South Normanton Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 May 2024

Children love to learn at South Normanton Nursery School. They get started on their 'learning adventure' as soon as they arrive. They learn how to play alongside each other. Adults teach children to consider how their friends might be feeling. Children learn to 'use their words' to sort out small disagreements by themselves. The two simple rules, 'good learning' and 'be safe', are understood by all. Children recognise that these help them to live well together. Adults teach children to look after the space around them, inside and out. For example, children choose to clear up sand which has fallen out of the sandpit. They join in tidy-up time with real purpose to keep the nursery safe. The school wants all children to be well prepared for Reception. Staff share high expectations of what children will be able to do independently. Much work has gone on recently to improve the curriculum. This work is not yet complete. Parents and carers have high praise for the nursery. They say that children's special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are spotted straight away. Communication is a strength. Parents say that any anxious feelings soon disappear and describe the setting as 'the perfect start' to their child's education.

What the school should improve

• Children do not always get the chance to recall and use the words or signs that they are learning when they are talking with adults. Therefore, opportunities for children to express themselves are occasionally lost. The school should make sure that adults' expectations of children's expressive language are consistently high and that all children are given the chance to practise using rich vocabulary and important signs.
• The work on the new curriculum sequence is not yet complete. In a few areas of learning, the component elements are not yet as clearly identified as they are in others. The school should complete these refinements to ensure that all adults know precisely what children should learn next. It should ensure that all staff have the expertise to make checks on how well the children are gaining this knowledge.

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