Grace Owen Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The inspirational management team is truly ambitious for all children. Children thrive at this inclusive nursery school. They arrive motivated and excited for the day ahead. Teaching and interactions are of a consistently high quality. The broad and balanced curriculum builds on what children know and can do. Staff have a robust understanding of the skills that children require for their future lives. Children make exceptional progress in relation to their starting points.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. For example, two year olds use wooden pegs to make shapes and patterns in a shallow sand tray. They offer to share their pegs with their friends and receive lots of praise and encouragement for doing so. Key workers make children feel extremely safe and secure. For example, babies smile and giggle as they enjoy warm and nurturing cuddles with their key person. Children engage deeply with the activities provided. Activities reflect the children's interests and promote their independence. For example, children are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas. They talk about the characters in the story that is read to them at group time.

The nursery school remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Children who did not attend were supported extremely well. For example, during lockdown periods, families received weekly food boxes. Parents had access to a range of online activities which helped children continue their learning at home.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Staff provide a communication-rich environment. They expertly present information to children and use signing to support children's understanding. Staff introduce new vocabulary at every available opportunity. Children have outstanding language development. This helps children to communicate their needs effectively. They listen with interest and are able to follow instructions.
• Staff plan precise next steps for children. They are shared with parents in a meaningful way. Parents attend termly meetings with their child's key worker and are kept well informed with daily communication sheets which inform them about children's learning.
• Staff take every opportunity to promote children's independence. Babies are given choices. They choose which colour scarf they would like. Children are able to sign 'thank you' and place the see-through scarves on their head. Babies are excited to sing the 'Where have all the children gone' song. They delight as they pull the scarfs from their heads and reveal their happy faces.
• Staff work alongside a range of professionals to meet the needs of the children. Support plans are executed with integrity. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make accelerated progress and meet their next steps and targets rapidly.
• Staff have outstanding knowledge and understanding of child development. They use this knowledge and understanding to identify where children need extra support. Referrals to outside agencies are swift. As a result of these early interventions no child is left behind.
• The leadership team use supervision meetings highly effectively. There is a culture of continuous improvement across all aspects of the nursery school. Professional development is valued and supported. Staff attend training which impacts on individual children. For example, staff are training in the use of signing in order to support children with hearing impairments who attend the setting.
• Children enjoy musical enrichment projects which celebrate their varying cultures and home languages. For example, children engaged in the 'Our Street, Our Song' project and have explored fairy tales from around the world. These activities help children to recognise and celebrate the diversity of their community.
• Children's physical health is of paramount importance. Children receive meals which are home-made and nutritious. Parents are invited to participate in healthy eating courses. They learn how to prepare low-cost home-made food with nutritious ingredients.
• Parents are extremely well supported by staff. This includes key workers and managers providing tailored support to parents in crisis. Parents report that this support has been 'life changing'. They describe the school as a 'safe haven' in the community.
• Staff feel extremely supported by senior staff. They report that managers view staff well-being as a priority. They are given opportunities to discuss workload and work-life balance. Staff report that they enjoy coming to work and love working in this 'amazing' nursery school.