St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following themes:

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 progress in leadership and governance – this means how much progress leaders and those responsible for governance have made in ensuring that the provider is meeting all the requirements of successful apprenticeship provision, and is identifying and supporting the needs of apprentices

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 progress in inclusion – this means how much progress leaders have made in identifying the needs of individual apprentices and putting suitable support in place, in particular for those who are disadvantaged, those with SEND or high needs, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face other barriers to their experiences and opportunities, including those without level 2 English and/or mathematics

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 progress in curriculum, teaching and training – this means how much progress leaders and managers have made in ensuring that apprentices benefit from high-quality training that leads to positive outcomes for apprentices

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 progress in ensuring effective safeguarding arrangements – this means how much progress leaders and managers have made in ensuring that effective safeguarding arrangements are in place

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Leadership and governance

Significant progress : progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders and those responsible for governance have a very clear rationale for the apprenticeships they offer to meet the demand for high-quality early years educators and teaching assistants in the Bradford area. They have critically evaluated the effectiveness of the curriculums and accurately identified the need for specific and targeted SEND training alongside education theory and practice. Employers highly value the curriculums St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre, Washington Street, Bradford BD8 9QW

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monitoring inspection report:

3 and 4 February 2026 Monitoring inspection report: St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre 3 and 4 February 2026

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and apprenticeship training and recognise that apprentices quickly become effective employees and educators.

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Leaders and governors ensure that apprenticeships meet the requirements of apprenticeship provision. They have clear oversight of apprentices’ progress and collaborate effectively with apprentices and their employers to plan appropriate support so that apprentices do not fall behind. Almost all apprentices remain on their programme and two-thirds of apprentices have achieved distinctions. Most apprentices who take functional skills English and mathematics qualifications pass their examinations.

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Governors are highly effective in their roles. They have a very thorough understanding of the strengths of the apprenticeship provision. They scrutinise the actions leaders take to make improvements. They recognise and understand exactly why leaders’ actions have a significant and positive impact on apprentices’ progression to careers in education.

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Inclusion

Significant progress : progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices.

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Inclusion

Leaders have firmly established a culture of inclusion that supports apprentices to overcome any barriers they may have to access and succeed in education. They identify and assess apprentices’ needs effectively and use the information they get to plan well- informed inclusive teaching approaches. For example, they discuss adaptations with apprentices who are hearing impaired before agreeing the strategies apprentices feel would best suit them in their on- and off-the-job training. Leaders ensure that tutors, mentors and employers are fully aware of agreed adaptations and that they use these to help apprentices progress in their training without experiencing disadvantage.

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Inclusion

Leaders apply a graduated approach to inclusion where they plan, implement and review the measures in place to help apprentices to overcome barriers. Where additional support is provided, leaders continually assess the impact this has on apprentices’ development. Where the level and type of support an apprentice receives can be reduced, leaders plan this carefully to ensure that each apprentice moves swiftly towards greater independence.

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Inclusion

In planning adaptations, leaders maintain and do not compromise their high expectations for apprentices. All apprentices make at least the expected or better progress as their peers and thrive in their apprenticeships.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Significant progress : progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Leaders skilfully craft the curriculums with local partners to teach precisely the knowledge and skills that employers and local communities need. They draw on the expertise of Monitoring inspection report: St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre 3 and 4 February 2026

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partners such as local authority special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) specialists, who enrich the curriculum with content that is highly pertinent. For example, specialists deliver specific off-the-job training sessions about what constitutes strong SEND practice. Apprentices then use this training to support children in their workplaces effectively. This helps to tackle the critical need for high-quality educators trained in SEND in nursery and school settings in Bradford and the wider local area.

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Tutors plan and teach lessons very effectively. They set weekly tasks to extend apprentices’ understanding of new concepts and learning theory. For example, tutors provide apprentices with sector-led research about effective communication strategies used with children to help them learn. They then set questions which apprentices use as prompts to hold conversations with teachers about the success of the strategies they use in their classrooms. The curriculum seamlessly links apprentices on- and off-the-job training, so they very quickly apply what they learn in their interactions with young children.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders and those responsible for governance have established a culture of safeguarding where the welfare and wellbeing of apprentices of all ages is a high priority. Effective safeguarding procedures keep apprentices safe in their workplaces and when attending off-the-job training in different schools and early years settings. In the rare occurrences where safeguarding concerns are raised, staff quickly notify designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) who provide effective support.

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Safeguarding arrangements

DSLs are appropriately trained in safeguarding and understand their responsibilities. They work closely with partners such as the police when apprentices raise safeguarding concerns to put in place effective actions to support apprentices. Apprentices feel safe and know staff will take any concerns they have seriously.

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Safeguarding arrangements

DSLs engage well with regional Prevent coordinators and disseminate information gained about local risks and those which constitute extremist behaviours to staff, apprentices and employers. Apprentices and their employers are well informed about the need to be vigilant of potential risks in nursery and school settings.

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About this inspection

Ofsted carries out monitoring inspections to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the further education and skills inspection toolkit. The purpose was to report on the provider’s progress in relation to the 4 themes set out above. Monitoring inspection report: St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre 3 and 4 February 2026

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St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre is an independent learning provider offering levy-funded apprenticeships in early years and education through its training arm, ‘Bradford Birth to 19’. It started delivering apprenticeships in September 2024. At the time of the monitoring inspection, there were 57 apprentices, of which 30 were enrolled on the level 3 teaching assistant apprenticeship and 26 on the level 3 early years educator apprenticeship. Fewer than 5 apprentices were enrolled on level 2 early years practitioner. There were 13 apprentices aged under 19. Training is delivered in early years and schools’ settings across the Bradford area.

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Team inspector

Alison Dennis His Majesty’s Inspector Monitoring inspection report: St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre 3 and 4 February 2026

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needs funding at time of inspection

Monitoring inspection report: St Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre 3 and 4 February 2026

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regulates and inspects to 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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