Kinsale Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kinsale Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is proud of their school.

Parents said that the staff really care for the pupils. Pupils described it as 'amazing', 'brilliant' and 'the best school ever'. Pupils enjoy learning because staff provide exciting and interesting activities for them such as learning outdoors in a woodland environment.

Pupils said that they felt safe. Bullying is rare because adults deal with any issues pupils have. Pupils are well supervised.

They make friends and play well together. Pupils behave well because staff have consistently high expectations. Pupils like their rewards for good... behaviour, such as sitting at the 'Golden' top table and the 'Hot Chocolate Friday'.

Children in Reception learn to share and take turns quickly in different activities, for example searching for toys in the sand tray, working together to build a spaceship from wooden bricks or reading a book.Pupils work hard because staff expect a lot of them. Pupils enjoy the additional opportunities that staff provide, for example singing for the elderly at a local care home, playing different sports, or visiting the theatre to watch a play.

They really enjoy breakfast club and the 'Your Time' nurture group. Both help them grow in confidence.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have created an ambitious new curriculum which develops pupils' character.

There is a strong focus on English and mathematics. However, planning in some subjects, such as geography, is still being developed. In these subjects, Reception teachers are not identifying key learning points from Year 1 to prepare children for learning in Year 1.

This means that teachers do not use pupils' knowledge effectively to tackle more complex ideas.Children develop a love of stories and rhymes when they enter Reception. Staff read to pupils and act quickly if any pupil falls behind.

Leaders make sure staff are skilled in teaching phonics. Pupils learn to read well.They read books which match the sounds they are learning.

Pupils greatly enjoy using the well-stocked library. Pupils in Year 2 read confidently, building on their phonic skills in Year 1. Parents believe their children have come on tremendously well with their reading.

In most subjects, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Teachers use leaders' plans effectively to build pupils' learning. This ensures that they make good progress in deepening their understanding.

For example, in mathematics, pupils used their knowledge of different operations to perform a range of calculations. However, some teachers do not systematically check that pupils understand the key words they use in their learning. This is because the important words pupils need to remember are not always identified in the planned curriculum.

Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to provide good support for disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) by adapting their teaching in lessons.Children in Reception settle in well and learn safely. They enjoy positive relationships with adults and with each other.

Parents greatly appreciate the care children receive when they join the school. Staff emphasise children's development of communication and language skills. Children learn about numbers and shapes.

Staff provide stimulating spaces for pupils to play, explore and learn. Children are well prepared for their next stage of education.Pupils know everyone is different.

In lessons and assemblies, they learn about different faiths and cultural traditions. Pupils celebrate different festivals, such as Chinese New Year, Eid and Christmas. They behave well in class and at playtimes by working cooperatively and sharing their games.

Pupils undertake different roles and responsibilities to help develop their sense of the school community such as members of the school council.Staff are also very positive about the school. They said that governors and senior leaders are mindful of their workload.

Leaders have staff well-being at the heart. For example, they have changed the system of assessment so that staff use their time effectively for preparing for lessons.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders' records show that adults in the school are suitable to work with children. Governors check that these are recorded accurately.

Leaders act quickly on any information given to them. They work with the local authority and other agencies to ensure that pupils receive the help they need.Staff have appropriate training in signs of abuse or neglect.

Pupils said that they learn how to keep safe. For example, they said that it is not safe to send your personal details online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In some subjects, such as geography, the curriculum is not sufficiently sequenced.

Leaders' plans in early years miss some opportunities to teach skills that will prepare children for the Year 1 curriculum. This means that teachers do not plan activities that develop pupils' learning from what they already know. Leaders should ensure that all subject plans identify the key learning points from Reception and this knowledge is used when planning the sequence of learning from early years to Year 1.

. In some subjects, leaders' plans do not identify the key vocabulary pupils need to remember. Teachers do not check that all pupils understand the words they use in their learning, especially when tackling new ideas.

This means that in these subjects, pupils' learning is not secure. Leaders should ensure that subject plans identify the key vocabulary pupils need to know and that teachers check that pupils understand how to apply these terms in their work.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Kinsale Infant School to be good in March 2011.

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