Ofsted Report
Ofsted Report (1998) Highlights
This official government inspection was carried out on 27/28 January 1998. Here
are some of the following general comments:
- Walton Lane Nursery School is a very successful school. The children benefit from a high
quality of education which has many outstanding features.
- By the end of nursery education the childrens overall attainment is likely to
exceed national expectations in all of the areas of learning. The attainment of most
children is on target to exceed the national expectation in language and literacy,
mathematics, their knowledge and understanding of the world, and in their physical and
creative development. All children, including those with any identified special
educational needs, make good progress from a range of different starting points, towards
all of the nationally recognised learning outcomes for children on their entry to
compulsory education.
- Childrens attitudes to learning are very good. Relationships are of a very high
standard, with children responding to the excellent examples provided by all staff members
working in close harmony. The quality of provision for the childrens personal
development results in their deep interest in all activities, and in being able to accept
responsibility from a very early age. Nearly all children exceed the national
expectations for their personal and social development by the time they are ready to leave
the nursery, with all making good progress in this area of learning. Children enjoy coming
to school, their attendance is very good and the standard of their behaviour is
exceptionally high.
- The high quality of teaching is a major strength of the school. All staff have high
expectations for childrens attainment. Their teaching methods, organisation and
management of the childrens learning are excellent, based on a deep understanding of
how young children learn and make progress.
- The rich curriculum is broad, balanced and very successfully promotes the
childrens intellectual, physical and personal development. Children are provided
with an imaginatively presented range of activities and resources which take full account
of the nationally recognised 'Desirable Outcomes for Childrens Learning on Entering
Compulsory Schooling.
- Procedures for assessing childrens attainment are good. However, the valuable
information obtained from assessments made is not always used to best effect in planning
and when grouping children. The current Record of Achievement does not at present
cover all the areas of learning. Ongoing day-to-day assessment is very effectively used to
inform future teaching.
- Promotion of the childrens spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a
major strength of the school. Parents expressed strong support for the values and
attitudes which the school promotes. The children demonstrate exceptional ability for
their age to reflect on their own experiences, feelings and ideas, and those of others.
Their social skills are of a very high order, and children very quickly learn the
difference between right and wrong. A strong feature of the school is the way in which the
children celebrate cultural diversity.
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