Clyde Nursery School.

Inspection of Clyde Nursery School Alverton Street, Deptford, London SE8 5NH

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 28 and 29 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy and enjoy their time at this warm, nurturing and inclusive nursery school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff, children and their families are strong. Staff know and value every child. A partnership with parents and carers is prioritised. This helps children to feel safe and settle into school quickly. The school involves families in their children’s learning experiences, for example, by encouraging everyone to join in with visits to the local fire station, Mudchute farm and picnics at Greenwich Park.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The comprehensive provision for children’s personal development underpins the school’s ambitious curriculum. Children’s learning opportunities are designed thoughtfully to equip children with the confidence to be independent and curious learners. Children enjoy the wide range of activities available to them, both indoors and outdoors. Staff support children well through modelling and engaging in play with them. For example, children enjoy making ‘pancakes’ in the mud kitchen and buying and selling ice creams in the ‘ice cream parlour’. Children develop positive attitudes to their learning and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children behave incredibly well, with well-embedded routines to support this. Children know what is expected of them. Staff skilfully support children to manage their emotions, take turns and share. Children also look after and support one another. The two-year-old children have positive role models in the older children.

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better?

The school’s curriculum has been designed with careful thought and consideration. Staff follow and use children’s interests as the basis for the curriculum. ‘Layers of learning’ have been identified, and through this, the school has mapped out a range of experiences which aim to build up children’s understanding across the curriculum. Children learn well overall. However, sometimes, how well the curriculum is taught is of variable quality. In some instances, the school’s curriculum thinking is not sufficiently defined to ensure that teaching activities focus sharply on deepening children’s knowledge and understanding. This is because the small steps of knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children should be taught are, at times not understood by all staff.

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better?

The development of children’s communication and language has been prioritised. Children are surrounded by stories and books. The ‘book of the week’ approach fully immerses children in a range of different books and stories. Staff use every opportunity to model the use of language. They encourage children to speak in full sentences. Staff also sing songs and share rhymes frequently, both during adult-led activities and when children are at play in the classrooms. Children enjoy story time sessions immensely. Adults actively look for opportunities to increase children’s exposure to books, for example by using snack time to read aloud to children. Some 28 and 29 February 2024

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of the stories shared have been deliberately chosen to help children to understand their own emotions.

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Assessment is used well. Leaders and staff dedicate regular time to look holistically at each child’s progress. This helps them to identify gaps and plan timely and suitable next steps in learning for children. The needs of children with SEND are also carefully considered. Children’s needs are identified quickly and appropriate support is put in place. Children with SEND are fully included and access all aspects of the provision alongside their peers. Staff work with external agencies to ensure that specific needs are met and provide additional, targeted support to individuals and groups, such as sharing sensory stories.

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All staff are vigilant to how well children are attending. Staff work in partnership with families to support children to develop positive attitudes to attending school regularly.

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Across the curriculum, the carefully chosen activities and experiences support children to make sense of the world around them. Leaders ensure that the experiences are meaningful to children and the community that the school serves. Children learn about different faiths and cultures through celebrating religious festivals. Staff skilfully develop children’s independence and resilience by encouraging them to do things for themselves when they are ready. For example, at snack time, adults guide children to get their own water and serve themselves a snack. Leaders and staff ensure that children are well supported and prepared for key events, such as going to primary school.

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Staff and governors are incredibly proud members of the ‘Clyde family’. The governing body offers effective challenge and support to school leaders. Staff feel well supported and valued. They enjoy working here and being part of the team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, what children are expected to learn is not sufficiently clear. This means that some activities do not support the development of children’s understanding as well as they could. The school should be clearer about what it wants children to learn so that staff can reinforce the intended knowledge and vocabulary with greater consistency. 28 and 29 February 2024

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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). 28 and 29 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 December 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year olds.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Inspectors met with two governors, including the chair and spoke to a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these areas of learning: communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, mathematics and 28 and 29 February 2024

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understanding the world. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and support staff and looked at samples of children’s learning. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other areas of learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to the online staff survey and met with staff at various times throughout the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation related to governance, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Pratt Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 February 2024

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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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