St Philips Marsh Nursery School and Barton Hill Childrens Centre/Cashmore Early Years Centre

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 May 2023

Happy smiling children are the norm at this Nursery school. Children are keen to attend and feel safe. Across both sites, staff provide caring support for children and families. Parents and carers are universally positive about their children's experience of Nursery. They feel involved in the school and part of the community. Children learn how to follow routines and take turns. They respond to adult support well. Most flourish, building confidence and independence soon after they join. Children receive a rich and broad curriculum that meets their needs. There are lots of fun activities to extend children's knowledge and experience. Children love finding out new things and making friends. Leaders bring the wider curriculum to life by organising trips, events and experiences. Children celebrate and learn about cultures and faiths that are similar and different from their own. They benefit from learning in the garden, growing and taking care of plants to develop a love of nature. Staff do much to broaden children's interests. For example, children visit a micro-library to develop a love of books. 'Kitchen time' is a highlight for many. This enables children to learn about food preparation and the importance of healthy eating.

What the school should improve

• Some teaching is not shaped precisely to meet children's needs. For example, adults do not facilitate child-to-child interactions consistently well, or there are occasions when teaching does not enable children to have sufficient practice with their speaking or when learning new concepts. Leaders must ensure that all staff have consistently strong knowledge of how to get and keep children talking. Leaders must ensure that teaching focuses on the essential knowledge that children need to know next.

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