Madeley Nursery School

1 Madeley Nursery School—’A PLACE TO CREATE AND CELEBRATE A COMMUNITY OF LEARNING’

Madeley

Nursery

School

2016-2017

Annual Report

Welcome to the annual report to

parents from Madeley Nursery School.

This is a way to share information and

celebrate an amazing year of

collaboration and participation in the

joy and energy of learning. It will

include information about the work of

the Governing Body of the school.

Bringing together a small example of

the interests and identities of the

different learning groups.


Governor statement

This report is a chance to celebrate and share the inspirational work produced here at the nursery throughout the previous

year. The Governing Body are made up of representatives from parents, staff, the local community and the local authority. The

role of the Governing Body is to work on behalf of the parents to achieve continuing outstanding performance at Madeley

Nursery School. Collectively we are responsible for the running of the nursery and work with the head teacher and all of the

staff to achieve this. We provide ongoing challenge and support for all of the staff but especially the head teacher, ensuring

they continue to provide excellent provision for your children.

As a Governing Body, we work through three main committees:

Curriculum Committee- this year we have supported the review of teaching and learning policies and the revised school values

ensuring they are consistent and reflect the unique school approach.

Finance Committee- ensuring financial resources are well spent. The budget is planned and directed for the learning needs of

the children.

General Purpose Committee- providing a rich and stimulating environment for your children and reviewing all of the policies

and procedures to ensure the highest standards of welfare and safeguarding.

All of these committees work together to ensure that Madeley Nursery is a place where all children are happy learners who

work together as friends to achieve the best they can.

We would like to thank Rachel Hunter for her continuing role in maintaining the school website and Facebook page which

provides us with a quick way of sharing the wonderful work that all the children are creating. Please take a look if you haven’t

already done so.

We say goodbye to Lorraine Treen who has retired after many years of loyal service. Debbie Fisher and Ollie Lohan have joined

our team in the roles of site cleaner and caretaker.

We have begun the process to be a UNICEF Rights Respecting School. This supports us to promote the rights of the child. This

has resulted in a review of the values of the school; they now reflect our work both within the local community and

internationally. In addition the school is participating with the ‘Future In Mind’—well-being project, part of the local strategy

for good mental health. Together these strategies are having a positive impact on the well-being, achievement and progress of

every child.

As your representatives, we are always interested to find out about your opinions when you complete questionnaires provided

by the school. Also we would love to hear from you directly and would love to hear from you with any feedback, comments or

questions.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents who have continued to donated resources for the outside

area.

We would like to thank all of the staff and volunteers who have worked so hard this year to ensure that Madeley Nursery

continues to be a place of exceptional and inspirational learning.

Finally, thanks also go to the children for their continuing hard work and for illustrating this report so beautifully, we never

forget that the children are at the very heart of what we do.

This report is also available via the school’s website at:

http://madeleynursery.taw.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Paula Clifford (Chair of Governors)


One of the principles of our approach at Madeley Nursery is to work with

and engage parents, carers and families in active partnerships. This

supports the well-being, learning and development of every child, whilst

giving parents and carers opportunities to make new friends and

acquaintances, that in turn strengthens the local community.

To this end, this year, we have offered family learning sessions in play

and language, getting ready for school and parents roles in supporting

learning. There have been invitations to parents from key-workers for

meetings and whole nursery family days. Families have helped us to

raise money for Macmillan and Comic Relief. A very big thank you!

WORKING WITH FAMILIES


One of the key priorities at Madeley Nursery is be ‘outward facing’; this enables

opportunities for international training and development of staff, and also exchanges

between children in Madeley and those in other countries. To support these enhanced

experiences, the school applies for external funding, which makes a considerable

positive contribution to school budgets.

This year we have continued to research how digital media can support children’s

creative learning with colleagues from Sweden and across the UK, this project concludes

in February next year but some of the outcomes are available here:

https://wethinkeverywhere.wordpress.com/

In addition 9 members of staff and a governor have been on professional development

study on courses about leadership, outdoor learning, creativity, digital media and special

needs with groups of teachers from across Europe.

International Links / School Improvement / Erasmus+


A training school

As part of our key priority to be an ‘outward facing’ school, we provide training

and development opportunities to students and other professionals. This is an

essential part of our responsibility as an ‘outstanding’ school.

