Lark Hill Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Lark Hill Nursery School Northgate Road, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9PH

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Outcome

Lark Hill 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 get off to a flying start at this school. The school is highly ambitious for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It has a vision to create a caring community of curious learners. The school realises this vision through the aspirational curriculum that skilled staff bring to life for children. Children achieve extremely well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s high expectations of behaviour help children to cooperate when they learn and play together. Staff promote positive behaviour consistently well from the moment that children join as two-year-olds. Children acquire the language and gestures that they need to express their emotions. They seek out trusted adults to help them with any worries or concerns. Children show excellent manners and say ‘thank you’ and ‘please' when sharing out food during mealtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn how they can help others through acts of kindness. For example, they visit the residents of a local care home to sing songs to them. Children learn how to make a positive contribution to their community. This includes activities such as carrying out litter- picks in the local area to help improve the environment.

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

The school’s curriculum is carefully designed to meet the needs and interests of all children. The school has carefully considered what two-year-old children should learn. This includes adapting the curriculum for any children who join with gaps in their knowledge and skills. Throughout the nursery, the curriculum builds very effectively on 13 May 2025

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children’s previous learning. Meticulous consideration has been given to this across the different areas of learning.

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Staff are highly trained in educating young children, including two-year-olds. Many are experts in their field. Extremely effective approaches swiftly identify any gaps in children’s knowledge. Staff’s detailed understanding of individual children’s next steps informs high- quality learning activities. These activities help children to thrive and be exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The school has effective systems to identify and support children’s additional needs. Carefully considered resources ensure that children with SEND access the same curriculum as their classmates. Parents and carers of children with SEND greatly value the school’s support for them. This helps parents to support their children and their learning at home.

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The development of children’s communication and language skills flows through the different areas of learning. Staff explore and develop children’s vocabulary through very well considered activities and nursery rhymes. Children delight in listening to different stories being read to them, which are full of new and interesting words.

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The school’s clear rules and routines help to create purposeful classrooms in which children are keen to explore and learn. Children act sensibly and are supported well by staff to learn how to share, take turns and work together as a team to solve problems.

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Staff expertly craft opportunities for children to become increasingly resilient. For instance, the outdoor area provides a range of physically challenging activities. Children show great determination in using their strength and balance to succeed at these. Children begin to learn about the world around them. This includes outings to local shops and the community library. Visitors to the school include musicians and people who introduce the children to different kinds of animals.

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Governors work in close partnership with the school to make sure that the excellent standard of education is maintained. Collaboration and research with other organisations such as universities further enhances the quality of the school’s provision. Leaders at all levels are focused on giving children the best possible start to their learning.

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Staff are extremely proud to work at the school and value the consideration and support that the school shows towards them. They appreciate the school’s actions to keep paperwork to a minimum. This ensures that staff use most of their time helping children learn.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 May 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 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 December 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). 13 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.larkhill-nur.stockport.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides educational provision for two-year-old children.  The school does not currently make use of 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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some children about their learning and looked at samples of children’s work.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority. 13 May 2025

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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 observed children’s behaviour in lessons.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Maria McGarry Ofsted Inspector 13 May 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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