Monkchester Road Nursery School

Overview

Children “enjoy coming to this school” and build positive relationships with staff, benefiting from consistent routines and high expectations. However, the quality of education and leadership require improvement because teaching is not well matched to children’s needs, particularly in language development, which limits their preparation for the next stage of education.

Strengths

• Children behave well and settle quickly, supported by “positive relationships with their key workers” and consistent daily routines.
• Personal development is well considered, with staff promoting healthy eating, safety awareness, and understanding of diverse families.
• Early reading is prioritised, with children enjoying “familiar stories, rhymes, and songs” and role-playing to engage with story language.
• The needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly, with leaders working closely with external specialists.
• Parents and carers are positive about their child’s experiences, and staff feel well supported by governors.

Areas to improve

• Ensure staff have the guidance and expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively, focusing on intended learning outcomes.
• Develop children’s communication and language through better modelling and extension of words and phrases in day-to-day interactions.
• Provide regular opportunities for sustained play so children can make their own choices and develop creativity and critical thinking.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, although there are inconsistencies in how checks on adults are carried out and in the consistent following of procedures and record-keeping by all staff.