Pennywell Early Years Centre

Pennywell Early Years Centre Inspection report

p.1

108753 Unique Reference Number Sunderland Local Authority 324828 Inspection number 10–11 March 2009 Inspection dates Joan Elton 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 Maintained School category 3–4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 100 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Margaret Parsons Chair Mrs Judith Donnelly Headteacher 13 July 2006 Date of previous school inspection Portsmouth Road School address Pennywell Sunderland Tyne and Wear SR4 9AX 0191 5536820 Telephone number 0191 5536822 Fax number

p.1

3–4 Age group 10–11 March 2009 Inspection dates 324828 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

This Nursery serves an area with extreme levels of social and economic deprivation. Sections of the area around the school are due for demolition. Most children are of White British origin with few from minority ethnic backgrounds and none in the first stages of English language acquisition. The percentage of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is high. The centre has a larger than average nursery and provides integrated day care from birth to eight years, from 8am to 6pm, daily throughout the year.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.3

Grade: 1

This setting is outstanding. It successfully maintains the high standards of many previous years. Children make exceptional progress and their personal development is excellent; provision for learning and development is inspirational, while children’s welfare is exceptionally well promoted. The leadership and management team at all levels have high expectations of quality through ongoing improvement. This setting is highly popular. Parents and carers comment on the approachability of staff and their effectiveness in dealing with issues. They give specific examples of help given to children with particular needs and express delight at children’s overall progress. They recognise they are kept very well informed and invited to join children’s activities. ‘The centre is very well run,’ writes one parent. ‘I feel safe when my child attends.’ The centre not only contains a very successful nursery, it provides high quality extended

p.4

Grade: 1

schooling and wrap around care in a beautiful, well equipped environment. All children in the wrap around care learn successfully and feel welcome and secure. This additional provision to boost child and family learning has been available for the last two years and the benefit is beginning to show both in the effective progress and very positive attitudes of children who remain in the setting for Nursery provision. As a result of these and other initiatives, achievement in Nursery is excellent. Children beginning Nursery with skills well below the typical level are now on track to reach broadly average skills in most areas, with improved but lower levels in language. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similar progress to others because of early identification of their needs and appropriate learning programmes to match them. In addition, all children develop exceptionally well, personally, socially and emotionally.

p.4

Grade: 1

They know how to keep healthy and safe, to take responsibility and to cooperate successfully with other children. They develop skills as effective learners and their behaviour is excellent. The Nursery is exceptionally well organised within a stimulating environment, both indoors and out. Staff incorporate children’s interests in the activities they provide and introduce them to seasonal and other topics. Visits and visitors add variety to their activities, such as cheer leading. By regularly changing role play areas, children learn about different jobs and careers. Assessment is used effectively to inform planning and meet children’s needs. Further refinement of the system to track children’s progress is required to ensure data is readily accessible throughout the year. Care shown to children and their families is exemplary. The school has been very successful working with individual families to improve attendance and to raise awareness of

p.4

Grade: 1

welfare, learning and development. The centre is excellently led and managed. Headteacher, staff and governors are highly committed to the centre’s children and their families and strive for continuous improvement. The leadership team has successfully managed finances to provide effective staffing ratios and to create a successful learning environment. Children’s achievement has been raised and a good contribution has been made to community cohesion. The centre has outstanding capacity for further improvements and currently provides outstanding value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure current systems for tracking pupils’ progress are easily accessible throughout the year so that staff use data more regularly and efficiently. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.4

Grade: 1

Most children begin Nursery with skills well below those typical for this age group. One third of Nursery children have benefited from the centre’s birth to three provision and this has raised the skills on entry to Nursery. All children make very effective progress in Nursery as a result of excellent care, learning and development. Most children are now on track to acquire broadly typical skills in most areas of learning before they enter Reception. Their ability in some aspects of language, although much improved, is still below the typical level. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make comparable progress to their peers because of the centre’s highly successful inclusive policies. This represents outstanding achievement.

p.5

Grade: 1

All children are involved in hygienic food preparation when they make their snacks. As all food choices are healthy ones, messages about the importance of fruit, vegetables and water are clear and consistent. Children are very active and understand the benefits of physical activity. They are taught how to keep themselves safe and demonstrate well their knowledge of danger. Their enjoyment of learning is seen in their very positive attitudes and excellent behaviour: they want to answer questions and participate; they are keen to make their own choice of activity and enjoy responsibilities. These include self-registration, tidying up and looking after the centre’s stick insects and snails. Children respect staff and each other. The majority join in with play, making friends very easily. Attendance for most children is satisfactory. Staff work very sensitively to help families whose children, for a variety of reasons, are not regular attenders

p.5

Grade: 1

and their efforts are often rewarded by significant improvements. Children learn to understand their feelings and to control their anger and aggression. They appreciate different points of view and listen very well to each other. Their involvement in the centre’s family and child courses, Sunderland’s Extended Schools Cluster multicultural events and charities both at home and abroad raise children’s appreciation of cultural diversity.

