Ashfield Nursery School

Overview

Ashfield Nursery School is a “diverse and inclusive” setting where children are “happy and safe” and demonstrate “enthusiasm for learning.” The inspection confirms that the school maintains high expectations, with many children achieving well and making “clear progress” between playgroup and the end of Nursery.

Strengths

• Staff build “positive relationships” with children and families, fostering a “strong sense of community.”
• Personal, social and emotional development is a strength; children “behave very well,” play cooperatively, and show “perseverance and resilience.”
• The curriculum is “coherently planned and sequenced,” using “carefully chosen books” to foster an early love of reading and prepare children for phonics.
• Leaders have a “clear vision,” and governors offer appropriate challenge while understanding their statutory duties.
• Children benefit from enriching experiences beyond the academic curriculum, including music sessions and opportunities to develop citizenship skills in the gardens.

Areas to improve

• The school must address “variation in the quality of the implementation of the curriculum,” as adults sometimes miss opportunities to extend children’s language and learning despite training.
• Support plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) need refinement, as current targets are “too broad and are hard to measure,” preventing these children from achieving their potential.

Safeguarding

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