Lane Head Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Lane Head Nursery School High Road, Willenhall, West Midlands WV12 4JQ

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Outcome

Lane Head 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 flourish at Lane Head Nursery School. They feel safe, happy and well cared for. A strong sense of community permeates the school. Many parents expressed, ‘We are one big family here.’ The values of ‘Love, Hope, Peace and Joy’ are woven throughout all that the school does. Positive relationships enable children to thrive both academically and personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has exceptionally high expectations for all children. Staff support children’s learning and personal development skilfully. Children rise to these expectations, engaging in learning with enthusiasm, accessing resources well and taking pride in what they do. For example, in activities related to early mathematics, children confidently explore mathematical concepts using hands-on materials. Children show a growing understanding of the important knowledge they are learning through this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children’s behaviour is exemplary. They are kind, considerate and respectful towards one another and staff. They engage well in activities. Their interactions during play are cooperative and positive. Instances of challenging behaviour are rare. These are managed swiftly and sensitively by staff, who provide consistent and nurturing support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn to be responsible citizens. The school offers a range of enriching and exciting opportunities beyond the classroom. These include community walks, visits to local services and ‘adventure time’. Such experiences broaden children’s horizons, foster their curiosity and develop their keenness to explore. 7 May 2025

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that helps children to build on their knowledge and skills, step by step, as they grow and develop. This ensures that children reinforce and build on their previous learning. In creative play, for example, children’s knowledge of how to create their own paintings through their use of colour mixing progresses to more complex tasks such as creating collaborative art pieces in the style of Monet and Picasso. Children develop curiosity and interest in the world around them. For example, through ‘tiny wonder times’, they explore how potatoes grow. This develops their interest in growing their own fruit and vegetables in their outdoor garden.

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

The school provides staff with regular, high-quality training. This equips them well to teach the curriculum with confidence. Staff demonstrate consistently strong knowledge of the curriculum and child development. Staff support children extremely well in their learning. They skilfully model and teach children through play. Staff develop and adapt learning opportunities for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

The school has carefully designed classrooms so that high-quality resources are readily accessible to children. Children select resources with confidence. They use objects such as pebbles to help them to count. Children consistently demonstrate high levels of independence in their learning. They remain focused on their play for sustained periods. Staff routinely develop and enrich learning opportunities based on children’s interests and curiosity. Children confidently explore new ideas and learn to solve problems together. They cooperate well in groups to find imaginative solutions in their games, for example using construction kits to build storage for the builder’s yard.

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

The development of children’s communication and language is a priority. Interactions between staff and children are of a high quality. In the role-play area, staff emphasise words such as ‘prepare’, ‘hot’ and ‘delicious’. Through carefully targeted physical activities, adults expertly use positional language such as ‘under’, ‘over’ and ‘next to’. Children have regular opportunities to hear and practise new words and different sentence structures.

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

Early reading is a strength. Stories, rhymes and songs are selected so that children experience high-quality opportunities for language development. Children listen attentively as adults read to them. They enjoy voting for the books that are read during these highly engaging story times. Teaching staff provide opportunities for children to identify environmental sounds. This prepares children well for future phonics learning.

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

The school ensures that children with SEND are identified effectively and receive exceptional support. Staff work closely with families and external specialists so that children with SEND can access the full benefits of the school’s curriculum. Staff are sensitive to each child’s unique needs, fostering children’s independence and confidence skilfully.

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

Children’s behaviour is exemplary. Teachers model high expectations for behaviour. They skilfully use ‘emotion zones’ to help children to understand and explain how they are 7 May 2025

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feeling. Children’s attendance at school is improving. They are eager to attend and enjoy their time here. The school works with families to encourage and support regular attendance. Attendance is improving.

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The school’s provision for children’s personal development is exceptional. It is woven through all aspects of school life. Children develop strong senses of respect and empathy. They enjoy learning about different cultures and communities. Children take part in thoughtful discussions that explore and compare family traditions. Children eagerly take on responsibilities, whether it is helping to tidy up or contributing to group activities, such as ‘pom-pom reward’ time. These opportunities build their leadership skills and confidence.

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The school is committed to continuous improvement. Leaders and staff are proactive in refining these improvements and putting in place actions to maintain the exceptional practice. Governors provide effective support and challenge. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Staff morale is high. Staff feel well supported and appreciate the efforts that leaders make to ensure their well- being is considered.

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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 to be 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in October 2019. 7 May 2025

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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). 7 May 2025

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Lesley Foster

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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.  Inspectors met with the school to discuss its curriculum. They also considered the school’s work on attendance, behaviour, personal development and SEND, including its links with the children’s centre.  The lead inspector met with some governors, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke by telephone with a representative of the local authority. 7 May 2025

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 Inspectors visited learning activities in each classroom and outdoors. Inspectors spoke with some children about their learning.  Responses were considered to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and Ofsted’s staff survey. An inspector spoke with some parents as they brought their children to school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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Inspection team

Joanne Harrison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cathy Young His Majesty’s Inspector 7 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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