Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School

Overview

Children are described as “happy” with a “strong sense of belonging” in this caring nursery school. However, the report states that “due to weaknesses in the design of the curriculum and how it is implemented, children do not learn as well as they should.” Consequently, the quality of education and leadership require improvement, despite good behaviour and personal development.

Strengths

• Children “happily wave goodbye to their parents” and feel secure because staff “get to know children well.”
• The school provides enriching experiences, such as trips to forests and farms, which “broaden their awareness of animals and nature.”
• Staff “foster children’s love of reading,” with books “prominently placed” and children enjoying stories and songs.
• Children develop independence through self-care skills, such as “handwashing and toileting,” and helping at snack times.
• The school “prioritises identifying children’s additional needs early” and works effectively with external agencies to support children with SEND.

Areas to improve

• The curriculum is “not well designed,” meaning staff lack guidance on “what children should learn and the order that it should be taught.”
• The curriculum is “not delivered consistently well,” and the school is “not as effective as it should be at evaluating the implementation.”
• Staff do not “check closely enough how well children develop and secure new knowledge,” hindering the identification of learning gaps.

Safeguarding

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