Horsham Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 May 2025

Children enjoy coming to Horsham Nursery School. They are inspired and engaged by the wide range of activities and experiences on offer to them. The nursery is a hive of happy, purposeful activity. Carefully chosen resources help children to extend their play, skills and confidence successfully across all areas of learning. Children enjoy learning about the world around them through regular trips, for example to the nearby duck pond. Children develop nurturing relationships with adults who know them well. Staff model kind, polite language and children typically mirror this. Mostly, children behave well. They say 'please' and 'thank you' and take turns when playing games. If children find being together or sharing difficult, staff gently guide them so that play is generally harmonious. As a result, the nursery is a happy place where children feel safe and secure. The school develops strong relationships with families from the moment children start Nursery. Parents and carers are positive about the provision. They appreciate the care and kindness that help their children to feel comfortable, secure and make progress. A parent summed this up by saying, 'Our child goes in happily each day and shares with excitement all the things she does.'

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, the school does not ensure child-initiated activities are adapted to focus on children's individual needs. This means that children do not always benefit from these sessions to secure the important knowledge and skills they are taught. The school should ensure that all staff have the expertise to use their knowledge of children's development needs precisely to help children build on their existing skills and knowledge.
• Sometimes, some staff do not support children in line with the school's agreed approaches to behaviour. This means that, occasionally, some children do not always experience consistency and find it difficult to learn important learning behaviours. The school should continue to ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skill to apply the approaches that are laid out.

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