We have links with universities, colleges and other training institutions to offer

placements to student teachers and nursery nurses. In addition we host work

experience students from local secondary schools. We believe that this is a

good investment for the future of early education across the local area, and it

offers wider experiences and opportunities for the children at Madeley Nursery

to talk and work with others.

This year we have been published as a case study in a book Alternative Approaches to Education: A

Guide for Parents and Teachers by Fiona Carnie (second edition published in 2017)

Enriching the curriculum

We have been focusing on developing our teaching of writing, ensuring that it is interesting for children

and offered throughout the nursery learning environment. Also, we continue to refine and expand our

understanding of the nursery’s project approach to learning. Working in collaboration with others, in

particular, Debi Keyte-Hartland, who is an experienced consultant in creativity and project work.

Part of the approach of our approach is to offer rich, direct experiences to children that will provoke

ideas, and inspire curiosity. To this end, this year we have had visits to nursery from the Big Brum theatre

company when the children enjoyed the ‘Straw Baby’ production based on the Rumpelstiltskin story.

Also visits from the Telford Cooking Bus, the local community police officers and a musician.

A message from the headteacher

This has been another wonderful year of learning and friendship at Madeley Nursery School. It was a

particularly special year, as we have also marked the official 70th anniversary of the opening of the

school by the Local Authority. It has been wonderful to gather memories and photographs from staff,

families and children from the past 70 years. The archive that we have collected will be kept by the

local historical society.

We would like to thank the generous contributions made by parents, carers and families to support their

child; telling us about life at home in celebration books and talking with us at the beginning and end of

each session. As a result the children have made wonderful progress in their learning, their social skills

and their self-confidence.

I would also like to thank the staff team who work tirelessly all year to create the best environment for

children and continually make improvements to the opportunities children have to work and play. Our

long serving cleaner, Lorraine Treen, has retired this year after many years of loyal service to the nursery,

and we have been joined by Debbie and Ollie.

A huge thank you is given to every child, parent, carer, governor and member of staff for helping to

make this a joyful year of early learning at Madeley Nursery School.

Louise Lowings

Headteacher


Rachel’s morning key group

Enquiry into pipes, tunnels and communication

This group engaged in a deep and

sustained exploration of pipes and

tunnels as means of communication,

stemming from a shared interest in trains.

Their early ideas included theories about

symbols for meaning making “that

means dead end.” - Otto and a deep

interest in measuring. “It’s 38 long” - Xander. “It’s

so long! All the way from here to here.” - Charlie.

’It’s a long journey, 100 weeks.’ Charlie. The

language of measurement was in the context of

trains, pipes and tunnels and led to the invention

of a ‘measure platform’ where trains pulled up

and were measured. “Can you measure my

train?” - Finlay. “It’s 48 wide” - Xander.

Explorations in clay led to a fascination of how

tunnels are made. “That’s not a proper tunnel, we

need to put clay on it.” - Henry. This strong

group of learners continuously re-inforced

their sustained thinking through

advanced pro-social skills. ”Let’s get

building, we can do it” - Xander “I’ve got

an idea, don’t worry, I can sort it out.”

Charlie “Do you like my work, Finlay?” -

Poppy. ‘WOAH! Rachel, look at Poppy’s

work.” - Finlay. The group’s ideas and


theories coalesced around the concept of a “message machine” which

they built together. The machine incorporated many elements of their

previous ideas (“can I make a marble station?” - Xander) but developed

further their problem solving skills ; “Oh no! The marbles are dropping on the

floor!” - Xander. “We need a catcher” - Olivia. The group evolved the work

to include multiple pipes and catchers which included a signalling system

whereby a stick popped up to show that a marble “message” had arrived.

There was visible delight and joy at the invention of this simple, yet effective

signal. “Message for you! Can you feel it coming down?” - Mila. Children

were interested in the messages as code. “Red is bad, blue is good” -

Grace ”It says m-m-m-mummy” - Olivia. Watching the group working

collaboratively around their message machine, sharing ideas, solving

problems and taking satisfaction in inventing something which “works” was

a privilege. This project had a strong logical, systematic and mathematical

bias, all arising from the children’s own curiosities, but was also strongly

about relationships and working together; “This is the telephone that

connects everyone in the world” - Xander.


