Bedworth Heath Nursery School

Bedworth Heath Nursery School Inspection report

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125486 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 328342 Inspection number 5 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. 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 Maintained School category 2–4 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 80 School (total) 19 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Denise Flowers Chair Amanda King Headteacher 16 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Glebe Avenue School address Bedworth CV12 0DP 02476 364188 Telephone number 02476 364188 Fax number

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2–4 Age group 5 June 2009 Inspection date 328342 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: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 June 2009

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Introduction

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

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Introduction

■ how successfully the nursery is seeking to improve attainment in reading and writing, especially for boys ■ how well information from recently introduced assessment procedures is used to influence children's learning in the nursery ■ the extent to which all leaders are involved in promoting improvement through monitoring and evaluation. Evidence was gathered from the nursery's self-evaluation form, assessment and tracking records, parental questionnaire responses, observations of the nursery at work, discussions with staff, governors and children. Other aspects of the nursery were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the nursery'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

The nursery provides part-time places for children aged three to four, who attend the morning or afternoon sessions in the nursery. It provides morning sessions for children aged two to three in the Nurture Nursery and 16 full-day care places. A variety of family support sessions are offered on site and through outreach to neighbouring areas. The percentage of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. Most children are from White British backgrounds. There have been three headteachers over the last academic year, with the current headteacher being appointed in January 2009.

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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: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 June 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good nursery school and children's centre. It has some outstanding features and provides children with a very caring and stimulating setting in which to learn. The vast majority of parents are supportive and greatly appreciate the activities their children experience. Two parental comments were typical of many, 'I feel Bedworth Heath is a very welcoming, caring and safe place for my child to be,' and, 'My son has come on in leaps and bounds since coming here and he absolutely loves it.' Children's achievement in the nursery is good, because of consistently good quality teaching and learning. Adults provide practical and stimulating activities that capture and maintain children's interest. The balance between adult-led activities and those chosen by children is good, with staff showing skilled intervention and flexibility in ways that enhance children's learning. As a result, children show much enjoyment in all they do and maintain their interest

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Grade: 2

and concentration for lengthy periods. This was evident in a role play area organised as a doctor's surgery in which children were taking turns to be doctor and patient. They were lost in a world of their own as they used thermometers and stethoscopes to diagnose illness and write prescriptions to offer treatment. Children start in the nursery with skills and abilities that are below the expected levels for their age, particularly in language and speech and in their social development. They make good progress and, by the time they leave nursery, most of them are working securely within the levels expected of them in most areas of learning. Children exceed the expectations in personal, social and emotional development because of the strong emphasis adults place on this aspect to increase their confidence and self-esteem. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make the same progress as others because of the

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Grade: 2

well-targeted extra support they receive. Children in the Nurture Nursery and in wrap-around care, thrive in the relaxed yet stimulating learning environment. The inspirational leadership of the headteacher provides focused educational direction and a clear vision for improvement. She provides an excellent role model for staff by her knowledgeable, hands-on approach. This has quickly forged a strong shared commitment between all involved in the life of the nursery to take it forward. Self-evaluation is accurate and correctly identifies priority areas for improvement. Action is then quickly taken to bring about improvement. A good example of this is the way attainment in reading and writing, especially for boys, was identified as a weaker aspect of children's performance. A variety of strategies have been put into place since the start of the year to improve provision. These include providing a wider range of reading and writing opportunities in all areas of learning,

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Grade: 2

including activities that better motivate and engage boys, such as superhero play. Staff have been trained to further their expertise in developing children's skills in linking letters and sounds to better recognise and use words. Though it is too early to measure the full impact of these strategies on attainment, the early signs point towards an increase in the rate of progress at which boys, as well as girls, are gaining reading and writing skills. The changes of headteacher over the last year have led to some disruption in leadership and management. As a result, though leadership and management are good overall, the leadership roles of some staff in monitoring and evaluating their areas of responsibility and promoting improvement are not fully developed. The current headteacher has taken on some additional monitoring and evaluation tasks to compensate for this. However, she rightly acknowledges

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Grade: 2

that her workload is too much and is working productively with other leaders to achieve a more efficient division of responsibilities. Governors support the nursery well and are fully involved 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 June 2009 in influencing its development. The nursery's recent track record shows it has good capacity to make any necessary changes. Outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development means children behave in an exemplary manner and are very kind and considerate to others. Relationships are excellent, and this makes a very positive contribution to the harmonious atmosphere evident in all aspects of the nursery. Children feel safe and secure and consequently become independent, confident and self-reliant individuals who share well and respect each other's needs. They are happy, friendly and polite and enjoy coming to the nursery, which is reflected in their good attendance.

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Grade: 2

From an early age, children understand the importance of a good diet and hygiene as they readily wash their hands before eating a varied range of healthy snacks and nutritious lunches. Family involvement has been raised by the introduction of Big Chef Little Chef sessions in which parents and carers prepare, cook and share healthy meals and snacks with their children. Children are prepared well for the next stages of education and their future lives. The good curriculum is extended well by a variety of enrichment activities. A wide range of visitors, including police, fire and road safety officers, introduces children in a fun way to the wider world. The exceptional outdoor provision, including a willow tunnel and summer house, offers outstanding opportunities for children to explore their own ideas in imaginative ways. Leaders promote community cohesion well. They ensure a common vision and sense of belonging

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Grade: 2

by all, as part of the nursery and the wider community. Everyone in the nursery is treated equally and fairly and helped to appreciate and value the diversity of people's different backgrounds and circumstances. The headteacher has introduced an electronic system that enables staff to plan more precisely the next steps required to develop their learning. Currently, the system is not fully up and running and some staff are not confident in using the assessment data available. Some, however, have begun to make good use of the data and the resulting careful planning has started to accelerate children's progress. The nursery makes outstanding provision for the welfare of all children and fully meets statutory safeguarding requirements. All aspects of the nursery, wrap-around and day-care provision are underpinned by rigorous systems to ensure children's health, safety and well-being. The welfare of children is at the heart of the nursery's work and all children are cherished as unique

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Grade: 2

individuals. The excellent links with outside agencies, such as the speech and language service, means that extra support for individual children is readily available when required. Parents are able to be actively involved in their children's learning through a variety of family learning activities and courses. Parents particularly appreciate the Stay and Play sessions, which are well attended and provide good opportunities for families new to the area to meet others and integrate into the local community. Induction arrangements are excellent and ensure children settle quickly into everyday routines, whilst growing and flourishing in a very welcoming and stimulating environment.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Implement fully the recently introduced systems for checking children's progress and ensure staff use the information gained more precisely to influence children's learning in the nursery. ■ Ensure all staff with leadership responsibilities are fully involved in monitoring and evaluation to help the nursery improve further. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 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: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 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? 3 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?

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

2 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: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 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: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 June 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Bedworth Heath Nursery School and Children's Centre, Bedworth, CV12 0DP 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 some of the things it provides are excellent. 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 behave very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The outdoor areas are really good and provide you with lots of interesting activities to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All of you are beginning to do even better in reading and writing.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults look after you very well and make sure you are safe, in and around school and on visits. ■ 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

■ Use information about what you can do to set activities that will help you do even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure all adults who are in charge of the school are fully involved in helping it to improve.

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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: Bedworth Heath Nursery School, 5 June 2009

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