Lord Street Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lord Street Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Warm, secure relationships are nurtured at this inclusive nursery.

It is a place where children feel safe. They are happy and confident in their environment. As one parent commented, 'They go above and beyond to help all parents and children.'



Even before children start, leaders seek to understand the uniqueness of every child and family. The weekly 'Little Explorer' sessions ease the transition between home and school. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the right support quickly.

Children enjoy exploring and learn...ing in the well-considered nursery environment. They particularly like the outdoor rope swing and the opportunities to create play by making choices in how they will use resources and equipment. This helps them to develop their upper body strength and critical thinking.

Children work alongside their peers well and confidently ask adults for support. They learn to be independent, share and take turns. They learn to persevere, even when things do not work the first time.

Those who need extra support to manage and regulate their behaviour receive extra help.

Leaders have taken steps to ensure the curriculum they want children to know and remember is precise. However, this work is not yet complete.

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

The nursery curriculum is a recent development. It is based on eight curricular goals. Each goal is further broken down into smaller steps.

This helps staff to understand how to build children's knowledge and understanding over time. However, some of the steps are not yet precise. Leaders recognise that there is more work to do to refine the curriculum.

All children enjoy learning, including those with SEND. They sustain interest in activities for periods of time. Many return to their work after short breaks to complete things they have started.

For example, a child chose to return to an unfinished mask after having a snack. Staff take opportunities to build on children's language. For example, during a treasure hunt, children enthusiastically talked about how adults help them to understand how slugs and worms live in different places.

Staff know the children in their care extremely well. Leaders have prioritised children's personal development and early language skills. They recognise that this will help children to settle quickly into nursery routines.

Staff quickly spot children's interests. They use these opportunities to help children to take turns, share and use basic good manners. They skilfully adapt activities where needed, including for children with SEND.

Adults teach children to use words, phrases and sentences to communicate their wants and needs. Staff model how to build friendships. They celebrate children's successes.

This helps other children to understand what makes a good learner.

Adults skilfully check how well children have remembered previous key knowledge. For example, during a forest school session, adults reminded children to recall how they would use a potato peeler safely.

Staff ensure that the words and vocabulary children will learn link to the planned activities. However, they have not yet considered how these will be repeated to ensure children will revisit them over time.

Leaders build effective relationships with parents and carers.

Parents recognise that the nursery is a 'special place' for their child. Since the previous inspection, leaders have developed further systems to enhance communication with home.

Children enjoy regular visits to the supermarket, museums and local landmarks.

They enjoy these events so much that some children then recreate the experience with their families. Leaders celebrate diversity and encourage children and families to share photographs of festivals and special times. Children chat fondly about peers who have moved on to other settings.

Older children are well prepared for their move to primary school.

Leaders and governors check on staff's well-being. They make regular visits to check on the work of leaders.

Staff feel well supported. They enjoy how they can work together as a 'great team'. Leaders provide regular training and support to help staff to continue to develop and improve their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive regular training and support to help them to understand and identify different safeguarding risks. They are vigilant for any signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

The family support worker helps families to access local early help services. Parents appreciate this.

Leaders work well with different external agencies.

They are not afraid to challenge decisions that they consider are not right for their families. As children move to other settings, leaders share information to make sure that children continue to get the welfare support that they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The nursery curriculum has not been fully implemented.

As a result, the necessary refinements to ensure all aspects of the curriculum seamlessly build to help children to know and remember more over time are not yet complete. Leaders must ensure that the refinements of the curriculum are made so that all staff have the required knowledge and expertise to support all children in their learning and development.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2013.