Central Community Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Central Community Nursery School 43 Nuns Street, Derby, Derbyshire DE1 3LR

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Outcome

Central Community Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Central Community Nursery School is a special place. It is an inclusive, warm setting where children thrive. Staff know all the children well and want the very best for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy and inquisitive. They explore their surroundings with growing confidence. Staff challenge children to try new things. Adults make sure that children feel comfortable and safe, so they are able to take the next step in their learning. Staff encourage children to have a go for themselves. For example, children pour their own milk and butter their own toast at snack time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn the importance of sharing. By voting for the story they would like to listen to during ‘Together Time’, children learn to accept the views and choices of others. Staff show children how to handle animals with care. Children learn to be kind and sensitive by feeding and grooming the nursery’s two rabbits, Snowy and Rupert.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children behave really well. They receive lots of positive praise. Expectations are clear and consistent. Children play nicely with each other. Staff encourage good manners. Children are polite and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are very positive about the quality of the support their children receive. They recognise the dedication of the staff at Central.

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

The school’s curriculum is made up of 10 ambitious curricular goals. For each one, leaders have set out a clear sequence of learning so that children gain the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they need for the next stage of their education. Leaders want all children to become confident communicators. Adults use free-flow time to share key vocabulary. Staff 14 March 2023

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narrate what is happening so that children hear new words and good sentences. Adults take on roles during imaginative play, which encourages children to express themselves. However, staff sometimes miss chances to extend pupils’ language. Opportunities to consolidate important knowledge are not always taken.

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Leaders have given lots of thought to the books, rhymes and songs that children will hear and read. Staff tell stories with expression, drawing children into the story that is being read. Adults read in a way that excites children and develops an early love for reading.

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The leader with responsibility for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ensures that all children get the right help. Those children who are part of ‘Meadow Class’ benefit from a nurturing environment and bespoke support. Parents appreciate the great lengths that the school goes to for children with SEND.

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Being out in the open is integral to life at Central. Children benefit from enriching outdoor spaces. In the forest area and the gardens, they learn about the natural world. On a minibeast hunt, for example, they found worms and centipedes. They handled them carefully and made detailed observations. On the school’s allotment, children get to grow their own food. They also look after the nursery’s chickens, collecting the eggs each day. These opportunities, along with daily interactions with the nursery’s on-site chef, help the children to understand where their food comes from.

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Children also learn about the world beyond the nursery. There are regular visits to important places in the local community, as well trips to the swimming baths and the seaside.

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Children are active throughout the day. For example, they make good use of the climbing frames and a rope bridge to improve their coordination and agility. Staff offer advice on how to navigate the equipment successfully. Children with SEND, including those with complex needs, are carefully supported to develop core strength and take risks.

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Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to teach in the early years. They make sure that adults have the expertise to support children’s individual needs. Staff feel valued at Central. They are part of a team. They know that leaders are always willing to help them.

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Those with responsibility for governance have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. Governors provide school leaders with effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding are very knowledgeable. They work well with other agencies to get the right support for children and their families. Leaders make sure that staff are well trained. They provide regular safeguarding updates. Staff know the signs that might show that a child’s needs are not being met. Staff know to report any 14 March 2023

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concern they may have, no matter how small. Concerns are shared promptly. Record- keeping is detailed. Governors check to make sure that safeguarding procedures are effective. Children have strong relationships with their trusted adults. They happily go to them when they are distressed and need comforting.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not always make the most of opportunities to develop children’s understanding. Staff sometimes miss moments to extend pupils’ language and communication skills. Occasionally, important knowledge from across the curriculum is not consolidated when chances arise. Leaders must ensure that staff maximise their interactions with children to secure and deepen their learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 good in January 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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 14 March 2023

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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. 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10211550 Type of school Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christine Merrick

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 September 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Ashgate Nursery and Central Community Nursery Schools’ Federation.  The school has a special educational needs provision for pupils with severe learning difficulties.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection of the school 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 carried out deep dives in the following areas of learning: communication and language, physical development and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders and visited sessions in the nursery. They spoke with children and staff. 14 March 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and the lead teacher, as well as a sample of teaching and support staff.  The lead inspector met with the designated leaders for safeguarding to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans and records of governance.  The lead inspector spoke with an adviser from the local authority, the chair of governors and other members of the governing body.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the beginning of the day and during the inspection.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aoife Galletly His Majesty’s Inspector 14 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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