Edith Cadbury Nursery School

Edith Cadbury Nursery School Inspection report

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103150 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 323770 Inspection number 18 June 2009 Inspection date Melvyn Hemmings 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 Non-maintained School category 3–4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 36 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Sally Bateman Chair Chris Danks Headteacher 4 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Somerford Road School address Weoley Castle Birmingham B29 5LB 01214 753098 Telephone number 01214 753098 Fax number

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3–4 Age group 18 June 2009 Inspection date 323770 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 9 Inspection Report: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ How successfully the school is seeking to improve children's skills in mathematics.

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Introduction

■ The way the outdoor area is used to promote children's learning.

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Introduction

■ The extent to which self-evaluation procedures have been improved since the last inspection.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from the school's self-evaluation form, assessment and tracking records, parental questionnaire responses, observations of the school at work, and discussions with staff, the chair of governors and children. Other aspects of the school were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest 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 small, non-fee-paying nursery has charitable status and is partly funded by Birmingham City Council. It provides 36 full-time places. The percentage of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. Most children are from White British backgrounds. There was a sharp reduction in the number of children on role from 2008 because of part of the building being converted to a children's centre. The extensive building work has severely restricted the outdoor space available for children to use.

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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: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It provides children with a very caring and stimulating setting in which to learn. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and pleased with the activities their children experience. Two parental comments are typical of many: 'I am very happy with the school; staff are caring and considerate. I believe my child is well looked after' and 'My daughter loves going to nursery that much she would go on a Saturday if she could.' Children enter school with skill levels and abilities that are below those expected for their age. They make good progress and by the time they leave exceed the age-expected levels for all areas of learning. This shows their achievement is good. The school identified that attainment in mathematics was a relatively weaker aspect of children's performance. As a result, a variety of strategies were introduced over the last year to bring about improvement. These include

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Grade: 2

developing curriculum planning and introducing focused group work in the afternoon to place more emphasis on promoting mathematical skills. A central mathematics area has been created that enables children to choose for themselves the resources they need during their activities. Training has been given to staff to raise their awareness of how to promote mathematics incidentally in other areas of learning. The early signs are that these initiatives are proving successful and children's progress is accelerating and mathematical skills are improving. The main reason for children's good progress and achievement is consistently good quality teaching and learning. Children show positive attitudes, being very enthusiastic and keen to learn. Staff have a good understanding of the needs of children of this age and set them activities that are practical and often based on their own experiences. As a result, activities

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Grade: 2

capture children's interest and they fully engage in their learning. This was evident in the outdoor role play area in which children were lost in a world of their own as they hired bikes from the shop, rode them around the playground and then washed them on their return. The good balance between activities directed by staff and those chosen by children makes a positive contribution to their development as independent learners. Excellent relationships mean that the setting is a very friendly and happy place in which to learn and play. The headteacher provides focused educational direction and a clear vision for school improvement. She has been the driving force behind improving the school's self-evaluation procedures since the last inspection and these are now good. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are rigorous and identify strengths and areas in need of development. As a result, the use of information about the progress children make has been improved and

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Grade: 2

ensures staff set activities that effectively meet the needs of individual children. The impact of the curriculum on children's learning is evaluated carefully and has led to changes in planning, to provide learning opportunities that are more focused on raising attainment further. All involved in the life of the school share a commitment to enabling children to achieve to their full capability and a strong team ethos is evident. Community cohesion is promoted well. This ensures there is a sense of belonging by all as part of the school and the local community. All in school are treated equally and fairly and helped to appreciate and value the diversity of people's different backgrounds and circumstances. Governors are supportive of the school and play a full part in influencing its development. The school's recent track record shows it has good capacity to make any necessary improvements. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This leads to them being

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Grade: 2

polite, courteous and considerate to others. Their behaviour is exemplary and this contributes 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009 significantly to the happy atmosphere throughout the school. They enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their good attendance. Children make friends easily and work well with others and, in so doing, contribute well to the life of the school. They contribute to the wider community through such activities as fund raising for local charities. Children have a good understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle by eating well and taking exercise. They make sensible choices of food and drink water during the day, as they need it. Children feel safe and secure and know that adults are there for them if they need help. They are well prepared for their future lives. The good curriculum is extended well by a wide range of enrichment activities. Visitors, including

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Grade: 2

police, fire and road safety officers, introduce children, in a fun way, to the wider world. Children also have the opportunity to work with a specialist from the Birmingham Music Service and this develops their creative skills very effectively. This was evident in a session in which they showed great enthusiasm in playing untuned percussion instruments and made outstanding progress in their ability to use them to create controlled musical sounds. The good programme for personal development effectively develops children's understanding of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle and their awareness of how to stay safe. Leaders have worked well to minimise any disruption to children's learning during the extensive building work of the last year. Despite a much reduced outdoor area, children have been provided with activities that effectively develop their skills across the areas of learning throughout the day. As the building work nears completion and more space becomes available leaders are keen

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Grade: 2

to develop it to promote children's learning further. To achieve this, work has already started on developing a 'forest school area' to enable children to have hands-on experience of investigating a natural habitat. The planned intention is to extend children's learning in the outdoor area by providing them with more opportunities to explore their own ideas in imaginative ways. Good pastoral care and support of children underpins their personal development. All staff are firmly committed to the safety and well-being of children and this aspect of the school's provision is much appreciated by parents. At the time of the inspection, safeguarding procedures met statutory requirements. Child protection arrangements are rigorous and all staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about the well-being of a pupil. The strong links with outside agencies ensure well-targeted extra support for individual pupils, when required.

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Grade: 2

This makes a significant contribution to the good progress made by children with learning difficulties. Good systems for welcoming children when they first start school ensure that they settle quickly into everyday routines. Good links with parents mean they are kept fully informed of the progress their children make.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the use of the outdoor area to further promote children's learning. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009 .

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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: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009

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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? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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children?

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 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 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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The quality of provision

2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of the children in the EYFS promoted? 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009

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Leadership and management

2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

19 June 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Edith Cadbury Nursery School, Birmingham, B29 5LB Thank you for the really friendly welcome you gave us when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and seeing the many interesting things you do. Your school is good and it helps you do well in your learning. What we found about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ It is a very friendly place in which to work and play.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You show a lot of enjoyment in coming to school and are keen to learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults look after you well and make sure you are safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is excellent and you work well with others, in pairs and small groups.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Recent changes mean you are now doing even better in mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults in charge of the school are working hard to make further improvements and help you do even better. What we have asked your school to do now.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Develop the outdoor area so it is an even more interesting place in which to learn and play

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help your school improve further by continuing to try your best in all you do. All of you are a credit to your school and your parents. Yours faithfully Melvyn Hemmings Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Edith Cadbury Nursery School, 18 June 2009

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