Newtown Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Newtown Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Newtown Nursery School is a happy place for children to learn. Parents, carers and children are welcomed with a kind, warm and friendly smile as they arrive at school each day.

Children feel safe.

They trust staff to care for them when they need comfort or reassurance. Children benefit from the positive relationships that they have with staff. Adults help children to settle quickly into a supportive learning environment.

Leaders expect all children to do well. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are eager to learn and ...they enjoy the range of experiences and activities that they are offered.

All children are well prepared for their next steps in education.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children behave well in school.

Adults will step in quickly if they need help and guidance; they nip any signs of bullying in the bud.

Children delight in the opportunities that they have in the school's woodland area. They beam with pride as they scale the steep hill with the aid of a rope.

In this area, they love to learn new skills, to practise what they know and to explore ways to solve new problems.

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

Leaders, governors and staff have created an ambitious curriculum for all children. They are committed to ensuring that every child who attends Newtown Nursery School, including children with SEND, are offered a strong foundation for their future education.

They are successful at making this happen.

The curriculum is well designed. Leaders have thought carefully about what they want children to learn and in which order.

The key knowledge that staff must teach to children is clearly set out in each subject curriculum. Children achieve well. They are well prepared for moving on to their next school and for life in modern Britain.

Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They deliver the curriculum consistently well. Teachers explain new ideas clearly and in a way that captures the interest of children.

In turn, children eagerly engage in the activities that adults prepare. There are plenty of opportunities for children to revisit and to recap important learning in adult-led activities and in free play.

Staff listen carefully to what children say and they observe exactly what children do.

Staff know when to step in and when to step back. Consequently, children develop their confidence to try out new and challenging activities. Adults successfully use leaders' assessment systems to establish how well children are learning the curriculum.

The provision for two-year-old children caters well for this age group. Staff build strong and trusting relationships with children. This, along with well-thought-out activities, enable these children to get off to a strong start.

Staff successfully encourage the youngest children to count, to play, to explore their environment and to enjoy the stories that they hear.

Throughout the nursery, staff use their interactions with children to develop children's knowledge of communication and language to great effect. They are quick to build on children's interests and where they demonstrate curiosity.

Staff add to, and reinforce, new vocabulary in every child. Adults encourage children to respond in sentences that are appropriate to their age and stage of development.

Books, songs, rhymes and storytelling are a prominent feature of school life.

Children particularly enjoy learning when adults share a picture book with them and their friends. Children successfully use their newly acquired vocabulary as they play with puppets and props. Older children begin to learn the initial phonetic sounds of words, such as in their names, and how to blend simple sounds to make words.

Some adults are more confident than others at teaching children to do this. Where adults are not as confident children do not learn as all that they could.

Staff are particularly effective at identifying and supporting children with SEND.

They use their knowledge of each child well to put just the right strategies in place to make sure that children get the support that they need. Children with SEND blossom and succeed alongside their peers.

Parents told inspectors that their children could not wait to come to school each day.

Children play well together; they are happy to share and take turns. Where children struggle with their behaviour, adults are quick to support them and to sort out any difficulties.

Staff offer children a wide range of experiences.

They learn about different faiths and cultures. They enjoy visits around the local area and further afield. For example, recently children visited the theatre to see a pantomime.

Leaders, governors and staff are passionate about their school. Governors hold leaders fully to account for their work to improve the curriculum. Staff feel well supported with their workload and well-being and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture throughout school. Leaders and staff are well trained in safeguarding procedures.

Staff understand the systems to identify and report concerns. Staff are effective advocates for all children. They are vigilant in looking for indications that children could be at risk of harm.

When safeguarding needs are identified, leaders engage well with external agencies to get timely support for children and their families.

Leaders ensure that children learn about different risks in a way that is appropriate for their age and their developmental understanding.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, a small number of adults do not deliver the early reading and phonics curriculum as clearly and precisely as they could.

Where this is the case, a few children do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should continue to train adults so that they have the knowledge and confidence to deliver early reading and phonics effectively.

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 December 2017.

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