Alexandra Nursery School

Inspection of Alexandra Nursery School Martha Street, Daubhill, Bolton, Lancashire BL3 4AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 2 and 3 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children love their nursery. They wave goodbye to their parents and carers with confidence. Everyone is welcome in this setting. Even the newest children settle in quickly and feel at home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect the best of children. They have provided a wealth of activities for children to explore. Children enjoy coming to the carpet area for their special ‘together time’ each day. They know that this is the time to listen to adults and to each other carefully. Children develop their knowledge and achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn to be kind to each other. They show concern if someone is hurt or upset. Children learn to express their feelings in appropriate ways. Adults do not tolerate any bullying. They deal with any unkindness between children effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn to look after resources well. For example, they handle books carefully. They pick toys up if they drop them on the floor. Children learn to put on their own coats and boots. Even though this is tricky at first, they keep trying until they can do it by themselves. These activities help children to develop important characteristics such as responsibility and perseverance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The relationships between staff, parents and carers, and children are strong. Children feel safe and secure.

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better?

Leaders have provided an exciting and ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Children, including those with SEND, learn the curriculum well. Leaders know what they want children to be able to do by the time they leave the nursery. All staff share leaders’ high expectations for children to succeed.

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better?

In most areas of learning, leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that they want children to learn. They have provided staff with the information that they need to make sure that children build their knowledge in a logical order. For example, in communication and language, staff teach children the names of garments, such as trousers or coat. When they know that children have learned these well, they introduce alternative words such as pants or jacket. This helps children to expand their vocabulary well over time.

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better?

In a few areas of learning, staff do not have enough information about the knowledge that children need to learn. This prevents staff from making sure that the activities they provide enable children to learn everything that they need to know in those areas. 2 and 3 March 2022

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Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the curriculum. Children are surrounded by attractive books that capture their interests. Leaders have put together a special range of books that children learn thoroughly. Some of these books introduce children to rhymes, counting and letter sounds. Others teach children about the wider world. Adults read to children often. Children, including those with SEND, develop a love of reading.

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Staff are skilled at recognising when children are learning well, or when they do not understand something. Staff use their strong professional knowledge to provide children with extra help when they need it. This enables children to move forward with their learning and development.

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Leaders work well with staff to identify children who may have SEND. They work effectively with a range of professionals to make sure that these children receive the help that they need.

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Two-year-olds develop positive and trusting relationships with adults. This helps these children to feel secure and safe in the nursery. Adults support children to share resources and to take turns. Two-year-olds learn and develop well in their familiar environment.

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Children behave well in the nursery. They learn to follow simple rules and routines quickly. For example, they know when it is time to stop playing and tidy up. They walk sensibly indoors and save their running for outside. Most children attend nursery regularly.

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Leaders provide children with opportunities to learn about a range of faiths and cultures. Children visit places of worship and learn about important celebrations such as Chinese New Year. They learn about difference and similarities in appropriate ways, for example, through stories and pictures. These activities help children to develop attitudes of tolerance and respect for others.

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Governors are knowledgeable about the nursery. They ask leaders appropriate questions to check that the nursery is running well. Leaders and governors are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the support that they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide staff with a wide range of training in relation to safeguarding. This training enables staff to know how to spot any signs of abuse or neglect and to recognise when a child may be at risk from harm.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have provided clear procedures for staff to report any concerns that they may have about children’s welfare. Staff follow these procedures consistently well. Leaders have strong relationships with parents and with a range of professionals 2 and 3 March 2022

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such as health visitors and children’s services. This enables them to secure help for children and their families if it is needed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of learning, the curriculum does not provide enough information about the smaller components of learning, or the order in which these components need to be learned. This makes it more difficult for staff to make sure that the activities they provide are enabling children to learn all that they should. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in all areas of learning provides staff with the information that they need so that children learn everything that they need to know.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are 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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212222 Type of school Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The nursery offers care and education for two-year-olds.  The school houses a specially resourced provision for children with SEND. Most children accessing the specially resourced provision have autistic spectrum disorder, social and communication disorder, profound and multiple learning differences or global developmental delay.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, and with members of the governing body. 2 and 3 March 2022

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 The lead inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, physical development, communication and language, and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff and looked at children’s work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at documentation and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils in order to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding.  Inspectors took into account the responses to Ofsted Parent View. They spoke with parents at the school entrance.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Hewlett Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 2022

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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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