Alfreton Nursery School, Derbyshire, is the first single

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Alfreton Nursery School, Derbyshire, is the
first single nursery school in the UK to achieve
the prestigious NACE Challenge Award for
excellence in provision for able, gifted and
talented pupils. Alfreton Nursery School is an
exceptional school, providing a learning
adventure for young children that is full of
surprises, excitement, exploration, joy and
success. It has high expectations and a belief
that all children can excel. Gifted and talented
children are well catered for because they are
taught in a lively and interesting way that
ensures good progress. The teaching of language,
literacy and ICT is outstanding. The outstanding
leadership of the headteacher and the coordinator
and the strong team work of the staff has
developed the school as a centre of excellence.
The positive attitudes created mean that children
have the self-confidence to learn and enjoy
coming to school. Parents, carers and governors
are highly supportive of the school and its
celebration of childrens gifts and talents.
Extract from Challenge Award Assessment Report
Sept 2007 Alfreton Nursery School is the first
single nursery school in the UK and the
seventy-fifth school in the UK to achieve the
prestigious Challenge Award for Able, Gifted and
Talented Pupils. This Award is given for high
quality work by the whole school, teachers and
governors, in challenging all pupils, including
those with high abilities, to achieve their
best. The Award is given by NACE the National
Association for Able Children in Education, a
leading national education organisation and
registered charity established for 24 years. The
Association exists to help the daily work of
teachers providing for pupils with high abilities
whilst enabling all pupils to flourish. It
provides advice, training and resources for
teachers, including The Challenge Award
Self-Evaluation Framework which Alfreton Nursery
School has used to audit and plan what it
provides for able, gifted and talented pupils.
Many thousands of primary and secondary schools
are using The Challenge Award Framework to
develop their work. Assessors, who spent a day
in the school, were impressed by the outstanding
ethos for learning and good use of assessment
which results in children achieving well. A
strength is the way in which the school develops
gifts and talents of children with disabilities.
The outdoor play area and the emphasis on sensory
stimulation is highly successful in enhancing
learning. Assessors judged the quality of the
schools work by observing lessons, interviewing
the pupils, teachers, parents and governors and
by looking at the pupils work. The Award is
given when schools demonstrate that they meet
the criteria of the Award and are committed to
continuing high-quality provision for able,
gifted and talented pupils. Oct 2007 Julie
Fitzpatrick. Chief Executive