Houghton Le Spring Nursery School

Overview

Houghton Le Spring Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at its previous inspection, which judged it outstanding for overall effectiveness. Leaders and staff remain highly ambitious, delivering a curriculum that is carefully tailored to children’s needs and ensuring exceptional support for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• The curriculum is constantly reviewed and strengthened, with staff using evidence-based research to enhance subject knowledge, particularly in mathematics.
• Communication and language development is prioritised, with staff expertly engaging children in meaningful conversations and using props to capture interests during story times.
• Support for children with SEND is excellent, featuring highly inclusive provision, adapted teaching, and the use of Makaton or visual prompts to aid understanding.
• Children develop resilience and independence through well-planned outdoor experiences, including visits to parks, farms, and forest areas, where they are encouraged to take well-managed risks.
• Parents are typically extremely positive about the education their children receive, feeling welcome and appreciating that staff place the children’s hearts at the centre of all they do.

Areas to improve

• A very small number of parents feel that communication with the school could be strengthened.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.