Dorothy Gardner Nursery School

Dorothy Gardner Nursery School

Address: 293 Shirland Road, 293 Shirland Rd, London, W9 3JY Unique reference number (URN): 101105

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Exceptional

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are disadvantaged, develop, grow and thrive exceptionally well. They build the knowledge and skills they need across all areas of learning, which ensures they are very well prepared for their transition into primary school.

p.2

Achievement Exceptional

Children develop their language and communication skills from a range of starting points. They communicate effectively with adults and each other. Their confidence and independence when learning is impressive. Children secure the foundations they need in early phonics, early mathematics and vocabulary. Children are highly enthusiastic about learning, and their ability to recall things learned previously demonstrates a level of detail rarely seen with such young children. Those in the 3- and 4-year-old provision can recall learning they did last year and link it to their current learning, for example building their resilience to climb a local tower last year to prepare them to climb Primrose Hill with their families this year. The highly attuned response of staff at every level has a transformational impact on the building blocks for future success.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

While attendance is non-statutory in nursery settings, leaders expect all children at Dorothy Gardner to come to school each day to maximise their learning journey. Staff promote and celebrate attendance through enrichment, trips and workshops. Consequently, attendance figures have risen each year since the pandemic. Staff track absence as part of the whole child picture. When individuals' attendance, or punctuality, falls short of leaders' high expectations, they provide bespoke and highly impactful help to families to reduce the barriers impacting them. This builds sustained understanding and good habits that have a transformational impact on both individuals' attendance and family wellbeing.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Staff make behaviour expectations clear and consistently apply them. The nursery is a calm, orderly and enabling environment that is focused on learning. There is no off-task behaviour. Children are taught to work together, take turns and achieve simple goals. They learn self- control, resilience and the importance of good behaviour. As a result, they are exceptionally well-behaved and independent. On the rare occasion where behaviour falls short of leaders' uncompromising expectations, staff manage this carefully, encouraging the children to understand not only their own feelings, but the feelings of others. For those children that struggle in this area, any changes or challenges in behaviour are scrutinised. Staff then plan and make carefully considered adaptations to enhance each child's wellbeing, regulate their behaviour and support engagement.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

The curriculum the school has developed has been carefully built over time and tailored to the needs of its community. It is precisely sequenced across all areas of the early years foundation stage to support children to know and remember more. The curriculum content is non-negotiable to provide all children with the knowledge they need to progress from the 2- year-old provision through to the 3-year-old provision. It provides children with the practice they need to be very well-prepared for their transition into local primary schools for Reception.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Exceptional

The curriculum is seamlessly and expertly designed to integrate the delivery of learning, support for parents, checking children's progress and staff training. Leaders ensure that staff get the help they need, at the right time, to maximise their knowledge and skills. This enables them to deliver the curriculum to the children with precision. Ongoing assessment of children's progress ensures staff have an in-depth understanding of the bespoke adaptations and tweaks needed to maximise the impact on children's learning from their starting points, particularly in relation to their communication and language and personal development. Parents are directed to the appropriate workshops to extend the learning into the home at the most impactful time. This forensic approach delivers a relentless focus on high-quality learning.

p.3

Inclusion Exceptional

This is a truly inclusive nursery where all children, regardless of the barriers they face to learning, achieve and thrive. The nursery is part of a larger federation of schools that also includes a family hub. This hub provides access to a broader, more precise range of services. Many children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those with additional barriers to learning, are signposted to the nursery through the family hub. This means identification happens before children start nursery, and the offer they receive is tailored to their precise needs from the moment they enter the setting. For example, support is provided through the additional resourced provision, 'Treehouse', or within the main nursery setting. The nursery also provides support for families in the community through a wide range of agencies. This includes access to food vouchers, clothing and furniture, as well as midwifery and counselling services.

p.3

Inclusion Exceptional

Staff training is interwoven with the curriculum so adults have detailed knowledge and understanding of the small steps needed to ensure that all children make progress from their starting points. Children's progress is explored and tracked through a detailed assessment framework, alongside daily staff discussions. These are highly effective in ensuring that the provision offered is skilfully adapted to maximise rapid and sustained progress. Parents are highly appreciative of the help and support they receive. They say it 'helps them to cope and feel normal'.

p.3

Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders and those responsible for governance have forensic oversight of the school. They understand the school’s strengths and the areas they wish to further develop because of the tracking systems they have established and the robust analysis of the data they collect. This provides them with assurance about the impact of their work on children, families and the wider community. Leaders here are never complacent and continually seek to evolve, develop and improve the school's provision. Their decisions are consistently made in the best interests of their children, while also reflecting the needs of families and the wider community. For example, leaders are opening a new provision for children under 2 in September 2026 so they can offer places earlier for those families who need it most. Parents are highly appreciative of the support and nurturing they receive from the nursery. They say it 'goes beyond what they would expect'.

