Phoenix Nursery School

Overview

Phoenix Nursery School continues to be a good school, described as a “nurturing and safe place” with strong relationships between adults, children, and parents. The curriculum is carefully considered, particularly in mathematics and communication, though inconsistencies in planning and behaviour management hinder some learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Parents are “extremely positive” about the school, noting that “staff are caring and welcoming.”
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive quick identification of needs and appropriate support, such as using signs and symbols.
• Staff effectively help children build communication and language skills, encouraging new vocabulary and sentence construction.
• Leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being, ensuring staff feel valued and engaged in improvement efforts.
• Children benefit from a wide range of experiences, including visits to an outdoor learning centre and links with a local secondary school.

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure curriculum thinking precisely identifies key content and timing, as staff are sometimes unsure what to teach in certain areas.
• Staff need to consistently plan activities that extend teaching points during learning and play to maximise children’s benefit.
• Staff must apply school rules consistently so children always understand expected behaviours.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”