Ofsted Nursery Inspection Report

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URN EY245565/IST/PAD

DfES Number: 519234

INSPECTION DETAILS
Inspection Date 08/02/2005
Inspector Name  Karen Ling

SETTING DETAILS
Day Care Type 
Setting Name  Central Newcastle High School
Setting Address Eskdale Terrace
Jesmond
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE2 4DS

ABOUT THE INSPECTION
The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that  the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality.  Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage.  This inspection report must be made available to all parents.

If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

Information about the setting
Central Newcastle High School is an independent school for girls. It first opened in 1895 and provides continuous education for girls aged from three to eighteen. It is part of the Girls Day School Trust. Education for the seniors, and juniors in years four to six, takes place at two sites in Jesmond; the junior school pupils in years one to three and under fives attend the Gosforth site. Most girls who attend the school are from professional families. The Gosforth site is situated in a residential area within Newcastle-upon-Tyne and operates from a large, three story terraced building with Victorian frontage.  The interior is modern and incorporates many facilities.

The reception year has been part of the school since 1942 with the nursery department opening in 1999. The nursery and two reception classes have access to an enclosed area with a safety play surface. The head of the Junior Department has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the early years education with reception and nursery teachers being responsible for teaching. In total, seven staff, all of whom hold relevant qualifications in childcare and early years education, work directly with the children throughout the week. Children in reception classes also have specialist teaching for physical development and music.

The school is open between 08:00 and 16:30 each weekday for 36 weeks of the year. Teaching sessions are from 08:45 until 15:00. There are currently 329 girls in the junior department, including early years. There are 46 girls receiving funding for nursery education. Of these 10 are three-years-old and 36 are four-years-old. The school draws from both urban and rural locations in and around Newcastle. The school support children who have English as an additional language and systems are in place to support those with special educational needs.

The nursery and reception classes also receive qualified teacher support through the local Early Years and Childcare Partnership.   

INSPECTION OF THE NURSERY EDUCATION PROVISION FOR FUNDED THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS.

How effective is the nursery education?
Central Newcastle High School provides high quality nursery education which enables children to make very good progress towards and beyond many of the early learning goals.

The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a thorough understanding of all areas of learning. They work well together, plan in detail and set clear objectives for activities so that children know what is expected of them. Activities include differentiation and ensure all children participate at their level and make very good progress. Staff interact very well with children and use a range of strategies to engage children. For example, they help them to recap and check their learning through skilful questioning. Rooms are organized and presented well to reflect the wealth of learning that is occurring and staff make effective use of time and  resources to support activities. Teaching is stimulating, enthusiastic and continually challenging. Staff form excellent relationships with children and value their contributions. Well directed teaching assistants reinforce and support learning effectively. Staff make regular observations and assessments about what children know and can do. They use their knowledge about the children well to inform next steps in learning.

Leadership and management are very good. Senior management give clear direction and systems which monitor the quality of teaching and learning are effective. Staff work very well together and have a collaborative approach to all aspects of work. They are committed to ongoing professional development and  continually look at ways of further improving the high quality care and education they provide.

Partnership with parents and carers is very good. Regular information is produced about what children are learning and parents are kept well informed about their progress, through individual reviews and written reports. Strategies which encourage parents to be involved with their child's learning are in place and work well.   

What is being done well?
• Relationships between staff, all children and their families are very good. This helps children to feel safe and happy in their surroundings.

• Teaching methods are very effective. Staff value children's contributions and children clearly trust them. As a result children develop in confidence and communicate well with their peers and adults.

• The good range of resources are used well to support all areas of learning.

• Planning and assessment are detailed and all aspects of learning are promoted in ways that are active, practical and motivate children to find out more.

• The bright and stimulating environment reflects children's learning and efforts well.

What needs to be improved?
• records which monitor progress in relation to the stepping stones and early learning goals.

What has improved since the last inspection?
Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. All staff now contribute to planning. As a result children receive more effective adult interaction from all staff. Teamwork has developed and there is more continuity for children as they move through the school. Additional storage space has been allocated both in and out of classrooms. The rooms have been reorganised and additional resources have been purchased. As a result there is much more interaction between classes and resources are shared more effectively. Written information for parents is produced more frequently and contains detail about topic work and ideas for home involvement. Additional parent meetings and coffee mornings have been incorporated into the curriculum. As a result, parents are much more informed and involved in their child's learning.

SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENTS

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Judgement: Very Good
Children are very happy and settled within the school. They engage enthusiastically into familiar activities and eagerly try out new ones. Children manage themselves well and older children work well independently on set tasks. They develop good levels of independence in matters of dress and hygiene. They share and take turns and co-operate well, for example, as they play games together. They show pride in their achievements which are valued by staff and their self-esteem is encouraged.     

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
Judgement: Very Good
Speaking and listening skills develop well because of the stimulating range of activities they engage in. They show confidence as they talk about events in their lives and listen carefully to others. They are consistently introduced to new vocabulary and show an interest in reading. They enjoy reading together and older children are confidently reading books of varying degrees of difficulty. They regularly use writing as part of their play and write their name and some words with support.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children engage in a range of activities which are fun and sustain their interest. They practise counting everyday during purposeful activities and some older children show an interest in large numbers and recognise them. Three-year-olds are encouraged well to work things out while older children begin to use calculation skills to solve more complex problems. They learn to sort, compare and measure and older children learn about the properties of some shapes.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Judgement: Very Good
Children are attracted to a wealth of excellent activities where they can experiment and investigate concepts, such as melting. Children use their design skills to make and build things using a range of materials and are able to modify their ideas when challenged. They confidently operate equipment such as the digital camera and show developing knowledge of technology, such as how the interactive whiteboard works. They know some words in other languages and celebrate different festivals.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children show a good awareness of space, for example as they manoeuvre tricycles and  pushchairs and run around at speed outside. They show developing co-ordination as they climb apparatus and ladders and use small equipment with increasing skill. Their fine manipulative skills develop well, for example as they carefully cut and glue materials. Good hygiene and health are promoted through the provision of healthy snacks and meals and the routine of washing hands before eating.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Judgement: Very Good
Children frequently draw, paint and use a range of materials to create in two and three  dimension. They engage in music activities and enjoy role play, building on their own ideas well, using the excellent range of props as they make up stories and games. The regular baking and cooking activities help children to use their senses in fun and meaningful ways. They heard stories about Shrove Tuesday, created their own pancake fillings and discussed 'sweet and 'sour' as they ate real ones.

Children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered appropriately: Yes

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION
The provision is acceptable and is of high quality.  Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals.  The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT
(Key issues or points for consideration for improvement in nursery education)

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following:

continue to develop records so that they clearly show children's progress in relation to the stepping stones and early learning goals for all aspects of the foundation stage curriculum.

The registered person must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed.  The action plan must be made available to all parents, and to the Local Authority if required.  An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next combined inspection.