The Gainsborough Nursery School

Inspection of The Gainsborough Nursery School North Marsh Road, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 2RR

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 over eleven years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act in July 2023. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 14 and 15 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The warmest welcome awaits any child who attends The Gainsborough Nursery School. Staff greet children enthusiastically when they arrive, helping them to settle quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, staff and governors have great aspirations for every child. They want to give all children the very best start in life, so they are fully prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy and content. They feel safe and secure. Children enjoy their time in school. They learn and play cheerfully with their friends and the staff. They love singing songs and listening to stories.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children form strong, trusting relationships with the staff. Staff know the children very well. They celebrate each child’s individuality and make them feel special. Staff provide high-quality care. They help children to understand how they are feeling. Staff provide comfort and reassurance. They nurture children’s individuality and confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children behave well. Staff teach them to share, take turns and be kind to one another. Most of the time, staff help children to sustain their concentration and interest, so they benefit fully from the activities on offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers cannot speak highly enough of the school. They are full of praise for all the staff.

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better?

All areas of learning have been planned meticulously. Every strand of the curriculum builds towards an ambitious goal for children to achieve in readiness for Reception. The school has planned the knowledge and skills that children need to learn in a series of small, progressive steps. The school has also set out the key vocabulary that children must learn. However, staff do not always teach these important terms when there is a chance to do so.

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better?

The school has thought carefully about the books that will be read to children. Through these texts, children become familiar with traditional tales. They also learn about the rich, diverse world they live in. Stories are read from the moment children arrive in the morning to the time they leave. Staff tell stories in an absorbing way, creating suspense and excitement.

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better?

The school wants children to be immersed in a world of chatter. Most of the time, staff converse skilfully with children. For example, they narrate what is happening so that children hear new words and how to speak. They ask pertinent questions to prompt children to talk and to extend their thinking. However, this practice is not consistent. Children do not always benefit from high-quality interactions during free- 14 and 15 May 2024

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choice time. Their communication and language skills are not always developed as well as they might be.

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The school identifies children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Staff support children with SEND well. Staff appreciate the guidance they receive to support children with SEND effectively. Precise targets are in place to help children with SEND to make good progress.

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The school makes sure that parents understand the importance of children attending as often as possible. When children do not attend regularly, the school works well with families so that children can reap the full benefit of nursery education. The school goes to great lengths to support children and families in need.

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Being active is a priority at Gainsborough. The school ensures that children spend lots of time outside to develop their strength, coordination and agility. Staff teach children how to climb, balance and jump, helping them to refine their movements. The school’s well-planned curriculum for physical development means that children systematically gain the skills needed to pedal and steer the bicycles and tricycles in the outdoor area.

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The school aims to instil resilience, perseverance, risk-taking, open-mindedness, kindness and independence in children. However, occasionally, staff miss the chance to help children learn about these qualities when opportunities present themselves. There are many enrichment activities to teach children about the community they live in and the wider world. Children go on walks to visit the local church, park and allotments. Personnel from the local police force and fire service visit the school to teach children how to stay safe. Children learn about celebrations and significant national and international events. As well as learning about special times for others, every child’s special day is marked. On their birthday, children get to make a cake with their friends and then share it with everyone in their class.

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Staff are happy and feel well supported. They are very proud to work at the school. They are unanimous in their praise for leaders. The school is well led. Governors are knowledgeable and passionate about the school. They provide effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, staff do not teach the key words that are set out in the school’s curriculum when there is a chance to do so. On occasion, children do not benefit from high-quality interactions with staff. This means that some children do not consolidate and extend their communication and language skills as well as they 14 and 15 May 2024

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might. The school must ensure that all staff consistently develop children’s knowledge, skills and vocabulary through high-quality talk.

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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). 14 and 15 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The Gainsborough Nursery School is part of the Lincolnshire Maintained Nursery School Federation.  The executive headteacher is responsible for this school and three others.  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.

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into the following areas of learning: communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and 14 and 15 May 2024

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understanding the world. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited sessions in the nursery and spoke with children and staff.  The lead inspector also discussed the curriculums for mathematics and physical development with leaders.  Inspectors spent time in the classrooms and the outdoor areas, observing daily routines and the quality of interactions between staff and children.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher and the head of school. Inspectors met with the leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour and personal development.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also spoke with representatives of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders and staff; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation and the school development plan, as well as documentation relating to behaviour and governance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanna Hall Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 May 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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