□ Strongly agree
All cultures and religions are welcomed and respected.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
The staff at Queensway nursery are professional and caring.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
Queensway nursery upholds their ethos statement and aims (see attached documentation).
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
How satisfied are you with your child’s progress?
□ Very satisfied
□ Satisfied
□ Undecided
□ Fairly dissatisfied
□ Very dissatisfied
Would you recommend Queensway primary School to other parents?
□ Yes
□ No
EMMA:
How far away from the nursery do you live?
30 minutes walk away.
How do you get to and from nursery?
Walk.
Isn’t there another nursery that is more local to you?
Yes but my daughter has epilepsy and they wouldn’t accept her there. They said that they couldn’t deal with her fits because they don’t have the staff to provide the one to one attention that she may need. Queensway is the nearest school that would accept her.
When you were choosing a nursery for your child what factors where important to you?
I would have chosen the more local one if it was up to me. With having no transport it is a bit inconvenient.
What do you find to be the best aspects of Queensway nursery?
That they accepted my daughter and the small size of the school.
How do you find your privacy and confidentiality is handled.
They are very discreet when handling any personal conversations.
How has your overall experience been of Queensway Primary nursery?
No problems so far. Always professional.
What, if anything would improve the service that you receive?
If they would make sure they came out on time in the morning.
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Please tick one response for each question:
My opinions and feelings are heard and respected.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
All the nursery children are treat fairly and equally.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
Diversity is welcomed and encouraged in the nursery.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
All cultures and religions are welcomed and respected.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
The staff at Queensway nursery are professional and caring.
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
Queensway nursery upholds their ethos statement and aims (see attached documentation).
□ Strongly disagree
□ Disagree
□ Undecided
□ Agree
□ Strongly agree
How satisfied are you with your child’s progress?
□ Very satisfied
□ Satisfied
□ Undecided
□ Fairly dissatisfied
□ Very dissatisfied
Would you recommend Queensway primary School to other parents?
□ Yes
□ No
Questions that I asked Mrs. Mawson:
How do you protect a child’s personal and confidential details?
We obviously comply with the Data Protection act 1998 as this is law.
How is the information stored and handled?
All information is stored away safely on computer and in a locked file, all staff are aware of who they can and cannot disclose information to.
How is the information collected?
Before a child begins nursery, a home visit is conducted; this is to introduce ourselves to the child in their own surroundings. During this meeting we will fill out forms and collect all relevant information such as general details, address, date of birth, G.P details, religion, any special dietary requirements etc.
How do you know who you can disclose information to regarding absent parents, aunties etc?
The parent/s or guardian/s are also asked about absent Fathers or indeed Mothers and whether there is a parental responsibility order that entitles the absent parent to certain information regarding the child; although this question may not always be answered truthfully. The admission form asks for details of any other people that are authorised to collect the child, but only minimal information is given to these people. Anything confidential will only be disclosed to the parent or guardian with full care and control.
How do you know who you can disclose information to over the phone?
If any body rings the school claiming to be the social services or admissions for instance, and requests information regarding a child it will not be disclosed unless we know who we are talking to. We usually ask for a name and number and tell them that we will call them back. We check the person’s details to confirm that they are who they say they are.
What if a person rang up claiming to be an absent parent?
If a person rang up claiming to be an absent parent, we would tell them that they would need to provide evidence of the parental responsibility order before we could disclose any details regarding any child in our school. At this point we would not yet disclose whether or not the child was even a pupil of this school. We would disclose nothing. We would inform the parent who has full care and control of the child about the phone call and request further information and maybe make suggestions to them about acquiring legal advice if they are unhappy with the absent parent being involved. However, if the absent parent had a legal document proving that he has parental responsibility we would be obliged to give that parent information regarding the child’s progress and achievements. The child’s personal details, such as address, telephone number etc. would still be entirely confidential.
How is highly confidential information regarding pupils on the child protection register handled?
Any child on the child protection register has their records kept on file under lock and key. This data is not on the computer with other general information. Only the head teacher and learning mentor have access to this information.
How is general everyday information handled?
Any written information that has a child’s details on and is no longer in use will be shredded, not just thrown out. It will never be left lying around either.
