Flatts Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Flatts Nursery School is a hive of activity where children love to play and learn. Children are happy and safe. They enjoy interacting with the well-thought-out activities that staff prepare.

Leaders' ambitious curriculum spikes children's curiosity. Children develop positive attitudes to their learning.

Children are kind and thoughtful to one another.

They are respectful and use their manners with everyone they speak to. Staff plan a range of opportunities to help children manage their feelings, from discussions during snack time, to listening to a range of books that help them learn about the world. As a result, children manage their emotions well.

...>Positive relationships exist between staff and children. Children's behaviour is good. They follow simple instructions and know the routines of the day.

This is because they understand the three simple rules: 'Be ready, Be kind, Be safe'. Staff reinforce these continually throughout the day.

Children enjoy playing games and interacting with residents at the local care home.

These visits help to develop children's language and social skills. As one parent summed up, 'I think the visit is brilliant and my child is very excited. It is a great way to show them (children) how to respect their elders.'



Leaders develop strong relationships with families from the moment children start Nursery. Leaders foster these through regular stay and play sessions, coffee mornings and parent workshops. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the 'Brilliant staff' and say they are 'very caring and child centred.'



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

Despite the turbulence in staffing, leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious. They have taken into account the impact of COVID-19 on children's communication, language and confidence. They have set out the knowledge and skills that they want children to be able to know and do.

This prepares children for Reception Year.

Leaders ensure that children complete nine curriculum goals before they leave Nursery. Children progress through the four 'milestones' towards the goal.

One of the goals is to play a board game with other children. The 'milestones' become more complex as children develop. For example, two- and three-year-old children play simple games, initially with one child that builds up to five children.

Staff show children a photograph of an animal that they have previously learned. Children can say what the animal is and locate it on their card. They play well together, take turns and wait patiently until the photograph is revealed.

Four-year-old children play increasingly complex board games, where they roll a dice and move their pieces around the board. Children use mathematical knowledge they have learned, such as measuring in centimetres and metres.

Staff plan exciting and engaging activities that help children build knowledge across areas of learning.

Activities in the outdoor area spark children's imagination. Staff support children to make giant installations using materials outside. Staff develop children's mathematical vocabulary through activities such as measuring the height and width of tyres used outside.

Staff encourage children to write for different purposes, such as writing a birthday card after they receive a letter from Mr Squirrel who they find hiding in a tree.

Children love to listen to adults read the quality books leaders have carefully chosen. They cannot wait to finish off the end of the sentence being read to them.

Staff select poetry books that encourage children to develop their sense of rhyme. Children enjoy reciting the stories and rhymes that they have listened to.

Staff engage well with children.

They develop children's vocabulary through the conversations that take place during various activities. However, some adults do not consistently model the correct pronunciation of words. They do not always pronounce the correct sounds when supporting children to listen to the distinct sounds in a simple word.

Leaders have not noticed this because they do not check the delivery of the curriculum often enough. As a result, some children learn incorrect sounds and words.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

Leaders accurately identify children's needs quickly. Leaders work with parents and external agencies to plan the right support. Leaders ensure staff are trained so that they can effectively support children with SEND.

Staff review children's targets regularly. As a result, children with SEND progress well.

Leaders plan opportunities to support children's personal development.

Children celebrate their own cultures and beliefs and those of religions such as Islam and Christianity. Leaders plan activities to promote this, for example, making lanterns for the Dewsbury lantern festival. Leaders encourage children to be active citizens.

Children vote for their favourite snacks and which 'box' they want to play with during free time.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported by the headteacher.

They are confident that leaders take their workload and well-being into account and that they are listened to.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training in safeguarding.

Leaders use scenarios to develop staff's understanding of what to do if there is a safeguarding incident.Leaders work closely with a range of external agencies to support families in need. Staff record any concerns on the school's safeguarding systems.

Although incidents are dealt with, the actions that leaders take are not regularly recorded. Equally, staff record accidents that take place and inform parents. However, leaders do not analyse their safeguarding or accident logs to identify any patterns or trends.

They rely on 'good communication' between each other.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff do not model the correct pronunciation of words to children or pronounce sounds correctly. As a result, some children use incorrect sounds and words themselves.

These errors have continued, as leaders have not consistently checked on this aspect of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that they check the delivery of the curriculum so that they can offer training and support to staff when necessary. ? Leaders do not analyse the information that they record for safeguarding incidents and accidents.

They do not identify patterns or trends in safeguarding incidents or accidents. Leaders rely on communication with each other to ensure that these things are responded to. Leaders need to ensure that they analyse information and identify patterns or trends so that they can mitigate future incidents.