Knowle West Early Years Centre

Knowle West Early Years Centre Inspection report

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134241 Unique Reference Number Bristol, City of Local Authority 316249 Inspection number 25 November 2008 Inspection date David Curtis Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Nursery Type of school Community School category 3–4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 90 School (total) 44 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Lesley Edwards Chair Joan Sharp Headteacher 29 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Leinster Avenue School address Knowle Bristol BS4 1NN 01179 030214 Telephone number 0117 3773453 Fax number

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3–4 Age group 25 November 2008 Inspection date 316249 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The Centre provides exclusively for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In Early Years 1 (EY1), it has six paying places for 0–2-year-olds. In Early Years 2 (EY2), it has 28 supported day-care places referred by a range of local authority services and eight places paying. In Early Years 3 (EY3), it has 50 funded places and 16 paying wrap-around care places. The majority of children are of White British heritage, although an increasing number come from minority ethnic families, including from parents who have a one-year posting at the University. Currently, the proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. However, this proportion varies significantly from year to year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding Early Years Centre. Through excellent leadership and management, the headteacher, senior staff and governors have transformed the Centre since its last inspection into a vibrant learning environment where children make outstanding progress. The Centre has three particular strengths. The first is that it has embraced totally the new EYFS framework for children aged 0–5. Secondly, it is consistently seeking to maximise partnerships, especially with parents, because the Centre recognises that it is only in close harmony with them that children's learning is most effective. The Centre has excellent relationships with other Early Years settings within its immediate locality and the wider city. These contribute to the Centre constantly moving forward in its determination to give children the very best. Thirdly, the Centre assesses meticulously the progress each child makes against each area within the Every Child Matters

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Grade: 1

agenda, and puts in place support programmes for those who may not be making sufficient progress. All of its work shows beyond doubt that it has outstanding capacity for further improvement. Excellent provision in helping children to learn and achieve coupled with outstanding promotion of children's welfare are the keys to the outstanding progress children make in all areas of learning and to their excellent personal development and well-being. Children love being at the Centre, including those in EY1, one of whose parents wrote, 'My child is very excited when we arrive on site and often claps with joy'. Children show great levels of determination in working independently, for example in finishing patterns. Others work successfully in pairs, including outdoors, where two 'pirates' took their 'haul of treasure' back to their 'pirate ship'. They form excellent relationships with each other and all adults. During the inspection, behaviour

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Grade: 1

throughout the Centre was exemplary because children are safe, secure and confident. They respond exceptionally well to the rich activities provided for them. Teachers and nursery nurses are very effective in asking questions that require children to think. This makes a significant contribution to the excellent progress children make in speaking and listening. Group time is planned very carefully so that children learn with their Key Person. In one group, children worked hard to put ten slices of plum onto a plate and there were shrieks of joy when they achieved it: 'Yes! We've got ten!' At the same time, their understanding of healthy living was reinforced. This shows how staff put counting activities into a meaningful context for children. Throughout the Centre, children's welfare is paramount. Resources are very good and used effectively. Teaching children safe practices is very evident, including

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Grade: 1

teaching them how to cut pieces of fruit safely. Although the outdoor area is much improved since the last inspection, it is not currently set up as an outdoor classroom so that children can learn in all six areas of learning. Parents are delighted with the Centre and value in particular the effective way all staff support their children. As one wrote, 'My son has been here for two years and had a lovely time. He has come on so much. The staff are always there to help with anything and listen to any problems.'

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the outdoor area into an outdoor classroom to promote all six areas of learning. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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Grade: 1

Children start at the Centre with skills that are below the levels expected for their ages. In the time at the Centre, they make outstanding progress in each age group and reach standards that are above those expected for their ages. The Centre rigorously monitors progress by gender, ethnicity and ability. It has a detailed picture of each child's performance against each strand of the six areas of learning. Currently, the Centre is focusing on improving children's skills in calculation as this was identified as a relatively weaker strand within problem solving, reasoning and number. Evidence from the inspection shows that children's skills in this area are improving because of effective teaching, especially in groups.

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Grade: 1

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Their sense of awe and wonder is developed through, for example, the use of the school grounds, a visit to a farm and visiting Leigh Woods. Children are very good at tidying up at the ends of sessions and they make a very strong contribution to keeping the Centre an exciting place in which to learn. Children develop key social and early academic skills most successfully, and these prepare them extremely well for transfer to Reception classes.

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Grade: 1

There are significant strengths in the quality of day-to-day assessment of children's learning. Staff monitor children's progress extremely well. They use the results of the analysis of that progress to identify potential underachievement and then to put in place effective support strategies to help eliminate it. The current focus on creative play is a good example of this. Individual assessments are recorded in children's 'My Learning Diary'. These contain examples of children's learning, including photographic evidence. The significant strength is that after each assessment, the next steps in learning are clearly identified. However, in EY2, the quality of adult intervention and support is not as consistently high as it is in EY1 and EY3.

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Grade: 1

Throughout the Centre, children's welfare is paramount. Parents are delighted with the way staff care for their children. All safeguarding and risk assessment procedures comply fully with statutory requirements. Facilities for babies in EY1 are very good, although if the full number of places were to be taken up, there would not be enough cots. Full-time children enjoy a healthy lunch and benefit from the excellent interaction with each other and adults on this valuable social occasion. All staff are well qualified and take part in regular in-service training to benefit themselves and the children. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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Grade: 1

Governors are very knowledgeable and supportive of the Centre and its work. When necessary, they are prepared to challenge senior leaders. Governors make a good contribution to the Centre's development plan and to its self-evaluation. The Centre's view of its own performance is slightly too cautious but it does have a very detailed understanding of its strengths and areas for development. It certainly never stands still in its determination to maximise children's learning. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 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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EYFS?

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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? 2 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/or disabilities make progress

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children?

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 The extent to which 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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The quality of provision

1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of the children in the EYFS promoted? 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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Leadership and management

1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed? 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 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 November 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Knowle West Early Years Centre, Bristol BS4 1NN We really enjoyed visiting your Centre and seeing you learning and playing together so well. We are thrilled to tell you that you go to an outstanding Centre and we know that your parents think it is wonderful. They told us how much you enjoy going there each day. These are the things which we thought were brilliant.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy learning and make excellent progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You get on really well with other children and all of the adults who help you learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers and adults plan lots of exciting things for you to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All the staff look after you and care for you extremely well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Those adults who manage and run your Centre want to give you the very best learning that they can. There is just one thing which we think would make your Centre even better, so we have asked all the adults to work on the following.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that all of the things you learn indoors you can learn outdoors as well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We know that you will carry on enjoying your time at the Centre. It was lovely to see such happy children. Yours faithfully David Curtis Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Knowle West Early Years Centre, 25 November 2008

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