Royal Spa Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Royal Spa Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 13 November 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings.

The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be outstanding in June 2015. This school continues to be outstanding. The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

Since you joined the school three years ago, the provision has expanded to include provision for two-year-olds. There is a culture of care and kindness throughout the school. The learning environment both indoors and o...utside is a wonderland of activities waiting to entice children to use their curiosity to learn.

High-quality resources are organised so that children learn to be independent. Children thrive, and are growing in confidence and self-esteem. Wherever you look, children are learning in this school and there is a great sense of fun.

All children learn to behave exceptionally well, to work independently, and to share resources and play fairly. Adults act as excellent role models for the children in how to behave and get along with one another. They become as excited in teaching as children do in learning because they all love what they do.

Adults are very skilful at facilitating and, where appropriate, leading this learning. It is a supportive environment, where children learn from each other and from adults. Your strong leadership has ensured that adults skilfully develop children's language and vocabulary through engaging conversation.

You keep a careful track of how well children achieve, and you identify any children who need additional support. You make sure that the staff have the right skills and training to deliver this support to ensure that children make good progress. This includes work with the children who enter with delayed speech and language skills and with the many children who speak English as an additional language.

Adults are skilled users of Makaton sign language, using it to reinforce their work with these children. Individual and small group work delivered by the special education needs coordinator ensures that tailored support is provided for children who are identified early as possibly having special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children make rapid and accelerated progress during their time at Nursery from their respective starting points.

However, you quite rightly recognise that outcomes in reading could be even better. To address this, you have engaged with two projects targeted at raising standards in early reading. It is too early to evaluate the effectiveness of this work.

Leaders' work to engage with families is a strength of the school. You recognise the value of a mutually supportive partnership between home and school and ensure that you maintain strong relationships with parents through excellent communication. Parents are tremendously positive about the school and 100% of those who responded to Ofsted's online survey, Parent View, would recommend it to others.

The comments of one parent exemplifies that of others: 'In my opinion Royal Spa is everything a nursery should be: safe, welcoming, caring, educational and fun. Due to the attentiveness and warmth of the staff, my daughter settled into nursery and is excited to go in each day.' You have ensured that the area for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection has been tackled rigorously.

Leaders were challenged to further strengthen the partnerships with local schools and settings and those farther afield. You have embraced this challenge. You have joined the Brighton City Partnership for education and the South Coast Teaching School Alliance.

You work with the local authority to advise them on early years education, and you sit on the strategic board within the local council. You work very closely with private voluntary and independent nurseries and lecture at the university to raise standards in early years education. These partnerships have ensured that you are able to continue to develop and share high-quality practice within and beyond the school.

The leadership of the governing body has recently undergone significant changes, including a chair and vice-chair who are both new to their roles. You are fully aware that these new leaders need to gain a precise understanding of their roles and need to receive appropriate training. Safeguarding is effective.

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Stringent checks are made on all adults who come into contact with children. The school gives good attention to a range of risk assessments to keep pupils and staff safe.

Governors are very aware of their role in promoting safeguarding. They make the necessary checks on leaders' work to ensure that children are kept safe. You know your children and their families very well, and you are especially vigilant with families that are potentially vulnerable.

You are relentless in securing the services that children and families may need. All staff are quick to share concerns with those responsible for safeguarding. Any slight concern is quickly and appropriately reported, investigated and kept under review.

Records are kept and stored securely. Parents are confident that that you do everything possible to keep their children safe, happy and healthy. Inspection findings ? My first focus during the inspection was to evaluate the capacity of the leadership team to sustain the outstanding quality of education seen during the previous inspection.

You and your team are rigorous and relentless in your ongoing