Appletree Nursery School

Overview

Appletree Nursery School is rated as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, maintaining high standards since its previous ‘Outstanding’ judgement. The report describes an inclusive environment where children “make a positive start to their education” and settle in quickly. Leaders have developed an “aspirational” curriculum designed to prepare children for the demands of Reception, with a strong focus on building self-esteem and confidence.

Strengths

• Children are “happy” and learn the importance of “sharing and cooperating,” often working together in teams.
• Staff are “well trained” and use assessment information effectively to identify gaps in knowledge, particularly in communication and language.
• The school places “high importance on building children’s self-esteem and confidence” through nurturing staff and broad learning opportunities.
• Governors “challenge and support the school well,” and staff value the training and support they receive.
• Children are “well prepared for the next stage of education,” benefiting from regular attendance and a focus on personal hygiene and cultural celebrations.

Areas to improve

• In a small number of areas, some staff lack the subject knowledge required to teach the curriculum as intended, preventing some children from deepening their knowledge.
• For a very small number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), strategies to aid curriculum access are not consistently applied, hindering their learning.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”