Parks Nursery School Oakham
LEA area : Leicestershire
School Register Number : 120355
Headteacher : Mrs B Marchant
Reporting inspector : Mrs M E Eade HMI
Dates of inspection : 4-6 June 1996
Inspection carried out under Section 9 of the Education (Schools) Act 1992
Information about the school
Type of school : Nursery (Special)
Type of control : County
Age range of pupils : 2 - 5
Gender of pupils : Mixed
School address : Barleythorpe Road Oakham Leicestershire LE15 6NR
Telephone number : 01572 756747
Fax number : 01572 722369
Appropriate authority : Leicestershire
Name of chair of governors : Mrs J Sawyer (where appropriate)
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Characteristics of the school Key indicators 11 -13
Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school
Attainment and progress 14 - 15
Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 16 - 19
Attendance 20
Teaching 21 - 26
The curriculum and assessment 27 - 30
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 31 - 33
Support, guidance and pupils' welfare 34 - 36
Partnership with parents and the community 37 – 42
The management and efficiency of the school
Leadership and management 43 - 46
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 47 - 51
The efficiency of the school 52 - 55
PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS
Areas of learning for children under five 56 - 62
Summary of inspection evidence 63
1. This is a very good nursery school which makes appropriate provision for a group of children with diverse and complex special educational needs.
2. The children's attainment in all the areas of learning is commensurate with the age and ability of the pupils, taking into account their special educational needs. They make very good progress in relation to their prior attainment.
3. The quality of teaching is consistently good and is sometimes excellent. The staff have a sound knowledge of the age range and the specific needs of the children. Planning is detailed, assessment and recording are excellent. Expectations are high and the majority of the children respond positively to the tasks which are set. The teachers are effectively supported by the nursery nurses and support staff.
4. The recent introduction of key workers for some pupils is raising the attainment of the pupils concerned.
5. Attitudes to learning are good or very good. The pupils enjoy their lessons and work hard. They behave well and want to please. Relationships between the children and staff are excellent.
6. The curriculum is broad and balanced. Planning is rigorous and assessment is of high quality.
7. The moral and social development of the pupils are excellent but spiritual and cultural development are not as well developed.
8. The headteacher provides strong leadership which gives clear educational direction to the work of the school. The governors are supportive and play an active role in the management of the school.
9. The school development plan, staff development and the budget are all efficiently managed. The school gives very good value for money.
10. To develop further the effectiveness of the school, the governors and staff should:
* continue to develop the high quality planning, assessment and recording procedures to bring them into line with the Desirable Learning Outcomes for children by 5 years of age;
* improve the provision for the spiritual and cultural development of the pupils.
Characteristics of the school
11. The Parks Nursery School provides early education and assessment for 24 pupils with special educational needs, aged from 2 years to 5 years. The school is located near Oakham town centre but the pupils are admitted from a wide catchment area with journeys which take up to an hour. The school caters for a diverse range of needs including profound and multiple learning difficulties, speech and language problems, physical disabilities and communication problems linked to the autistic continuum of learning difficulties. All pupils are admitted to the nursery for assessment; at the time of the inspection, 7 had Statements of Special Educational Need. The pupils transfer to the full range of educational provision on reaching statutory school age.
12. During the inspection week one of the two full time class teachers was absent on sick leave.
13. The school has set targets for development in key areas, including:
* reviewing the planning for themes and writing policy statements for each area of learning;
* reviewing the assessment procedures for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties to ensure more detailed attention is paid to recording small steps in learning;
* monitoring the consistency of behaviour management;
* strengthening the spiritual and cultural development of the pupils;
* developing the project for a building extension.
Attendance
Percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year :
% |
||
| Authorised Absence |
School | Not available |
| National comparative data | 8.5 |
|
| Unauthorised Absence |
School | 0 |
| National comparative data | 2.6 |
|
Quality of teaching
Percentage of teaching observed which is :
Very good or better |
60% |
Satisfactory or better |
100% |
Less than satisfactory |
0% |
Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school
Attainment and progress
14. The attainment of pupils at 5 years is sound to good compared to attainment on entry to the school. On entry, few pupils have any spoken language, nor are they able to communicate through signs or symbols. A small group have mobility difficulties, others have behaviour patterns which adversely affect learning.
