Childrens House Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Children’s House Nursery School 92 Bruce Road, Bow, London E3 3HL

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Outcome

Children’s House Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children’s faces light up as they come through the gates. The school is full of the sounds of children’s wonder and delight. Parents and carers describe the school as the heart of the community. Staff know the children and their families well. They know how to get the best from the children that they work with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are highly ambitious for what all children can learn and do. All activities for children to do have a clear learning purpose. For example, all children learn to ride on balance bikes. This aids their physical development. They also learn about bike maintenance and safety. They learn how to check tyre pressure and how to fit a helmet correctly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want children to extend their learning outside school. They organise regular educational outings with children and their families to local parks and museums. Children go to the theatre and work with local artists. They explore the natural world, learning about the ecosystems in the school garden.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff here foster a sense of curiosity in children and encourage them to question what they see. Staff use their interactions with children to support language and communication development. Children in the additional provision learn and play together with their peers.

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

The curriculum is broad and covers all aspects of the early years statutory framework. Leaders have sequenced the curriculum to enable children to learn and then revisit key concepts throughout both the two-year-old provision and the provision for older children aged three years to five years. This helps children to secure and embed their learning over time. For example, children learn to follow cooking recipes. In the two-year-old provision, they learn to choose ingredients, chop vegetables, and mix and shape dough. 4 May 2023 Older children think about quantities of ingredients used in recipes, incorporating counting and learning about measurement.

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

The school is a calm environment. Children play together happily. Children learn the routines of the school as soon as they join. Leaders ensure that the curriculum supports children to become confident and self-aware individuals. Staff reinforce daily routines, including handwashing, taking turns and tidying away equipment They support children to develop their attention levels and persist at activities.

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

Communication and language development is exceptionally strong. In the two-year-old provision, staff help children to learn early communication skills, including making eye- contact, listening to others and responding to questions. Staff encourage children to express their opinions and preferences. They guide children expertly to communicate their feelings and ideas using full sentences. Older children are inquisitive learners. They suggest explanations for what they observe. Staff introduce key vocabulary clearly and model its use for children.

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

Leaders ensure that children develop a love of books and stories. The school’s staff are engaging storytellers who use props and voices to bring books to life. They help children to think deeply about the emotions of the characters and to predict what might happen next. Staff deliver the school’s pre-phonics programme when children are ready. They accurately model sounds and help children to learn simple alphabet sounds. Activities are well-planned to develop children’s fine motor skills in order to help them in the early stages of learning to write.

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

The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is excellent. Leaders are highly aware of the progress children make. Staff identify any children who are not making the progress that is expected. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that children who may have SEND are identified and have their needs assessed. Children with speech and language needs take part in daily sessions with expert staff. Staff use British Sign Language as part of their everyday conversations with children so that all children become confident communicators.

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

Staff are proud to work here. They take part in regular training to develop their teaching knowledge and skills. Leaders and members of the governing body take staff workload into account when making decisions. Staff appreciate the efforts that leaders make to promote their well-being. Many parents volunteer at the school. Some parents lead workshops for other families. This includes how to read to their children and how to bring stories to life at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping children safe is at the forefront of all that leaders do. Leaders are acutely aware of the risks faced by the children they work with. They know families well and actively seek ways to support families in need. Leaders ensure that all staff are alert to the signs 4 May 2023 that children might be at risk of harm. They work effectively with outside agencies to support vulnerable children and their families.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum helps children gain a sense of themselves in the world. They are encouraged to express how they are feeling. They develop appropriate, trusting relationships with the adults who work with them.

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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 October 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.

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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. 4 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268774 Type of school Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Becky Dolamore (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.childrenshouse.towerhamlets.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school became federated with Rachel Keeling Nursery School in January 2022. The executive headteacher was appointed at that time.  Since the previous inspection, the leaders have opened provision for two-year-old children.  The school has a specialist resourced provision for deaf children.  Leaders do 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in language and communication, personal, social and emotional development and understanding the world. As part of each deep dive, 4 May 2023 inspectors met with leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited classrooms, spoke to children and spoke to staff. They also reviewed the recorded learning of children.  Inspectors considered the safeguarding arrangements at the school by reviewing safeguarding documents, speaking to safeguarding leaders, members of the governing

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Information about this inspection

body and speaking to staff. They reviewed the safeguarding checks that leaders do on members of staff when they join the school.  Inspectors spoke to parents on the day of the inspection. They also considered the views of parents who completed Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They discussed workload with staff and reviewed the responses of staff to the staff online survey.

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Brooks Ofsted Inspector 4 May 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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