New Lodge Nursery School

Overview

New Lodge Nursery School successfully delivers a holistic, child-centred vision encapsulated by its strapline “Play, Learn, Belong”. The report highlights a nurturing environment where committed staff foster independence and strong partnerships with parents, ensuring every child feels they “belong”. While the school demonstrates effective practices in supporting diverse needs and celebrating diversity, it is advised to enhance consistency across planning, teaching, and assessment.

Strengths

• Staff maintain high expectations and know children well through home visits and observations, enabling tailored support that fosters independence.
• Language development is a notable strength, with most children using expressive vocabulary confidently in role play and interactions.
• The school embraces diversity and inclusion, celebrating cultural festivals like Diwali and supporting children with special educational needs through visual prompts and adaptive teaching.
• Strong community links, including visits from local professionals and an Eco-school green flag award, enrich the children’s understanding of the world.
• Staff professional learning is embedded well, with strategies such as visuals and timers effectively supporting children’s social and emotional needs.

Areas to improve

• The school must develop further consistency in planning, teaching, and assessment to ensure successful learning for all children.

Safeguarding

The evidence provided demonstrates that the arrangements for child protection align to the current statutory guidance.