Duke Street Nursery School

Duke Street Nursery School Inspection report

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119066 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 326939 Inspection number 28–29 January 2009 Inspection dates Sue Sharkey 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 Maintained School category 3–4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 80 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Alison Hansford Chair Mrs Susan Conron Headteacher 1 July 2006 Date of previous school inspection Duke Street School address Chorley Lancashire PR7 3DU 01257 262430 Telephone number 01257 244760 Fax number

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3–4 Age group 28–29 January 2009 Inspection dates 326939 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: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This Nursery serves a wide area, which includes social and economic deprivation. Children attend part time and the majority of children come from White British backgrounds with a few learning to speak English as an additional language. A small number of children have been identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities. In November 2008, the Nursery moved to a new building on the same site as the Children’s Centre. An independent provider provides nursery care and before and after-school care on the premises.

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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: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding nursery school which serves its local community extremely well. The school has maintained a high level of effectiveness over a number of years and provides children with an excellent start to their education. Parents think highly of the nursery school and speak of it in glowing terms. A typical comment was, ‘Children make extremely good progress, they learn in a fun way so that they are excited and enjoy school. We cannot fault the nursery in any way.’ Under the guidance of an outstanding headteacher, children make exceptional progress in all areas of learning. Most start school with skills that are below what is expected for their age. Outstanding provision and welfare ensures that by the time they leave, the majority of children have well exceeded the levels expected for their age. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language make excellent progress because

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Grade: 1

of the first-rate care and support they receive. This positive beginning makes an important contribution to the next stage in their education both academically and socially. Excellent teaching and stimulating learning actively inspires and motivates children. The headteacher successfully leads a team of talented teachers, key workers and support staff. Careful daily planning and a wide range of well chosen activities allows children to learn through play. Children choose what they want to play and adults watch carefully, intervening when appropriate to extend children’s knowledge, skills and language through careful questioning. Excellent links with the Children’s Centre mean that the school can make good use of its facilities, such as the sensory room, which enhances children’s enjoyment and development. The school is keen to welcome visitors and makes excellent use of the local environment to further engage

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Grade: 1

children’s learning, for example, in looking for landmarks in the town, so that children begin to recognise the area in which they live. Personal development and well-being is outstanding. The all-round development of the children is successfully promoted by activities specially planned and adapted to their individual needs. For example, a bear den invites children to explore and particularly stimulates boys to carry out adventurous play leading to their enjoyment of writing. Parents feel involved with their children’s learning and are pleased with suggestions the nursery sends home each weekend, which reinforce learning in school. Staff sensitively and gently encourage all children to communicate, using sign language if necessary. Bilingual notices, labelling and stories help to engage children who have English as an additional language, as they quickly settle in. Attendance is good. There are a small number of families whose children do not attend regularly, despite the nursery

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Grade: 1

encouraging them to do so, and this interrupts children’s learning. The headteacher has a clear vision for the direction of the school which is shared by staff and governors. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities, which they discharge with great effectiveness. Governance is outstanding. Governors have a clear understanding of the school through their regular monitoring and involvement throughout the recent building of the new school. As a result of the excellent leadership and management and the way that children’s individual needs are catered for, the Nursery has outstanding capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Encourage regular attendance amongst the children of some families. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009

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Grade: 1

Assessments of children’s skills and knowledge when they enter the nursery school show that they achieve very well from a starting point which for most children is below what is expected for their age, especially in mathematical development and communication, language and literacy. The excellent range of stimulating activities, individual attention and quality teaching enable children to make outstanding progress, particularly in mathematical and physical development. The free-flow of movement between the inside and outside areas means that children widen their learning experience and they grow in their desire to explore and be independent. Almost all children, including those at the early stages of learning English, have the knowledge, skills and understanding that are well above what is expected for their age by the time they leave the nursery. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make excellent progress because

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Grade: 1

of the first-rate care and support they receive.

