Hartcliffe Nursery School and Children's Centre

Hartcliffe Early Years Centre Inspection report

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108906 Unique Reference Number Bristol, City of Local Authority 324860 Inspection number 25 February 2009 Inspection date Christine Huard 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 0–5 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 181 School (total) 39 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Lisa Jones Chair Lynne James Headteacher 26 April 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hareclive Road School address Hartcliffe Bristol BS13 0JW 01179 038633 Telephone number 0117 9038634 Fax number

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0–5 Age group 25 February 2009 Inspection date 324860 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: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 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: the success of strategies to accelerate children's progress, particularly in speech and communication, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world; the impact of initiatives to involve parents and outside agencies in promoting children's learning; and the success of leadership and management, particularly in relation to the governors and their understanding of their work in relation to monitoring and evaluating the work of the centre. Evidence was gathered from: the centre's self-evaluation; the school's assessment records; observation of the school at work; discussions with staff, parents and governors; and analysis of parental questionnaires. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given

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Introduction

in its self-evaluation, are not justified. These have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Hartcliffe Children's Centre is in an area of severe social and economic disadvantage. The centre moved into new premises on the same site in November 2006. Children come from a diverse range of backgrounds and there is a small, but increasing, number of children attending from minority ethnic backgrounds. The centre runs a range of parent and baby sessions as well as a variety of parent groups. The school offers a wide range of extended services through the development of the Children's Centre.

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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: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 2009

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Grade: 1

Hartcliffe Children's Centre makes outstanding provision for all its children. It has sustained and built on the excellent practice that was observed at its previous inspection. The headteacher was described at that time as being passionate about children's well-being and learning and this is still so. This commitment and dedication extends to and permeates the whole staff team, who work extremely well together. The conviction that 'the children have today only once so they should be provided with the best' is held by the leadership team, team leaders, teachers and key workers alike. The parents greatly value this commitment and wholeheartedly support the school. They are delighted with the progress their children make; as one parent said, 'My daughter is doing really well, she has become more confident and learns something new every day, I feel her progress is brilliant.' Children are valued as individuals. The school works extremely closely with families and carers

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Grade: 1

to ensure that children's entry into the centre is as smooth as possible. Parents appreciate the range of parenting classes, help with basic skills, clinic facilities and opportunities to meet at more informal sessions, such as music and song times, with their babies. Excellent relationships are forged and parents and babies have numerous opportunities to become familiar with the environment before formally starting school. Parents are always welcome in the centre. The provision of small viewing windows is excellent. It means parents can observe their children unseen and reassure themselves that they have settled for the day. It is one of the small touches which are much appreciated. Parents are extremely pleased with their level of involvement and feel well informed. In addition, they find the staff 'helpful and caring to parents with problems'. The centre has recently appointed an inclusion manager and this ensures that all families are

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Grade: 1

reached effectively. The school is supported by a wide range of outside agencies. Those such as the health visitor or speech therapist are regularly on site, but others are consulted and employed as the needs of the children and families dictate. This ensures that the needs of families as a whole are listened to and met, which in turn has a highly positive effect on the emotional well-being of the children. Babies and toddlers learn effectively because of high levels of care and, often, one-to-one attention. Key workers have made great efforts to forge good relationships with their families and this ensures that the individual needs of children are effectively met. There is a wide range of activities to help children explore and learn. For example, learning to hit the keys on a glockenspiel kept one tiny child occupied for a very long time while he persevered with trying to hit an actual note every time. Activities for the two- and three-year-olds are slightly more

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Grade: 1

structured. They are exciting and stimulating which means that they learn to concentrate for increasing lengths of time. A tray of corn flour to which water had been added was encouraging their curiosity as they touched it and tried to mix and move it around. They are learning to play together and thus develop very good social skills. At the previous inspection, teaching and learning were graded as good because there were some inconsistencies in the quality of provision. There is now a much more uniform approach in the way that staff work which means that children benefit from teaching that is regularly of a high standard. On entry, children are performing at considerably lower levels than those typically expected from children of a similar age. The curriculum is extremely well planned and supports their learning highly effectively. It is based on children's individual needs and regular detailed assessments in the form of learning stories help to identify what these needs are and

