The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School Addison Drive, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN2 4LQ

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Outcome

The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At The Lincoln St Giles Nursery School, relationships are always warm and caring. Adults ensure that all interactions with children are positive and affirming. Children quickly learn the school’s code to ‘be safe, be caring and be a good listener’. They know how to use their manners, and to be ‘brave’, ‘proud’ and to ‘keep going’ with their learning. The needs of every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are considered carefully and nurtured. As a result, children thrive in this safe and extremely supportive environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is relentless in its drive to ensure that all children and their families are supported. Parents and carers appreciate this help because it shows them how to support their children at home. Children flourish because the curriculum they learn is focused on ensuring that they are well prepared for their next stage in schooling.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An abundance of learning opportunities awaits the children outdoors. Well-thought-out activities help them to learn about the world. Attending agricultural events and visits from a beekeeper help children to learn about food produce. They enjoy trips to local landmarks, including Lincoln Castle, and learn about life cycles with Cluck Norris, the school’s cockerel.

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

The school’s curriculum expertly links key concepts and knowledge that children need to learn to their stages of development. Children revisit this information repeatedly during their time at the nursery. Nothing is left to chance. The needs, interests and development 5 November 2024

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of children are built seamlessly into the curriculum. As a result, children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language learn a curriculum that closely matches their needs and their stage of development.

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Every opportunity is used to promote children’s language and communication. Adults use children’s independent play, books, rhymes and structured activities to repeat, extend and explore key words. Stories, vocabulary and grammar are carefully ordered to ensure that children build on what they already know. They learn how to listen to adults and to each other. Often, signing is used to help children focus on important words. For example, while playing hide and seek, adults use actions and words to reinforce nouns, positional language and counting with the children.

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Adults have a deep understanding of how children learn and develop. The school’s actions are informed by research-led techniques. It works closely with other organisations to share examples of good practice. Staff also benefit from ongoing training and support to develop their expertise. This collaborative work is valued by staff and has a highly positive impact on the children’s education.

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Parents are encouraged to be part of their children’s learning. For example, during the weekly reading session in the ‘kindness cabin’, families bring in different coloured items to recreate the school’s rainbow logo. They are supported to establish strong routines linked to attendance and punctuality in readiness for statutory schooling. Children can be heard telling their parents to hurry because they ‘don’t want to be late’. When necessary, the school provides extra help for families to ensure that all children come to school every day.

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The nursery curriculum explicitly teaches children key attitudes and behaviours, including how to be an effective learner. Children learn to be resilient and confident. They concentrate well, develop respect for each other and become problem-solvers. They show a sense of awe and wonder in their learning. For example, they marvel at how the colour of water changes as paintbrushes are washed and make links to the smoke from their forest fire when sharing the story about ‘The dragon’s sneeze’.

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The school’s programme for personal development aims to ensure that children understand their own locality as well as cultures that are different to their own. They create paintings for local mental health charities, visit the local library and learn about religious festivals such as Diwali.

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Governors use their clear expertise to support and challenge the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 November 2024

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in January 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 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). 5 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the 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 and other senior leaders. They considered the school’s curriculum, followed by observations of a range of activities in the nursery. Inspectors spoke with children and staff.  Inspectors held meetings to discuss the school’s provision for children with SEND, attendance and behaviour. The lead inspector spoke with an adviser from the local authority, and with representatives of the governing body. 5 November 2024

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also spoke with parents on site.  The lead inspector considered a range of school documents, including information published on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Bentley Ofsted Inspector 5 November 2024

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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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