Chertsey Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 April 2024

From the moment children arrive at nursery, they are expertly supported by kind and caring staff. Established routines help children to settle quickly into their sessions. Staff know the children well. Adults know when to provide additional time to talk to children about any concerns they may have. Children are happy here. They grow in confidence and enjoy the many exciting opportunities for play and exploration that staff create for them. Children are expected to be kind to each other. Staff offer gentle reminders when necessary and are always on hand to help children understand turn taking or how to be polite and share. This helps children to behave well and feel safe. Disagreements between children are rare and quickly resolved. Staff skilfully anticipate children's needs for rest, snacks or some peace and quiet so that they do not become tired or overwhelmed. Parents like how the school develops children in 'their own personal ways at their own pace'. Parents of children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are particularly positive. One parent captured the views of many in describing how the dedication and care their child had received had resulted in development 'beyond anything we thought he could achieve'.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, the typical sharp focus on communication and language is not always evident. When this happens, opportunities to develop children's vocabulary and sentence development are sometimes missed by a focus on the activity rather than the learning. The school should continue to train and support staff so that there is a consistent focus on developing communication and language across all activities and for all children.
• The school is in the process of refining learning across the curriculum beyond communication and language. Occasionally, staff are not yet as clear about the sequence of development in these other curriculum areas. The school should continue to support staff in building successfully on what children already know and can do across the wider curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)