Midland Road Nursery School

Inspection of Midland Road Nursery School Bateman Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 7DJ

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 13 and 14 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Midland Road Nursery School is a special place to be. It is a school for everyone, where leaders and staff know children and their families exceptionally well. Children flourish in a calm, purposeful and high-quality learning environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take every opportunity to encourage children’s independence. Each interaction is given the time it deserves. Every conversation is used as a learning point. Even the youngest two-year-olds are taught to collect their hats and coats independently when they go outside. Children develop independent skills such as making pizza, washing up their own pots and utensils and wiping down the tables. Children at Midland Road develop the independence and confidence to make their own choices. As a result, children are developing exceptionally positive learning behaviours and demonstrate a strong motivation to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for children’s behaviour. Staff are exceptional role models. They skilfully support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to develop the social skills they need for the future. Children use the high-quality provision, both indoors and outdoors, with respect. They build up good relationships with others, take turns and listen carefully to the adults around them.

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better?

Leaders are responsible for Midland Road Nursery School, as well as Abbey Green Nursery School. They work with staff, families and children across both sites. Staff at both schools have an exceptional understanding of the starting points that children have. They have designed a highly ambitious curriculum for all children across both nursery school communities.

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better?

Staff are knowledgeable about child development and how learning builds over time. They work skilfully with children within the stimulating learning environment to build on their knowledge. Staff ensure that the provision and their teaching are carefully adapted to meet the needs of all children. As a result, children at both schools are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

There is a sharp focus on developing children’s communication and language skills. New words that children need to learn are identified and used across all areas of learning. Staff are exceptional in the way that they develop children’s language skills through purposeful conversations. Leaders ensure that children take part in thoughtfully planned wider experiences to reinforce and embed this new language. For example, a planned visit from some owls enabled the children to develop their knowledge and language related to their new first-hand experience.

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better?

Right from the start of joining the nursery school, staff help children to develop an early love of reading. Staff regularly read and share stories with children. They 13 and 14 December 2023

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create exciting opportunities for children to bring the stories to life, such as using role play and props to retell the story.

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Staff provide regular opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. They encourage children to try hard and keep going when they find things difficult. For instance, children learn to play safely while navigating their way around, over, under and through the various outdoor equipment. Children are adept at taking and managing safe risks. This helps children to build their self-confidence and resilience, as well as their strength, coordination and balance.

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Children with SEND are welcomed warmly into this inclusive nursery school. Staff have an exceptional knowledge of how to support this group of children to learn and become part of the school community. They skilfully intervene, when needed, to help children to manage their feelings and emotions. Parents of children with SEND say that their children thrive under the care of the adults, who know them well.

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The school’s approach to developing children’s personal and social development is impressive and well considered. Children learn how to manage their own self-care and hygiene from a young age. This includes learning how to brush their teeth and how to make healthy food choices. Carefully selected stories and wider experiences support children’s learning in a range of areas. Leaders work with parents to inform them of these key messages. For example, they speak about online safety so that parents can continue to support their own children’s use of modern technologies at home safely.

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Leaders deliberately plan a variety of educational visits that carefully link to children’s learning and development needs. In addition, both schools take parents and children to local parks, then on train journeys to other nearby towns and cities, before travelling further afield to the seaside. Parents recognise that this gives them the confidence to be able to take their children to places and engage them in experiences outside of their immediate community.

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Leaders are aware of the changing needs within the community. All children who require their care quickly become part of the ‘family’ that leaders have created within the school. This includes children who have recently arrived from overseas or those with significant medical needs. The level of care and support provided to these children is inspiring. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that children get the timely support they require when needed. Staff and governors share this relentless aspiration.

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The governing body has taken significant steps to ensure that it is well equipped to challenge and support leaders. Staff are proud to work at both Abbey Green and Midland Road Nursery Schools. They feel valued and appreciated by leaders. Leaders are strategic in ensuring that all staff have the training they need to continue to be highly effective. 13 and 14 December 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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). 13 and 14 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 November 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with another local maintained nursery school, Abbey Green Nursery School. The federation is known as Manningham Community Nursery Schools. The headteacher and other senior leaders work across both sites. Both schools operate under the same governing body.  Midland Road Nursery School also runs a day nursery, which operates on the school site. The day nursery is registered separately and caters for young children from the age of three months. The school also provides wraparound care for the children attending Midland Road Nursery School.  The school has a specialist provision for children with SEND, and it receives additional funding from the local authority. It caters for children with a wide range of needs, including speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health needs .  Most children attend either morning or afternoon sessions. A small number of

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Information about this school

children attend all day.  The school does not use any registered or unregistered providers of off-site alternative education. 13 and 14 December 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection of Midland Road Nursery School was carried out at the same time as the inspection of Abbey Green Nursery School. Both schools operate under the same leadership and governance arrangements.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met governors and spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these areas of learning and development: communication and language, physical development, and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited classrooms and the outside provision, spoke to staff and spoke to some children

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Information about this inspection

while they were learning. The inspectors considered information about the curriculum in some other areas of learning.  Inspectors observed children’s learning throughout the day. They spoke with key persons to talk about children’s learning and development.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about wider opportunities for children.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 checked that the statutory welfare requirements were being met.  Inspectors checked the plans for some pupils with SEND and checked what staff were doing to meet their specific needs.  Inspectors spoke to some parents outside the school and evaluated the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the

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Inspection team

Sarah Gordon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Heaton Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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