Tenterfield Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Tenterfield Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in Tenterfield Nursery School are taught the knowledge, values and skills they need to thrive.

Their daily routines are well established. These support them to be independent and confident. Belonging to their key groups helps children develop strong connections with adults and other children.

This provides a secure foundation to help them explore and learn.

Children live up to the high ambitions adults have for them. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Children are consistently absorbed in activity... as they put their knowledge into action.

The learning environment is orderly and purposeful. Children at every stage cooperate well together.

They manage their feelings with impressive independence. Consequently, they are safe, happy and relaxed. They know that if another child chooses to be unkind, adults will help to quickly fix it.

Children are exposed to important vocabulary in their daily learning. This contributes significantly to their early language development. Children are routinely encouraged to use verbal communication to share their ideas.

This includes exploring social issues in an age-appropriate manner, such as looking after the planet. As a result, children are best prepared for the new learning challenges of primary school.

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

Leaders strive for the experience of children to be the best it can be.

This vision is demonstrated clearly in the curriculum that leaders have devised. Curriculum plans are ambitious and driven by the school's values. These draw on an intelligent selection of research about how young children best develop.

Curriculum plans are precise and detail all the important knowledge and skills children should learn at each stage. There are also deliberate opportunities for children to revisit and rehearse key content. This ensures that what children learn sticks in their memories.

The curriculum is built around a carefully selected range of high-quality texts and stories. These books expose children to new and relevant language. The use of story time and rhyme activities lay a strong foundation for children's early reading.

They are taught to listen carefully. They grow in confidence as they verbalise sounds, rhythms and words. Books also expose children to wider issues, such as faith and individual identity.

Staff use these to help children embrace the values of diversity and inclusion.

Adults help children make links between what they are learning and the real world. This includes regular discussion about appropriate social and cultural issues on 'talking Tuesdays.'

Through this, children can explore the meaning of events, such as Remembrance Day. The training staff receive is focused and impactful. This means that staff have the expertise they need to adapt and maximise children's achievement in all areas of learning.

The approach to teaching communication and language is comprehensive. This includes adults precisely modelling spoken language, which inspires children to do the same. Staff introduce children to a range of visual resources, including the use of Makaton signing.

This means all children, including those with SEND, can access all activities fully.

Children with SEND have their needs identified rapidly and accurately. Detailed and accessible plans are created to support their learning and development.

The approaches adopted remove barriers and promote steady, manageable improvement. As a result, children with SEND make exceptional progress.

Staff coach children to take responsibility for their choices and actions.

This is seen in the gentle way adults encourage and instruct for long-term success. For example, adults guide children to independently put on their coats without relying on adult support. The behaviour of children contributes to the meaningful learning taking place.

They settle quickly following transitions and manage taking turns independently, sometimes using egg timers. Adults observe children carefully and respond to signs that they might need support to manage their feelings. This means that learning is not disrupted by the behaviour of individual children.

There are many opportunities for children to use what they know in their learning. At the snack table, children apply their mathematics skills as they select the right number of items according to the daily menu. Children are mature and responsible.

They routinely clean up after themselves and each other. The guidance they receive from adults helps them to stick at tasks even when they face challenges. This is evident from the moment children join the setting at age two.

Children show high levels of focus and are determined to succeed.

Governors have an unrelenting focus on nurturing and matching the ambition of leaders in school. They are knowledgeable about the developments made to the curriculum.

They hold leaders to account and check the impact of changes made. Governors make strategic decisions in the best interests of children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders prioritise the safeguarding and well-being of children. They maintain effective safeguarding records and share information to help keep children safe. Mandatory vetting checks are made on all staff working in the setting.

All staff have relevant training to support them to identify when a child might be at risk of harm. This includes awareness of how children with additional needs might communicate their worries.

Children are supported to be open and share with their trusted adults.

They instinctively go to adults if they are unsure or need help. They are also taught how to keep themselves safe when, for example, climbing on equipment outside.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in June 2017.