St Anne’s & Avondale Park Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Children settle in quickly and play happily at St Anne's & Avondale Park Nursery School. The nursery's nurturing atmosphere is central to this.

When children need a little extra help to feel safe and secure, staff care for them with warmth and sensitivity. A parent summed up the views of many when they said that their child 'wakes up every morning excited to go in'.

Children behave impeccably.

They understand the clear routines for the day, including the number of children allowed in designated learning areas like the home corner. Staff help them to manage sharing and taking turns. They teach children to solve conflicts positively and to be respectful and kin...d to each other.

Children also learn how to look after their nursery environment. For example, children empty the water tray into a bucket using a larger container with care. Children's excellent behaviour is underpinned by the positive relationships they have with staff.

Leaders have high expectations for children. They focus on building children's resilience and independence. They introduce children to high-quality picture books, as well as songs and rhymes.

Children love to repeat these stories in their play. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. They learn happily alongside their peers.

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

Leaders and staff deliver a curriculum that places a strong focus on children developing communication and language skills. Staff model language as children play, encouraging them to use and repeat new words and phrases. Staff spend time in back-and-forth conversation with children.

They introduce children to new words while they play, as well as through sharing books and singing songs with them. In both the classroom and outside learning environment, children use this knowledge to talk about a book's characters independently. They enjoy acting out stories that they have heard.

For example, children asked adults to be quiet, as they might wake the giant from the story that they had been sharing.

In most areas of learning, the school has identified the small steps of knowledge that children should learn and know across the curriculum. However, in some areas, curriculum thinking is less clear about what children need to be taught.

This means that some planned learning is not as purposeful as it could be in building up children's understanding over time. Leaders have recognised this and are in the process of addressing this.

The school is a calm and nurturing environment.

Children play together happily. Children learn the routines of the school as soon as they join. Leaders ensure that the curriculum supports children to become confident and self-aware individuals.

Staff reinforce daily routines, including handwashing, taking turns and tidying away equipment. They support children to develop their attention levels and persist at activities such as cooking and preparing food in the role-play area or finding hidden objects in the sand area.

Leaders have put effective systems in place to identify children with SEND.

This support is provided through both staff and external agencies and includes speech therapy and small-group sensory activities. The nursery works closely with parents to develop a shared and consistent approach.

Leaders have considered carefully how they support children to be able to express their feelings.

Staff promote independence and resilience throughout the school day. Children respond well to this and listen to each other when they are working alongside their peers. They are encouraged to explore their emotions and well-being through daily targeted sessions.

These sessions teach children about various aspects of the brain and also include breathing exercises. Children said that they feel 'calm and happy' after participating in these activities.

Leaders ensure that children experience a rich range of activities that broaden their experiences and promote their wider development.

Children learn about different cultures, festivals and traditions by, for example, celebrating Eid. They also enjoy their visits to woodland learning areas, especially the climbing activities. In addition, the nursery offers an extensive range of workshops and welcomes various visitors, including artists, authors, and farm animals.

Staff feel valued and listened to by leaders. They appreciate the real care given to their well-being, as well as the adjustments that the school makes to ensure that they can carry out their work effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of learning, the small component steps of knowledge that children need to be secure in are not as well defined as they should be. As a result, some planned tasks and activities do not build cumulatively on what has been previously learned. The school should ensure that the small steps of learning are clearly identified so that the planned learning enables children to build upon their previous knowledge and skills.

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