We always avoid putting a child’s name alongside a picture of them on any kind of public display, be it in school, in the paper or on the internet.
How are temporary students made aware of your confidentiality policy?
All new staff, students and even regular voluntary helpers such as parents are taken through an induction programme where Health & Safety and confidentiality are discussed. They are asked to sign a document saying that they understand the need to maintain confidentiality and not to mention or discuss any child or parent information to irrelevant others outside school.
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How is diversity fostered in this school?
Stimuli are provided to promote diversity in the nursery. General everyday play items are provided, such as ethnic dolls, dressing up clothes that reflect different cultures and informative books and posters that display positive images.
What do you do about the very many different festivals?
All festivals are discussed and acknowledged even if there isn’t a child in the nursery that celebrates these occasions. Festivals such as Eid - the Muslim festival, Diwali – the festival of light, the Jewish festival of light - Hannakuh, Christmas, and Easter etc. are all acknowledged.
How do you acknowledge them?
Sometimes a story will be told to explain the meanings, symbols and origins behind each festival or a visitor may come to discuss and/or act out stories to display the meaning of the festival in question.
What will you be doing to acknowledge the upcoming Chinese New Year?
When it is the Chinese New Year stories will be told. A Chinese restaurant is to be set up with a wok, chopsticks, placemats etc. Real food such as rice and noodles will be given to taste with chopsticks. Fortune cookies are to be distributed amongst the children. Dragons and paper lanterns are being painted and displayed. We teach children to recognize differences and value each other and those differences.
How do you celebrate the diversity of language?
Different languages are now taught at an early age too. French numbers and greetings are introduced in the foundation stage. A little sign language is taught too.
Do you ever take the children out to visit different places of worship to give new experiences?
Ours are too young at the moment, we discuss, relate and role play. The older school children are being taken to a Synagogue and a Muslim school to have a look around and taught more about their cultures and religions.
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How do you ensure equal opportunities for each child?
We strive to treat everybody equally irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, religion etc.
Do you have an equal opportunities policy?
Yes, we have an equal opportunities policy that is reviewed annually to ensure that it is working effectively and not having an adverse effect upon any person.
We value all children and their families. Nobody will be excluded for any reason.
How are equal opportunities promoted in the classroom?
We swap toys around regularly. Activities are planned that include both sexes. Boys and girls are encouraged to play with all toys, not just toys that can be thought of as ‘one sex only’ such as cars for boys and prams for girls.
Staff are encouraged to attend extra training sessions to develop their understanding of equality of opportunity. With better understanding and knowledge we can learn to respect all children and teach them to respect and value each other.
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How do you accommodate other religions?
Initially, it is our duty to learn the views and backgrounds of different religions so we are better equipped to understand what is acceptable and what is not to each individual religion and festival. We need to talk to the parents of each child to discover what they find acceptable and what they wish us to avoid. We will do this on the home visit before the child starts nursery. The parents can take this opportunity to describe in detail what is allowed and what is forbidden, such as certain foods.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate traditional religious festivals such as Christmas and Easter. They believe that there is no scriptural justification for such celebrations which they consider to be rooted in paganism. For the same reasons, secular occasions such as birthdays and Mother’s Day are not celebrated. This would obviously cause a little complication on such occasions. How do you accommodate children of Jehovah’s Witnesses?
The child could be easily withdrawn from such activities as making Christmas cards, Easter eggs and so on and given other activities to do such as painting a snow scene or spring morning. The child usually understands well, as it is their parents’ responsibility to discuss the reasons with them beforehand so it’s not really a problem. We would try not to let them feel left out. If a child is to be withdrawn from religious education, assemblies, outings, nativities and such it might be possible to organise a rota for the child to be supervised by the parent or other responsible adult in the nursery setting. We do need to be aware of what we are doing and saying though. We must be careful not to advocate Birthdays in the presence of such a child. What we consider harmless, like singing ‘Happy Birthday’ is unacceptable to Jehovah’s Witnesses, so it would be necessary to remove the child beforehand. The withdrawal should be executed discreetly so as not to attract undue attention to what is happening.
It is important that we understand and respect the wishes of the parents and value their beliefs. If there is any uncertainty we can always check with the parent.
