Croyland Nursery School & Day Nursery

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Croyland Nursery School & Day Nursery Croyland Road, Croyland Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 2AX

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Outcome

Croyland Nursery School & Day Nursery 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?

There is a strong sense of community at this school. The school works hard to ensure that all its children are well known and cared for. Parents and carers praise the way that the school keeps them informed of their child’s learning. They say this helps them support their learning at home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is aspirational for its children to achieve highly and be ready for their next stage of learning. The carefully considered and ambitious curriculum helps children to do exceptionally well. The school ensures that all its staff know how to do the best for all of its children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children demonstrate exemplary attitudes towards their learning. This is because learning opportunities are well thought out, fun and exciting. Children are inquisitive and keen to explore their learning further. Carefully crafted activities encourage children to solve problems and be resilient. They develop into independent learners ready for whatever the next step will be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Visitors often come to school to share their lives and cultures. Some share how to do Bollywood dancing and others what life may be like for a Hindu. This helps children to become aware of the wider world. Music sessions creatively support children to learn about turn-taking and to develop confidence. Children enjoy coming to school and are very happy here. 13 May 2025

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

The school is passionate to ensure that children can communicate well. The curriculum sets out the key vocabulary children should become familiar with. This helps children to deepen their spoken communication. The curriculum has story-telling at its heart. Staff read quality texts to the children enthusiastically, encouraging them to retell these stories. They use these texts to generate rich learning opportunities. Further activities bring these stories to life and embed learning.

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

The school has ensured that the curriculum sets out the key knowledge that children need to know at every stage of their development. The school’s ‘image of a child’ document states the key attributes for successful learners such as being prepared to take risks and having a desire to communicate. Staff ensure there are opportunities to develop these characteristics in the activities they create for children. The school checks when each child starts at the school the precise stage of their development. Any gaps in knowledge are identified and resolved.

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

Staff design exceptionally well-considered activities that ignite children’s interests. High- quality, well-chosen resources spark children’s curiosity and imagination. For example, shed spider skins encourage children to ask probing questions about why spiders take their ‘coats’ off. Staff guide their thinking and encourage independent exploration of learning. Staff routinely check how well children are doing through their focused ‘spotlights’. This is an opportunity for all staff to share information about a child’s progress. Staff adapt learning for these children so that they do well here.

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

The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. The school takes the time to understand these children’s needs. Staff adapt learning activities well so that children with SEND are fully included and succeed.

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

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Staff model expectations well. Children learn how to share their feelings and emotions. Relationships between staff and children are warm and caring.

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

The school works closely with its families to ensure that their children attend nursery every day. Staff explore barriers to attendance with them. The school offers high-quality pastoral support where needed.

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

The school is keen to ensure that pupils develop the skills they need for their next steps in life. Children learn to use a knife and fork. Conversations over lunch help them to understand how to interact with each other. Visitors from other cultures and faiths help them understand the diverse world around them. The school provides many opportunities to explore the awe and wonder of the natural world.

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

Leaders at all levels, together with governors, care about their staff. They are ambitious for all staff to have the best professional development. Staff feel well supported and cared 13 May 2025

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for. There is a strong sense of unity in this school. The school has sustained performance since the last inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 13 May 2025

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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

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

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school also provides childcare provision run by the same governing body, for babies and children up to the age of two. Ofsted inspects this provision separately under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006. This provision was last inspected on 21 January 2019 and was judged to be outstanding in all areas.  The school shares the site with Croyland Primary School.  The school is part of the Foundations for Children Nursery Schools Federation. The schools share the same executive headteacher.  Since the last inspection, the school has established, in partnership with the local authority, specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND catering for children with moderate to significant social, communication and interaction needs.  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. 13 May 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the deputy headteacher, the executive headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and a range of other staff.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to children and considered their learning during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with a local authority representative.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted survey for school staff. An inspector spoke informally with parents outside the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered children’s behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and during lunchtime. They scrutinised the school’s records for attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jackie Stirland 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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