Inspection Report - Seaview Nursery School

Seaview Nursery School

DE Ref No 513-6629

Inspection Report - October 2025

The school is taking thoughtful, well-paced steps to realise its recently reviewed vision “to develop a love of life and learning” which is articulated clearly and embedded meaningfully across the setting. It has been informed by wide-ranging consultation with stakeholders, including staff, governors, and families, ensuring relevance and shared ownership.
The school development plan (SDP) has been developed using robust evaluative processes. It contains associated action plans that reflect appropriately the school’s priorities which include improving the quality of the planned outdoor learning opportunities and developing approaches that support the development of well-being for the school and wider community. The governors are well-informed and involved actively in the life of the school, contribute to the school’s strategic direction and support the school’s inclusive ethos.
The staff work collaboratively to plan, observe and assess the children’s learning. The review of the planning to include a more child-led focus, informed by the children’s needs and interests, is impacting positively on the children’s learning. A key strength of the provision is the flexibility afforded to the children as they access a breadth of natural and authentic resources; this fosters their curiosity and facilitates the development of their creativity, exploration and investigatory skills. The staff model language effectively, respond sensitively to the children’s cues and create environments that promote conversation, curiosity and enjoyment.
The focus on well-being and the school’s commitment to this priority is clear from their engagement in the Education Authority’s (EA) Being Well, Doing Well programme. The children have a range of opportunities to engage in regular physical activity in the extensive, well-considered outdoor play area which is supporting very well their physical development and the development of their confidence, co-ordination and control.
All of the children are well-settled and happy at this early stage of the school year, an aspect highlighted by parents in their responses to the ETI questionnaire. All of the children are not yet attending the school full-time; the induction arrangements need to be reviewed by the staff to ensure that the attendance of the children is in line with DE guidance.
The children have high levels of independence, are very familiar with the routines and are beginning to assume various roles of responsibility within the class, such as setting the table for dinner. These child-led roles provide opportunities for the children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. The children have a real a sense of excitement in their learning and engage in focussed, concentrated play for lengthy periods of time. They are happy and many of the children already play collaboratively and are beginning to form early friendships.
The children’s language and communication skills are developing well through rich, well‑planned experiences and quality interactions. The staff are trialling a range of strategies to assess and respond to children’s emerging educational needs, indicating a strong commitment to early identification and inclusive practice. Communication with families is inclusive, using translated materials and evolving digital strategies. The revised prospectus as well as visual aids support parental understanding of routines and the pre‑school curriculum.
The school fosters a culture of achievement through ‘Wonder Walls’ on which the children’s work is proudly displayed. The calm routines support the children well to manage their emotions, and positive child-led interactions enable the children to explore their interests, make choices and engage meaningfully with peers and adults.
The committed staff have cultivated a vibrant learning community, underpinned by a proactive approach to engaging all stakeholders in the life and work of the school. Through meaningful collaboration with parents, local businesses, sports clubs and organisations such as the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority, children benefit from authentic learning experiences including seasonal workshops and activities, author visits, woodland and shoreline exploration, and pizza making. The staff use appropriately the local beach and park to enhance and extend the children’s learning beyond their classroom. These activities celebrate achievement, foster a strong sense of belonging and connect learning to the real world, enriching every child’s learning experience at Seaview Nursery School. Engagement with the parents is regular, sensitive and caring.
The staff professional learning aligns closely to the school’s key priorities. Some learning opportunities are offered to parents, such as the recent parental workshop on the value of play, which was extremely well attended. These opportunities, together with the parents’ involvement in the Department of Education: Getting Ready to Learn (GRtL) Programme, provide them with ideas on how they can support their child’s early learning.
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

Seaview Nursery School is a reflective, inclusive setting where children flourish through the staff’s balanced approach to developing nurturing relationships and providing purposeful challenge in the children’s learning. The school’s vision, to ‘develop a love for life and learning’, is exemplified in the staff’s daily practice, their strong partnerships with families and the wider community, and their commitment to continuous improvement. The children are happy, secure, well settled, and engage joyfully in rich learning experiences.

ETI will continue to work with Seaview Nursery School as it addresses the area for action: to develop further the outdoor learning opportunities across the curriculum. ETI will also work with the school to share examples of highly effective practice from which others may learn, which focus on:

the staff’s approaches to developing the creativity, flexibility and confidence of the children to lead their own learning; and
the nursery’s effective engagement with parents and the wider community which strengthens learning, fosters inclusion, and enriches the children’s learning experiences.