Broomhall Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Broomhall Nursery School 4 Broomhall Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2DN

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Outcome

Broomhall Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Broomhall Nursery School has high ambition for all who attend. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from the highly effective support that they receive from the expert practitioners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Well-established routines enable children to settle quickly into the school day. From an early stage, children develop a sense of belonging. Over time, they grow in confidence. Children enjoy playing in the classroom as well as exploring in the large outside area. Children who struggle to regulate their behaviour are very well supported. Adults provide appropriate and timely intervention. This helps children to manage their feelings and emotions in an age-appropriate manner.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are rightly proud of the sense of community that the school provides. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the education that their children receive. A parent told inspectors that their child says that the nursery is ‘awesome’! Staff get to know the children and their families from the moment they start at the school. Parents value the opportunity to speak to staff at the beginning or end of a session. Workshops and ‘Saturday Specials’ provide regular times for parents to find out what their children learn in school.

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

Leaders have established a strong curriculum. The curriculum draws on educational research and a deep understanding of child development. Children learn from the rich experiences offered to them.

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

Highly skilled practitioners foster the development of children’s language and vocabulary through their many interactions with children during the day. Adults model the use of, and repeat, words. This helps children to learn how to communicate effectively through speech. Children enjoy listening to stories read by adults. They actively participate in discussions, supported by staff, about what they have heard. Adults’ carefully considered 22 September 2023

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questions support these discussions very effectively. During the story ‘Dear Zoo’, children considered whether the animal in the cage was a tiger or a lion. They thought about how they could tell the difference between the two animals. Over time, children build, and use, an increasing range of vocabulary. They explain what they are doing, and why, to trusted adults. Children who are less confident learn to communicate through signs, symbols or key words. Adults’ strong understanding of this aspect of child development supports these children extremely well.

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Children have lots of opportunities to explore activities in the indoor and outdoor areas. Adults take time to watch and observe children’s learning. They know when to engage with children to develop ideas and concepts further. For example, during the inspection children took turns to roll different types of balls along tubes down a slope. Adults skilfully helped children to roll the balls with increasing skill and confidence.

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The support for children with SEND is a strength of the school. The school have established clear processes to identify and assess children’s learning and development needs. Children with SEND benefit from high-quality learning opportunities during their time at the school. The school works with agencies and professionals, such as health visitors, to support individual children and their families. This joint working provides a strong foundation for children in their early years. It supports their transition to the next stage of their education.

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The school provides many opportunities to enrich children’s broader development. Visitors to the school enhance the school’s curriculum. For example, a musician leads workshops where children experience playing different types of musical instruments. Throughout the year, carefully planned activities celebrate a range of religious and cultural festivals. Adults consider how to teach topics to children at an age-appropriate level. Recently, children produced some impressive artwork, having been inspired by a poem written by a member of staff about the Windrush.

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Leaders, and those with responsibility for governance, have an accurate understanding of the school. They have taken decisions to further improve the school. For example, leaders have recently increased the size of the staff team. This has provided quality time for leaders to continue to develop the quality of education for all children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 22 September 2023

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serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in October 2014.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding ( this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 22 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2021. She is also the headteacher of Grace Owen Nursery School.  There have been several staffing changes since the previous inspection. This includes the appointment of the assistant headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. One teacher and an early years practitioner have recently joined the school.  There is a provision for children who are under three years of age on the school site. It is run by a separate provider.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 22 September 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication and language, understanding the world, and personal, social and emotional development. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and observed children within the school’s provision.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders and staff; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents by evaluating comments to Ofsted’s

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questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke to parents when dropping off and collecting children at the school.  An inspector met with representatives from the governing board.  An inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and the school’s improvement adviser.

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Inspection team

Matthew Harrington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick His Majesty’s Inspector 22 September 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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