Earlham Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy and well cared for at Earlham Nursery.

They can explore all that nature has to offer in the extensive grounds. Children take part in 'Forest School' activities. They also experience yoga lessons where they learn coordination and how to reflect.

Children have interesting learning experiences, both within the nursery and in the wider community. For example, children can go to the zoo, visit an art centre and a local farm. Staff help children to learn new language to describe the world around them.

Children learn how to concentrate and take turns. For example, during snack time, staff help children to learn how to eat together and develop thei...r social skills. Staff model routines and kindness and have high expectations of children's behaviour.

Children have lots of opportunities to listen to stories and sing songs. Relationships are warm and adults help children learn how to be friends with one another. If children are unkind, staff help children to become friends again.

When children experience anxiety or distress, adults support children to become calm. This helps children to be ready to learn.

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

Leaders are developing the curriculum so that it identifies in more detail the knowledge and content that children will learn.

Implementation of the curriculum is at different stages in different areas of learning. Leaders have identified the words that children will learn and how and when they will learn them. In other areas of learning, training and guidance for staff to teach the new curriculum is underway.

Staff plan activities thoughtfully so that children can learn new knowledge. Staff know how to share and model important vocabulary. Staff think carefully about how children work in groups.

This helps children to learn free from distraction. Staff teach children about nature, the past and traditional stories, for example, and introduce new words for children to learn.

Leaders' work on improving the curriculum and ways of modelling new language is helping children to develop their understanding of language.

Adults remind children about recently taught words during play. However, children do not get as many opportunities to use new words and knowledge as they should. As a result, they sometimes struggle to remember new words and their meanings.

Staff know children's needs and interests. Staff check regularly on children's learning and development. Staff share and use this information to inform their planning.

This helps staff to support children's learning effectively.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Leaders have put in place routines that help children to know what to do and what to expect.

The curriculum topics capture and build on children's interests. This helps to keep children motivated. As a result, children have positive attitudes to learning.

Leaders want children to experience all that Norfolk has to offer. Children take part in frequent visits, art projects and experience nature and wildlife. Children learn about and appreciate different cultures.

Leaders embrace the diversity of the community through, for example, inviting members of the community to share their ways of dressing and the kinds of foods they eat during celebrations.

The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength at this school. Staff identify children's needs early on.

The support provided in the specialist class helps children with SEND to thrive and make good progress. Staff help children with SEND to develop their social and communication skills. Children with SEND are happy and fully included in the wider nursery setting.

Governors support and challenge leaders on all aspects of the provision. Leaders, including governors, listen to and are mindful of staff's views on workload. Leaders have built strong and positive relationships within the community.

Parents are appreciative of all that leaders do to help them and their children. Some parents would like more consistent information about their children's progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have trained staff to be alert to the signs of harm and to be aware of the contextual issues which may affect the local community. Staff teach the children how to keep safe. They know the children in their care very well.

This helps staff to be able to identify concerns early. Leaders respond swiftly to concerns that are raised. They work closely with external agencies and partners to safeguard the children in their care.

Leaders, including governors, ensure that the processes for checking the suitability of adults are robust. This includes frequent checking of the school's single central record of recruitment checks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some learning areas.

However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in all learning areas within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

• Staff have been trained to plan, prioritise and teach useful and important vocabulary. However, opportunities for children to rehearse and use new vocabulary are inconsistent. Leaders need to train staff to facilitate more opportunities for children to use and apply their new vocabulary and understanding in all areas of learning.

• Leaders have fostered positive relationships with the community, but not all parents feel they get the information they need about their child's progress. Some parents do not have as great an understanding of their children's development as they would like. Leaders should ensure that staff provide all parents with consistent information about children's progress.