Diets are also a factor that can need special attention where religion is concerned. Jewish people for example, observe dietary laws which state that animals and birds must be killed by the Jewish method to render them kosher. Milk and meat must never be cooked or eaten together, and pork in any form is forbidden. Shellfish are not allowed as they are thought to harbour disease. During Pesach or Passover (an eight day celebration), there are strict limitations on what Jewish people may eat. Anything which is based on a grain and has undergone a leavening or fermenting process (such as bread, cake etc.) is forbidden throughout Pesach. Nor may a Jewish person eat something which has been cooked in a vessel or oven which is normally used for cooking these foods, unless the vessel or oven has been cleaned in a specific way which would be impractical in a school. What would you recommend in this situation?
We haven’t actually had a Jewish pupil at the school but it would be recommended that they bring a packed lunch since there are such strict food laws. Again, you need to be aware of the many different festivals and special days where there may be fasting or certain foods may be forbidden.
Jewish children may need to leave school early on Fridays during the winter because Shabbat starts 14 minutes before sunset on Friday, and this can be as early as 3:35 PM. They will need to be home well before this time in order to wash, change and get to the synagogue. Could this be accommodated for?
Yes, absolutely. There are some other special religious days that a pupil may be absent from school for, this too is acceptable. We explain to the other children that their friend is absent due to a special day of their religion that they are celebrating. This actually gives us an opportunity to discuss other religions.
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How do you deal with bad behaviour in the nursery?
We have a positive behaviour policy. Praise and encouragement of good behaviour are the essence of this policy. We have developed a very good group and individual award system in which we look for opportunities to acknowledge good behaviour with awards and praise.
But what about bad behaviour? Such as a child that is violent to other children!
We would initially separate the feuding children and talk to them. Try to root out the cause of the problem. Look at what we might be doing to cause this behaviour. Look at the surroundings that could be the cause. We need to understand the underlying problem to be able to solve the issue.
What if the bad behaviour is consistent?
Here we would have to involve the parent/s of the child. We would discuss the behaviour and try to root out the reasons for it. We would develop a home – school link where we would work closely with the parent/s. A book would be sent home with the child in which the parent/s would note down good behaviour and praise. We would need to shadow the child and actively search for good behaviour to praise and work on building the child’s self esteem. We would keep close records upon the entire situation.
There is a very clear structure to how persistent misbehaviour would be dealt with. Following the above stages, if there was no improvement their key stage co-ordinator would become involved. The child would be assessed to find out why the misbehaviour is occurring. We have a learning mentor that can work closely with the child and council where necessary. In an effort to encourage appropriate behaviour parents and children may be referred or be encouraged to receive help from specialist agencies.
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Do you accept children with special needs into the school?
If a child with special needs wishes to attend our nursery we will accept them but the parent or carer will have to remain with the child. This is concerned with insurance and safety issues. We are not a special needs school but we won’t ever turn anybody down if the places are available in the nursery.
How many places are there? What’s the staff/pupil ratio?
There is a limit of 26 children in our nursery. Though there are three full-time members of staff and the legal ratio is only one adult to thirteen children I am happier with the extra staff. I would not be content with just two full-time nursery workers. It would be too difficult to provide all the children with all the attention that they need.
So all children are accepted?
If there are available places and providing that the child fits into the criteria i.e. they have had their third birthday and they live within the Leeds Education Authority they will be accepted. All children have a right to an education and to reach their full potential. We will discriminate against nobody.
What if there are no nursery places?
If there are no nursery places the parent should look for another school and/or place the child on the waiting list in hope of future places.
Do you have special educational needs provisions?
Queensway does not specialise in any kind of provision, but all children who attend the school are cared for in an appropriate way to their needs. Access into the school building is possible for children with all kinds of disabilities, as it is a one-form entry school with a ramp into the main entrance for easy entry. There are no steps into classrooms and therefore all children can enter most areas around the school. There is also a newly furnished toilet for the disabled, which can be used for any child needing extra support with this.
Are the staff at Queensway equipped to care for children with special educational needs?
All staff are given access to appropriate training to meet the needs of individuals and groups.
