Highfield Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Highfield Nursery School Finedon Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4AB

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children thrive and are happy in the nursery’s safe and nurturing environment. Staff know the children very well and have high expectations of what each child can achieve. Children benefit from a well-considered curriculum that enables them to fulfil those expectations and make positive progress across all areas of learning. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children respond very well to the daily routines. They settle quickly on arrival and engage meaningfully with the activities provided. Children are typically eager and curious learners. Positive, trusting relationships enable children to interact happily and respectfully with each other and with staff. Well-trained staff use a range of strategies to support any child who may struggle to manage their emotions. As a result, children become increasingly independent and resilient. Their behaviour is excellent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children who are in the early stages of learning to speak English receive skilled support. This enables them to develop their language skills quickly and confidently.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The nursery has a well-established reputation in the community. There are exceptionally strong relationships with parents and carers. This has ensured a positive home–school partnership that enriches the children’s well-being and development.

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

The nursery’s broad and ambitious curriculum has been developed and refined over time. It sets out clearly what children should know, and be able to do, in all areas of learning. 23 April 2025

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The school provides staff with a variety of well-considered training opportunities. These help staff to teach the curriculum with confidence and consistency.

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Staff check children’s learning effectively. Staff use this information to provide each child with a bespoke learning experience that is closely tailored to their needs. The impact of the curriculum on children’s knowledge and skills is strong.

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The nursery has a highly inclusive ethos and culture. This means that all children are welcomed and supported, regardless of their needs or background. Additional needs are identified quickly and skilfully. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive expert support that enables them to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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Promoting effective communication, language and literacy is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Staff continually encourage children’s engagement through stories, rhyme and music. They model the use of key vocabulary. Staff adapt their teaching for any child who needs alternative methods of communication. These include the use of signing, visual prompts or communication boards. Children develop very well as confident communicators.

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The learning environment, including the use of resources, provides children with a wide range of high-quality learning experiences. Staff promote children’s mathematics knowledge effectively in a range of ways. For example, two-year-old children learn about counting and sorting as they find out about ‘minibeasts’ in the outdoor area. Older children hunt for shapes and patterns as they explore the indoor classroom areas. Over time, children build up secure mathematics knowledge and skills.

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The nursery promotes children’s broader personal development exceptionally well. Through the curriculum themes, children learn how to keep themselves safe and to make healthy choices. Children learn about a wide range of religious festivals throughout the year, as well as other notable events in their local and wider community. Visits and visitors enrich the curriculum and broaden children’s experiences beyond their immediate locality.

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The nursery works effectively with families to promote the importance of regular attendance. The attendance of all children, and particularly those who are more vulnerable, is closely monitored.

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All those responsible for leadership and governance have ensured that the nursery has maintained its high standards. They have further strengthened many aspects of the school’s work. Their strong, shared vision puts children’s best interests at the heart of the school. Staff praise the support that they receive for their workload and well-being. They are a supportive, dedicated team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 April 2025

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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 to be good 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2019.

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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). 23 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Cath Draper and Abigail Mosley (co-chairs)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Foundations for Children Nursery Schools Federation comprising four nursery schools. The executive headteacher and the governing body have responsibility for all four schools. The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not make use of 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. 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 executive headteacher and other senior and curriculum leaders. The lead inspector met with the co-chairs of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. 23 April 2025

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 The inspectors visited a sample of lessons and activities, spoke to staff and spoke to some children about their learning.  The inspectors observed children’s behaviour in lessons and at other times around the nursery.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders and staff; and considered the extent to which the nursery has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.

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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Ready Ofsted Inspector 23 April 2025

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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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