Rosemary Nursery School and Children's Centre

Inspection of an outstanding school: Rosemary Nursery School and Children’s Centre Haviland House, St Judes, Great Ann Street, Bristol BS2 0DT

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children love coming to school. They thrive because of the gentle and thoughtful care they receive. Children form strong bonds with adults. This helps them to feel safe and ready for learning. Leaders provide an engaging curriculum. Children learn how to grow plants and look after the school garden. They love taking part forest-school activities. For example, they learn how to peel and prepare vegetables safely for a shared meal. Children learn to speak with confidence. They take delight in coming together in groups to tell stories. Books are central to children’s learning. They hear stories and sing rhymes every day and visit the local library.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of children’s behaviour. Children learn how to be kind and well mannered. Daily routines help children to learn in a calm and settled atmosphere. At snack times, children develop listening and social skills. Adults support children to manage their emotions and make friends. They resolve any unkindness or bullying very quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide ongoing information and support for families. Parents and carers value the school’s welcoming and caring ethos. They praise what one parent typically described as the ‘accommodating and kind’ staff team.

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

Despite some recent changes to their roles, leaders have maintained their focus on improving the curriculum. They are ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve. Leaders have prioritised the development of children’s communication and language. Children with delayed communication receive extra help to catch up. Children learn mathematics well. They 8 March 2023

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learn to count, compare sizes and measure. Staff teach early writing effectively. There are various opportunities for children engage with mark-making. For example, children paint, draw and make marks to represent writing.

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Leaders prioritise early reading. Stories, rhymes and songs form a central part of the curriculum. They have put together a special set of books that children learn thoroughly. These books develop children’s knowledge of the wider world. Story times are treasured times of the school day. Adults read to children enthusiastically, using objects to bring stories to life. Children love to make up their own stories during special storytelling sessions. They begin to learn phonics by listening to sounds and rhymes. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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In most areas of learning, leaders have thought about the detailed knowledge they want children to learn. However, leaders are still refining some areas of the curriculum. They have not identified precisely what children need to learn and in what order across the whole curriculum. This prevents staff from deepening children’s understanding in these areas.

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Staff are well trained to guide children’s learning. Staff support two-year-olds to build strong relationships with their peers. They learn to share toys and take turns. Staff place a strong emphasis on modelling language and vocabulary. They encourage children to talk as they play. Staff check that children are making progress across the curriculum. However, some of these checks are not closely matched to the taught curriculum. Learning opportunities do not always build on what children know and can do as a result.

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Leaders expect pupils with SEND to achieve highly. They have improved the ways in which they identify and plan what pupils need to learn. Leaders work closely with parents and specialists. However, teachers do not always use their checks precisely enough to make sure that all pupils with SEND learn as well as they should.

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Staff model the importance of kindness and respect. Daily tidy-up routines teach children to take good care of toys and equipment. Adults help children to sort out disagreements. They support children to calm themselves quickly if they become frustrated or upset. Children play happily together. Staff plan tasks that motivate children and sustain their interest. Consequently, children have positive attitudes towards learning.

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Leaders provide many opportunities for children’s wider development. They learn about faiths and cultures by celebrating festivals, including Eid and Diwali. Children learn how to eat healthily and to take care of their teeth. They talk about what makes each of them special and unique. This helps them to value diversity.

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Governors are committed and knowledgeable about the school. They know that there is more work needed to develop the curriculum. Staff are proud of the teamwork at the school. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 March 2023

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Staff are well trained to spot risks to children’s welfare. Leaders follow up all concerns swiftly. Record-keeping is meticulous. Leaders know their families well. They work closely with parents to understand children’s needs. Leaders collaborate with external agencies to support children and their families. Leaders make the necessary vetting checks on adults who work with children.

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Children learn how to stay safe in and out of school. They learn basic internet, road and fire safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few areas of learning, the curriculum does not break down what leaders want children to learn, including key vocabulary, into small, component parts. As a result, children do not build and deepen their understanding as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum identifies the key content that children should know and by when.  Assessments of children’s learning sometimes do not match the taught curriculum well enough. This means that staff do not always check whether children, including those with SEND, have remembered the important knowledge that leaders expect them to know. Leaders should make sure that assessment aligns more precisely with the planned curriculum.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in March 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. 8 March 2023

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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 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

12 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher took up her post in September 2022. In October 2022, the deputy headteacher assumed the role of acting headteacher.  There have been changes to governors’ roles since the school entered a federation with The Limes Nursery School in September 2022.  Leadership roles, including the role of the SEND coordinator, were reorganised following federation with The Limes Nursery School in September 2022.  The Nursery school includes care and education for two-year-olds.  The Nursery 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 met with the acting headteacher, assistant headteacher and groups of teaching and support staff. 8 March 2023

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 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and understanding the world. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to leaders and staff, visited lessons with leaders, spoke with children and looked at their work.  An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the day.  Inspectors reviewed documentation and spoke with leaders and staff to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. Inspectors reviewed attendance records and the school’s behaviour and bullying records.  The lead inspector considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including four free-text comments. The lead inspector also took into account the responses to the pupil survey and staff survey.

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Inspection team

Claire Mirams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Greenwood Ofsted Inspector 8 March 2023

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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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