Curzon Nursery School & Family Wellbeing Centre

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Curzon Nursery School & Family Wellbeing Centre Curzon Crescent, Curzon Crescent, London NW10 9SD

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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?

Curzon Nursery School is a calm and welcoming place where children thrive. Staff greet every child warmly, helping them to feel safe and secure. Routines are well established, and children quickly learn how to manage the day. They grow in confidence, independence and kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn how to get along with others and solve problems for themselves. They help one another, take turns and make choices about their learning. Many are already able to suggest strategies to settle disputes or organise shared play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff respond sensitively to each child. Some children are just beginning to learn how to express themselves. Staff adapt their communication skilfully, using gesture, simple language and visual prompts. This helps children to feel understood and to take part fully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children experience a rich and ambitious curriculum. They sing, explore stories and play imaginatively with real purpose. A recent photography project invited children to share images that captured the world through their eyes. These were displayed and discussed, helping children to express thoughts and feelings through art.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak with warmth about the school. They value the care that their children receive and how well staff know each child. Children leave Curzon ready for the next stage of their education. 10 June 2025

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

The school has developed a curriculum that builds carefully over time to support children’s learning as they move through the nursery. Younger children learn the foundations for what comes next, with key skills and knowledge reinforced and extended as children grow. Staff carry out regular reviews to ensure teaching continues to meet children’s needs closely. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, expectations remain high. According to children’s needs, staff may repeat key learning or introduce ideas in smaller steps. They also use specific strategies when needed, such as supporting changes of activities with visual schedules or using physical prompts.

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

Developing children’s communication and language is central to the school’s work. Staff take time to find out about each child before they join the school, speaking to families to understand their children’s early experiences, interests and home languages. This helps leaders to identify any additional support a child may need and target it appropriately.

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

The school makes sure that children get off to a strong start in learning the foundations of reading. Children enjoy listening to stories, sounds and rhymes, which prepares them well for when they move on to their Reception classes. Staff work closely together to choose books and songs that meet children’s needs and interests.

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

The curriculum is rich and thoughtfully constructed to help children learn very well across all areas. Staff make deliberate links between different aspects of learning so that children build knowledge, develop language and express themselves creatively. For example, music is used to support children’s listening and attention, imagination and personal, social and emotional development. This includes through a visiting musician, who works with the children each week. Staff have also been trained to help even the youngest children notice and respond to different sounds, for instance through the use of musical instruments. Children enjoy experimenting with ukuleles, drums and other instruments as part of their creative play.

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

Children are encouraged to be independent from an early age. Even the youngest learn to collect and put away their own resources. Older children serve their own food, get dressed and manage small conflicts with sensitive support from staff. They also enjoy practical experiences, such as helping to prepare food, which promotes their confidence and life skills. Staff model calm, clear language and give children time to think and respond. Over time, children become more capable, curious and assured.

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

The school supports children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children learn about looking after themselves, including brushing their teeth and eating healthily. These habits are woven into daily routines to help children build positive lifelong behaviours.

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

Parents are kept well informed about what their children are learning. They receive regular updates through meetings, newsletters and an online platform, for example. Staff build strong relationships with families and actively involve them in nursery life. This helps children to feel secure and means that parents can support their children’s learning at home. 10 June 2025

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Staff speak positively about the culture of the nursery. They value the attention leaders give to workload, training and teamwork. Staff are proud to work at Curzon and understand the difference their work makes.

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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 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 February 2020.

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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 10 June 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). 10 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with Fawood Nursery School and Family Wellbeing Centre. The two schools share one governing body.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast club on site and access to after-school provision and holiday 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 executive headteacher and her senior team, members of the governing body, including the chair and the vice-chair, as well as a representative of 10 June 2025

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the local authority. They also held a telephone call with an external consultant who works closely with the school.  Inspectors visited lessons and children’s free-flow time, looked at samples of children’s work and spoke to children about their learning.  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.  The inspectors spoke to parents at drop-off and pick-up times and took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector 10 June 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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