Pinxton Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that leaders:
  • provide members of the governing body with precise information about the achievement of different groups of children so that governors can hold leaders fully to account for the progress that children make
  • include in the school’s development plan clear statements of when action will take place and exactly how the success of each action will be measured.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that all staff consistently use every possible opportunity to promote children’s skills in literacy and numeracy.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since her appointment in 2015, the headteacher has improved all aspects of the school quickly. She and the teacher for three- to four-year-old children work closely together, setting high expectations for both teaching and the achievement of every child. They are very keen that all children will make as much progress as possible.
• The school is a very happy and positive learning environment, and its approach to education is captured well in its motto, ‘playing and learning for living’. Leaders are keen to ensure that all activities will be not only enjoyable but purposeful in teaching children the skills and personal qualities that will one day prepare them for adult life.
• Staff work closely in partnership with parents and are responsive to their requests. For example, parents asked to learn more about e-safety and for ideas to help develop their children’s creativity at home. Leaders responded by organising an e-safety information event for them and by beginning weekly ‘messy-play’ sessions, to which they and their children are welcomed.
• Leaders know the many strengths of the school well. They explain these in a reflective and clear self-evaluation document that is drawn from a wide range of evidence. This also sets out the areas that need further development so that both provision and children’s progress improve further.
• The headteacher checks regularly that the quality of teaching provided by the teacher is high and continues to improve. She also ensures that the teacher fulfils her role effectively in monitoring the quality of teaching of the many nursery nurses that the school employs.
• All staff take part in an effective process to manage their performance. Leaders help staff to improve their effectiveness, organising regular training in aspects such as, for example, sign language.
• The curriculum is rich and exciting for children, and makes them very eager to learn. Because children attend on a part-time basis, staff are unable to provide after-school clubs. Nevertheless, they ensure that children go on many interesting visits. These include building dens in Sherwood Pines Park and trips to a train museum. Staff also take children on frequent walks in the local area, for instance to the local church to learn about religious festivals and Remembrance Day. The curriculum is also well organised so that children receive teaching in all areas of learning, regardless of which days they attend.
• Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. From a young age, children gain a love of nature, watching chicks hatch and learning to care for a pet rabbit. Imagination and creativity are carefully nurtured so that children become keen to show how they can build, paint and make. Staff also teach children to understand right and wrong so that they are kind to others. As a result, children are extremely well behaved.
• The curriculum ensures that British values are taught effectively. Children learn about different cultures and, for example, celebrate the language and food of India during Diwali and of China at Chinese New Year. As a result, they quickly learn to respect and value others, regardless of their background. Children also learn about Britain’s heritage and history by, for instance, holding a party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. Because of good teaching from staff, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Staff who responded to Ofsted’s survey were unanimous in their praise for the school’s leadership and for the high level of satisfaction and pride that they receive from their work at Pinxton Nursery. As one member explained, ‘It is one of the best roles I have had in my working career. I feel supported in all that I do.’
• Leaders ensure that the early years pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide additional support for children. This support includes purchasing resources to develop children’s listening and attention skills, as well as their early writing skills.
• The funding for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used very well. The school employs a highly effective nursery nurse who gives these children close support so that they can improve their confidence, knowledge and skills.
• Parents also have very positive views of the school. A very large majority of those who responded to Parent View, and all those the inspector met during his visit, expressed approval for the school’s leadership and the care and education that the school provides.
• The school’s development plan is not precise enough. It is focused upon the correct areas of children making more progress in literacy and mathematics, but the dates and timelines for action are too vague. In addition, the criteria by which success can be measured are not sufficiently clear. As a result, governors cannot check easily if actions have been completed soon enough and cannot be sure how effective they have been.

Governance of the school

• The governing body plays a good overall strategic role. Governors are supportive of the headteacher’s drive to develop further any aspects needed. The chair and vice-chair visit the school on a very regular basis to discuss teaching and learning with the headteacher. Governors who are new to their role are particularly keen to take up opportunities for training so that they can rapidly become effective.
• The governing body ensures that the headteacher’s performance is managed well and that her effectiveness continues to improve. It also monitors the school’s budget, including any additional funding, so that money is wisely spent and the school does not build up an undue surplus or develop a deficit.
