Garretts Green Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to develop the role of governors so that, even though a key focus is on the financial stability of the school, an equal focus is given to the continued development of the quality of education on offer.
• Continue to improve outcomes for children, enabling even more children to exceed age-related expectations.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The school is exceptionally well led and managed. Never resting on her laurels, the headteacher is constantly looking at ways to improve the school and the education it provides for each child. As a result of her ambition, the school has gone from strength to strength. Her determination to provide the best for all children has resulted in Garretts Green being outstanding in all areas.
• Staff are very proud to work at the school and morale is high. There is a strong shared vision which puts children’s achievement and well-being at the heart of everything the school does. There is an exceptionally strong commitment from each member of the staff team.
• The headteacher is skilled in developing the talents and skills of others. Through her support and encouragement, staff feel empowered to take the initiative and drive further improvements. They have the confidence to take risks and try something different in order to provide the absolute best for the children.
• Leadership is shared widely. The headteacher is exceptionally well supported by highly skilled and knowledgeable middle leaders. They hold each other to account through effective challenge and support. They know the school very well. Self-evaluation is accurate and identifies appropriate next steps for the school development plan. Leadership at all levels is extremely strong.
• Monitoring of teaching and learning is thorough and contributes effectively to the outstanding practice of staff and excellent outcomes for children. Lesson observations and learning walks result in clear feedback and guidance on next steps to further improve the quality of teaching. All staff are highly reflective and relish the opportunity to refine and develop their skills. As a result of observing each other, as well as seeing effective practice in other schools, a strong culture of professional trust and continual staff development is deeply embedded across the school.
• Leaders demonstrate exceptional leadership in assessment. They ensure that the assessment information collected is meaningful, purposeful and rooted in evidence. They ensure that assessments are moderated internally and checked by others. Consequently, baseline assessments are accurate and used effectively to precisely pinpoint opportunities to move children on in their learning. This enables all children, including the most able, those who are disadvantaged and those that are struggling and need help to catch up, to make very strong progress.
• The curriculum takes account of children’s interests and offers wide and exciting learning experiences. It ignites children’s passion for learning and allows their curiosity to flow. Children’s personal development is at the heart of this curriculum. It supports the development of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding as well as an awareness of British values. They make choices, share with one another and develop respect for others.
• The provision for children with SEND is highly appropriate and exceptionally well managed. Staff understand children’s individual needs very well and ensure that the right support is in place so that children make excellent progress.
• The early years pupil premium is very well spent. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged children receive highly effective support that furthers their personal development and accelerates their learning. Although the proportion of children eligible for support through this fund has declined dramatically, leaders continue to carefully monitor and evaluate the impact of this funding.
• Parents are extremely positive about the school and hold it in the highest regard. They sing the praises of the staff, the quality of the teaching and the well-being of their children, particularly those with SEND. Parents state that staff go over and above to give their children the best possible start.