p.5

Grade: 1

Staff establish warm and supportive relationships with children and their families and this raises achievement especially when parents contribute to their children’s education. Well established procedures are in place to ensure effective use of time and resources. Planning is detailed: it incorporates children’s evolving interests and makes excellent provision for a wide range of ability. Activities are very imaginative, well resourced and fun. Children respond very positively to the excellent range of choices, both indoor and out, and to further challenges when staff enhance areas by using different resources. Staff are very skilled at developing language by commentaries, sympathetic comments and questions, which encourage thought. In these ways children learn to give extended answers, to converse as equals and to express reasons, predictions and different points of view. Staff also help children to share their feelings and give them the

p.5

Grade: 1

vocabulary to do so. Efficient work habits, such as checking numbers, are taught from the beginning, while computer software is used very well to extend different abilities. The centre uses its tracking system very effectively to identify areas for development with appropriate 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009 strategies. Ongoing assessment information is not readily accessible to staff throughout the year and therefore its effective use is restricted.

p.5

Grade: 1

The centre meets all statutory requirements relating to welfare and every policy and practice is regularly reviewed to keep children safe and secure. Risk assessments are rigorous and staff training for child protection, health and safety is appropriately updated. Staff are exceptionally well trained to meet a wide range of children’s needs and are most vigilant in their practice. The centre is family and child orientated and successfully helps parents understand their children’s education and the benefits of their own contribution to it. It also provides popular social activities for parents and very useful information to help with other aspects of their lives. The centre, in all its services, is very attractive and welcoming. Within its highly supportive atmosphere, all children thrive, personally and academically. There is very early identification of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the centre works very well with

p.6

Grade: 1

other agencies to secure appropriate support and resources. Children leave the centre with effective basic skills including information and communication technology, the ability to cooperate in a group, a wider understanding of the world and essential work habits as inquisitive and independent learners.

p.6

Grade: 1

This is outstanding due to the shared vision and commitment of headteacher and staff in successfully raising children’s achievement both personally and academically and in providing an exemplary standard of welfare. The headteacher sets a clear direction for the centre and explores all resource possibilities to help the families and children who use it. Through training and responsibility, trust and encouragement, staff at all levels are empowered to use their ideas and expertise for the centre’s development. They confidently evaluate every aspect to identify successes and areas for improvement. Responsibilities for senior staff are clearly defined and their monitoring and teamwork greatly contribute to the centre’s smooth running. Governance is good. Governors are very knowledgeable about the centre. They are highly committed to its success and contribute well to its very effective self- evaluation by monitoring aspects against

p.6

Grade: 1

the Every Child Matters agenda. Resources are very effectively used, including extended services, to improve the outcomes for children. The centre makes a good contribution to community cohesion by establishing a learning community around the centre and by its excellent partnership with other professionals, schools, outside agencies, the local authority and church. Contacts are fostered with other areas in Britain via projects and globally via charities. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009 .

p.6

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: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

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

p.8

Achievement and standards

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? 3 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

p.8

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 3 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

p.8

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: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.8

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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 March 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Pennywell Early Years Centre, Sunderland, SR4 9AX Thank you for the welcome you gave me during the recent inspection. I enjoyed seeing the babies, the kinder and the Nursery. Your centre is beautiful and has such good equipment. I liked the different cots in the Baby Nest. I was most impressed with your good manners and particularly enjoyed the meal with Kinder. How well the two year olds served themselves and ate their food at the table! You all work so well together in Nursery on such exciting activities. The cheerleading was very exciting and I enjoyed your group times. I visited red, green, purple and silver. You seem to like being with your key worker at the start and end of Nursery. All of you are making good or better progress. You are all improving in your work, your language and your confidence. The staff take great care of you and their teaching is excellent. They showed

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

me your learning stories and I saw how interesting your days are! I have asked your school to do one thing to improve your learning. I have asked your school to:

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure information about your progress can be collected together quickly throughout the year. This will be done on the computer. Staff need this information to plan your next activities accurately. Please thank your parents for their questionnaires. I enjoyed reading the comments. Your parents love the Centre and are delighted with your education. You will be pleased to know that I found Pennywell Early Years Centre outstanding. It is very successful and I know it will be able to do the thing I ask. My very best wishes for your future education. Continue to enjoy your learning in the Nursery. I know you will always remember the fun you had there! Yours sincerely Joan Elton Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Pennywell Early Years Centre, 10–11 March 2009

p.10