Stonehill Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher has cultivated an effective team. Leaders have successfully addressed the weaknesses found at the previous inspection. Children receive a good quality of education.

Leaders are aspirational for all children. They develop effective relationships with parents, carers and the local community. Leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of the school's performance.

They use professional development effectively. The quality of teaching is rapidly improving. The curriculum is dynamic and engaging.

Leaders and staff ensure that learning is based on the children's needs and interests. Staff morale is high. They value the su...pport they receive from senior leaders.

Additional funding is used effectively. Children with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged children make good progress. The provision for children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong.

Staff provide exciting activities for children to learn through play and are skilled in engaging children in their learning very effectively by harvesting their natural curiosity. Staff develop and promote an enjoyment of reading. Children enjoy sharing and joining in with their favourite stories.

Leaders ensure that the safety and well-being of children is paramount. Staff develop positive relationships with children. The level of care children receive is very good.

Staff model and promote language and vocabulary well. Children learn to speak English quickly. Children have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning.

They are kind, tolerant and polite. They care about each other and enjoy playing together. Children behave well.

However, some children do not attend school regularly enough. The teaching of phonics is developing. However, the most able children do not apply their phonics knowledge in writing.

They do not make the progress of which they are capable in this area. From very low starting points, children make strong progress in most areas of learning. Although improving, their attainment remains below that typically expected for their age.

Senior leaders are beginning to develop teachers' leadership skills. However, it is too early to see the impact of this work. Governors are increasingly skilled in asking challenging questions.

However, they do not access enough training to be able to fully hold leaders to account.

Information about this school

The school is an average-sized Nursery school. The school is federated with Dale Community Primary School.

The headteacher of Dale Community Primary School became the headteacher of the school in March 2017, and now works as the headteacher across both schools. The schools share one governing body. The current early years lead teacher was appointed in September 2017.

The proportion of children with SEND is average. The proportion of disadvantaged children is below average but is increasing over time. The proportions of children from ethnic minority backgrounds and of children who have English as an additional language are well above those seen nationally.