Muriel Green Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Muriel Green Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 11 July 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in December 2014.

This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. Since that time, much has changed at the school.

You were appointed as the new headteacher in January 2018. The change of leadership was seamless, because you worked very closely with the previous headteacher to ensure the smooth tr...ansition of responsibilities. Well over half of the staff, including the senior teacher, were not working at the school when it was previously inspected.

The school's intake is also changing. You are managing these changes extremely well. Your leadership team is clear about your aspirations.

The senior teacher supports you well and strives to make teaching and learning the best that they can be. She supports staff sensitively and readily shares her expertise. You are an excellent role model for staff, parents and carers, and children.

Your high expectations are reflected in the quality of provision, the dedication of staff and the positive engagement of children in their learning. You have quickly set the tone for the school's continuing improvement. Parents are very pleased with the school.

All would recommend it to other families. They praise the dedication of staff and the many initiatives that you have introduced, such as the 'welly walk' and the parent council. Your own recent school survey, completed by many parents, and the responses to Ofsted's online questionnaire for parents and carers Parent View are overwhelmingly positive.

One parent wrote: 'I will be sad when my daughter leaves this school. The care and education she has received have been amazing.' Another parent wrote: 'Muriel Green is a wonderful place with kind and professional staff who have cared for my children and advanced their learning.'

The evidence from this inspection confirms these positive views. Some parents, however, are not receiving sufficient guidance to contribute to their children's learning and to improve their children's attendance. During this inspection, I saw how staff listen carefully to children to help them broaden their vocabulary and improve their speaking and listening skills.

This is particularly successful for children who have recently arrived from abroad. They rapidly learn how to speak English and are fully included in all activities. Children who need extra help are well supported.

Additional adults in the classroom, or working with small groups, explain the work clearly to fill any gaps in learning. Although activities meet the needs of the very large majority of children, they do not challenge the thinking and learning of the most able children consistently, particularly in numeracy. At the previous inspection, the inspector recommended that partnerships with the day-care setting and with the local primary schools should be stronger.

You have now consolidated this aspect of the school's work. In a short space of time, with the support and expertise of the day-care manager, you have agreed key priorities and ensured that policies and procedures are applied consistently across the provision. You are liaising extremely well with local schools.

In the words of a colleague, you have become 'a force to reckon with' and have joined the many professional networks and headteachers' groups in St Albans. Your process to evaluate the school's strengths and areas for further improvement is precise and accurate. The school improvement plan shows clearly where actions have been successful and where further work is required to meet your goals.

For example, staff are carefully assessing children's work within the Nursery (Sunshine) class. Staff are checking their assessments of children's learning internally, but there is limited external moderation involving other schools to verify their accuracy and to ensure that the most able children access more demanding activities. Governance continues to be effective, as reported at the previous inspection.

The new chair of the governing body has a clear overview of the school's effectiveness. Governors use their knowledge and expertise very well to hold you and the senior leadership team to account. They are ambitious and, collectively, aiming for the Muriel Green to become outstanding.

As the school's intake evolves, governors are seeking to improve the composition of the governing body so that it reflects more closely the multicultural and social make-up of the school community. The local authority is confident in your ability to maintain, and further improve, the good quality of education that the school provides. Safeguarding is effective.

As the designated safeguarding lead, with the support of several deputy safeguarding leads, you ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. The single central record is kept up to date and all necessary checks are made when appointing staff. The school's office manager is well organised and meticulous.

Children are taught how to keep safe. They clearly understand the school's routines and behaviour rules that ensure their safety, such as walking carefully in the corridor, cycling sensibly on the narrow track and sitting quietly at a table to eat their snacks. You record and follow up any concerns that you may have about individual children.

You liaise effectively with families and external agencies to ensure that children get the help that they need. Several parents are particularly complimentary about how you, personally, and other staff have helped them at times of crises in their lives or when their children suffered from serious health issues and required the safe administration of medicine. Inspection findings ? At the beginning of the inspection, we agreed some key lines of enquiry.

We looked at the quality of leadership and governance, because you had recently joined as the new headteacher and the membership of the governing body had also changed. I have already reported above on these two areas. Leadership and governance are strong.

• Another key line of enquiry concerned how well children, including those in receipt of early years pupil premium funding, progressed in the Sunshine class. This included a check of the school's assessment process. Inspection evidence shows that children make a good start in the nursery and are well prepared for primary education.

The local headteacher I met with confirmed this. You shared with me the performance information for all the children who had left the Muriel Green Nursery in July 2016 and July 2017 and had moved into Reception the following September. The very large majority, well above the national average, reached a good level of development by the end of their Reception Year.

• Children's progress in understanding the daily routines and using the many resources effectively is rapid. Children were observed responding promptly to questions, with staff skilfully using exciting materials, pictures and sounds to stimulate their interest. Children were encouraged to shape letters and improve their writing, following staff's expert modelling.

Some children were beginning to write full sentences. Although staff are planning activities carefully, the most able children were not challenged often enough to extend their writing. ? The environment for learning is exciting indoors and outside.

I saw children having a lot of fun while they were learning. However, resources and activities to develop children's numeracy skills and improve their use of number are limited. ? Children's speaking skills and confidence are excellent.

One child was so proud of her school that she expertly showed me round all the areas available for her to learn and play. Another offered me a 'nice cup of tea' in the well-equipped and cosy summer house. The buzz for learning and the excitement to discover new things were obvious.

The relationships between children and with adults are warm and friendly. Children who receive early years pupil premium funding to meet their specific learning and emotional needs and children who speak English as an additional language make good progress from their varied starting points. ? Children's physical development and emotional well-being are given high priority.

Parents comment positively on the 'golden run' that you introduced this year. The weekly 'welly walk' and the many physical activities in and out of school develop children's motor skills and physical strength. Children quickly become emotionally resilient, as they learn to wait for their turn or share toys and equipment.

• Adults use a range of mechanisms, such as the 'diminishing-the-difference' board, to assess children's progress, identify any gaps in their knowledge and plan accordingly. The new learning journeys are comprehensive, although not yet helpful enough for parents because they are far too detailed. A few parents said that they would like to know more about their children's achievements, and some families are not given enough help to contribute fully to their children's learning.

The very large majority of children are eager to come to school. However, for some children, irregular attendance is having a negative impact on their progress and achievement. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? partnerships with parents are consolidated, so that parents are clear about their children's achievement ? more targeted support encourages some families to help their children learn and attend school regularly ? the most able children are given more opportunities to develop their skills, especially in numeracy.

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Hertfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Marianick Ellender-Gelé Her Majesty's Inspector Information about the inspection During the inspection, I spoke with you and several members of staff.

I met six members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. I met the Herts for Learning adviser for autism and the education director for early years, who is also the school's improvement partner. I met the headteacher of a local primary school and the children centre outreach worker.

I spoke with a representative of the Buckinghamshire virtual school for children looked after. You joined me on visits to the Sunshine classroom and the outdoor area. I spoke with children and staff throughout the day.

I observed children in class and at lunch and snack times. I met several parents. I considered 30 responses to the online questionnaire for parents Parent View.

I also took account of 22 text messages and emails sent by parents. I analysed your own survey of staff, and 17 staff completed Ofsted's staff survey. I read school documentation, including the school improvement plan, your own review of the school's effectiveness, and information related to safeguarding and pupils' progress and attendance.

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