Headington Quarry Nursery School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School Quarry School Place, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 8LH

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Outcome

Headington Quarry Foundation Stage School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children have an excellent start to their education at this inclusive and welcoming school. The vibrant community environment ignites children’s curiosity, fostering an irresistible enthusiasm for learning. Children love coming to school. They thrive because their needs are met exceptionally well. The school is a happy place where children feel safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The staff have clear expectations and ensure that all children achieve highly. Children’s behaviour is exemplary. They learn to be kind to one another and behave sensibly. Staff maximise opportunities to develop children’s language, speech and communication through engaging in high-quality conversations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school uses a nearby woodland area really well to enhance the meaningful and deliberate links within the curriculum that help children learn about the awe and wonder of nature. For example, children learn about different seasons, minibeasts and fire safety around the campfire.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know children and their families exceptionally well. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They value the care and support that ensure children enjoy coming to school. One parent summed this up by saying: ‘The staff here are fantastic; they go above and beyond to ensure my child is happy, safe and achieves his learning potential.’

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

The school has a deep knowledge of how young children develop and learn. The curriculum is highly ambitious. It is carefully considered and meticulously designed, taking account of the small steps of knowledge and skills children need to acquire. Adults show a 2 July 2024

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passion and determination to make a positive difference for children. This is seen in the precisely tailored, high-quality environment that has been created to support all children in learning the inspiring curriculum. Children learn a strong body of knowledge systematically over time. The curriculum prepares children remarkably well for their next stage of learning.

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Developing children’s communication and language is a priority. Children learn diligently to communicate their ideas and needs to others. Adults help build children’s language skills by talking about what they are doing. For example, they ask thoughtful questions, model speech and introduce new words. Staff listen intently to children and respond to them skilfully. For instance, adults use gestures and picture cards to support those children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), in communicating successfully. Children enjoy sharing high-quality texts. Books are selected carefully to introduce new words each week that complement children’s current learning. Staff are highly ambitious in the language they use with children, for example talking about being a ‘protester’ when learning about environmental ‘pollution’, how to be safe around ‘stinging nettles’ and the dangers of breathing in ‘exhaust fumes’.

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Diverse stories provide rich experiences for children to think about different faiths and religions. They listen well to stories with great interest and attention. Staff expertly model and engage children in role play to deepen their learning across the curriculum.

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Children develop a secure and strong understanding of number and shape. Mathematics teaching is threaded throughout the daily activities, to lay a firm foundation for children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. Children use mathematical language confidently, such as when learning about capacity. They discuss their estimations in problem-solving activities enthusiastically. For example, they talk about how many spoonfuls of sand it will take to fill a tray, before checking to see if they are correct.

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Children develop their confidence in taking and managing their own risks when playing. They show high levels of resilience during their outdoor play. The wide range of activities enables children to learn new things while having fun. For example, children challenge themselves to use the monkey bars and ride the trikes. Throughout these times, staff support children in managing risks and staying safe.

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The school is a hive of activity. Children are proud of their achievements. Many show remarkable focus and sustained concentration because they are engrossed in their activities. Children enjoy learning and collaborate exceptionally well with each other. This is because staff teach children how to manage their own feelings and behaviour successfully. Children receive high levels of care, supported by clear routines.

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Parental engagement is a key part of the school’s work. Home visits support staff to identify children’s educational starting points precisely. This includes the vigilant identification of any additional support a child might need when joining the school. The school acts quickly to support these pupils. They receive an adapted curriculum that enables them to learn alongside their friends. Staff give all children exemplary support to build their skills, knowledge and confidence. 2 July 2024

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Children benefit from the well-considered opportunities the school provides for their personal development. For instance, farm animals visit the school and children learn about caring for and feeding them. They also learn about people’s important roles, such as shopkeepers, by making educational visits around the local area. They learn about reducing risk in situations such as those involving being online, road safety and when using tools.

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Children benefit immensely from the excellent education they receive. Staff are proud to be part of the school. They appreciate the professional development to continue to be highly effective. Those responsible for governance are passionate about providing an outstanding quality of education and care for all pupils.

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

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in May 2015.

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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 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 2 July 2024

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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). 2 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Catherine Burton

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School details

Website www.headingtonquarry-nursery.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school provides wraparound childcare before and after-school.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, lead teacher and staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication and language, mathematics and personal, social and emotional development. For each deep dive, the 2 July 2024

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inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, talked to children, visited classrooms and the outdoor learning area.  Responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, including parents’ free-text comments, were considered. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. An inspector spoke with parents at the start of the morning session.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; evaluated safer recruitment practices; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; met with the designated safeguarding lead; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Darren Aisthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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