15. All pupils make good progress and most make very good progress in learning a range of early skills. The pupils with little or no spoken language are able to communicate through sign, gesture and the use of appropriate aids. More mature pupils show a growing interest in books and in print. They regularly work with shape and number and are involved in a range of mathematical activities. Pupils enjoy their work in scientific exploration and make good use of computers to aid progress in developing mathematical concepts, simple problem solving and communication.
Attitudes, behaviour and personal development
16. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They respond well to the nursery routines, to the high standards set by staff and to good role models.
17. Behaviour is good. Even pupils with behavioural difficulties are involved in the varied provision and good pace which the timetable offers. The school manages challenging behaviour very effectively and staff work well as a team. Staff facilitate this good behaviour through the strong relationships which they have with the children. Some children are beginning to work collaboratively and are able to take turns, for example, when sharing the mixing and rolling in cookery, when touching the snake and when playing with large toys.
18. Pupils' personal development is promoted well through the nursery curriculum, individual education plans and the key worker system. The introduction of key workers for some pupils is beneficial and the children enjoy the intensive one to one contact of the short withdrawal sessions.
19. Older pupils are encouraged to show initiative and are beginning to take responsibility. They select apparatus, make choices and show an awareness of other children. The children are considerate and show respect for others' achievements.
Attendance
20. Attendance is satisfactory. The majority of pupils attend part-time. Authorised absences are usually associated with illness and the general health conditions of the pupils. Longer absences are related to family holidays. The register is marked regularly and complies with statutory requirements.
Teaching
21. The quality of teaching is good. In a significant number of lessons it is very good and in a few it is excellent. The staff use a range of appropriate strategies to involve the children in one-to-one teaching situations, in small groups of 2 or 3 and in larger groups of up to 10. The planning is detailed and tasks are well matched to the individual children's abilities. Expectations are high and the achievements of each child are celebrated and recorded. The assessment and records are used to inform future planning. The knowledge of the staff about the group of children is impressive, as is their specialist knowledge about the range of special educational needs.
22. The teaching is effectively organised. There is a high level of expertise in dealing with the range of special educational needs which are present in each group.
23. The work is well-matched to individual pupil's abilities and builds on their prior attainment. The deployment of the teachers, nursery nurses and support staff is excellent and at all times the pupils are fully occupied.
24. The sessions are well planned and the range of activities is clearly stated for each pupil; expectations are high. Classroom organisation is a strength and within the structure provided the pupils are secure and make progress.
25. The good teaching is characterised by clear instruction, humour, firmness and high expectations. Much of the work is with individual pupils but there is some appropriate use of small and large group work. The staff have a range of effective strategies for encouraging good behaviour. The morning and afternoon sessions are conducted at a very good pace and the pupils respond well.
26. Teacher knowledge and expertise are enhanced by regular attendance at in-service courses and through involvement in extended award bearing courses. The impact of this is reflected in the high quality work in the classrooms, especially in the provision of appropriate education and behaviour programmes for the children with communication difficulties.
The curriculum and assessment
27. The school provides a curriculum which is broad and balanced for pupils under five years. Staff have worked hard to plan to the areas of learning. Specific reference is made to communication within the language programme, mathematics is taught across the curriculum, awareness and knowledge of the world and creative work are all integral to the themes. Themes are chosen to give a wide variety of experiences and to provide some continuity and cohesion in pupils' learning. Teachers review and monitor pupils' progress on a day-to-day basis, by discussion with other support staff, daily planning of individual pupils' activities and reference to daily records of pupils' progress. This is very thorough and comprehensive and provides the basis for six-monthly reviews on every pupil; these involve all key staff who work with each pupil.
28. The individual education plans (IEPs) are directly used for the planning process and are constantly monitored; progress is recorded in an assessment record for each pupil. All staff display a thorough knowledge of pupils' educational needs and there is frequent professional dialogue amongst staff which is of a high standard. They discuss changes in curricular approaches and teaching strategies to meet the complex needs of the pupils and to take account of the small steps in progress made.
