Setting

Mrs J Shiner The Headteacher Rubery Nursery School Leybrook Road Rednal Birmingham West Midlands B45 9PB

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 11 December 2007, for the time you gave to our phone discussions, and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. Please pass on my thanks to your deputy headteacher and the staff and children who met me.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website. Please inform the Regional Inspection Service Provider of any factual inaccuracies within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

As a result of the inspection in May 2006, the school was asked to:  make time for explaining the purpose of teacher-led activities so children understand what they are to learn and for children to review and evaluate their work  develop comprehensive systems for assessing children’s work so their progress can be monitored and data analysed to evaluate the quality of learning  ensure that management responsibilities are effectively deployed so that the school moves forward quickly.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time the school is making good progress in addressing the issues for improvement.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

At the start of activities, adults now suitably recap on what has been done in the past and what will happen next. For example, when children were icing biscuits, they reflected on how they had made them and what steps had to be followed to ice them. Adults use a range of verbal and written procedures to ensure children evaluate their learning. In one to one sessions with staff, children complete a memory book which enables them to reflect on what they have learnt and seek their enjoyment of learning. Individual evaluations such as ‘Look at my tower, it is bigger than me’, ‘I was cutting dough in half’, and ‘I enjoy playing in the water’ show Tribal Group 1-4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0845 123 6001 F 0845 123 6002 T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk children are evaluating their skills very well. Another good feature is the use of signs and symbols to help children plan, do and review activities.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

An effective assessment system is now in place. It is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework that sets the standards for the learning, development and care of young children. The local authority has judged your assessment procedures as a model of good practice and has shared the framework with other early years providers.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Secure ongoing observational assessments are made to determine children’s achievements in the six areas of learning. Judgements are based on evidence gained in a wide range of learning and teaching contexts. All adults who interact with the children contribute to the assessment process and account is taken of parents’ views when setting targets. By suitably evaluating each child’s achievement against the 13 scales in the EYFS framework, the school is able to effectively monitor the attainment and progress made by individuals, groups and cohorts. Data is analysed well to determine the strengths and relative weaknesses in teaching and learning. For example, last academic year leaders pinpointed that boys’ writing skills were insufficiently developed. Provision was improved by widening the range of writing opportunities, particularly outdoors, with very positive results.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The headteacher and deputy headteacher now have clearly defined strategic leadership roles and duties. Teachers have responsibility for provision in each phase of the school and oversight of specific curricular areas, and line manage support staff. Sound monitoring and evaluation of provision has determined staff strengths and areas for development. The headteacher has used the information gained to deploy staff so that there is a mix of expertise, skills and talents in each phase. The current job descriptions are generic and do not yet clearly specify all of the roles and responsibilities undertaken.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your school.

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