Ofsted
Birchwood Nursery School was last inspected in November 2022, this was an ungraded inspection and the school remains Outstanding. The summary of the key findings from this inspection are:
Children and happy and safe. They settle quickly into school life. They feel comfortable because staff provide them with a great deal of attention and care.
Staff celebrate their efforts and as a result of this children are typically keen to have a go at activities.
Children gain lots from the carefully planned outdoor learning. Children’s vocabulary about the natural world grows because staff explain words carefully. Experiencing nature first-hand helps children to develop a sense of awe and wonder about the world.
Leaders, including governors, have a secure understanding about what makes high-quality learning in the early years. They have created a new curriculum that sets out what they want children to achieve.
Staff work closely with parents, career and external services to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
There is much to praise in the revised reading programme, Leaders carefully selected storybooks they ant the children to know. Staff read these aloud using an expressive voice, which captures children’s interests.
Creative staff set storybooks to music. This helps children to remember key events and vocabulary.
Leaders and their staff support children to behave well. Staff make expectations known through consistent boundaries.
Leaders, including governors, make safeguarding their top priority. The key-worker system ensures that every child has a trusted adult to turn to for care.
Leaders determinedly secure support for vulnerable children and their families. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that children get the right support, at the right time, including their timely liaison with external agencies.
