Wigston Menphys Nursery School

Inspection of Wigston Menphys Nursery School Launceston Road, Wigston, Leicestershire LE18 2FR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected 1–2 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Regardless of how complex their needs, children placed at Wigston Menphys Nursery School are welcomed warmly by all staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff work as a close-knit team. They have high levels of training, knowledge and skills, as well as a great deal of experience. This allows them to be able to meet children’s needs. Children are happy and safe. They feel secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher ensures that children receive a good education. She insists that staff not only care for children well, but that they teach them about the world. As a result, staff plan interesting and challenging things for children to do. They are aiming to improve their planning to make it even better.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children achieve well. They learn to communicate and form relationships. They begin to understand how to be kind to others. They share books, join in songs, and find out about topics that help them to understand the world around them. For example, children enjoyed learning about Diwali. They try painting pictures and making simple music together. They visit local shops and cafés. Every day is exciting, so children want to come to school!

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better?

The headteacher leads this school well. She has helped staff to consider how to plan for children’s education, as well as their care. She expects staff to ‘help every star to shine’. She makes sure children achieve all they can from their starting points.

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better?

Staff have responded well to the headteacher’s message. They appreciate the training they have received. Staff plan activities that cover all areas of learning of the early years curriculum.

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better?

Staff are a happy team. They say leaders are mindful of their work–life balance. Staff adjust their teaching well overall to meet each child’s needs. They have begun to improve their planning, so they can do this precisely.

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better?

Staff ensure that every child is involved in learning. Specialist equipment, mainly supplied by the National Health Service, is provided for those who need help to move or walk. They use a total communication system, including Makaton, body signing, picture exchange, and photographs, to help children to understand.

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better?

Staff read lots of books with children. They bring these to life by using props such as umbrellas and water sprays to teach about the rain. Most of all, staff want children to become more fluent and independent. They repeat activities and words many times so that children can learn. Over time, they build children’s skills. Staff are always there to help children when they need it. However, once children can do things for themselves, staff say ‘well done’, with a big smile, and let them. Staff 1–2 October 2019

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ensure that they develop children’s language and communication skills. They explain things well so that children do not become anxious. Children learn to listen and respond well. They begin to manage their feelings, and make relationships.

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Children begin to understand how their behaviour can affect others. The school is a friendly place where they learn together. Staff have a genuine care for every child. Staff are good role models for them. Lunchtimes are calm and settled. Staff teach children how to share equipment, and how to take turns. Staff use an effective, positive approach to managing behaviour. This helps any children who find it difficult to manage how they behave.

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Children’s personal development is good. They learn to understand emotions. They sing songs about feelings, and point to pictures of happy or sad faces. Staff notice when children become frustrated if they cannot do something, such as completing a jigsaw. Staff encourage them gently to try again. If something goes wrong, staff stay calm so children do not become upset. Staff play music for children to relax to. They teach them how to brush their teeth daily, and encourage them to explore outdoors.

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Parents are highly positive about the school. They say that staff give them lots of support, such as teaching them to use Makaton and picture exchange systems.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding of pupils is of the highest priority for every member of the staff team. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to notice any signs that a child may be being harmed. Leaders insist that, however slight, staff pass on any concern to them within 15 minutes. Leaders keep detailed records of all concerns and the action they take in response. They do not delay in making a referral to an external agency if they need to.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have recently introduced a new system for staff to assess children and record their progress. However, this system is still too recent to measure anything other than its initial impact. Leaders need to support and guide staff to use it consistently well so that everyone can record information accurately, and use it to plan precisely the next things each child needs to know or do. Leaders need to check that over the longer-term the system delivers the impact they want. 1–2 October 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1–2 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110028 Type of school Special

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.menphyscentre.leics.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened on 1 November 2016. Its predecessor was an early years setting known as The Menphys Centre.  The school shares a headteacher and governing body with Sketchley Hill Menphys Nursery School.  Children who attend the school have a significant learning delay. This includes those with profound and multiple learning difficulties, and those who have been diagnosed with, or who are on the diagnostic pathway for, an autism spectrum disorder. Many children have sensory and/or physical needs. Staff also support children with medical needs, including tracheostomy care and epilepsy. Many of the school’s children also have social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 In order to judge the quality of education, inspectors focused the inspection on specific aspects of the early years curriculum. These were: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; expressive arts and design; and understanding the world. Inspectors met with the headteacher and 1–2 October 2019

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teacher, and visited lessons where these areas of learning were being taught. They looked at the planning for these areas. Inspectors looked at records of the activities that children had undertaken in these areas, such as photographs.  In addition, inspectors met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. Inspectors read a wide variety of school documents, along with curriculum planning and staff’s records of the things that children were learning.  Inspectors took note of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, met with parents at the start of the school day, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  In order to judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and interviewed the designated lead for safeguarding. Inspectors also spoke with staff to check details of their

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safeguarding knowledge and training, that they understood the importance of their responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns without delay, and that they knew the procedure to do this. Inspectors checked samples of safeguarding records and spoke with parents about their children’s safety at the school.

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Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julian Scholefield Ofsted Inspector 1–2 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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