Moss Hall Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Moss Hall Nursery School 189 Nether Street, Finchley, London N3 1NR

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Outcome

Moss Hall Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children here get an exceptional start to their education. This is recognised by parents and carers. For example, one parent, who reflects the views of many, said that ‘the school’s focus on, and commitment to, children never wavers’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children love coming to school. They are confident and safe. They head straight for their favourite activity as soon as they arrive. Leaders have very high expectations for what they want all children to know and do. For example, children quickly learn to share and take turns so that this becomes second nature to them. Children develop a love of reading through regular opportunities to listen to, and retell, stories and rhymes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere in the school is extremely friendly. Staff and children treat each other kindly and with a high degree of respect. The strong focus of staff on children’s personal development means that, if there are minor disputes, children learn to settle them quickly and effectively, usually without the need for adult intervention.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of children’s behaviour. Routines are well established. This supports children to behave exceptionally well and work with purpose.

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

The curriculum is extremely well planned. Teachers understand how young children learn best. They use this knowledge to plan activities that engage children, stimulate their interest and imagination, and help them to develop key skills and knowledge. For example, adults use familiar songs to promote discussion and extend children’s vocabulary. This is typical of how teachers skilfully turn children’s interests into activities that develop a range of skills and knowledge across the early years curriculum.

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

Leaders are focused on developing all children’s love of reading. Children enjoy listening to adults reading a range of story books and rhymes. They also enjoy composing their 29 March 2022

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own stories. Children take books home. This makes sure that children continue to develop their love of stories and poems when they are not in school.

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Teachers use assessment effectively. They are adept at spotting children who are struggling with their learning. Teachers’ exceptional understanding of children’s development means they put in place effective support swiftly to remedy any gaps in learning. Often, this involves staff expertly building on and improving children’s answers. In this way, all children achieve very well.

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Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exemplary. Staff are skilled at identifying children’s specific needs early and putting necessary adaptations in place. Children with SEND are given the support they need to join in with all aspects of school life. They access the same curriculum as their peers and achieve very well.

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Staff use carefully guided approaches to build children’s word knowledge. For example, they explain clearly what new words mean and encourage children to use these words appropriately. The sharp focus on developing children’s language means that most children typically speak in full sentences, often using sophisticated sentence structure for their age. For example, children regularly use: ‘would you like’, ‘may I’ and ‘could you pass me…’ during the school day.

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Leaders and staff ensure that there is a calm atmosphere throughout the school. Children behave impeccably. Children sustain concentration for long periods of time and show high levels of interest in their work.

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Leaders provide a range of opportunities to promote children’s broader development. For example, children are encouraged to respect the environment when they take part in litter picking or watch ducklings hatch.

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Staff are complimentary about how the school is led. They say that they get expert training to be able to fulfil their roles. They know that they can always go to leaders with any problems or concerns. Many staff say they would never want to work anywhere else.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that all staff have a thorough understanding of safeguarding and know how to report concerns. Governors regularly check that safeguarding procedures are appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach children how to stay safe. For example, they learn the difference between right and wrong and know how to express their feelings to adults.

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Safeguarding

Strong relationships help children feel safe and calm at school. Staff know the children in their key person group really well. This means they can easily spot and follow up anything that causes concern. 29 March 2022

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in February 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 29 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212501 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 15 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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 school.  Inspectors spoke to school leaders about all aspects of school life. They also met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors and some parent governors, as well as a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these areas of learning: communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and physical development. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to leaders, visited lessons, and spoke to teachers and children. They also looked at how well the school promotes the development of early mathematical understanding.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other areas of learning. 29 March 2022

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 Inspectors met with several groups of staff about well-being and workload as well as professional development opportunities. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors collected a range of evidence about safeguarding. This involved speaking to leaders, including governors, and staff about safeguarding procedures. They also checked key documentation and records.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views, both through responses to surveys, including Ofsted’s Parent View survey, and through meeting with parents at various points throughout the day.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Lack Ofsted Inspector 29 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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