29. For the limited number of pupils who have Statements of Special Educational Need, a six-monthly review meeting is used for the purpose of an Annual Review. Invitations are sent to all professionals working with the child to make a contribution, as well as to parents. A completed Annual Review form is sent to the local education authority (LEA) as well as those people involved in the review. All reviews are detailed, outline the progress made since the last review, and lead to planned objectives for learning in the next six months. These are amended if individual skills or understandings are mastered by the pupil.
30. The school staff recognise the need to develop further curriculum planning to bring the documentation in line with the Desirable Learning Outcomes recommended by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority; to develop earlier assessment criteria for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties; and to extend lunchtime feeding and eating programmes to ensure that all pupils develop appropriate communal eating skills.
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
31. The excellent ethos in the school provides a good basis for pupils' spiritual, moral and social development. Staff have great respect for pupils and they constantly show appreciation of pupils' efforts; there is obvious pleasure when the pupils respond and demonstrate small steps of progress. Pupils clearly enjoy the school and its stimulating learning environment. Staff are aware of the difficulties in promoting spiritual development in pupils who are so young and who have complex learning difficulties; this area is to have some priority in future planning. It is supported at present through singing, visits in the locality and the celebration of religious festivals.
32. Pupils are learning to understand the principles which separate right from wrong. Clear daily structures and expectations, good adult role models and excellent relationships between adults and children, enable pupils to absorb and begin to understand what is acceptable behaviour. The children have some social awareness and demonstrate care and support for each other, as far as this is possible with the communication difficulties which many children have.
33. The staff are becoming more aware of the need to encourage and develop understanding of other peoples' cultures and traditions. One member of staff has a particular responsibility for this; she visits and borrows equipment from the Multicultural Resource Centre in Leicester and the school is developing its own resources. Planning is at an early stage and the school is considering how cultural and aesthetic awareness can be further developed across all areas of the curriculum and by community links and visits.
Support, guidance and pupils' welfare
34. Staff have completed a safety assessment audit; policy and procedures are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils. Doors have additional handles which are beyond the reach of pupils and the governing body has recently installed an entry code for the main front entrance. Adult to pupil ratios are adequate to ensure pupil safety and the individual medical needs of pupils are generally well met. There is no system at present for recording when medicines have been administered; the only indicator is the regular record of the medicines that are needed. Use of the existing day centre sensory rooms, whilst providing a beneficial experience for pupils in the school, presents some minor hazards. Staff are aware of the problems and are seeking a solution. Any accidents and serious incidents are carefully recorded.
35. Children settle quickly into the school routine and feel secure. There is a good, measured pace throughout the day and staff, in consultation with parents and the Admission Panel, decide the appropriate number of days for each child's attendance. Staff relationships with pupils demonstrate their understanding of pupils' particular needs; these may be highlighted in individual education plans. Confrontations are avoided and adults are skilful in using strategies which involve the pupils in learning and which deflect potentially disturbing behaviour.
36. Child protection procedures are known and understood by all staff.
Partnership with parents and the community
37. Transitions to and from nursery are carefully planned and carried out effectively enabling the child to move easily from home to school. Pupils settle in well and parents are happy. Parents are made to feel welcome in the school and are valued and encouraged to contribute to their children's learning.
38. The school provides good quality information to parents in letters, videos, photographs and discussions. Home/school books provide effective communication between parents and staff and help to foster a beneficial partnership. Parents have a named member of staff with whom they liase.
39. The school has some good links with businesses in the local community, in particular the Rotaract Club who are fund raising for the development project to provide a community facility with particular provision for children with special needs. There are good links with local schools and students' undertake work experience in the nursery, or work in a voluntary capacity.
40. There are effective liaison arrangements with visiting specialists.
41. There is a multi-disciplinary opportunity group once a week for parents and carers to come into the school for coffee and support. A toy library is also available. These facilities are well used by parents from a wide geographical area. The development of adult confidence and raised expectations for their children are positive features of the group.
42. The school uses the community well and visits are made linked to the current theme or topic. The theme of 'animals' led to a visit from a large snake to the classrooms and plans were being made for a visit to a wild life park. There is no school/home association but any events are well supported by the parents and local community.
