Newburn Manor Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff at Newburn Manor Nursery School have high aspirations for all children. Highly positive relationships between staff and children create an environment where all children can thrive. As a result, they settle quickly and demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to learning.

Parents and carers speak extremely highly about the partnerships between home and school. They feel welcome and comment on the high levels of support that staff provide.

Children of all ages demonstrate outstanding behaviours.

Leaders have established clear and consistent behaviour expectations. Staff expertly support children to recognise and manage their emotions. Using the well-love...d school puppets, Dossie and Kwame, staff model expected behaviours highly effectively.

Children play well with their friends. With support from adults, they learn to deal with any disagreements and develop a resilient approach to learning.

Using a variety of high-quality picture books, adults skilfully introduce children to important concepts such as disability and diversity.

Children learn to celebrate similarities and differences between themselves and others. Staff grasp moments to develop children's interest and curiosity. Whether looking at the dew on spiders' webs, watching caterpillars turn into butterflies or tasting vegetables from the allotment, children demonstrate a fascination for the world around them.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious and coherently sequenced curriculum in all seven areas of learning. They have clearly identified the different and specific learning needs of the younger and older children. Teachers use adult-led learning activities to develop children's knowledge and vocabulary.

These sessions closely match the ambitious curriculum intentions. For example, in mathematics, the teacher uses skilful questioning to introduce the different properties of a triangle. Teachers use assessments effectively in these sessions to track children's progress.

However, the intention of learning activities that children access in 'free play' times is not as clear. Assessment opportunities during these activities lack sharpness. This means that adults miss opportunities to develop children's understanding further at these times.

The value of reading jumps out from all areas of the nursery. All adults ensure that children develop a love of stories. Leaders have identified a core range of picture books that adults share regularly.

These help to develop children's understanding and enjoyment of early story language. Teachers ensure that children are building the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in later phonics teaching. During the inspection, for example, younger children were totally absorbed in the 'silly soup' session, where they chose rhyming objects to stir into the soup.

Other children used their robot arms and voices to identify the individual sounds in simple words. Teachers provide support to parents to help them with reading at home. Initiatives such as the surprise reader and the book lending library provide opportunities for parents and grandparents to contribute to children's early reading development.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Leaders ensure effective relationships with external professionals, such as the health visitor and speech therapist, support the early identification of children's needs. Individual support plans provide clear targets which identify the small steps of learning for each child.

Teachers and teaching assistants use a range of resources and activities to engage children in learning activities. Parents feel fully included in their child's development. They understand the support that is in place and speak positively of the progress their children are making.

The support for children's personal development is outstanding. Leaders have considered carefully how to introduce children to fundamental British values. For example, teachers help pupils to understand democracy through planning and choosing activities for the day.

Children learn to use tally marks to show individual and group choices. Staff model respectful relationships with children and with other adults. Leaders have ensured that all adults focus on developing children's self-identity and self-esteem.

As in other areas, the carefully planned use of picture books introduces children to areas such as environmental issues and cultural differences.

Staff are proud to work at Newburn Manor Nursery School. They value the support leaders provide to manage their workload.

The significant impact of staff shortages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for all staff members. However, they speak positively of the strong team ethos in the school. The newly established governing body is beginning to take effective action to ensure they challenge and support leaders effectively.

The chair of governors has introduced new procedures to support governors' visits to the nursery. However, these are in the early stages of implementation. As a result, governors do not have a secure understanding of recent curriculum developments.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The headteacher manages all aspects of safeguarding well. There are clear procedures in place to make sure no child is at risk.

High-quality external training for staff ensures they understand how to identify and report any concerns quickly. In addition, the headteacher delivers regular updates throughout the year. Leaders make sure that all adults working in school are safe to do so.

Caring relationships between children and adults help children to feel safe. Children have strong attachments to their key workers. Leaders work closely with external professionals, such as health and social care professionals, to ensure children and families receive timely support.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The learning activities that children access during periods of free play do not support the ambitious curriculum objectives effectively. Teaching assistants do not have a consistent understanding of the learning intentions behind these activities. This means that there are missed opportunities to develop children's learning.

Leaders should ensure that all adults understand how to develop the planned knowledge and vocabulary in each area of learning. ? Adults do not link assessment sharply to the small steps of learning that support children's progress across the curriculum. This means that observations are too general and do not identify the most important gaps in learning.

Leaders should ensure that teachers align assessment closely to the intended learning outcomes and that this contributes effectively to children's progress and next steps. ? The chair of governors has improved systems for governors to hold leaders to account. However, these are in the early stages of development.

As a result, most governors do not have a secure understanding of the quality of education in the school. They do not fulfil their support and challenge roles effectively. The chair of governors should ensure that all members of the governing body have the knowledge and training they need to carry out their roles effectively.