Ham Drive Nursery School and Day Care

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ham Drive Nursery School and Day Care continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Children are at the very heart of this school. Adults share the vision that all children should have their voices heard. Warm relationships between children and adults mean that children develop the emotional security they need to learn well.

This gives them the confidence to come into school and settle to activities happily. Staff provide prompt support and encouragement for children who struggle with this.

Routines are well established.

Children understand the high expectations adults have of them. Their behaviour and independence are exemplary. For exampl...e, at lunchtime, children from the nursery and the day care eat together.

This is a pleasant, sociable time for everyone. Adults sit with the children while they are eating to encourage good table manners and eating habits. Throughout the day, children are confident to ask for help if they need it.

They are also very independent. Children make choices in their learning from the range of activities and resources available to them.

Children learn to manage their feelings and emotions.

Adults' consistent use of Makaton signs helps children improve their communication and interaction skills. Consequently, children learn to control their responses well, for example, by waiting their turn. This contributes to children being successful in school.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. This has been a collaborative process involving contributions from staff and parents. The school has identified 10 curriculum goals it wants to achieve for children.

These cover the breadth of curriculum content and incorporate characteristics of effective learning, such as resilience and exploring. Each of the goals is broken down into milestones that the school aims for children to meet. The milestones identify the larger steps that children will move through.

However, they do not specify clearly enough the knowledge or vocabulary the school wants children to understand over time. This risks children not building their knowledge and vocabulary securely.Staff work well together to link the curriculum to children's interests and developmental needs.

They adapt activities and resources to ensure that children can learn alongside each other and at their own pace. For example, children independently choose objects from a basket of toys to join in with songs and rhymes.

Communication and language are a high priority that threads through the curriculum.

Children learn to listen, with increasing stamina, to new and familiar stories. They take part enthusiastically with rhymes and actions. Children in the nursery hold longer conversations with one another.

They develop the ability to follow multiple instructions. For example, at the nursery snack table, children were able to choose their toast, pass the butter round and ask for a spread of their choice.

There is a good balance of adult-led and child-led learning time.

The school provides plenty of opportunities for children to learn and consolidate knowledge. The indoor and outdoor environments promote children's curiosity. Staff understand their important role in helping children acquire and use language.

They model, question, rephrase and think aloud for children. This helps children build on their language skills.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support.

Staff provide a range of carefully designed interventions to meet children's individual needs. These sessions have a positive impact on children's self-esteem and communication skills.

Staff are positive role models.

They support children to learn and play together in a calm and friendly way. Children understand the importance of being kind and caring. Their attitudes reflect the inclusive and positive ethos for behaviour across the school.

The school has carefully planned experiences to teach children about the world around them. For instance, explorer sessions in the local woods help children learn about teamwork and develop resilience. Children enjoy visits to the local church and celebration days to enhance their understanding of different faiths and cultures.

Governors understand and fulfil their statutory duties well. They work successfully alongside school leaders with a sharp focus on developing excellent practice and high standards. Staff value the strong spirit of teamwork.

They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not specified the knowledge and vocabulary within their school-identified milestones.

This means there is a risk that children might not learn a consistently agreed body of knowledge and vocabulary. The school should refine its milestones and identify the specific knowledge and vocabulary it wants children to learn and build on over time.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2018.

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