• Evidence shows that governors challenge leaders increasingly well. They do not yet do this to an exceptional standard, however, because leaders do not provide them with the right information. Leaders do not provide sufficient detail about children’s achievement in all areas of learning, for different groups of children.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that all staff are thoroughly trained, including in areas of recent national concern, such as extremism. As a result, they show a good knowledge of the wide range of signs that might indicate harm to a child. Staff have a very good understanding of their responsibility to report instantly any concern they may have to leaders. They know the procedure to do this and do not hesitate to do so.
• Safeguarding case files and records seen by the inspector show that leaders work closely with a wide range of external agencies and make brisk referrals whenever needed.
• Leaders work effectively with parents in keeping children safe, including by placing information on the school website about how they can protect their child at home.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Staff have a good knowledge of children and their needs. They plan effectively together and cooperate closely so that children make good progress.
• A team of skilled nursery nurses complements the effectiveness of the teacher. These staff play a full part in ensuring that children are taught consistently well.
• Staff understand that almost all children enter at the age of three with skills in speaking that are lower than those found nationally. For this reason, they provide many daily opportunities for children to develop their communication skills. Staff successfully encourage children to express themselves, to explain what they are doing and to make good choices. As a result, children’s skills in this area of learning develop quickly.
• The teacher ensures that children receive challenging and exciting activities that are matched well to their needs. Children who have lower levels of skills, or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are fully included in the curriculum. They are supported effectively, while the most able children are given work that challenges them. Children supported through the special educational needs and/or disabilities enhanced resources are integrated well with other children and learn equally effectively.
• Staff assess effectively what children can do and use this knowledge to adjust the tasks they give to them. They record their assessments well and check the accuracy of their judgements with other local schools.
• Staff use encouragement, suggestions and, often, subtle prompting so that children are eager to learn new things. Children answer well-posed questions thoughtfully and become very keen to find out as much as possible. Staff are quick and skilled in correcting any misconceptions children have, so that they do not continue to make the same mistakes.
• The learning environment is very attractive, with high-quality displays. Inside, there are many tables with different activities and resources, such as model-making, painting, role play and reading. As a result, children are busy and are proud to show what they are doing.
• Outdoors, children energetically use climbing equipment, look at books, make music and practise their throwing skills. The inspector saw children extremely excited as they took part in a hunt to find a wide range of fruit in ‘Gordon’s Garden’. As a result of interesting activities, children do not wander about aimlessly but concentrate for sustained periods, despite their young age.
• Phonics is taught well. For example, the inspector saw how children were working in teams to identify initial sounds from toys and then practise writing the matching letters. Because of effective teaching, children make good gains in their phonic knowledge.
• Staff also nurture an early love of books in children. The inspector observed an activity where children were looking keenly at the text with their teacher, and answering probing questions about the story and its language.
• Families receive a good range of optional homework so that children can continue their learning with their parents. As well as supplying reading books and songs, staff distribute worksheets and booklets to help children with their numbers and writing.
• Parents’ contribution to their children’s education is good, and is increasing. Before beginning in the school’s provision, staff ask parents for information on what their child can do and how he or she learns best, together with any particular needs or difficulties their son or daughter has. As the year progresses, parents are warmly encouraged to discuss their child’s progress regularly with his or her keyworker and to contribute to their child’s learning journal.
• Staff sometimes do not use every opportunity to develop children’s literacy and mathematical knowledge as fully as they could. The inspector noticed a number of instances throughout the inspection where staff did not extend children’s skills or independence.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Children see that staff are extremely kind and caring towards them, and that staff are there to help them to learn. As a result, children settle in quickly and their confidence increases rapidly. Children feel very safe and secure in the nursery, and are extremely happy. If they are ever worried, staff notice instantly and help them.
• Staff use a strategy known as ‘the wish fairy’ in a highly successful way. Children place their wishes, such as wanting to be better at writing, in a special box. One wish each week is chosen at random by a child. The wish fairy then sends a message to let them know that she has provided more resources and opportunities for this to happen. As a result, children think carefully about what they can do and what they want to improve.
• Children develop an excellent early understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. They know why it is important to wash their hands, brush their teeth, eat plenty of fruit and to keep fit by exercising. Staff see that all children play and learn energetically by providing continual and attractive opportunities that ensure that children are active.