p.3

Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders have expanded the federation to include primary schools as well as nurseries. This has strengthened support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), particularly as they move into primary education. Leaders have worked effectively with the local authority to increase access to specialist resourced provision within federation schools, helping to ensure continuity of support for children with SEND.

p.4

Leadership and governance Exceptional

Staff are committed to the school and its approach. They are passionate that all children will achieve 'no matter what'. Workload and wellbeing considerations are visible in staff structures, training and shared responsibility. Staff described a culture of support where help is always available, workload is manageable, and protected time at the start and end of the day is valued. Training is viewed as helpful and responsive rather than overwhelming, and leaders are attentive to any wellbeing needs.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The support for children's broader development is exceptional. It extends beyond the nursery building and encompasses families and the wider community. Leaders' commitment to their children, families and the community is quite remarkable. It starts with the family hub that provides community links to wider services. This ensures families get the support they need through, for example, speech and language therapists, dentistry, mental health support and housing.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Through the curriculum, the children also learn about being healthy, with daily healthy movers in the outdoor area. They learn to keep themselves safe and when to say 'no', linked to appropriate touch and their wellbeing. Children are also taught to follow instructions and engage in activities for a sustained period of time. They are supported to make friendships and move from playing alongside others in the resourced provision and in the 2-year-old provision, to playing together with friends as they develop.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Children participate in the 'Westminster Children's University'. This is managed and run across the nursery, the wider federation and also supports other schools in London. Children build extended enrichment hours and this involves their families too. It extends the school's universal offer and is available for all children. There are opportunities for trips to the zoo, Winter Wonderland and the cinema. There is also a nursery carnival that involves the local community and celebrates the school's diverse cultural make-up.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

For children who face barriers to learning, staff provide a bespoke package of support that is tailored to children's individual inclusion passports. Families receive guidance to help them implement programmes at home, including speech and language activities and Makaton. Staff also provide personalised support to address specific barriers to development and participation. For example, they help some children gradually become accustomed to haircuts through planned visits to a barber. This highly effective support has a transformational impact on children and their families.

p.4

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

Dorothy Gardner is an exceptional nursery that has a transformational impact on the lives of the children and families it serves. The school's values of ‘respect’, ‘grow’ and ‘unique’ are embodied in everything that they do. There is a feeling of respect and appreciation that permeates through the setting. The children, their families and staff all grow and develop here and the school is truly a unique place to be.

p.5

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

Children are safe and feel safe. Well-established routines, alongside highly effective systems and procedures, ensure that children and families receive timely support when they need it. Children learn to manage their feelings and behaviour well. They develop increasing independence, resilience and self-awareness as they move through the nursery.

p.5

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

The nursery environment has a 'buzz' of learning throughout. Children are deeply engaged in the rich, wide-ranging offer that focuses precisely on building the early foundations needed in communication and language, personal development and coordination. This ensures they are fully prepared for their future learning when they transfer to local primary schools. Those children who struggle in this area are supported precisely to overcome their barriers and engage in the rich offer available to help them thrive.

p.5

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

There is an incredibly broad enrichment offer that goes beyond the expected. This is interwoven through the nursery curriculum at meaningful points. It often involves not just children, but their families as well. For example, there is weekly forest school and yoga, but also trips to the cinema, the zoo and conker hunts which all involve families. The sustained focus on the holistic development of every child, alongside the highly nurturing adult-child relationships, fosters a deep level of trust that means all children flourish here.

p.5

About this inspection

The head of school is Sarah Jupe-Byrne. The nursery school is part of a federation called Connected Futures Partnership. The chair of the board of governors in this school and across the federation is Carol Foyle.

p.5

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

p.5

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteachers, the head of school, the deputy headteacher, and members of staff during the inspection. The lead inspector also spoke with 3 governors, including the chair of governors.

p.5

About this inspection

The school is a maintained nursery school. The school includes provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. During the inspection there were 70 children on roll. The school does not use any alternative provision. Leaders of this school also lead another nursery and the family hub, located in close proximity.

p.5

Lead inspector:

Samantha Ingram, His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Team inspector:

Rutinderjit Mahil-Pooni, Ofsted Inspector

p.6

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.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 2 June 2026

p.6

What does this mean?

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

p.6

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals.

p.6

What does this mean?

Co-executive headteachers: Ben Commins and Aaron Sumner 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.

p.6

What does this mean?

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

p.7

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.

p.7

What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

p.7

What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

p.7

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.8

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.

p.8

Needs attention

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8