carers without a fuss. ‘My child absolutely loves coming to school’ is typical of parents’ comments. Children know the routines and take advantage of the different experiences provided, clearly feeling safe and secure. They persevere with tasks because the staff encourage them to try hard and praise them for trying. They already know that to be healthy they need to exercise and not eat too many sweets. Their use of computers shows early readiness to prepare for their adult world. Attendance, though fairly regular, is sometimes adversely affected by conflicting family activities. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Children work safely, being careful when using equipment like scissors. They tidy up willingly and well. They listen attentively,

p.5

Grade: 2

behave very well, and are developing good dispositions to learning because the nursery provides a rich variety of interesting learning opportunities. For example, children play happily outside on musical instruments of several different cultures in the traditional ‘Bandstand’. They are starting to understand the needs of others. They especially enjoy being ‘monitor’, leading the line and fetching drinks for their group, taking turns and playing fairly.

p.5

Grade: 2

Good teamwork is ensuring a consistent approach to planning so that staff are familiar with the learning objectives to be taught. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Staff know the children very well. They ensure each child feels at home in the nursery and enjoys the exciting range of learning opportunities prepared each day. The rooms buzz with laughter and happy activity, because staff always find time to work individually with a child as the need arises. Large group sessions, story times and other small group activities are all well-planned 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008 and characterised by enthusiastic and supportive teaching. There are not yet enough opportunities for children to talk about their learning and to plan what they want to do or what they feel they have achieved. Staff are diligent in the observations they make of children's learning. All contribute to the recently introduced system of recording achievement, using the

p.5

Grade: 2

information to plan the children’s immediate next steps. Those with additional learning needs are well catered for because staff training has been pertinent, but the more able are not always sufficiently challenged.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum responds well to the children's needs by its strong focus on personal, social and emotional development, enabling them to develop good dispositions to learning. Children choose from many indoor or outdoor activities, structured so that each child is presented with the same suitably broad range of key learning experiences, whether choosing to learn outside or inside. The outdoor area has improved substantially since the last inspection. It now presents a colourful and imaginative range of well-planned activities such as the ‘snake-infested’ nature study area complete with magnifying glasses. Parents commented on ‘the perfect balance of fun activities and preparing for the next stage’. Visits in the local area, to the beach and a local Italian restaurant to see how pizza is made, extend children’s learning. Planning around topics enables a beneficial cross-curricular feel which helps children learn by capturing their interest,

p.6

Grade: 2

but planning fails to provide enough opportunities for children to reflect on their experiences. Morning and afternoon sessions operate, but no additional provision, such as lunch, is available.

p.6

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support is good overall and parents are enthusiastic about what they refer to as ‘brilliant’ care provided for their children. Their many positive comments include reference to the ‘dedication and care that the all staff show.’ Staff put parents at their ease and the staggered intake eases the children's transition from home to school. Home visits help children to feel confident about their first days. Parents have excellent access to staff and the warm relationships between staff and parents ensure that any concerns are quickly noted and responded to. Safeguarding procedures are in place and staff understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe and secure. Staff identify children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities quickly and ensure that they get the specialist help they need to make good progress. Academic guidance is sound and has improved significantly since the last inspection. The school

p.6

Grade: 2

has identified that it does not use its data sufficiently well to evaluate its performance and set targets. Good relationships with receiving schools support effective transfer to primary education.

p.6

Grade: 2

The good leadership and management demonstrate strong teamwork and determination to help each child to succeed. The headteacher's understanding of this phase of education provides a firm vision for the school and includes a commitment to working in very close partnership with parents. Her vision is shared very well with all staff, who are very well deployed to make best use of their individual expertise. The school's capacity to improve is good. This has been shown in the improvements to the school since the last inspection, including rigorous monitoring 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008 and appraisal procedures and an emphasis on staff training. Self-evaluation is effective and most aspects work well. Priorities for development rightly identify increased use of data so that the school can use challenging targets to promote the very best learning for all abilities. The

p.6

Grade: 2

governors, several of whom are recent appointments, are developing their roles and have a good idea of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

p.7

Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008 .

p.7

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: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

2 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 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008

p.9

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 3 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: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 May 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Hornsea Nursery School, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU18 1PB I am writing to tell you about the things I found out when I came to visit your school. I am grateful to your parents who filled in some forms to tell me what they thought of your school. They think that Hornsea Nursery is a good school and I agree with them. I was pleased to see that you behave well and take care of all the interesting things you have to play with. You are learning lots of new things each day and really enjoy school. The teachers and all the adults who work with you help you to make good progress because they know you all very well. However, I have asked the school to give some of you harder work to do, because I think that you need a bit of extra challenge. I liked the way you help to clear up and help each other. Everybody in nursery takes good care of you and this helps you to feel safe and happy and gives you the confidence to try out new

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

things. Isn’t the outside area exciting? I loved the Bandstand especially. You enjoy finding out about things, such as what creatures look like under the big magnifying glass. You all listen to the teachers and you are making good progress in learning each day. I have asked your school to build on this by giving you more chances to plan and talk about your learning, particularly when you are in your big group time. All the adults in your school work very hard and are good at their jobs. I have asked them to do something to make your learning even better. Your school is going to make sure that you always have goals set for you to reach. It is really important to have something hard to aim for, and they can help you so much to reach them. I hope you all continue to enjoy your time in nursery. Good luck for the future. From Mrs McFarlane Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hornsea Nursery School, 30 April °1 May 2008

p.11