Inspection Report - Ballyhenry Nursery School

Ballyhenry Nursery School

DE Ref No 311-6166

Inspection Report - October 2025

Through a rigorous review process involving the staff, governors, Controlled Schools Support Council and extensive parental consultation, the school has developed a shared, inclusive vision that reflects the needs and aspirations of the school community and is captured in the motto ‘Where every child is special’.
The draft three-year strategic development plan sets out clear, child-centred priorities, including enhancing the children’s language and communication skills, developing their digital skills, and supporting those with additional needs; these priorities are appropriate for the current cohort of children. A programme of professional learning which is aligned to the identified priorities is at an early stage of development.
The recently reconstituted governors are fully committed to the school, showing effective strategic leadership through key staffing decisions, active participation in school events, and focussed oversight of the arrangements for special educational needs and child protection.
Flexible, child-led planning for learning is influencing positively the short-term provision, with staff demonstrating growing confidence in responding ‘in the moment’ to the children’s emerging interests and extending their participation and learning. This work is underpinned by high-quality observation and assessment, informed by a deep understanding of the stages of child development. It is now timely for the staff to review together the long- and medium-term planning, including outdoor play planning, to ensure it aligns more closely with the school’s child-centred philosophy.
The children in both classes play and explore together the spacious outdoor environment, which enriches the provision. The children’s physical skills are well developed and they engage with growing confidence in model construction, climbing trees, and transporting pumpkins in wheelbarrows. Through the use of natural autumnal resources, the children are developing their mathematical language and thinking as they sort leaves and explore, for example, the size, colour, and weight of pumpkins.
The World Around Us programme is a particular strength of the provision, with the staff offering the children valuable opportunities to investigate and make sense of their surroundings through active, hands‑on learning, for example, investigating what happens to pumpkin seeds when they are placed in water.
The children are secure and settled in their learning. Mindfulness practices, such as breathing techniques and calming songs, are supporting effectively the children to manage their own emotions. They understand the daily routines and most of the children are developing well their ability to share and take turns.
The staff identify early the children who require additional support with their learning and there are a number of effective interventions in place, such as small group support and the use of visual aids, to help the children to learn routines. The strategies are aligned well to the children’s Personal Learning Plans and, in the more effective practice, include focused targets.
There are a small number of children who are currently going through the statutory assessment (statementing) process. These children are not yet attending the nursery school full-time. The staff are working with the parents, and with their agreement, to gradually and successfully increase the children’s hours of attendance.
The children’s achievements are celebrated regularly through a range of purposeful strategies that reflect the nursery’s child-centred ethos. Approaches such as ‘WOW Walls’, ‘Learning Journey’ displays, daily whiteboard summaries, and digital photo collages make learning visible, valued and shared. The children take pride in curating their individual wall displays that promote autonomy and self-expression. Most of the children are making good progress in their learning.
The school’s vision to ‘prioritise positive relationships with effective collaboration’ is exemplified in the strong partnerships developed with a range of stakeholders. Well-established links with the local primary school, including joint play sessions, buddy visits, and hosting the nursery nativity play, support the children very effectively in their transition to their next stage of learning. Parents and local businesses also contribute meaningfully to enhancing the learning environment through practical support, such as painting and maintaining outdoor spaces and providing additional technology resources.
At the time of the inspection the evidence provided by the nursery school demonstrates that the arrangements for child protection align to the current statutory guidance.

Next steps

The staff in Ballyhenry Nursery School provide a nurturing, safe, and secure environment where the children’s well-being is at the heart of daily practice. Through warm, positive relationships, staff foster confidence, curiosity, and a strong sense of belonging, supporting each child’s unique developmental journey.

ETI will continue to work with Ballyhenry Nursery School as it addresses the area for action: to review together the long- and medium-term planning, including outdoor play planning, to ensure it aligns more closely with the school’s child-centred philosophy.