Fullbrook Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Fullbrook Nursery School is full of love, life and learning.

It, rightly, has a very special place in the hearts of children, families and staff. Every day is a new adventure and every moment is seized as a learning opportunity. Children are happy, very settled and have many varied ways of communicating their needs, wants and interests.

They thrive, achieve well and are supported exceptionally well to be ready to move on to school.

Staff are very in tune with and adept at giving children just the right amount of help at just the right moment. This helps children to gain confidence and independence while reducing frustrations.

On the few occasions whe...n a child becomes cross, sad or annoyed, staff help them to have the words and actions to begin to manage these strong emotions for themselves.

Children learn how to keep safe in different situations. They navigate around each other on bikes with no bumps.

They climb in and out of a hammock and swing themselves independently and safely. They learn how to wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

Many visitors come to school to help the children and parents and carers learn together.

These include the police, firefighters, parenting workshops and storytelling theatre groups.

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

The school is relentless in its quest to provide the best for children and their families. Nothing is too much trouble.

There is a raft of bespoke and individual support mechanisms wrapped around children and families when they need them. These are extremely effective and much appreciated by parents.

All children learn extremely well.

However, an exceptional aspect of the nursery is the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The Nurture Nest is a space and place of calm, care and commitment to children with SEND having the very best support and high ambitions for learning. Staff work with skill, dedication and patience.

They know the interests and needs of the children they work with in great depth. They use this knowledge to work through the tiniest steps of learning that lead to strides in development. This success sits on swift and accurate identification of needs and working closely and well with an extensive range of external agencies.

Add to this the focused training for staff and you have children who are fully realising their potential.

A standout feature of Fullbrook Nursery is the precision of conversations, instructions and teaching. Staff use just the right amount of words for that moment in time and the topic being taught.

It could be a single word or short phrase. It could be a sentence repeated back to a child. It could be a longer sentence that includes and extends rich and vibrant vocabulary.

In all cases, it has been chosen for a reason, delivered with pinpoint accuracy and makes a real difference to children's learning.

Little Explorers, rightly, looks and sounds different to Nursery. The skill and expertise of staff in both rooms shine through.

Children benefit at each stage of their journey.You do not wander far through Little Explorers, the Nurture Nest or Nursery without hearing a chat, a song or a story. The rhythm and routines of the day help children to know what to do, when to do it and how best to do it.

Children relish picking up and looking at books just as much as picking up chalks, a pencil and a paintbrush. They respond positively to the 'invitation to play', which allows adults to give targeted individual support for the next step of a child's learning.

The environment created in all the rooms and in the beautiful school grounds gives a strong sense of the success of high expectations combined with the daily structures.

Children play well together. They choose their own activities and follow their own ideas as easily as they join in adult-led activities. Children ask questions, listen and respond.

They count and make marks with increasing accuracy and control. Children enjoy coming to nursery regularly. When families struggle a little to develop good habits of attendance, the school supports them sensitively and practically in a way that makes a positive difference.

The school is at the heart of its community, sharing its practice to Walsall and beyond. Children learn to be thoughtful, helpful and caring to others. They share their faiths and cultures with their friends.

Parents fittingly say, 'Fullbrook Nursery is a very friendly and inclusive place with amazing support from the get-go. It is a wonderful place for all children of many colours, backgrounds and disabilities.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.