Millfields Nursery School

Inspection of Millfields Nursery School Lichfield Road, Bloxwich, Walsall, West Midlands WS3 3LU

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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 22 and 23 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Millfields Nursery is a special place for children to learn, play and grow. They flourish due to the standard of education and care that they receive. There is an incredibly inclusive culture which nourishes the whole community. Children, including those with a wide range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. The school’s motto of ‘we play, learn and achieve together’ is embodied throughout all the school’s work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children love coming to school. They cannot wait to come into the nursery school every day with smiles on their faces. They settle quickly and are fully involved in exciting learning experiences from the moment they arrive. Music and rhymes are heard being sung throughout the day. Staff set a high standard for behaviour, which all children follow. Children are incredibly independent and can fetch and tidy the resources they need themselves. The ‘tidy up team’ makes sure the rooms are neat and tidy at the end of sessions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent’s comment was typical when they said, ‘Our child strolls into nursery every day happy and we know they enjoy themselves when they are there.’

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better?

The school is highly ambitious for all its children. It has implemented many improvements to the curriculum since the previous inspection. The passion and motivation shown by governors and staff for giving every child an exciting education is evident.

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better?

The curriculum has been designed to ensure that children develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education. For example, communication and language underpin the whole curriculum. Stories, rhymes and songs form a central part of this. Staff have skilfully chosen books and rhymes to develop children’s early reading and language skills. Children begin to develop a lifelong love of books. When they are ready, children learn about the individual sounds which make up words. Similarly, in mathematics, children learn and practise counting, recognising shapes and measuring activities throughout the day.

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better?

Staff use the new curriculum information to plan interesting and engaging activities for children. They make sure all areas of learning are covered in enough depth. Staff are particularly adept at making sure children learn well during ‘focus group’ time at the start of sessions. They plan many activities to develop important skills and knowledge while children are playing and learning. However, on occasion, some opportunities to develop children’s knowledge is missed during these times.

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better?

Staff know the children extremely well. They use a wide range of information to understand the children’s needs both educationally and personally. This information 22 and 23 May 2024

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is then used to plan suitable learning and activities for the children. Staff also gain valuable information from parents. Parents attend regular ‘story cafes’ which helps them how to understand and support children’s learning at home.

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Provision for children with SEND is very strong. Children’s additional needs are identified quickly, often before they arrive at the school. Children with SEND receive the right support to help them access the full curriculum. For example, some receive specialist support in the sensory room and are then well supported to learn alongside their peers in all other areas of the school. This ensures that all children are well prepared to move on to primary school.

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Staff support for children’s wider personal development is exemplary. For example, children’s particular talents are spotted early and nurtured. This means that many children are well placed to develop these talents when they move to primary school. Children understand the need for good oral health. They say, ‘you’ve got to brush ‘em twice a day’. Children often choose the trips that they want to go on. The whole school community enjoys an annual trip to the seaside.

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Staff value leaders’ consideration as well as the time they are given to plan and assess. They are provided with many opportunities for further professional development. Staff morale is high, and this positivity permeates throughout the school.

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Governors are highly committed. They use their specific skills and knowledge of the community to provide effective challenge and support for the school. The local authority also provides accurate and useful oversight for the work of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, staff do not always plan activities that help children to remember what they have learned. This means that children do not always get the most benefit from their learning and play. The school should ensure staff support children’s learning across the day.

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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. 22 and 23 May 2024

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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 and 23 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school provides before- and after-school care.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher, the nursery teacher and a room leader.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in communication and language, physical development and expressive art and design. Inspectors visited adult-directed 22 and 23 May 2024

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sessions and observed continuous provision, scrutinised curriculum documents and talked with staff about the way these areas are planned and taught. Inspectors also spoke with children about their learning.  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice chair of the governing body. He also held telephone conversations with the local authority and the school’s improvement partner.  Inspectors considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. An inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher about the school’s safeguarding procedures. He reviewed policies and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour, training and attendance. Inspectors observed daily routines and spoke to staff about pupils’ safety.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s

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improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings, a range of policies and information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Barry Yeardsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Dukes Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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