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Grade: 1

what the next steps for children's learning should be. This responsive planning means that all 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 2009 children can build on what they already know and make excellent progress in their learning and development. As a result, the quality of learning is outstanding and children achieve extremely well. When children leave the school they are generally working well within the levels expected for children four years old. The school's highly effective assessment systems quickly indicate where children's progress is slowing. For example, as a result of focused activities in small groups, the progress of children whose language and communication skills were limited has been considerably accelerated. A drive on problem solving and number means that progress in this area is excellent. In order to ensure that children have the broadest possible experiences, part of the outside area is being

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Grade: 1

developed to provide a Forest School. However, the quality of provision in the outside area, although having a wealth of equipment, is not yet quite as high as that inside. Children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities make excellent progress relative to their starting points and capabilities because of the highly focused support they receive. The level of care provided by the centre is of a very high order. The systematic and rigorous approach to safeguarding effectively protects children and reassures parents. As one commented, 'We trust the nursery very much and never feel concerned for our son's safety and well-being.' Adults are particularly vigilant in enabling children to learn how to keep themselves safe, and the quality of supervision, particularly for outdoor play, is exceptionally high. The fact that children are safe, secure and happy contributes to their ability to become successful learners.

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Grade: 1

'My little girl can't wait to come to school every day, even asks to go on the weekends. She gives her teacher a cuddle every morning and can't wait for me to go.' This comment reflects many made by the parents. The children love school. It shows in the happy, smiling faces that greet you wherever you go. Children's personal development and well-being are outstanding. They are taught about healthy eating and this is reinforced by the healthy snacks and excellent meals provided for them. Children understand that they have to share toys and games and learn to play together amicably. As a result, behaviour is excellent and children learn to share, take turns and work and play collaboratively. They understand that they have to tidy up after themselves and try to help each other. The promotion of community cohesion is a top priority and is excellent in every respect. The school has extensive links locally, nationally and internationally. The school is fully inclusive

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Grade: 1

and many parents positively commented on this. The growing number of children from minority ethnic communities are welcomed and the school takes great care to ensure that their cultures are respected and provided for. The school's self-evaluation is totally accurate. The headteacher and her two deputy headteachers are always looking to where improvements can be made, and the capacity for carrying these through is oustanding. The improvements made in mathematics and language development are just two illustrations of this. The governors have an outstanding understanding and knowledge of the school's work. They rigorously monitor and evaluate the work of the school and this leads to well- considered action plans for improvement. Comments from two parents sum up the school: 'The school is really excellent, my child really enjoys it and is happy here'; 'I would not put my child anywhere else.'

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Fully develop the outside facilities so that the learning environment both inside and out are of the same high quality. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 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: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 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? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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

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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 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

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? 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 2009

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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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 February 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Hartcliffe Children's Centre, Hareclive Road, Bristol BS13 0JW Thank you for the wonderful day we spent at Hartcliffe. We greatly enjoyed seeing all the exciting things you do. The centre is really outstanding and we can see why you all enjoy it so much. These are some of the things that are particularly excellent:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You all get on together really well and are learning to share and take turns. You do really well in all your activities. ■ The adults all take exceptionally good care of you; they look after you all really well so you feel very safe in school. ■ You have excellent teachers and helpers who make your learning interesting and fun.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and the people who help to run the centre are making an excellent job of this, which means that you learn all the right things as well as having a really good time. ■ Your teachers work really hard with your mums, dads and carers to make sure that your time at school is as happy as it can be and that you learn really well. The headteacher and staff have many good ideas to make the school even better. We agree with these. We have asked them to finish developing your outdoor spaces so that the activities you have outside are as exciting as those inside. We had a lovely day at your school and really enjoyed seeing you all. We hope you carry on really enjoying your time at Hartcliffe. Christine Huard Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Hartcliffe Early Years Centre, 25 February 2009

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