Nursery World Awards 2022 - Early Years in School

You can download the digital Awards book here

Trinity’s early years team offers bespoke, inclusive and representative provision to meet the needs of its children and families. Its holistic curriculum and texts are reviewed in collaboration with the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) and parents to ensure diversity and representation.

The staff team is dedicated and committed to supporting pupils and families, and building strong and honest relationships, grounded in trust. Individual needs are met with nurture groups and bespoke timetabling to enable all children to make above average levels of personal progress. With a high level of children with special educational needs attending the setting, staff use Attention Autism bucket activities, intensive interaction, Talk Boost interventions and a sensory room to support their learning.

A weekly child-led Forest School session supports children to develop high self-esteem, a positive attitude to learning and strong relationships.

A dedication to diversity and anti-racism has seen staff reflect on the Black Lives Matter movement and review the curriculum, explicitly teach diversity and work with the CLPE to ensure representation in available texts.

There is an extensive array of free training as part of the Academies Enterprise Trust, while tailored CPD for the early years team focuses on topics such as how questioning can enable sustained shared thinking for children. A half termly ‘good practice’ observation cycle, in which every member of the team observes a colleague in an area of practice they are less confident about, helps staff master areas they find more challenging, such as phonics. Quality assurance is completed by the early years lead through weekly informal learning walks and verbal feedback.

Fortnightly phase meetings encourage engagement with academia, with every practitioner sharing a research article of interest, and holding a professional discussion on the topics raised.

Meanwhile, children are invited to share their feedback through the school council, regular reviews of the continuous provision, and at parents’ evening appointments, while parents are able to attend regular meetings and workshops on topics such as ESOL and fundraising initiatives. At weekly story time sessions, parents are able to listen to a practitioner read a story, or read or tell one to children themselves in their first language.

Child-led community action projects, such as supporting a local food bank, enable children to engage with the local community and to lead initiatives that are important to them. Future provision at the setting will see these local community links expanded through work with a nearby care home.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Penketh South Primary School, Warrington

A warm, welcoming and nurturing environment facilitates a sense of belonging at Penketh South Primary School. The child’s voice is evident throughout the setting, in displays, the floorbook, enhancements and their own individual learning journeys. Teachers work alongside children in partnership, inspiring imaginations through children’s natural interests and fostering a culture of celebration, in which all successes are recognised.

An intergenerational programme with a local nursing home has been in place since 2017 and was maintained during the pandemic, with children singing to residents outside windows and taking cards, flowers and hampers to them.

A dedicated early years professional library provides the latest books and journals to all staff, who are encouraged and supported to undertake additional qualifications.

FINALIST

Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School, Essex

CRITERION

For Early Years Foundation Stage or equivalent provision in primary schools which have developed high-quality practice for nursery and Reception children.