Ashgate Nursery School, Derby

What it's like to be a pupil at Ashgate Nursery School

Over time, children's achievement and behaviour have declined. Both are poor. Until recently, children's attendance rates have been low. Staff have not received the training, guidance or support that they need to fulfil their roles. In addition, staff have not benefited from a workplace that helps them to be successful and feel respected. Some children learn the curriculum successfully. In contrast, sometimes, the ways that leaders help teachers and other staff to include children are unsuccessful. This affects children's learning, particularly for some disadvantaged children. Teachers provide children with suitable personal development experiences. At times, children learn about the diverse world of modern Britain. Children access a range of extra activities, but these opportunities are not well thought out. Permanent leaders are unable to resolve the school's difficulties on their own. Acting leaders, from outside of the school, have been appointed to help put matters right. However, the school relies too heavily on the assistance of these independent experts to function successfully. Acting leaders have made wise decisions to improve the quality of education and to ensure that children remain safe. The quality of teaching has improved. However, it is too soon to verify the full impact of this work on how well children remember essential knowledge. Staff and acting leaders understand that they have much more to do to improve the school's work. They are wholly committed to this important journey. Staff are kind. They are interested in children and want to support them to learn successfully. Staff, especially those working with 2-year-olds, know the needs of individual children in their allocated groups well. Teachers and teaching assistants deal with bullying effectively. Children enjoy school because of the friendly staff. Children like the range of resources, activities and learning spaces, including outdoors.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders must make certain that staff help children to manage their own behaviour and feelings, focus their attention and follow staff's expectations and instructions.
• Leaders must ensure that teaching and assessment of the curriculum, including using songs, rhymes, books and stories, build children's learning habits and behaviours as well as securing essential foundational knowledge. This is so that all 2- to 4-year-olds can take part in learning activities successfully, achieve well and be ready for primary school.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance must ensure that the school builds on its recent improvements and that leadership at all levels has the capacity to improve the school's work, without being overly reliant on outside help.
• Leaders should retain their high expectations of attendance and sharp focus on its improvement, so that all children benefit from attending school as much as they should.
• Leaders should ensure that they and staff identify the needs of children quickly and accurately, including any emerging or changing needs. They should continue to have a sharp focus on supporting children who may face obstacles to their learning, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or disadvantaged children.
• Leaders should build on their recent actions to strengthen staff's skills, confidence and knowledge to teach and support children, including ensuring that staff understand the role of explicit teaching to introduce children to new knowledge.
• Leaders should ensure that their new programme for children's personal development and wellbeing builds children's wider skills successfully and that leaders are assured that all children take part in, and benefit from, the school's provision.

The school has kind and caring staff who know individual children well and create a friendly environment where children enjoy coming to school. Acting leaders bring strong expertise and have started making meaningful improvements to teaching and the curriculum. The school provides children with a range of resources, activities, and outdoor learning spaces that children find engaging.

Safeguarding standards are met with leaders creating an open culture where concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, ensuring children feel safe.

Musical instruments, dancing, drumming sessions with visitors, trips to Matlock and Cleethorpes

Bus Stops