Helen’s morning key group

Music in the wild garden

We observe children so as to notice what

they see, to become engaged with their

enquiries and to find out their questions.

Early in the autumn term the group

began to share a common interest in the

natural environment, in particular the concept of

sounds in the wild area.

The tree had played a significant role in

the previous year’s project and provided

a provocation for this years group enquiry

as we remembered our ‘song for the

tree’ . Using a digital tablet an idea was

shared as to how we could give sounds

back to our tree.

“I’m making music for the tree, he says it’s

really beautiful”.

“I was looking at the bird singing to me,

the bird felt happy, it made a nest in my

hair, a bird house”.


“Catch the sound Kornel, I can catch it ”

The children’s shared interest in the sounds they could hear from the area

led to a dynamic interaction that prompted a physical response from within

the group.

Through our work we continued to notice the children developing their

theories by taking another perspective,

“The tree needs ears to hear the sounds”

“I’m drawing a path for the music to follow”.

Engaged in their shared passion, the group has evolved their social learning

through processes of collaboration in the


Kay’s morning key group

Sharing ideas as a group

Our summer assignment focused around

children finding holes in their environment

and the places they visited. As part of

group discussion they wanted to go on a

hole hunt in the garden. A leaf was found

in a hole and many of the group thought

that there was blood on it, originating

from a bat.

“A bat left the blood.”

The group then looked for blood in other

locations that they thought came from a bat. The

children explored the jungle area finding holes in

the tunnel, shapes in equipment, such as tyres,

pieces of piping, and the climbing frame. In the

wild area they found a tree with what they

thought had more of the bat blood on. Children

imagined that this was the blood to feed the

toads and the mice that they thought

lived there. As part of the enquiry we then

looked at blood patterns of animals and

humans.

Some of the children considered what the

blood looked like, some of them

compared their own cuts and bruises to


the patterning of the blood samples. The group then drew both blood

patterns and explored the graphic form of a bat.

“It’s got no blood on it.”

“The bat went in my wardrobe and I saw it was going to bite me and I said

no.”

“It’s a meat ball blood coming down there.”

“My blood is like an orange.”

Children are beginning to develop ideas about what blood looks like, what

it does and how it can be used. The act of drawing has made visible their

thinking giving a context for sharing ideas where new ideas can emerge.


Trina’s morning key group

An enquiry about keeping healthy and germs

The summer assignment focussing on

holes inspired a curiosity for children

noticing holes in fruits and vegetables in

the café area. A child brought in and

shared her images and ideas about holes

in her face. Consequently this generated

a rich enquiry for the group about holes

in their bodies and logical, imaginative and

playful theories and encounters relating to their

own biology.

A broad exploration about ‘keeping well’ through

exercise, eating a variety of healthy foods,

digestion and hand washing led to a powerful

interest in germs!

‘My step granddad has got like a big tummy, he

eats lots of chocolate’

You get all fit at dancing classes’

‘It went in my mouth and then it got

tested by my stomach and later it comes

out as a poo or a wee’

‘My mummy says coins make your hands

all dirty’


Trina gathered children’s knowledge of germs through the sharing of their

ideas and representations of germs through theory drawings.

‘You can’t see germs, they are so tiny’

The arrival of a germ disclosing kit in nursery provoked a deeper fascination

about the invisible notion of germs. Applying the disclosing potion on their

hands and revealing germ areas under the ultra violet light offered an

exciting and realness to the group’s theories about germs.

‘I can see blue and white germs’

‘When you have bugs on your hands they have eyes,

‘Germs hate hot water!’

Some complex ideas and metaphors arose through the group’s

representations of germs such as good and bad germs. They began to

make sense of germs in a scientific way.


particularly hollow vessels and piping. Some

sounds were about communication and

connecting with friends sending messages which

mirror and echo. We used straws as smaller

sound pipes to send messages to plants and

hear what they were telling us.

“He’s sad, he don’t have a home. I love you, I

miss you, you were out of a supermarket

(message to the marigolds).