The management and efficiency of the school
Leadership and management
43. The headteacher provides clear leadership for the school, in partnership with the governors and staff. There is evidence of the educational direction for the work of the school within the school development plan and the long term curriculum planning and there are effective routines for achieving high standards in teaching and learning.
44. The school development plan is produced for one year ahead and makes brief references to the next two years. Each plan builds on the previous year and there is written evaluation of the outcomes. The development plan is realistic within a set time scale and is costed within the budget allocation.
45. The school aims are clear and reflected in practice. They are achievable and relate closely to the needs of the pupils and their special circumstances.
46. The positive ethos of the school pervades all aspects of its work. Adults and pupils are enthusiastic about their work, relationships are excellent and the working environment promotes high quality teaching and learning. The school is well organised, day to day administration is efficient and routines are smooth and effective. All statutory requirements are met.
Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
47. The school currently has sufficient teaching and support staff for its needs. All staff are suitably qualified, with a wide range of experience. The nursery nurses and support staff make an important contribution to the quality of education provided in the school.
48. An appropriate staff appraisal system is in place. This focuses on the teaching staff and has not yet been requested by the other members of staff. The three full time qualified teachers are involved in extended award bearing courses related to their professional needs in the nursery.
49. The accommodation is adequate in size and in good repair. The large hydrotherapy pool and the hall provide space for indoor activities and the sensory room, which is shared with the adjoining adult day centre is well resourced. Some items in the sensory room need checking to ensure that the pupils cannot pull trailing wires or detach loose parts.
50. A major building project is in the planning stage and this will provide an extra room which will be a centre for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, a toy library, a counselling room and a parent-support group. A local voluntary group has targeted a £65,000 fund-raising campaign for this.
51. The quantity and quality of books, equipment, materials and specialist aids are satisfactory for the early years' curriculum and the needs of the pupils. Up to date, good quality computer equipment is available and is very well used. The touch screens and appropriate range of software allow easy access for all pupils. The wide range of resources contributes to the high quality of teaching and learning.
The efficiency of the school
52. The school has a delegated budget, although it is a nursery school. Governors and headteacher were cautious in their spending during the first year, as there was uncertainty about the separation of costings between school and day centre, with a shared site and joint metering of power. This uncertainty has now been resolved and the school has felt more confident in giving priority in this year's budget to the purchase of equipment and to the renewal of resources.
53. There is uncertainty about the future budget when Rutland gains unitary status in April 1997, so the school is appropriately cautious in retaining a significant underspend as a contingency fund. The school is anticipating the need to renew the lining of the hydrotherapy pool in the near future, both as a priority for its own pupils and for the continuing regular income from lettings to local schools and groups.
54. The school maintains very careful financial control and administration of the budget. This is closely linked with prioritised objectives in the school development plan. A finance committee, within the governing body, receives regular updates on the financial position of the school and it provides informed and helpful advice and support. The school also makes careful use of LEA and computer support systems.
55. Staff, accommodation and learning resources are well planned and very effectively deployed. The school provides very good value for money.
PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS
Areas of learning for children under five
Personal and social development
56. This is the curriculum area which is a great strength of the school. The pupils have confidence in all the adults who work with them. They are developing relationships with other pupils and are learning to work in small groups. Adults encourage each child to develop levels of independence in toileting, dressing, selecting resources and in making choices. Most pupils show an awareness of others and are learning to take turns and to share. Lunch-time sessions are enjoyable and are well managed as social events. The pupils are eager to come into school each morning and arrive ready to take part in the activities.
Language
57. The development of language is a priority for the nursery. Few of the pupils have intelligible speech and communication is a key learning objective in all sessions. A range of opportunities is provided for speaking and listening. Good use is made of songs and rhymes where the pupils can join in. Signing is developed alongside pointing, the use of picture symbols, photographs and objects. The pupils are aware of books and the more mature understand page turning and that print can tell stories. The speech therapist works closely with staff to provide the most appropriate programmes for the pupils. Progress in the development of communication skills is good.
Mathematics
58. The children make sound progress in developing skills in pre-number work. Some are able to match number, to sort, to count to five and to recognise simple shapes. All enjoy the programmes which they use with the touch screen and they are ready participants in number rhymes and songs. Many sessions contribute opportunities for mathematical learning, such as cooking, craft, and indoor or outdoor play, as well as more discretely-planned mathematical activities.