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Grade: 1

Children’s personal development and well-being is outstanding as is spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children develop an excellent understanding of the need to keep healthy and the outdoor area helps them to enjoy energetic play. Children are enthusiastic during their snack time when they can choose what healthy food or drink they would like and adults foster good social skills. There is a strong focus on developing children’s positive self-esteem, independence and confidence and this helps children to make rapid progress in their learning. Children thoroughly enjoy and make excellent use of information and communication technology (ICT). They delight in using computers, microscopes and the interactive whiteboard. Teachers encourage appropriate behaviour by guiding children to develop a sense of what is right and wrong. As a result, behaviour is excellent and the relationships between children and with adults

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Grade: 1

are extremely good. The school actively embraces and celebrates a range or different cultures. Children learn to use chopsticks, dress up in costumes and explore different foods when Chinese New Year is recognised. Children are encouraged to contribute to the local community and enjoy singing around the campfire and making reindeer food to raise funds for the local children’s charities.

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Grade: 1

Children make excellent progress in their learning. The school is thorough in regularly assessing what children know and can do. Teachers track children’s progress very closely and constantly adjust their learning so that activities are very carefully focused on developing children’s personal, social and academic qualities. There is an excellent balance between adult-led learning and opportunities for children to be creative, work independently and explore. Children have opportunities to make music, and to listen and talk to each other, for example as they selected from a wide range of materials to design and make a large nest for a bird. The learning environment is inspirational, helping children to discover that learning is an exciting activity that comes from a range of stimulating experiences. Children flourish, sharing space and resources in their new setting. The school works very closely with parents by keeping them up

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Grade: 1

5 of 10 Inspection Report: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009 to date about their child’s progress and involving them in their children’s learning. An important part at the beginning of each half-day is the warmth and welcome both children and parents receive.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding welfare and care arrangements contribute significantly to the children’s excellent personal development and are a strength of the school. Child protection procedures are in place and are understood and followed by staff. There are rigorous risk assessments for school visits in the community and further afield, as well as procedures for monitoring the health and safety of children. Relationships are a clear strength and all children are highly valued and provided with outstanding support. Key workers know their children very well. A parent commented, ’The atmosphere is friendly and staff are very caring, they take their responsibilities of nurturing such young children seriously and each child is treated as an individual.’ The school has excellent links with a wide range of organisations and agencies which support the all round development of the children.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The headteacher, ably supported by her senior teacher, successfully motivates staff and has extremely high expectations. Outstanding teamwork ensures that all staff are united in their desire to do their very best for the children. The school is rigorous in the self-analysis of its performance and the school is reflective about its achievements and how it can improve what it offers. Children make such rapid and successful progress in their learning because the school puts the child at the heart of all that they do and there is outstanding attention to detail, school wide and for all children individually. Community cohesion is good; the school works well with the local community and engages well with different groups. Staff are appropriately qualified and great importance is placed on their professional development. Governors fulfil their roles extremely well; they

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Grade: 1

challenge the school and are very involved with the future vision for the development of the Nursery as part of serving the local community. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009 .

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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: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 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? 1 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: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 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 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: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 January 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Duke Street Nursery School, Lancashire, PR7 3DU I enjoyed my visit to your new school very much. When I walked in and saw how colourful it was, what exciting things were on the wall I knew that I would enjoy my time with you. Thank you for talking to me and telling me all about the exciting things you do. I could see how much you enjoy being inside school as well as outside. I was very impressed with how well some of you drew your gerbils and talked about how they were moving around their cage. Your mums, dads and carers think that your school is an excellent place to be and I agree with them. Your headteacher told me that most of you go to nursery every day and I have asked her to try and help those of you who don’t so that you can enjoy nursery more often with your friends. I watched you inside school as well as outside and it was lovely to see you being so friendly to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

each other and friendly to all the adults teaching and working with you. You were so well behaved all the time that sometimes I didn’t hear you and wondered if you were creeping around!! It was lovely to see you working well with each other, the way you shared and played together in the bear’s den. In fact I thought that all this was outstanding. I could tell that you were learning really well through all the different activities that the grown ups organise for you. They are excellent at teaching and in the way they keep checking on how well you do things. I was impressed at how you were so good on the computer, the Beebops and the way you used the microscope attached to the computer. All the adults that work with you also care for and look after you extremely well. Thank you for helping me find out about your school and for being such friendly children. Best wishes Sue Sharkey Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Duke Street Nursery School, 28–29 January 2009

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