Camborne Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Camborne Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Camborne Nursery School is a nurturing and welcoming school.

Staff know the children exceptionally well. This helps children to thrive by making friends and learning about the world. Children love coming to the school.

One parent commented that, 'The school is one of those magical places you thought possible only in children's fiction.' Many other parents share similar views.

Children behave extremely well.

They quickly learn how to listen. This helps children to learn in a calm, harmonious setting. Children show kindness, friendship and support to each o...ther.

Children know the routines and expectations very well.

Children are excited to be at the school. They choose what and how they are going to learn through play, music and stories.

Children learn about nature by exploring the flowers and trees in the garden. Staff are highly skilled in nurturing children's imaginations. For example, one child talked about 'listening to the clouds' in the garden.

Children learn how to express their ideas and feelings exceptionally well. The school prepares children extremely well for the next stage of their education.

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

Camborne provides an outstanding quality of education.

Leaders, staff and governors are highly ambitious for children to love learning and achieve well. They use leading research to shape their curriculum. They understand the needs and interests of the children exceptionally well.

Staff understand the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very well. Staff adapt the way they teach to respond to the children's interests and needs. Consequently, all children access the curriculum successfully and confidently.

Leaders have made language and literacy a priority. Children learn to develop strong language skills through rhymes, stories and play. They also learn Makaton to help them to communicate.

As a result, children can share their ideas and feelings well. For example, I observed children discussing leaves, flowers and insects in great depth.

The teaching of early reading is very well organised.

Children listen to adults read carefully selected stories. Children love listening to stories. They learn many stories and rhymes by heart, which helps their language and literacy development.

Children have many opportunities to 'read' the pictures in high-quality books. Children talk insightfully about the feelings of the characters in the pictures and are well prepared to tackle more complex reading activities.

Leaders have designed and created an exciting curriculum that enriches children's experiences of the world.

For example, children travel to the local beach by train. They visit the local library and receive library cards. They visit the local farm to see where their milk comes from.

Children told the inspectors about pressing the apples in the orchard to make apple juice.

The curriculum enables children to develop physically exceptionally well. Children learn about the world around them, for example through woodwork.

They bang nails with a hammer and drill holes into wood. Children are enthusiastic. In the orchard, they navigate trees, shrubs and beds excitedly.

Children develop exceptionally strong personal and social skills. Through playing, activities and exploring in the orchard, children learn to take turns, share and support each other. Children learn very quickly to be independent learners.

They take care of themselves and each other.

Staff say that leaders have prioritised their well-being. They say that leaders listen to them.

As a result, leaders have reduced staff workload, enabling them to focus on teaching and learning. Staff share the vision of leaders for happy, confident, independent children. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that children are kept safe. Staff receive effective training.

They refer any concerns swiftly. Leaders follow these up quickly. Leaders work well with external agencies to make sure children get the help that they need.

Leaders' checks on staff who work at the school are recorded accurately.

Staff know the children and their families very well. The curriculum includes children learning how to keep safe.

For example, they learn how to move safely around the school. Parents strongly agree that their children are safe at the school.

Background

When we have judged a maintained nursery school to be outstanding we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Camborne Nursery School to be outstanding on 14 May 2012.