Hartcliffe Nursery School and Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Hartcliffe Nursery School, children treasure the moments they spend with staff. Each day starts with dedicated adults greeting children with smiles as they arrive.

This welcoming start sets a positive tone for the day ahead. Parents and carers wholeheartedly agree. Most describe the school as caring and supportive.

Staff seize every opportunity to develop and enrich children's learning. During 'welcome time', children happily sing, count and share their feelings. At 'tidy up time', children work as a team to put resources away.

Staff use this time to develop children's understanding of mathematical language, such as 'behind', 'next to' and 'under'.
.../>Children are safe and behave well because they know what staff expect of them. Well-established routines and engaging activities mean that children become confident and independent learners.

Staff are closely attuned to children's needs and interests. They know when to step in with extra guidance and support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Meal and snack times provide a valuable social experience.

Adults act as positive role models. They encourage children to try new foods. Children learn to use cutlery and know why it is important to recycle any waste.

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

The interim headteacher has been the driving force behind the school's rapid improvement. Along with dedicated senior leaders, they lead with a moral purpose for the benefit of children. Much thought has gone into shaping the curriculum.

It now clarifies the knowledge and skills that children need to acquire at different stages. The school rightly prioritises the prime areas of learning to secure children's basic skills.

Communication and language are at the bedrock of the school's curriculum.

Staff know their crucial role when interacting with children. They skilfully weave storytelling, songs, poetry and counting throughout the school day. For example, children eagerly retold the story of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' and confidently acted out the 'Chop Chop' poem.

Staff repeat key words and numbers to help children understand their meaning. They use pictures and symbols so children with limited communication skills can learn alongside their peers.

The school is still developing staff expertise in a few areas of learning.

Subject-specific guidance to support staff in teaching these areas is recent. This means that some adults lack the confidence to teach these areas of the curriculum as well as the others. Therefore, children do not build their knowledge as securely as they do in the more established areas of learning.

Furthermore, at times, some adult interactions do not consistently extend children's speech and language. The school has firm plans to improve these areas.

Knowledgeable staff liaise effectively with expert professionals.

This ensures that children with SEND get the right support from the start. The school uses checks at age two to plan specific provision, such as speech and language therapy. Effective use of 'daily working boards' helps staff to check and inform the next steps in children's learning.

Children show many effective learning characteristics. For example, in 'review time', they readily take turns and listen to others. In play, children demonstrate kindness and share resources, such as brushes and building blocks.

The school's clear and consistent routines help create calm spaces, where children can focus on their learning.

The school values children's wider development. A range of experiences foster children's curiosity and respect for others.

These include celebrating religious festivals, exploring musical instruments and spending time outdoors in the nature area. Children learn to work independently, for example, when choosing snacks and pouring drinks. They know which foods are good for them and the importance of brushing their teeth.

Governors work with the school effectively. They frequently check that the school's actions are making a tangible difference to the children. A strong spirit of teamwork and camaraderie exists.

Staff buy into the vision and the collective drive to raise standards to provide the best for the children.

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 does not ensure that all staff consistently engage in high-quality interactions with children.

When this happens, children do not develop or extend their speech and language as well as they could. The school need to ensure that all staff have the expertise to develop children's language acquisition. ? In a few areas of learning, the school is in the early stages of providing staff with subject-specific guidance to develop their knowledge and expertise.

Currently, some staff lack the confidence to teach all areas of learning equally well. As a result, children do not build their knowledge as securely as they do in the more established subjects. The school should continue to focus on developing staff's knowledge and confidence to teach all parts of the curriculum so that children make a strong start in all areas of learning.