Clyde Nursery School.

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy and enjoy their time at this warm, nurturing and inclusive nursery school.

Relationships between staff, children and their families are strong. Staff know and value every child.

A partnership with parents and carers is prioritised. This helps children to feel safe and settle into school quickly. The school involves families in their children's learning experiences, for example, by encouraging everyone to join in with visits to the local fire station, Mudchute farm and picnics at Greenwich Park.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The comprehensive pr...ovision for children's personal development underpins the school's ambitious curriculum. Children's learning opportunities are designed thoughtfully to equip children with the confidence to be independent and curious learners.

Children enjoy the wide range of activities available to them, both indoors and outdoors. Staff support children well through modelling and engaging in play with them. For example, children enjoy making 'pancakes' in the mud kitchen and buying and selling ice creams in the 'ice cream parlour'.

Children develop positive attitudes to their learning and achieve well.

Children behave incredibly well, with well-embedded routines to support this. Children know what is expected of them.

Staff skilfully support children to manage their emotions, take turns and share. Children also look after and support one another. The two-year-old children have positive role models in the older children.

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

The school's curriculum has been designed with careful thought and consideration. Staff follow and use children's interests as the basis for the curriculum. 'Layers of learning' have been identified, and through this, the school has mapped out a range of experiences which aim to build up children's understanding across the curriculum.

Children learn well overall. However, sometimes, how well the curriculum is taught is of variable quality. In some instances, the school's curriculum thinking is not sufficiently defined to ensure that teaching activities focus sharply on deepening children's knowledge and understanding.

This is because the small steps of knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children should be taught are, at times not understood by all staff.

The development of children's communication and language has been prioritised. Children are surrounded by stories and books.

The 'book of the week' approach fully immerses children in a range of different books and stories. Staff use every opportunity to model the use of language. They encourage children to speak in full sentences.

Staff also sing songs and share rhymes frequently, both during adult-led activities and when children are at play in the classrooms. Children enjoy story time sessions immensely. Adults actively look for opportunities to increase children's exposure to books, for example by using snack time to read aloud to children.

Some of the stories shared have been deliberately chosen to help children to understand their own emotions.

Assessment is used well. Leaders and staff dedicate regular time to look holistically at each child's progress.

This helps them to identify gaps and plan timely and suitable next steps in learning for children. The needs of children with SEND are also carefully considered. Children's needs are identified quickly and appropriate support is put in place.

Children with SEND are fully included and access all aspects of the provision alongside their peers. Staff work with external agencies to ensure that specific needs are met and provide additional, targeted support to individuals and groups, such as sharing sensory stories.

All staff are vigilant to how well children are attending.

Staff work in partnership with families to support children to develop positive attitudes to attending school regularly.

Across the curriculum, the carefully chosen activities and experiences support children to make sense of the world around them. Leaders ensure that the experiences are meaningful to children and the community that the school serves.

Children learn about different faiths and cultures through celebrating religious festivals. Staff skilfully develop children's independence and resilience by encouraging them to do things for themselves when they are ready. For example, at snack time, adults guide children to get their own water and serve themselves a snack.

Leaders and staff ensure that children are well supported and prepared for key events, such as going to primary school.

Staff and governors are incredibly proud members of the 'Clyde family'. The governing body offers effective challenge and support to school leaders.

Staff feel well supported and valued. They enjoy working here and being part of the team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, what children are expected to learn is not sufficiently clear. This means that some activities do not support the development of children's understanding as well as they could. The school should be clearer about what it wants children to learn so that staff can reinforce the intended knowledge and vocabulary with greater consistency.

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