McMillan Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

McMillan Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Children receive a warm, nurturing start to their school lives at McMillan Nursery School.

Staff get to know children and their families well. When children start school, they settle quickly into their new environment. The school has created an atmosphere that is child centred.

The particular needs of children are carefully considered right from the start.

Children learn well-thought-out routines from their first days in school. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and independence.

They build warm and caring relationships with children. Children... trust the adults and know that they are there to help. Children are safe and secure in this supportive environment.

They quickly learn to become independent. Adults are knowledgeable about children's starting points. Children who need additional support are identified very early.

They are given the support that they need.

Children quickly learn how to communicate their wants and needs to adults. Staff know children well and patiently support them in managing their own emotions.

Children learn to take turns and cooperate with each other. Adults use effective strategies to help children to express their feelings, such as through the use of picture prompts and songs and rhymes.

Staff develop positive relationships with families before children join the school, including through home visits and 'stay-and-play' sessions.

Staff understand that some parents and carers, as well as children, may feel anxious when they start. The school provides support for families to develop consistent routines. This prepares children well for their next steps.

Parents value this support. One parent described the staff as 'amazing, caring and supportive'.

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

The curriculum shows progression across different areas of learning.

It meets the ambition of the early years foundation stage. The school has identified the age-related milestones that they expect children to reach across each area of learning. However, the curriculum does not set out in enough detail the small steps of knowledge that children need to learn to reach these milestones.

Therefore, children's learning does not build on what they already know.

The school has recently adopted a new approach to teaching mathematics. Staff have received training and use the approach well to develop children's understanding of number.

However, the approach is still in the early stages of implementation. There is still more to do to identify the precise knowledge that children need to learn.

Staff are well trained in developing children's communication and language skills.

Adults use simple vocabulary to communicate with children. Children are introduced to new words clearly and precisely. Adults play alongside children to build up their knowledge and use of new words and phrases.

Staff repeat vocabulary to give children the confidence to start to use it themselves. The curriculum includes a rich range of core texts that have been carefully selected. This develops children's interest in books.

In literacy and mathematics, the vocabulary that children need to learn has been identified. However, this is not consistent across all areas of learning. It is not always clear what vocabulary the school wants children to learn in each area of the curriculum.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified. This includes children who are in the early stages of language development. Staff are knowledgeable about the support available from external agencies.

The school seeks the advice of other professionals to make sure that appropriate support is put in place swiftly.

Children behave well and enjoy playing together. This is because adults have established clear routines and high expectations that are reinforced through positive praise.

Adults are always on hand to support children's learning. Staff help children learn to make friends, take turns and play games together. The spacious inside and outdoor areas are well resourced with activities that promote children's independence.

Leaders plan purposeful activities to enrich the taught curriculum. Children learn about healthy eating and tooth brushing. They provide carefully considered opportunities to develop children's understanding of the world.

Visitors are invited into school to provide children with meaningful real-life experiences. These include a theatre company and a zoo experience.

Leaders engage well with staff.

The school is conscious of the pressures of workload for staff and explores strategies to minimise this where possible. Staff feel well supported and appreciate the training that they receive. Governors are proud of the school and its long history.

They are committed to ensuring that staff feel valued and children continue to receive a strong start to their education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum does not set out in enough detail the precise knowledge that children are expected to know and remember.

This means that children do not build on their previous learning. The school must ensure that the curriculum identifies the small steps of learning so that children's knowledge builds over time. ? The most important vocabulary that children need to learn has not been identified and agreed in some areas of learning.

This means that adults do not have the information they need to ensure that vocabulary builds and develops in a planned way over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum contains the specific vocabulary they want children to know and remember in all areas of learning.

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 February 2013.