St Bernadette's Nursery School

Overview

St Bernadette’s Nursery School is described as having a vision that is “shared and understood” and embedded in a “child-centred ethos.” The inspection highlights a “warm, welcoming, calm environment” where children are “happy, loved” and feel a strong “sense of belonging.”

Strengths

• Staff create a nurturing atmosphere where children are “very well settled and happy,” engaging readily with peers and adults.
• The school provides “highly effective” support for children with special educational needs, aided by staff’s deep knowledge of individual learning styles.
• “High quality, supportive interactions” and the use of open-ended questions enable children to make “significant progress” in their learning.
• The outdoor learning areas are “inviting and stimulating,” supporting the school’s ‘Forest Schools Northern Ireland’ accreditation and child-led play.
• Strong relationships underpin a true “community of learning,” with parents actively engaged through initiatives like “Time Together” sessions.

Areas to improve

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

The report states that “arrangements for child protection align to the current statutory guidance.”