Pembury House Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Pembury House Nursery School Lansdowne Road, Tottenham, Pembury House, London N17 9XE

p.1

Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

p.1

Outcome

Pembury House Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and welcoming school where children flourish. They settle in quickly and get off to an excellent start with their learning. This is because the highly ambitious curriculum ignites children’s curiosity, resilience and interest across a wide variety of topics. For example, children explore the ‘growing garden’ enthusiastically. They enjoy planting seeds and learning what nutrients plants need to grow and survive. Children are exceptionally well prepared for moving onto their primary education.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have built strong working relationships with families. Parents and carers are full of praise for leaders and staff. They said that staff are approachable and listen to their concerns. One parent commented: ‘Staff are amazing and kind. My child learns something new every day.’ This view was typical of many parents.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

A calm and purposeful atmosphere permeates the school. Children behave exceptionally well. Minor upsets are dealt with quickly by staff. Children learn how to work together and make friends. This is because staff consistently model the school’s ‘rainbow rules’ – to be gentle and kind. Children follow instructions and take turns. Staff help the children to make the right choices so that they play and learn happily together. This ensures that children feel safe and are kept safe.

p.1

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

Leaders have designed an innovative and demanding curriculum centred on their high expectations for all children. Staff are fully committed to ensuring that every child has the very best start to their learning journey. As a result, children are well prepared for the Reception Year.

p.1

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

Leaders have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary children need to learn. They have sequenced this carefully so that children revisit and embed ideas over time. For example, children learn about Garrett Morgan, the inventor of the traffic light system. The children then explore the components of simple circuits before investigating what happens 21 and 22 September 2022

p.1

2

if one of the components is missing. In mathematics, staff model vocabulary with precision. Children learn about capacity through sand and water play. They explore, experiment, and investigate how much a container can hold before it becomes full. Children are expected to use the vocabulary they have learned accurately.

p.2

2

Staff use assessment effectively. Their exceptional understanding of children’s development means they are quick to spot and close any gaps in learning.

p.2

2

Reading is a high priority. Children enjoy listening to a wide variety of books, which engage their interest. Children regularly take books home from the school’s ‘little lending library’. This encourages them to develop a love of reading, which they share with their families. Adults use every opportunity to develop children’s spoken language. Children develop their early awareness of phonics through joining in with familiar rhymes and stories. Sounds are introduced in a deliberate sequence and children practise saying these sounds each day.

p.2

2

Leaders have ensured that the school’s outdoor environment encourages the children to investigate, play and learn. Each step of children’s physical development is carefully planned. Children develop and practise physical skills such as climbing and coordination. They balance on different beams and learn to take risks in a carefully supervised and safe way. Staff are skilled at building children’s confidence in trying out new activities that they have not come across before.

p.2

2

Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is exceptional. Support is carefully planned to ensure that they access the same rich curriculum as their peers. Children with SEND are identified swiftly. Leaders work closely with families to ensure that children get the support they need to help them succeed.

p.2

2

Leaders provide exciting opportunities for children’s wider development. They invite special visitors into the school regularly. For example, a dental nurse helps the children to understand why it is important to brush their teeth and eat healthily. Children find out about their community by going on ‘welly walks’ to explore the local area. They visit shops and speak to the shopkeepers.

p.2

2

Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained. This means that children learn in an environment where staff respond to their individual interests and help them to build their knowledge and understanding over time. Staff appreciate that leaders and governors are considerate of their workload and well-being. Staff said that they are proud to work at the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Robust systems are embedded securely throughout the school. All staff receive regular training and refer concerns promptly to ensure that children are kept safe. 21 and 22 September 2022

p.2

3

Leaders are quick to identify families who may need support. They work effectively with outside agencies. This means that families receive the help and advice they need.

p.3

3

Staff teach children how to stay safe. For example, when using the new climbing frame, children learned about assessing risks and how to play on the equipment safely.

p.3

3

Leaders and governors ensure that all pre-employment checks are fully in place and reviewed regularly.

p.3

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in May 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 21 and 22 September 2022

p.3

School details

Inspection number 10241951 Type of school Nursery

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Chair of governing body Melian Mansfield

p.4

School details

Website https://www.pemburyhouse.haringey.sch.uk

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 18 and 19 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  School leaders and the governing body also manage the provision for children aged under three on a separate site nearby.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, senior teachers and staff.  The inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body, and met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day. 21 and 22 September 2022

p.4

5

 The inspector carried out deep dives in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, and physical development. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited indoor and outdoor learning spaces, and spoke with staff and children. The inspector also considered other areas of learning, including understanding of the world and expressive arts and design.  The inspector met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding, looked at records and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding practice.  The inspector considered the responses to the confidential staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the additional free-text responses.

p.5

Inspection team

Dawn Titus, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2022

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6