“He says he wants some water so he can grow,

and food to be strong” (message from the

marigolds)

Susie’s morning key group

Sounds of the Garden

Last year’s summer assignment sparked

children’s curiosity about holes in the

environment. Outside in our nursery garden

children noticed holes as hiding places, homes

for creatures, gaps and spaces , shapes and

patterns and places to catch and send sounds.

We have also been using digital resources

outside (iPads, cameras) as part of our research

into digital media outside to support children’s

learning.

This reflective account will focus on one particular

curiosity of the children which is related to sound

making.

“A sound can be loud or it can be really quiet,

medium quiet”

Children’s Research

Children have been interested in the power of

making sounds with their voices into holes,


We thought about sounds we could send to help the plants The group made new

compositions with their recorded sounds and have begun to think about mark making

and theory drawing to represent sound and offer an additional context for meaning

making.

Children used an app on the tablet to record their sound

“Plants grow when the sing starts to go.”

“They like dinosaur sounds.”

“Drinking sounds.”

“Princess sounds.”

Children’s ideas are complex in form, rich in expression and creativity if we choose to

work in ways that are supportive and conducive to children’s thinking and enquiry.


Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

We strive at nursery to fully include children with special educational needs and

disabilities into the life of the school. We ensure that everyone has equal access to the

curriculum through individual education plans. We have a range of policies and

practices to ensure that our provision is inclusive and that facilities are adapted to allow

for this. We have disabled toilet facilities, ramped entrances to the building and garden

and one-to-one support assistance if required. We work closely with other professionals,

such as speech therapists and occupational therapists that enable us to support every

child. As a staff team we have regular training and meetings to keep us up-to–date with

our knowledge.

All policies are available on request at nursery or via the nursery website. Further

information for parents about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can be found

at the following websites:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers

www.parentpartnership-shropshireandtelford.org.uk

Staff and governors with particular responsibility for SEND are:

Helen Torr Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)

Helen Beale SEND and Equality

Caroline Babb Disability and Equality

This year children are moving on to many

new schools.

Aqueduct 5

Barrow CE 2

Beckbury CE 1

Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge 6

Dawley CE 2

Holmer Lake 2

John Fletcher of Madeley CE 20

John Wilkinson 2

Ladygrove 1

Lawley primary 1

Lawley Academy 1

Lightmoor 2

Old Park 1

Randlay 1

Sheriffhales 1

St Mary’s RC 11

William Reynolds 1

Woodlands 5

Stay at nursery until January / April 2018 2

Goodbye and good luck to everyone at

their new schools.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers

http://www.parentpartnership-shropshireandtelford.org.uk


Contact Us!

If you would like to contact the Governing Body, please use the details below:

Paula Clifford (Chair of Governors)

C/O Madeley Nursery School

Bridle Road

Telford

TF7 5ET

(mark your letter confidential)

Governors in Post 2016/ 2017

Paula Clifford Local Authority Appointment (Chair)

Anjum Masood-King Elected parent Governor

Ian Lakin Co-opted Governor

Helen Beale Co-opted Governor (Vice Chair)

Jeremy Withers Elected Parent Governor

Julia Fellows Associate Governor

Gemma Drury Elected Parent Governor

Clare Jones Elected Parent Governor

Emma Dickenson Co-opted Governor

Deb Shaldon Associate Governor

Jeanette Battye Elected Parent Governor

Caroline Babb Associate Governor

Jeremy Lowe Co-opted Governor

Helen Lawrence Co-opted Governor

Louise Lowings Head Teacher Ex-officio

Helen Torr Elected Staff Governor


Pupil Premium

We have high expectations for every child who attends Madeley Nursery School as we

believe that every child is competent including children identified as being ‘socially

disadvantaged’ and therefore eligible for pupil premium.

Pupil premium monies are allocated by the government to early years settings and

schools to support children from deprived backgrounds based on eligibility for free school

meals and those in Local Authority Care. Madeley Nursery School uses this money to

support these children to reach their potential.

Children’s progress and the impact of teaching and learning funded by pupil premium is

tracked and reviewed each term as part of whole school strategies for monitoring

progress and target setting for all children. Their progress is monitored by the Governors.

We allocate pupil premium money on strategies that have proven impact including;

excellent teaching and learning, developing the home learning environment, widening

life experiences and staff training. These strands are identified in The Learning Together

About Learning (LTAL) Project published in April 2016 by Early Education (The British

Association for Early Childhood Education.