Queensway has good links with feeder high schools and the local special school. Meetings are made between respective providers to discuss and arrange transition.
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My conclusions:
Rights of the parents and children are very well maintained at this pleasant little nursery by treating every person with respect and understanding, and following strict laws, policies and guidelines.
Queensway find it of the highest importance to establish a good relationship with the parents, so they can work well together. Parents are invited to annual reviews (where necessary - SEN), three parents evenings, an open evening, social events, curriculum workshops. Newsletters and planners are completed on a weekly basis by children and parents. Children’s targets are sent home to parents on a termly basis to inform them of progress and next steps. Working in close partnership with parents is important so that feedback can be exchanged, the parent will gain trust if they are aware of what is happening with their child, the child will witness positive adult relationships etc.
All the teachers have established a good working relationship with each other too. They work closely together which is of huge importance in the work place. All staff appear happy with each other and content in their work. Every member of staff, including the receptionist and dinner staff are encouraged to broaden their knowledge and understanding by attending extra training. Queensway primary school even offers parents training in different topics occasionally. This has included, computing, First Aid and ‘getting the best out of and enjoying your child’. I agree entirely that education is the best way forward for every individual. This also helps to build good relationships with each other, between professional and parent.
The whole atmosphere of the school setting is very relaxed and positive.
I was amazed to see the reams and reams of policies that are produced to give the highest quality service that can be given. The health, safety, welfare and education of every child are at the heart of every policy.
Queensway primary school has a well established system to work within. The receptionist, Mrs. Agar is entrusted with the basics of ‘need to know’ information regarding the children because she would most likely be the first person to talk to any visitors or people over the phone. It is important that she does not disclose information to the wrong people. She is very clued up about what she is doing and what she can say and cannot say. Mrs. Agar was telling me that you learn, and you know who people are when you have been in the business for long enough. She knows certain peoples voices and things about them. So, for example, if a stranger rang up claiming to be from the social services and wanting information about a child she would be instantly on her guard and is confident that she would never accidentally disclose any information to the wrong people. Confidentiality is a very important part of the relationship of trust which exists between parents and staff, this has to be maintained. Queensway appear to understand extremely well that confidentiality is about trust and sensitivity to the needs and the rights of others.
As Queensway nursery is situated in a predominantly white area there is very little naturally occurring cultural diversity. Approximately 95% of the children at the school are from white working class families. Because of this, Mrs. Mawson understands that it is especially important to promote positive diversity and teach understanding and respect regarding other beliefs, cultures, religions, etc. to the pupils of Queensway. And they do this showing high regard and much respect towards others.
I have acquired a lot of respect towards Queensway primary school for their acceptance of all people where other schools would not accept certain individuals. This is a very small school with very high standards that is achieving so much in the respect of projecting a positive image regarding diversity and equality.
I recently checked their OFSTED report on the internet and was surprised to discover that it wasn’t a terribly good report. The report however is six years old and the head teacher, Mrs. Palmer-Smeaton, was new to the premises at the time. It would be extremely interesting to see a more recent report.
I attended a school assembly on Friday morning 20/01/06. The head teacher and all the children greeted each other in sign language. I discovered that they teach British Sign Language as an extra curricula activity to children who wish to partake. Also, at Christmas the children are taught ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ in sign language which they all sing and sign after the nativity performance. This is an extremely positive way of promoting and teaching the value of diversity to all the children of Queensway.
The assembly which was performed by the year 5 class addressed issues regarding the food they eat and the part it plays in their health. After which they discussed discrimination and the ill effects of such behaviour. They ended the assembly with a discussion regarding Stephen Lawrence and the racist attack that led to his death. It was very moving to see primary school children making an acknowledgement to such a tragedy. Queensway primary school is going to aim for the ‘Stephen Lawrence Education Award’ this year. The Award gives an opportunity to schools to focus on good race equality practice and to develop it further.
Queensway is full of positive attitudes surrounding diversity and equality and I feel proud and lucky to live in a society where people can have different ideas, ways of living and beliefs.
The only improvement that I think could be made would be to display more welcoming posters that portrait different cultures, religions and languages. Even if it does not seem necessary due to the lack of cultural diversity, it is needed even more to welcome the minority.