• Children know that they must always behave safely in school and consistently do so. Staff teach them well so that they understand how to take care near roads, not to approach a stranger and what to do if someone is ever unkind to them.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Staff act as excellent role models. They unceasingly treat each other, and children, with courtesy and kindness. As a result, children continually speak politely, remembering to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. The inspector saw a striking example of this during lunchtime when staff sat and ate with the children at tables. Children engage in mature conversation and wait patiently for others to finish after their meal, having placed their fork and knife together on the plate.
• Children do not fall out, argue or act in a selfish manner. Instead, they cooperate continually, regardless of gender, ability, ethnic group or need. They also do not distract each other, but pay close attention for long periods.
• Having agreed the rules for the class between them upon their arrival, children follow these consistently. They move about the different areas with a maturity beyond their years, following instructions, lining up sensibly and behaving in an exemplary manner. Staff do not need to continue to remind children to behave. Instead, children look after the school without prompting, tidying up at the end of an activity and wearing their uniform with pride.
• Children greatly enjoy coming to school to learn. Attendance is high and leaders work very well with the small number of families whose children do not attend as regularly as others. Leaders also work very well with members of the Showman’s Guild community, to ensure that these children also attend regularly when the families are resident in the local area.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Information provided by the school, and evidence in children’s learning journals, shows that almost all children begin the provision at three years of age with levels of skills that are below those typically found in children of the same age. A small proportion of children arrive with skills that are well below those typical among children nationally.
• Children’s skills in communication and language are particularly low. Staff focus on developing them as a priority, so children’s skills improve. Children’s improved communication means that their progress in other areas of the curriculum accelerates.
• During their short time at Pinxton Nursery, children make good progress from their starting points across the different areas of learning. This includes children supported through the school’s enhanced resource for special educational needs and/or disabilities. By the time they leave, a large majority of children have skills that are broadly in line with those expected for their age in most areas of learning.
• Children’s skills in literacy and mathematics have not fully caught up by the time they leave. They have made good gains in these areas, and many have skills that are approaching, but not equal to, those typically found. This proportion varies from year to year, however. Nevertheless, children are ready and well prepared for the next stage of their education. This is because, in addition to their overall attainment, they leave Pinxton Nursery with excellent attitudes to learning, high levels of confidence and the capacity to continue to learn quickly.
• The most able children make good progress during their time in the nursery. Staff ensure that they give them tricky tasks and pose challenging questions which allow them to attain well by the time they leave.
• Children who are disadvantaged make similarly good progress from their starting points. Staff know these children well and ensure that they are well supported so that they make good gains across all areas of learning. There are too few of the most able disadvantaged children to report on their achievement without the risk of their identification.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make strong progress. This is because, as soon as they arrive, staff identify their needs and quickly make referrals for support to external agencies for those who need this, including in speech and language. These children are given effective teaching that not only builds their skills and confidence but develops their independence.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112483 Derbyshire 10012493 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Nursery School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 4 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 94 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Brian Marshall Jayne Allton 01773 863105 www.pinxtonnurseryschool.co.uk headteacher@pinxton.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6 June 2013

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than average when compared with others of the same type. Most children attend on a part-time basis.
• A very large majority of children are of White British heritage. The remainder come from a range of minority ethnic groups, including Eastern European and the Traveller community. A very small minority speak English as an additional language.
• The school has enhanced resource provision for up to eight children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Currently, two children are receiving one-to-one support. The number of children who have special education needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• Full day care for children from 0 to 5 years old operates from the school. This is managed by a community interest company and is subject to separate inspection.
• The school holds both the Healthy Schools award and the Eco Schools award.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all areas of the single, open-plan classroom, as well as observing small-group teaching. Some lesson observations took place with the headteacher. In total, learning was observed in 11 lessons. The inspector also scrutinised examples of learning journals from children of different ability groups.
• The inspector held meetings with senior leaders and members of the governing body. He analysed the 21 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, looked at the free-text comments submitted by those parents and spoke with parents at the end of the school day. The inspector also looked at the views of the parents who had responded to the school’s most recent questionnaire.
• The inspector looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s development plan and self-evaluation, policies and records related to safeguarding and children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, the school’s information about pupils’ achievement and attendance, and records of meetings of the governing body.

Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector