Shenley Fields Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Shenley Fields Nursery School Woodcock Lane, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands B31 1BU

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Outcome

Shenley Fields 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?

Children arrive at nursery each morning with beaming smiles on their faces. They look forward to learning new things and spending time with their friends. The well-trained staff create strong bonds with every child, helping them to feel safe. Parents value the nursery’s warm family atmosphere. They appreciate the open communication with staff about their children’s development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take time to understand each child’s individual needs. They work closely with families to support every child. This includes those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children respond to clear routines that are in place and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children enjoy a rich, ambitious curriculum that sparks curiosity and wonder. The children dive into fun activities every day, from freeing frozen penguins trapped in ice to making pretend mud cakes and cooking up tasty Gruffalo crumble. They learn how to be kind to each other, keep each other safe and work together as a team.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn about staying healthy through daily teeth-brushing routines. They learn why eating good food and taking care of their bodies is important. The children show they understand and welcome everyone’s differences, happily playing together and learning about each other’s cultures.

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

The school have created a highly effective learning environment. Children get to explore 3 and 4 December 2024

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and discover new things. They learn important skills through play. Sometimes they choose their own activities. Other times, adults guide them in their learning tasks. As a result, by the time they leave for Reception Year, children are ready for their next steps in learning.

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The staff make the nursery a friendly and welcoming place. Children are supported to learn how their behaviour affects others around them. They show remarkable independence, from putting on wet suits to helping each other during activities. This supportive approach helps children develop positive relationships with each other.

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The communication and language curriculum is particularly strong. Adults weave opportunities for language development throughout the day. Adults choose exciting books like ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’. These stories spark children’s imagination and help them learn new words. Teachers include mathematics in many different activities throughout the day. Children learn about numbers while they play and explore. This helps them understand mathematics in a natural and fun way.

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Adults support early reading skills through carefully sequenced activities. Children enthusiastically take part in phonics games. For example, in a ‘Silly Soup’ game, children happily look for objects that begin with the same letter sound. Adults show children how to say unfamiliar words clearly. They help children explore different letter sounds. This helps children develop a love of reading from an early age.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND promptly. Effective strategies help these children to learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Adults routinely check on children’s development. They observe children during activities to understand their progress across the curriculum. Adults use this information well to plan challenging next steps.

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Staff support children’s broader development through Unicef Rights Respecting work. Children learn to value and respect each other, building a caring community. The children’s steering group helps everyone stay safe. As part of their work, they composed a song to teach parents about parking safely outside the nursery.

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The governing board provides strong oversight of the nursery. Members understand their legal duties and meet regularly to check how well the nursery is doing. The governors carry out their responsibilities effectively to help the nursery run smoothly.

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Staff appreciate how the school prioritise their well-being. They have regular meetings to discuss their work and share ideas. Staff feel this helps create a positive working environment for everyone.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 3 and 4 December 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 school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in November 2014.

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher David Aldworth (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is one of nine nursery schools that form the Birmingham Federation of Maintained Nursery Schools.  The executive headteacher is also responsible for another nursery school in the federation.  The school provides full- and part-time places for children aged two to five years old.  The school does not currently use any 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.  The inspector conducted meetings with key school leaders, including the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, and special educational needs and disabilities 3 and 4 December 2024

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coordinator. A telephone conversation was held between the lead inspector and a local authority representative, alongside meetings with two governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some children about their learning and looked at examples of children’s learning.  The inspector observed children’s behaviour during learning sessions and continuous provision in both the indoor and outdoor environments.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Throughout the visit, the inspector held various staff meetings and analysed feedback from the online staff survey. They also engaged with parents at the start of the school day and considered responses from the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and

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Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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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