Governance of the school

• Governors bring a wide range of experience to their roles, with several having an educational background. They fully understand their strategic role and skilfully hold leaders to account. They offer high levels of support and challenge in equal measure.
• Governors are highly knowledgeable. They ask challenging and searching questions of leaders about how well the nursery is performing. They demonstrate a good understanding of the progress that different groups of children make, including those who are disadvantaged. They have a very good awareness of the school’s many strengths and are proud of the quality of education the school provides.
• Due to the financial pressures facing the school, governors currently focus most of their attention on strategic financial planning. They play a strong supportive role in the strategic development of the school. They work extremely closely with senior leaders to secure the future sustainability of the school. Governors are aware of the need to balance this focus on finance with that of the quality of provision across the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and ensure that keeping children safe is at the heart of everything staff do. They ensure that all staff are well trained and have the most up-to-date knowledge of statutory guidance and policies, including radicalisation and extremism. Staff have a thorough understanding of the school’s safeguarding policy and act swiftly when concerns arise. An extremely strong culture of vigilance and care for each individual child and their family is evident.
• Designated safeguarding leaders consistently follow up any concerns. They are persistent in following up referrals to make sure that timely action is taken and families receive appropriate support. Leaders have highly effective links with a range of external agencies. Designated safeguarding leaders are skilled in finding support for vulnerable children and their families.
• Throughout the day, staff weave safety reminders into every activity. Gentle reminders about walking in school or carrying scissors are given. Many opportunities exist for children to assess and manage risks while engaged in adventurous activities, such as building climbing trails outside or exploring the forest area. Children have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They, in turn, remind each other and visitors; they told the headteacher and the inspector not to stand on the steps into the forest area as they were slippery and not a sensible place to wait.
• Governors check that safeguarding procedures are followed correctly, and that no child is at risk. The checks made when recruiting new staff are thorough and monitored by senior leaders. Procedures are in place so that all visitors to the school are suitably vetted. All parents agree that their children are extremely safe and well cared for at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching at Garretts Green is characterised by high-quality interactions between adults and children. Staff are highly skilled in knowing exactly when to intervene and when to step back and allow children to work things out for themselves. Adult interactions are purposeful and focused on deepening children’s understanding. Staff make the very best use of time and their expertise to accelerate children’s learning so that every child achieves extremely well.
• Learning at this school is exciting and fun. Children are very secure with the routines that operate within the nursery. They follow instructions well and relish the opportunities to explore and learn for themselves, supported by highly skilled adults. Independence is fostered from the outset. Children select resources and activities to work on from the moment they walk through the doors each day. The school is a constant hive of activity and the buzz of learning permeates all areas.
• Accurate and effective assessment underpins all teaching. Staff know each individual child well because they regularly check children’s understanding and act immediately to help children take important next steps in their learning. Staff skilfully use questions to tease out what children know and can do already. They provide highly effective support and challenge to further extend children’s thinking.
• Children display high levels of engagement and a deep sustained focus on their learning. This is because staff plan highly engaging activities which are very well matched to children’s interests and abilities. The learning environment, both indoors and outside, is exceptionally well planned and provides exciting opportunities across all areas of learning.
• Language is promoted extremely well throughout the nursery. Staff take every opportunity to talk to children. They provide a detailed running commentary, using challenging vocabulary and extended sentences. They include children in demanding discussions, expecting children to think for themselves, reason and explain. As a result, children quickly develop the skills to express themselves clearly and confidently.
• Children master new skills quickly because staff work alongside them, modelling clearly. For example, children quickly develop accuracy in counting and recognising numbers because staff show them first and give children time to practise and develop their understanding. Precision and accuracy are encouraged and expected. All staff have very high expectations of the children.
• Children’s physical skills are developing very well. Children handle tools, such as scissors and crayons, with increasing control. They show an excellent awareness of space as they run around outside or ride the range of wheeled toys. They learn to move their bodies in different ways as they balance on blocks and planks on the obstacle courses they create for each other.
• Opportunities to develop writing skills are threaded into every activity. Children label their pictures and models. They put their names on their own pieces of work. They draw road maps for robots to race along. Adults are quick to spot those children who need help and support them effectively to develop the correct pencil grip.
• As they play, children have many occasions to enhance their creativity. Regular opportunities to work with an artist in residence enable children to develop an understanding of how to work with clay. They create shapes, plaques and models, adding detail to their work using a range of tools. Children talk enthusiastically about what they are making, explaining the story behind it.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Children’s care and welfare are of the highest priority in the school. Relationships between adults and children are excellent. As a result, children thrive and flourish in the safe, secure and stimulating environment.
• Home visits for every child help develop the excellent relationships between parents and school. Staff know each child and family very well and use this to foster children’s growing independence. Parents and carers overwhelmingly agree that their children are safe and love coming to school. Parents say that staff go over and above for the children in their care.
• Adults give sensitive support so that children are willing to try unfamiliar activities and develop new interests. Children quickly develop confidence to do things for themselves. They put on their own coats and do them up before going out to play. Independence is encouraged from the start.
• Children play happily together because they are taught explicitly to take turns, share resources and help one another. As they play games, they develop a deep understanding of what is fair, unfair and what constitutes cheating. They chat with their friends, listen carefully to each other and show respect to those around them.
• Children demonstrate pride in their work and in their environment. They are keen to share their learning, proudly holding up their writing or pictures. They carefully return resources to their right place, such as hanging up aprons on hooks near the water tray ready for others to use.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Staff set very high expectations of children’s behaviour so that their conduct is exemplary. Staff remind children of what is expected of them and use praise extremely well to reinforce excellent behaviour. All staff consistently manage behaviour in the same way.
• Children are exceptionally polite, well mannered and courteous. They say thank you to each other, share equipment and encourage one another. Visitors to the school are given a very warm welcome by children and staff.
• Staff deal promptly and sensitively with any instances of unwanted behaviour, teaching children how to empathise and resolve conflicts with others. However, because the children are busy and highly engaged in their learning, these instances are rare.
• The school does everything possible to encourage parents to bring their children to school. The importance of regular attendance is given a high profile. Any unexplained absences are followed up diligently, even though children attending the nursery are not of statutory school age. Children’s rates of attendance show that they are forming good habits, ready for their next school.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• The majority of children join the nursery with skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age. Children make substantial progress so that, by the time they leave the nursery to start school, most reach the expectations for their age, with many exceeding them. Children are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Children achieve exceptionally well across the different areas of learning. Leaders and staff ensure that children benefit from appropriate and wide-ranging activities that support their development. Leaders are keen to ensure that those children who are capable exceed age-related expectations. They work closely with staff to plan appropriately challenging activities.
• A very detailed analysis is kept of the progress that different groups of children and individuals are making. If any underachievement is identified, leaders quickly take action to enable children to make better progress. For example, it was noted that outcomes in number were not as strong as in other aspects of children’s learning. The planning of mathematical activities was revised to ensure that more opportunities were provided for children to practise number work. As a result, stronger progress is evident and children confidently use numbers throughout the day.
• The teaching of early reading skills, including phonics, is highly effective. Staff make the most of every opportunity to encourage children to identify letters, sounds and words. Children love visiting the school library to borrow a book. They can be seen sharing books and reading to each other right across the setting.
• Highly effective intervention activities enable targeted groups or individual children to make stronger progress in basic skills, such as speaking and listening, and personal and social skills, as well as readiness to learn. All staff work tirelessly to ensure that no child is left behind.
• The needs of the most able children are very well met. Children are taught in ability groups for mathematics and phonics. Adults ensure that activities are at the right level and provide good challenge to extend children’s skills. As a result, children make very good progress.
• Children with SEND make very strong gains in their learning. This is because they are exceptionally well supported by highly trained, skilled adults, and their individual needs are well catered for in the mainstream classrooms and in the specialist setting.
• Disadvantaged children make the same very good progress as their peers in school.
• Children who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress to reach the language expectations for their age. Staff have further developed the provision to enable children to acquire essential language skills quickly.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103122 Birmingham 10058495 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Nursery School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 2 to 5 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 81 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Acting Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Colin Cooper Claire Henebury 01216 752284 http://garrettsgreen.org.uk/ enquiry@garretts.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 November 2012

