Cambridge Nursery School

Overview

Cambridge Nursery School is described as a successful and improving setting where leaders have navigated the school onto a "clear and ambitious route of development" following a period where work quality had drifted. The report highlights a culture where children feel they belong, with staff providing "caring, helpful" support that ensures pupils are "noticed, involved and guided."

Strengths

• Leaders and staff possess a "deep knowledge" of children’s backgrounds and collaborate effectively with parents and professionals to support inclusion.
• Children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, "sail forward from their starting points" and achieve well through skilful teaching.
• Behaviour is "very positive," with children described as "calm, kind and cooperative" who follow rules and respect others.
• Staff provide "well-considered support" for personal, social and emotional development, using methods like puppets to help younger children settle.
• Staff morale is high, with leaders modelling respect and ensuring staff receive necessary professional learning.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should refine how staff engage children in "back-and-forth conversation" to further develop communication and language skills.
• The school should strengthen its personal development programme to develop children’s talents and interests to a "greater extent."
• Leaders need to build on attendance evaluations to identify the attendance of different groups of children with "greater clarity."

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" and concerns are actively identified and managed.