Caverstede Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Caverstede Nursery School Caverstede Road, Walton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE4 6EX

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgment of outstanding as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children at Caverstede Nursery School are happy and settled. They feel safe because they know key workers will help them with any difficulties. Children know their key workers very well. Relationships between children, and between staff and children, are positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children behave sensibly because they understand what adults expect of them. Children learn to be kind to one another. This ensures that bullying of any kind is extremely rare. If it happens, staff deal with it effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children respect the high-quality resources available. They tidy these away sensibly at the end of sessions. They handle books carefully and pick up toys dropped on the floor. They learn how to cut cucumber and spread crackers at snack time. Such activities are helping children to develop independence, as well as fine motor skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children benefit greatly from the school’s caring ethos and the positive start the nursery school gives them in education.

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

Leaders want all children to experience an ambitious curriculum. Leaders have started work to refresh the curriculum. They have not yet identified precisely what children in each year group need to learn and in what order.

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

Most staff understand how children learn and are well trained. These staff plan effective learning activities that help children develop. Staff place a strong emphasis on communication and language. Most staff model the correct use of language. They help children to learn and use new vocabulary and to express their ideas about the world about them. However, curriculum plans do not specify the language that children should 8 June 2022

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learn. Some staff are better trained at adapting children’s learning than other staff. Consequently, opportunities to deepen children’s understanding across all areas of learning are inconsistent.

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Leaders are enthusiastic in their desire to bring about a love of reading. Children have access to many books that capture their interests. They enjoy listening to adults read a range of stories and rhymes every day. Staff encourage children to take books home. This ensures they continue to develop their love of reading when they are not in school. Staff plan interesting activities around core books, such as exploring items of fruit when reading the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.

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Staff use their knowledge of the early years framework to assess children’s learning and development. They know when children are learning well or when they do not understand something. Staff provide appropriate extra help for children who need it. Staff promptly identify children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure that these children have the right support and adaptations, where needed, to make activities accessible to them.

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Leaders have identified that children’s early experiences have been affected by the pandemic. They have rightly prioritised providing activities to enrich their learning. Children have regular visits to the woodland area. They enjoy visits from Bertie, the dog, and walks to the park. There are cinema experiences, and visits by local authors and artists as well. All these enliven children’s learning experiences.

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Parents appreciate the nursery. One commented: ‘Caverstede Nursery School is consistent, safe, and well organised. They provide a wealth of stimulating activities that are educational, eco-friendly, and fun. The staff are wonderful with all the children and my child absolutely thrives here.’

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Governors are committed and enthusiastic. They are knowledgeable about the nursery. They ask appropriate questions to check the work of leaders and staff. They know that there is work to be done to develop the curriculum. Staff are proud to work at the nursery. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular, appropriate training that keeps them well informed. Leaders ensure that all staff know what may constitute a concern and know how to report it. Governors regularly check that safeguarding procedures are appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Children learn how to stay safe, such as how to behave when walking near roads. The staff know children in their key worker group very well. This means that they can easily spot any changes that might indicate a concern. Children know who their key workers are. They know that they can go to them with any worries and that these will be sorted. 8 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans do not provide enough information about what children should learn in each year group and in all areas of learning. This means that there is inconsistency in how some staff provide suitable instruction and appropriate activities to ensure that children’s learning builds sequentially. Leaders must ensure the curriculum provides staff with the information they need to teach children concepts and words that will prepare them well for the next stage in their education.

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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 September 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. 8 June 2022

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School details

School category Local authority nursery school

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.caverstede.peterborough.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The nursery school includes care and education for two-year-olds.  The nursery school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The nursery school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The Peterborough Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Early Years Foundation Stage Hub is based at the nursery school. This provides support in schools and private, voluntary and independent settings in Peterborough to support children with SEND.

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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 with governors, leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and a representative from the local authority. 8 June 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: language and communication (including early reading), mathematics, and understanding the world. They also looked at how the school promotes children’s personal, social and emotional development.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, including those initiated by adults and those initiated by children, spoke to teachers and spoke with children while they were engaged in learning and play.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors met with two of the designated safeguarding leads. They discussed the processes that are in place to report safeguarding concerns and how these are followed up with the appropriate agencies. They reviewed records of safeguarding and records of safeguarding training. They reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start and end of sessions. They also reviewed the

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40 responses and 24 free-text comments submitted to Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Joan Beale, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Harrison Ofsted Inspector 8 June 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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