Bacup Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers showered praise on the quality of education for children at Bacup Nursery School.

They described the provision as 'amazing' and 'magical'. This nursery school is a vibrant place where everyone is totally committed to children's learning and welfare.

Children are safe and very happy.

They love to explore the inspirational learning environment and to experience the fantastic activities on offer. Children know that staff are there to care for them and to support them. The excellent relationships that staff have with children help to create a calm and positive atmosphere where all children excel.

Whatever their starting point, all staf...f successfully nurture and foster children's talents so that they flourish. Children are exceptionally well supported in their learning and play by staff. They embrace getting involved in stimulating learning experiences from the moment that they arrive in school.

The excellent start that children enjoy at Bacup Nursery School ensures that they are fully prepared for the demands of the curriculum in their next school.

Behaviour is exemplary. Children show extremely high levels of concentration and they persevere with tasks until they get them right.

They teeter on the edge of their seats with excitement when teachers read stories and sing songs with them. All children take pride in their learning and they understand the benefits of cooperating with each other. Bullying is not an issue.

Children forge friendships and they care deeply for one another.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, governors and staff deliver an innovative and ambitious curriculum to all children. They are committed to ensuring that every child who attends Bacup Nursery School, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is offered the very best foundation for their future education.

They are highly successful in making this happen.

Leaders systematically review their curriculum. In each area of learning, nothing in the curriculum is left to chance.

Highly skilled staff, who know exactly how children learn and develop, ensure that the curriculum is delivered in a logical and systematic order. Staff ensure that the curriculum enables all children to build firmly on what they already know and can do.

Leaders value their staff.

They prioritise staff's ongoing training to enable them to become experts in how to deliver the early years curriculum. This has made a significant and substantial contribution to the quality of education that children receive. As a result of high-quality staff training, coupled with a purposefully planned curriculum, children's achievement is excellent.

Children are incredibly well prepared for their next steps in education and for life in modern Britain.

Staff are trained to listen carefully to what children say, and they observe exactly what children do. Staff know just when to step in and when to step back.

Consequently, children develop their confidence to try out new and challenging activities. They beam with pride when they learn new skills.

The provision for two-year-old children is a hive of activity and caters exceptionally well for this age group.

Children relish learning to count while playing with the play dough. They love to listen, clap and join in with the actions as staff sing with them. A wide range of interesting and exciting activities help children to explore their environment.

They listen to the sounds around them and use their bodies to paint, run and climb.

Throughout the nursery, staff seize every opportunity to use their interactions with children to develop children's knowledge of communication and language. They are quick to build on children's interest and curiosity.

Staff expertly add to and reinforce new vocabulary. Adults encourage children to respond in sentences appropriate to their age.

Books, songs, rhymes and storytelling are a prominent feature of school life.

At the time of the inspection, children were often seen initiating storytelling by taking a book to an adult to share with them and their friends. Staff skilfully draw on children's growing vocabulary and knowledge of story language. Children use their new vocabulary as they play with puppets and props.

They often make up their own versions of the stories that they have been immersed in.

Staff are particularly effective at identifying and supporting children with SEND. They expertly use their knowledge of each child to put just the right strategies in place to make sure that children get the support that they need.

Children with SEND blossom and succeed alongside their peers.

Children have extremely positive attitudes to learning because they are excited by the curriculum. They sustain their interest in activities and develop resilience and perseverance in their learning.

Children are confident to share and take turns. They play exceptionally well together, often giving each other a helping hand or clapping spontaneously when their friends succeed. Staff remind children of the school rules, teaching and modelling how to have 'kind hands, kind words and kind feet'.

Leaders and governors only accept excellence for children. Governors hold leaders fully to account for their work. Staff feel exceptionally well supported with their workload and well-being.

They are very proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff and governors are exceptionally well trained and knowledgeable about keeping children safe.

The procedures in place to identify and report concerns are well understood by all staff.

Leaders are extremely strong advocates for vulnerable pupils and their families. Where safeguarding needs are identified, support is timely.

Leaders fully engage with external agencies, when needed.

The curriculum provides lots of opportunities for children to learn about safety. For example, children learn about staying safe in the woodland area which is attached to the school, and how to use kitchen tools safely when making biscuits.

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