Featherstone Nursery School

Featherstone Nursery School

Address: 29 Highcroft Road, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands, B23 6AU Unique reference number (URN): 103139

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders' work on attendance helps children and their families develop good habits in readiness for when children move on to primary school. Leaders and staff celebrate positive attendance and establish a culture where good attendance is a priority. Their meticulous tracking swiftly identifies if attendance becomes a concern. When this is the case, leaders put in place helpful support, often working with wider agencies. This work brings about tangible improvements. Attendance for most children is high, so children get the most from their time at the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Children's behaviour is highly positive. They feel safe and settled and respond well to familiar routines and clear expectations. Children play cooperatively, take turns and begin to share with minimal adult support. Warm relationships between staff and children help create a calm and nurturing environment. Staff take time to make sure they understand children's needs well and make highly effective adjustments that help any children who struggle with their emotions. This helps them to settle quickly and enjoy their learning. Staff support positive behaviour by modelling kindness and encouraging children to interact positively with others. Adults guide children effectively to resolve small conflicts and build friendships. Children with additional needs receive highly tailored and effective support and are included well in activities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusion is a key strength of the nursery. Leaders identify needs early through home visits, parent meetings and information from services such as health professionals and speech and language therapists. They gather detailed information, so they understand each child well. Staff use the assess, plan, do, review process consistently. Children's targets are specific and reviewed regularly with parents and carers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff receive extensive training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use this knowledge to adapt activities and teaching skilfully so all children can take part. Additional support, such as small group sessions and communication and language support, helps children develop skills alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders track the progress of disadvantaged children meticulously. They use this information to plan highly effective support and ensure children and their families access the help they need. Staff work closely with external services and families to provide joined-up support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

All children are included and valued. Staff build positive relationships and create a real sense of belonging. Leaders make effective use of additional funding to support disadvantaged children through resources, staffing and training. Disadvantaged children and those with SEND make steady progress and prepare well for the move to school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders give high priority to children’s personal development and wellbeing. From an early age, children learn to make choices and manage daily routines with increasing independence. Staff support children to build confidence and develop positive relationships. Children from an early age enjoy helping each other with day-to-day tasks and during their learning.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The nursery provides a wide range of experiences that help children grow socially and emotionally. Activities such as outdoor learning, music and cultural events broaden children’s understanding of the world. Children explore, take safe risks and develop resilience through these opportunities. Children and their parents and carers also attend a range of trips and visits. This broadens children's understanding of the world but also supports families to help children with their learning and development.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn about fairness, respect and their rights in ways they understand. Staff introduce ideas about keeping safe, including road safety, privacy and online awareness. These are taught through stories, songs and daily routines. This helps children begin to understand fundamental British values in an age-appropriate way.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pastoral care is a central part of the nursery’s work. Staff know children and families very well and provide support that extends beyond the classroom. They help children manage feelings, build friendships, and feel secure.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Children enjoy mealtimes and social times together. Staff encourage them to try new foods, make healthy choices and develop independence, for example cleaning their teeth together after meals. Children play alongside each other happily and often help one another.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders plan carefully to meet children’s needs and interests. They listen to children and adapt activities to support their development. As a result, children become more confident, independent and ready for their next stage in education.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. They develop language, confidence and social skills over time. Many children begin to communicate more clearly and interact with others. They learn to take turns, share, sustain their concentration and join in with activities more independently.

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Achievement Expected standard

Targeted support helps children who have gaps in their learning to catch up. Small group work and focused programmes support communication and understanding effectively. These approaches particularly help disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities engage in learning and make steady progress from their starting points. Despite this, attainment for some children remains low. This reflects gaps in starting points and additional barriers that some children face. Staff work to address these through careful tracking and support. Overall, children are ready for the move to primary school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an effective curriculum that builds children’s skills step by step from age 2 to 4. It covers all aspects of learning and focuses specifically on language, independence and understanding the world. Consistent daily routines help children feel settled and ready to learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff provide a range of activities that encourage children to explore, play and learn together. In the provision for 2-year-olds, children begin to share, use simple language, learn a range of songs and rhymes and develop control in their movements. In the older group, routines such as counting, story time and singing support learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Most staff model language well and ask questions that help children think and develop their language. However, this practice is not always consistent. At times, adults miss opportunities to extend learning or introduce new vocabulary. In a few cases, subject knowledge is not secure.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use songs and stories to support understanding and keep children engaged. Teaching supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well through adapted approaches and group work. Staff have a secure understanding of each child's barriers and next steps in learning. They plan activities and opportunities that enable children at all stages to progress well across the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders focus on improving the outcomes and experiences for all children. Leaders understand the strengths of the nursery accurately and identify areas that need further work. They know their community well and use this knowledge to guide decisions. Funding is used carefully to provide resources, staffing and training. Leaders also contribute to local networks and support wider early years work within the region.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders monitor teaching, learning, attendance and children's progress closely. They use this information to plan support and continue to improve the provision. They provide extensive training for staff. However, leaders acknowledge that in some aspects of the school's work, there remain some inconsistencies. Staff feel well supported by leaders. Training opportunities link to school priorities and in most cases help staff improve their practice. Staff report that leaders support their wellbeing and workload. There is a positive and open culture across the nursery.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors undertake their statutory duties effectively. They provide support and check key areas such as safeguarding, inclusion, safety and welfare and finance. They understand the context of the nursery and visit to see its work. However, their role in offering challenge, particularly in relation to the quality of teaching and achievement, is more limited. The school establishes positive partnerships with parents and carers, who speak highly of the nursery. They value the care provided and the progress their children make, especially in communication and confidence. They also appreciate the wider support offered to families.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

This nursery sits at the heart of a diverse community and reflects the many cultures of the families it serves. Children arrive happily and settle quickly because staff greet them warmly and know them well. Parents and carers speak positively about the care their children receive and the difference it makes to their confidence, language and communication skills.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children enjoy their learning. They explore a range of exciting activities each day and take part in routines that help them feel safe and secure. They begin to develop independence, for example by choosing activities, managing their own belongings and joining in with more focused group times. They learn to share, take turns and build friendships. Relationships between children and staff are warm and respectful.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children make steady progress from their starting points. They develop language, confidence and social skills over time. Staff work carefully to reduce barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities through consistent routines, familiar songs to support understanding and targeted support. This helps children feel ready for their next steps, including moving on to primary school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children take part in a rich range of experiences beyond the classroom, including outdoor learning and cultural activities. These help them understand the world around them. Pastoral support is a significant strength. Leaders and staff provide extensive support for children and their families that really makes a difference. Parents and carers value this highly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children’s behaviour is highly positive. They respond well to clear expectations and routines. They feel safe and know that adults will help them if they are worried. Bullying does not happen. Staff help children to get along well with one another, understand difference and manage conflict. Promoting positive attendance is a real priority and most children attend regularly.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that all staff use high-quality interactions consistently to extend children’s language, thinking and independence across all areas of learning. Leaders should strengthen professional development and support so that all staff develop their expertise in early child development and apply training consistently in their daily practice.

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Lead inspector:

Catherine Young, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 30 June 2026

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors is Abigail Cartmale.

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About this inspection

The school is part of a federation called the Federation of Osborne and Featherstone Nursery Schools. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs coordinator oversee both settings. There is a shared governing body for both settings.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also spoke with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Sharon Eeles The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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