Huntingdon Federation Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 November 2023

Every child coming to this nursery school is instantly made to feel welcome. They quickly settle and become a valued member of their class. Adults are very attentive to children's needs. They want every child to succeed. All children have a means to be heard and listened to. For example, children learn to communicate through speech, use of pictures or sign language. It makes all children feel safe to express their thoughts and feelings. They do so with self-control. They trust adults will help them. Learning happens in an environment which is calm and purposeful. Children look forward to coming to nursery. They delight in seeing their friends and staff. Close bonds are formed. Children play happily and kindly together. All children follow routines and expectations exceptionally well. Engaging learning opportunities often reflect the children's interests. Children enjoy their snack time with their key-worker group. This is much more than just having fruit and a drink. It is a crucial daily routine to ensure that all children learn how to socialise, talk, show respect and rehearse previous learning. Children quickly feel they belong here. Every child gets a regular turn to be a helper. Children love having their birthdays celebrated. They have enjoyed drumming workshops and meeting a local farmer.

What the school should improve

• Some aspects of the curriculum are currently being reviewed. This means that not all staff are fully aware of the detailed knowledge they need to teach at what stage in a few curriculum areas. This limits how well-prepared children are for the next stage of their education in these areas. Leaders need to complete this work as soon as possible and ensure that all staff know explicitly the depth of knowledge children need to achieve these updated curriculum expectations.
• Some activities or interactions with children are not always precisely matched to their specific learning needs. This means some opportunities to develop children's knowledge are not maximised or learning is not extended further. Leaders need to continue to provide bespoke training to all staff to ensure that all learning opportunities address specific gaps and extend children's understanding.
• Governors are not fulfilling their statutory duties as well as they could. They are not holding leaders well enough to account or monitoring safeguarding processes with sufficient rigor. Governors should ensure that they source appropriate support to gain the expertise needed to fulfil their strategic and statutory roles effectively.

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