Information about this school

• Garretts Green Nursery School is an average-sized nursery school. Children enter in the term after their third birthday and leave to enter primary school in the September following their fourth birthday. Consequently, some children spend five terms in the Nursery school and others three or four terms.
• The school has an enhanced resource provision for children with autism, social interaction and communication conditions. It offers places for six children.
• Children attend for a morning or afternoon session. Some children are offered full-time places according to local authority admissions criteria. Those who stay for a full day bring a packed lunch.
• The proportion of children with SEND is higher than the national average.
• The proportions of children known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority have declined. These are now much lower than the national averages.
• The headteacher retired in July 2018. An acting headteacher is currently leading the school. She was previously the assistant headteacher.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other key leaders. The inspector spoke with two members of the governing body, including the chair. The inspector discussed the school with a local leader of education who carries out external reviews of the school.
• The inspector made visits to classrooms on both days of the inspection. All of these visits were with the headteacher.
• The inspector scrutinised a selection of children’s learning journals.
• The inspector spoke to children informally while they were learning and observed behaviour in classrooms, in corridors, at lunchtime and outside.
• The inspector talked to parents before school. The inspector also considered the 40 responses to Ofsted’s parents’ survey, Parent View and the 16 responses to the free-text service.
• The inspector considered the 13 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation and school development plan, records of monitoring, reports to governors and minutes of meetings. Information about children’s progress, behaviour, attendance and safety was also analysed and discussed with leaders.
• Documents relating to safeguarding were checked and the inspector looked at published information on the school’s website.

Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector