Collyhurst Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Collyhurst Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Children flourish at this school academically, socially and emotionally. Staff have high expectations of all children. They believe that there is 'no limit to what children can achieve'.

Children behave very well. They are polite, well mannered and give a warm welcome to visitors. Children enjoy coming to school and feel very safe.

They skip into school each morning with happy, smiling faces. Parents and carers do not have to stay long in the school because their children settle quickly. Children are happy, confident and share a tight bond with their key person.

...>We saw lots of good-humoured, positive interactions between staff and children.

Right from the start, children learn the importance of sharing and taking turns. Children form firm friendships.

They mix well together. There is no hint of any unhappiness. We saw no evidence of any form of bullying.

Learning is active, magical and fun. Children are not afraid to make mistakes. Staff know when to stand back and let children work things out for themselves, or when to offer support.

The local authority uses the school as an example of strong practice in developing children's speech and language skills. Parents are happy with the quality of education that the school provides.

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

School leaders, staff and governors unite in their desire to provide children with the best possible start to their education.

No one is complacent. Staff plan activities very well and link them to children's interests. Staff know what to teach children and in what order.

They know exactly what children need to know before they move on to more difficult work. We saw that children achieve very well across the curriculum. They are ready for the next stage of their education.

Children behave impeccably and there is no bullying.

Leaders and staff prioritise helping children to become good readers. The displays around the school remind parents of the importance of reading to their children.

Phonic lessons start as soon children begin school. Leaders check children's progress to ensure that no one falls behind. Book areas in the classroom and communal areas are inviting.

They are stocked with high-quality books and props. Children enjoy sharing books with their friends or reading on their own for pleasure. Staff make story time a pleasurable experience for children.

We listened to children read. They handle books with care and turn the pages correctly. Children talk about what they can see in the pictures.

They know that print carries meaning.

We noticed that staff take every opportunity to develop children's communication and language skills. Staff listen to children carefully.

They change the language that they use and the questions that they ask according to the skills of each child. Staff teach children to listen and follow instructions. We saw staff use imaginative resources, songs and games to encourage children to develop and extend their vocabulary.

Children show a keen interest in mathematics. Staff incorporate the teaching of mathematics into the daily routine. Staff encourage children to count, develop mathematical language, identify shapes and solve mathematical problems through play.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Staff understand the difficulties faced by children with SEND. They access training and work well with parents and outside agencies.

Staff include children with SEND in all aspects of school life.

Staff feel valued and work well as a team. They appreciate senior leaders' investment in their ongoing training and the consideration that they give to their work-life balance.

In return, staff work hard to ensure that all children achieve their best.

Governors know the school very well. They are very supportive of the headteacher.

Governors have a secure understanding of what the headteacher wants to achieve. They are not afraid to ask the headteacher difficult questions to improve the school.

The school provides a range of activities to help children appreciate the world around them.

Children learn about different faiths and cultures. They visit places of interest such as the library, farms, allotments and archaeological sites. No one misses out on these activities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children's safety and welfare is top priority. Staff are aware that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

They act quickly should they have any concerns.

Staff work well with other agencies to support children and their families who face difficult circumstances. Leaders monitor attendance and follow up any unexplained absences quickly.

The school site is safe and secure. No new member of staff is allowed to start work at the school until all relevant checks have been completed.

Background

When we have judged a 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 first section 8 inspection since we judged Collyhurst Nursery School to be outstanding on 14 November 2014.