Lydalls Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 October 2023

Children have a wonderful time at Lydalls Nursery. Each day, staff give them a warm welcome. Children settle quickly, keen to share their news and participate in the many exciting activities waiting for them. Adults know children and their families remarkably well. Staff provide children with high-quality care and guidance. As a result, children are well cared for and safe. Children love learning. They demonstrate highly positive attitudes towards tasks and are very engaged. Children settle to activities for sustained periods, showing perseverance and resilience when things do not go as planned. They know how to get help to find a solution, if they need it. Leaders provide children with a plethora of rich learning experiences. These include a visit from a local farm and trips to a local theatre. Leaders also plan engaging activities to stimulate learning such as eggs hatching and raising chicks. Children enjoy participating in forest school, which develops their wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Many commented on the broad range of activities and opportunities given to the children. One parent, reflecting the views of many, referred to the 'excellent teachers who really care about the children's holistic development'.

What the school should improve

• The curriculum is new and does not consistently provide adults with precise guidance on the knowledge children are to learn in all the specific areas of learning, such as understanding the world. As a result, children are not achieving as well as they could. The school should be clear about the specific sequence of knowledge they want children to learn across this part of the curriculum, so that children learn as effectively as they currently do in the prime areas of learning.

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