Woodfield Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woodfield Nursery School Sefton Street, Brierfield, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 5BE

p.1

Outcome

Woodfield Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy at Woodfield Nursery School. They arrive full of enthusiasm and confidently say goodbye to their parents and carers. The school’s vision, ‘helping every star to shine’, is at the heart of everything that this school does. Staff get to know each child well. Relationships between adults and children are strong. Staff ensure that their interactions with children are consistently positive. These secure relationships help children to thrive.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all children. These expectations are reflected in the school’s curriculum. Children rise to the school’s ambitions. Typically, children move on to primary school ready for the next stage of their learning.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Children behave well. They are curious and respectful. Children learn and play alongside their friends with care and kindness. They ask questions and encourage visitors to join in with their learning. When children need help with their emotions, the school supports them well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Children enjoy playing and exploring in the school’s spacious outdoor areas. They take part in outdoor activities that help them to learn more about the natural world. For example, children benefit from working in the school woodland area. This helps them to become resilient and nurtures their imagination.

p.1

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

A broad and ambitious curriculum helps children, including two-year-olds, to achieve well. Since the previous inspection, the school has thought carefully about the skills, knowledge and language each child needs to be successful. It has a detailed and secure 29 April 2025

p.1

2

understanding of children’s starting points. This helps staff focus on what children need to learn next to meet the aims and ambitions of the curriculum.

p.2

2

Staff benefit from high-quality training. In the main, staff deliver the curriculum well. However, at times important knowledge that children need to learn is not revisited or reinforced. This means that some children do not deepen their knowledge as well as they could.

p.2

2

The school prioritises children’s communication and language development. Children enjoy listening to stories and rhymes. The school has carefully chosen the core books that children will access as part of the curriculum. These include books that reflect and celebrate the diverse nature of the setting and the wider community. The school ensures that story times are a special part of each day. Staff help children, including two-year- olds, to know and remember key vocabulary and information, such as the title and characters of stories. Children love books and reading.

p.2

2

Typically, staff address any gaps in knowledge and vocabulary that children have. However, in a small number of areas, staff are not as clear on what children do and do not know. This is because the school does not check on what key knowledge children have learned in these areas.

p.2

2

The needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified. The school seeks the advice of external professionals to make sure that appropriate support is put in place swiftly. These children benefit from the support that they receive. This ensures that they can access the same curriculum as their peers.

p.2

2

Staff skilfully and sensitively teach children the expectations for their behaviour. Two-year- old children learn how to share and take turns. Staff gently and patiently support children to develop their independence. They encourage children to try and put their coats or aprons on. Adults intervene effectively when children find these tasks challenging. Children persevere and show pride when they master these skills.

p.2

2

The school has thought carefully about children’s wider development. Children have the opportunity to try as many new activities as possible. This helps them to develop new interests. Children learn about diversity among people and families. They know that there are people in the community who can help them, such as firefighters and librarians.

p.2

2

Governors use their expertise to provide the school with effective support and challenge. Staff speak very positively about the school. They praise the support that they receive to reduce their workload so that they can be more focused on children’s learning.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 April 2025

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the opportunities and activities provided are not used to reinforce and deepen important learning. Therefore, some children do not learn the intended aims of the curriculum as effectively as they could. The school should ensure that staff develop the skills and expertise required to deliver the curriculum consistently well through the learning opportunities and experiences provided.  In some areas of learning, the gaps in children’s knowledge are not effectively identified and addressed. As a result, some children do not develop a secure knowledge base on which to build future learning. The school should ensure that gaps in children’s learning and understanding are identified and addressed in a timely way so that they are well prepared for their next steps.

p.3

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 good for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 29 April 2025

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 29 April 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and some other members of staff have been newly appointed to the school.  Several governors, including the chair of governors, have been appointed since the previous inspection.

p.5

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. 29 April 2025

p.5

6

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other school leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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 reviewed documentation, which included leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documentation relating to children’s behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors visited classrooms and the outside areas. They spoke with staff and considered a range of curriculum documentation.  Inspectors spoke with children and observed their behaviour as they played in the

p.6

6

nursery. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with parents and carers during the inspection. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

p.6

Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Donna Thorpe Ofsted Inspector 29 April 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7