The detailed action plan for effective use of pupil premium monies will be included in the

overall school development plan and monitored by the Finance, Personnel and

Curriculum committees of the Governing body. The full plan and details are available on

the school website at :

http://www.madeleynurseryschool.co.uk/documents/Pupil_Premium%20_Plan_2016-17.pdf

or in paper format from the school office.

School Fund

Since April 2004, the Local Authority has delegated financial responsibility to

governors. School Fund receipts & payments account for the years ended

31st March 2016 and 2017 are shown opposite.

Every penny counts and we really appreciate the donations made by

parents. The money helps to pay for food for the children, books and new

equipment.

Please remember to donate £1 a week. There is a change of system next

school year, from September 2017 key-workers will have collection boxes

for donations; termly cheques for donations are also acceptable and can

be handed to Paula, in the office.

Many thanks to all who contributed.


Balance at 1st April 2015 £2,338.46

Income 2015/16 Expenditure 2015/16

School fund £1447.17 Food £1,199.36

Interest 0 Flowers / plants £4.80

Donations 0 Toys / materials £58.48

Raffle 0 Books/posters/stationery £15.40

Photographer £227.58 Christmas gifts £148.57

Sweatshirts £231.00 Sweatshirts £130.00

Miscellaneous 0 Miscellaneous £1,136.25

Funds received re: school

budget

£8,944.02 Funds paid to school budget £9,9,439.62

Photographer project £775.00

Totals £10,849.77 £11,065.85

Balance at 31st March

2016

£284.38

Balance at 1st April 2016 £284.38

Income 2016/17 Expenditure 2016/17

School fund £1,516.20 Food £1,167.35

Interest 0 Flowers / plants £25.04

Donations £1,000.00 Toys / materials £63.41

Raffle £132.10 Books/posters/stationery £15.40

Photographer £225.70 Christmas gifts £10.00

Sweatshirts £203.00 Sweatshirts £175.00

Miscellaneous (charity) 186.00 Miscellaneous (inc. charity donations) £589.38

Funds received re: school

budget

£23,107.01 Funds paid to school budget £23,107.01

Photographer project 0

Totals £26,370.41 £25,137.10

Balance at 31st March

2017

£1,517.56


Thank you for supporting the school’s ongoing school improvements; through developing

and embedding the school values, principles and aims.

Our aim is to create and celebrate a community of learning where there are

endless possibilities to discover together through curiosity, creativity and

play.

The school is a place of citizenship - being part of a

strong community

Our school is an integral part of the community. It is a

place where every child, family and educator has both a

right and responsibility to contribute to and support

their community. We define community as being both

immediately located around the school and stretching

out to include the wider global community. We believe

that citizenship encompasses people and cultures as well

as environments and ecologies. That as citizens, children

should be creators of culture not passive consumers.

The school is a place of research

Working together to question and improve, our school is

a place where children, families and educators work

together to improve the quality of learning and teaching

experiences, therefore promoting high aspirations, levels

of well-being, good dispositions and achievement for all.

We believe that a researching school relies on developing

a 'listening pedagogy, where all protagonists collaborate

and co-operate in reflective dialogue, respecting and

encouraging different opinions and ideas, being open to

change and innovation.

The school is a place of partnership with children and

families

We consider that a genuine, respectful and active

partnership between children, their families and the

school are central to successful learning. This principle is

interrelated and underpins the other school principles

and reflects our relational and community ethos.

Partnership involves parents, families and staff working

together to benefit children in relationships where each

recognises, respects and values what the other does and

says. Partnership involves responsibility on both sides.

The school is a place where every child is viewed as

competent and full of potential

All children have an innate ability to learn from birth. We

believe that every child has an incredible capacity to

learn and develop through engagement with others and

with the world. This principle has inclusion and diversity

at its heart and is made visible through the pedagogical

approaches of the school. Where learning is seen as

crossing the borders that separately define disciplines,

curriculum and concepts.

Promoting these values

Pro-social behaviours

Self-regulation

Collaboration

Equality

Compassion

Creativity and innovation

Confidence

Exploring the world

Effective communication

Resilience and perseverance

Madeley Nursery School

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