Lea Nursery School

Overview

Lea Nursery School is described as a place where children are “well cared for” and feel “welcome and valued.” Following a period of declining standards, the new headteacher has “transformed the culture and ethos,” resulting in a positive environment where parents report their children attend with “smiles on their faces.” The school is currently refining its curriculum to ensure all children achieve the best possible outcomes.

Strengths

• Staff provide empathetic support, helping children build confidence and socialise, particularly those affected by the pandemic.
• The curriculum offers “varied and engaging learning opportunities,” such as observing life cycles and building outdoor dens, which foster creative thinking.
• Leaders prioritise language development through daily story times and interventions, with children enthusiastically retelling stories.
• Safeguarding arrangements are “effective,” with a “knowledgeable and tenacious” designated leader who challenges external services when necessary.
• Governance has been strengthened, with governors now having an “accurate picture of the school” and supporting the leadership vision.

Areas to improve

• Curriculum plans lack precision regarding the “small steps of learning” and intended knowledge, leading to activities that do not always build cumulatively on what children already know.
• Staff need clearer guidance on the specific “vocabulary and syntax” children should learn, as some children with less developed speech do not catch up as well as they might.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that staff are well trained to spot signs of concern and know how to report them appropriately.