Hirst Wood Nursery School

Overview

Hirst Wood Nursery School continues to be a good school, characterised by a strong sense of community where adults treat children with "compassion and care." Leaders maintain high expectations for achievement, ensuring children are well prepared for the next stage of their education through an ambitious curriculum and close collaboration with parents.

Strengths

• Staff build positive relationships that create an environment of "emotional and physical safety" for children.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are "well supported" and given meaningful opportunities to learn alongside peers.
• Leaders prioritise communication and language, using books deliberately chosen to help children "understand their own emotions."
• Staff provide a wide range of enrichment experiences, such as visits from a mobile farm, to broaden children’s understanding of the world.
• Staff feel "well supported" and valued, with leaders giving careful consideration to workload and well-being.

Areas to improve

• In some areas of learning, the "small steps of learning" are not clearly defined, missing opportunities for a highly coherent learning journey.
• The school should ensure greater clarity on the specific knowledge and vocabulary children will be taught in these less clear curriculum areas.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."