Knowledge - understanding of the world
59. The pupils benefit from the well planned themes which introduce a range of skills and knowledge. They explore through observation, touch and smell and are helped to cut, stick and make simple models. The zoo theme has generated interest and excitement with books, table-top toys and large pictures to act as stimuli. The visit of a large snake and the opportunity to touch and observe it, produced raised levels of communication for all pupils. Appropriate software is used to support this area of learning.
Physical development
60. All pupils, including those with significant mobility problems, take part in a range of physical activities. The hydrotherapy pool is well used and good progress is made in gaining confidence in the water. The single long lesson each week would be more effective if taught as two short lessons. The soft play area, outdoor area and field, provide a good range of facilities. The pupils make excellent use of large toys for riding and pushing and an appropriate amount of time is devoted to physical activities.
Creative development
61. The emphasis on developing communication through creative activities is well planned. The pupils are encouraged to use paint, felt-tipped markers, glue sticks, dough and clay. The wide range of tactile experiences leads to exploration and enhanced communication. Imaginative play is encouraged in well resourced home corners, through dressing-up clothes, and in the sensory room. Pupils are enthusiastic when using the touch screen and there are good examples of their printed pictures. A cookery lesson was an excellent example of both teaching and learning. The pupils were involved at all stages of bread making. They smelled the yeast and water, weighed the flour, mixed the ingredients and handled the dough. Finally, each pupil made a bread animal which was baked. Throughout the lesson the staff encouraged participation and the pupils responded enthusiastically.
The Opportunity Group
62. The Opportunity Group is a support group for the parents of young children with special educational needs. It is attended by a range of professionals, and parents appreciate the opportunity to gain advice and support. The group is open to parents and children in the pre-nursery years and to pupils who attend The Parks Nursery part time and their parents. Its aims are to build confidence and to establish positive relationships between parents and specialists, including the nursery staff; these are clearly achieved. The toy library, soft play area, hydrotherapy pool, outdoor area and a classroom are all available and are well used. The group plays a valuable part in supporting the parents of children with special educational needs and in preparing the children to enter nursery school.
Summary of inspection evidence
63. The inspection team consisted of three inspectors one of whom was a lay inspector. The team spent a total of 7 days gathering evidence and 20 sessions were seen. The total time spent in observing lessons was 21 hours. Evidence was drawn from observations, talking with pupils and staff, looking at displays of work, records and reports. Discussions were held with teaching and non-teaching staff, governors, therapists, and parents. A wide range of documentation provided by the school was also scrutinised. The views of parents on aspects of school life were obtained from a questionnaire and through a parents' meeting.
PUPIL DATA
Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) - 18
Number of pupils with statements of SEN - 7
Number of pupils on schools' register of SEN – N/A
Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals - 0
TEACHERS AND CLASSES
Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit)
Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) - 3.2
Number of pupils per qualified teacher - 5.6:1
Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)
Total number of education support staff - 9
Total aggregate hours worked each week -179
[Primary and nursery schools]
Average class size: N/A
FINANCIAL DATA
Financial year: 1995/6
| £ | |
| Total Income | 193,271 |
| Total Expenditure | 189,114 |
| Expenditure per pupil | 7,564.56 |
| Balance brought forward from previous year | 23,464 |
| Balance carried forward to next year | 27,621 |
PARENTAL SURVEY
Number of questionnaires sent out: 26
Number of questionnaires returned: 13
Percentage return rate: 50%
Responses (percentage of answers in each category):
Strongly agree |
Agree |
Neither |
Disagree |
Strongly disagree |
|
| I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school | 54 |
30 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
| I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) | 54 |
46 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| The school handles complaints from parents well | 55 |
27 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
| The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught | 62 |
38 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress | 62 |
30 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
| The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work | 46 |
54 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons | 33 |
50 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
| I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home | 17 |
50 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
| The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) | 58 |
42 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| The school achieves high standards of good behaviour | 55 |
45 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| My child(ren) like(s) school | 75 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
© Crown Copyright 1996. This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.
Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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.
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