Collyhurst Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Collyhurst Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Children at the school benefit from warm, positive relationships with staff. This means, for example, that two-year-olds feel safe and secure in their special group times with their key person. Children learn to play with and alongside each other and to make friends.

The school ensures that children learn the 'Collyhurst constants': to be brave, curious, happy, kind and safe. Staff give children gentle, reassuring support. Children feel at ease and good about themselves.

They become keen, confident learners.

C...hildren know that staff are very interested in spending time with them. Staff teach children carefully to understand important words, to make comments and to ask questions.

As a result, children keenly asked the inspectors about themselves and invited them into their play activities.

Children rise to the school's high expectations and succeed in their learning of the school's curriculum. The school caters well for the needs and best interests of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Children develop a secure foundation of knowledge, on which the rest of their education can build.

Children learn to be responsible citizens. The school teaches them about the importance of equality.

Children respect differences between themselves and others.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced lots of change. During this time, leaders at all levels have ensured that the school continues to provide children with high-quality nursery education.

Leaders and governors have acted thoughtfully when developing the school's curriculum, teaching, staffing, finance and long-term priorities. The school ensures that staff only complete necessary paperwork and have enough time to teach the children. Staff are happy in their jobs.

Through its well-considered links with the on-site children's centre, families access nursery education, health services and family support in one place.

Children progress well through the school's well-thought-out curriculum. This work begins successfully in the classroom for two-year-olds, where staff help children to play calmly and cooperatively.

Staff working with two-, three- and four-year-olds skilfully help children to talk. Staff help children to understand vital new words and sing rhymes with them often. Children learn that words can be important, fascinating and fun.

They quickly develop the confidence to share their ideas, needs and feelings.

The school thinks carefully about the stories that it selects to read to children. It ensures that story times are special parts of each day.

Staff help children, including two-year-olds, to know and remember key information, such as the title and characters of stories. Children love books and reading.

The school ensures that its staff are gentle and playful with the children.

Staff give children encouragement, support and helpful feedback in their learning of the curriculum. Mostly, staff teach key information to children clearly. However, sometimes, the school does not ensure that staff engage children in high-quality interactions.

This means that, on occasion, children learn some curriculum content less well.

Staff check that children can recall key information. They help children to understand aspects of the curriculum that they find tricky.

Leaders and staff act quickly to provide extra support for children who may have SEND. The school includes each child and helps them to thrive.

The school works very well with parents and carers.

For example, it helps them to understand the importance of children's punctuality and attendance at school. Parents are very positive about the quality of the school's work.

Leaders and staff prepare children for life beyond the school effectively.

Staff help children to make a smooth start at nursery school and with the move to primary school. The school enriches children's understanding of the world, such as through its well-considered educational trips to the shops, museum and library.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, the school does not ensure that staff teach children its curriculum through high-quality interactions. This means that, at times, some children learn key information less well. The school should make sure that all its staff have the necessary skills and expertise to teach the curriculum in the ways that it intends.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in November 2014.