Thomas Wall Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Thomas Wall Nursery School Robin Hood Lane, Sutton, Surrey SM1 2SF

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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. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy place. Parents appreciate the devoted staff and welcoming atmosphere. They particularly like the regular communication with class teachers so that they know how well their child is doing. Leaders take great care to ensure children settle quickly and enjoy a positive start to their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through following the school rules, such as being safe and kind, children learn to take care of each other and the school environment. When any concerns do occur, staff deal with these swiftly and effectively. Parents said that their children feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including governors, are determined that children will achieve well. They provide children with a wide range of indoor and outdoor resources. As a result, children leave with a broad range of experiences that they can build on in their next school. For example, as part of their topic on growing, children watched caterpillars turn into butterflies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children benefit from an exciting and ambitious curriculum. Leaders enrich children’s learning through a well-chosen range of outings and visitors. Children really enjoyed their trips to farms and zoos. They were wowed by the birds of prey that came into school.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that allows children to develop the skills they need to learn successfully. Staff choose activities and resources that support this. For example, carefully chosen climbing equipment allows children to become more dextrous and agile as the year progresses. 18 July 2023

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There is a strong focus on developing children’s speaking skills. Staff take regular opportunities to talk to children and to encourage them to talk to each other. Books are at the heart of the curriculum. Leaders ensure that children hear stories throughout the day. Children are also supported to make up their own stories. They know that stories have characters and settings. Children got very excited resolving problems that characters in stories encountered. Staff know children well and provide effective and timely support to any in danger of falling behind. For example, they create additional opportunities to read with those children.

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Staff focus on developing children’s vocabulary. This enables children to deepen their learning. For example, in personal, social and emotional learning, children confidently talked about their feelings. They explained how to calm down if they get upset. However, in some areas of learning, leaders have not identified what they want children to learn with enough precision. This means that children do not remember important knowledge and skills in as much depth.

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A particular strength of the school is the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children with SEND, including those with complex needs, benefit from a highly effective curriculum that meets their needs exceptionally well. Leaders support staff’s expertise to enable them to adapt teaching effectively. For example, staff deliver short, bespoke sessions that focus on developing children’s key skills, such as recognising numbers. These sessions also help develop children’s concentration and independence. In this way, children with SEND achieve well.

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Children participate well with the activities and resources available throughout the day. Their good behaviour supports their learning. Children with SEND are given effective support to develop appropriate social skills, such as interacting well with their peers. However, there are occasions during teaching sessions when routines to support children’s concentration during learning are less effective. This leads to some children losing focus, for example chatting to their friends.

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There is a strong emphasis on children’s broader development. Staff celebrate a range of festivals with children and visit local places of interest such as the church and the library. The whole community takes part in events that value its diversity, such as the international evening and carnival.

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Staff are very positive about working at this school. They said that leaders take their workload into account when making key decisions. Staff praised the training they undertake to improve their practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding processes, such as those for vetting staff and visitors and for recording concerns, are robust. Staff know children and families well and use this knowledge to 18 July 2023

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identify any concerns quickly. Leaders have built an atmosphere of trust. Children willingly talk to staff about any worries, which staff follow up diligently.

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Leaders have ensured that the curriculum creates opportunities to introduce children to keeping safe. For example, children wear goggles when using certain tools and learn to manage and regulate their feelings.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of learning, leaders have not identified with enough precision what children need to learn or be able to do. In these instances, children do not remember key learning and are not sufficiently prepared for the Reception Year. The school needs to ensure that they have identified with more precision what important knowledge they want children to remember.  Sometimes, staff do not ensure that children follow routines consistently. This means that children miss out on their learning on these occasions. The school must ensure that all staff can identify and address children’s off-task behaviour securely so that children focus and listen during learning activities consistently well.

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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 May 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. 18 July 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. 18 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268751 Type of school Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-chairs of governing body Lesley Steers and Shane Sorour

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for up to 20 children with autism.  Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision.  The school runs an extended nursery offer from 8.30am to 3.30pm.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders and groups of staff. They also met with members of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these areas of learning: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, spoke to teachers, observed children’s learning, and spoke to them about what they were doing. Inspectors also looked at samples of work. 18 July 2023

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 Inspectors also considered other areas of learning.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by checking safeguarding records and talking to leaders, staff, parents, children and governors.  Inspectors considered a range of evidence relating to behaviour, attitudes and personal development by meeting with leaders, talking to children and reviewing relevant documentation.  Inspectors met with parents as they dropped their children off, as well as taking into account the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector 18 July 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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