Spixworth Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Spixworth Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Every pupil in this school experiences warmth and kindness from the adults. Teachers' caring approach helps pupils to feel safe.

Pupils respond in kind by being polite and friendly towards each other and the adults. Staff help pupils to overcome their worries and occasional friendship issues. Pupils appreciate this.

Pupils look forward to coming to school. They enjoy learning. Their teachers use stories and drama to help them remember what they have learned.

Pupils follow teachers' instructions and routines. If pupils find it difficult to follow a routine, staff are on ha...nd to support them. When pupils try hard or do particularly well, their teachers notice this and give pupils praise and rewards.

A range of activities and responsibilities helps pupils to learn about and appreciate the wider world. Pupils can take part in cookery club, archery and the forest school. Pupils enjoyed going to Catton Park to learn about the natural environment.

They also relish their roles as playground buddies, classroom monitors and school council members.

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

Leaders have planned, in detail, the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. This knowledge is arranged in a way that helps pupils to make connections with what they have already learned.

Teachers receive supportive advice on how to teach subjects well. They regularly check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. In some subjects, such as religious education, assessment is at an earlier stage of development.

Leaders have plans in place to use assessment information in new ways, such as by reflecting on small changes they could make to the curriculum to help pupils learn even more.

Teachers explain new knowledge well. They use a range of strategies to help pupils understand and remember it.

For example, in mathematics, pupils have opportunities at the start of the lesson to rehearse mathematical facts and methods. This helps pupils to feel successful and be ready for what they are going to learn next.Pupils who are new to reading experience plenty of success.

All staff are knowledgeable about how to teach reading. Teachers quickly notice if pupils need more support. They provide ample additional opportunities for pupils to practise their new reading skills.

Teachers read a range of interesting and exciting books to pupils. Pupils enjoy these moments. They know that reading is important because it gives them ideas and the ability to concentrate.

Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the best care and support. Leaders carefully choose approaches to help pupils with SEND, taking into account the views of teachers, parents and carers, and pupils. Staff support pupils with SEND in lessons with visual prompts and extra explanations.

Pupils with SEND benefit from extra teaching so that they can access the full curriculum.

Teachers help children in Reception Year to settle and follow routines. Staff model social skills so that children quickly learn the best ways of making and keeping friends.

Teachers carefully design and set out activities that help children to learn and practise new skills. As a result, children are confident to talk about what they have learned.

Warm relationships between staff and pupils help to build trust and respect.

Pupils learn how to maintain their concentration. They know the importance of instructions. Staff use consistent prompts and phrases to help pupils 'make good choices'.

Pupils respect their teachers and are keen to learn. On rare occasions, routines slip and pupils' focus wanes. This affects their ability to stay on task.

Teachers give reminders to help pupils refocus.

Teachers teach pupils that fairness and respect extend to everyone in and outside the school community. Pupils learn how to have a polite debate.

To build pupils' confidence, leaders and teachers plan a range of opportunities for pupils to perform. For example, Year 2 pupils played their ocarinas in assembly. Philosophy sessions and circle times help pupils to learn how to reflect.

Leaders and governors have worked hard to build a sense of community. They are proud of staff's commitment and are mindful of staff workload and well-being. The new 'community hub', which leaders have recently set up, brings people together, as do the networks of support in the federation.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know the signs of harm and how to report concerns. Any worries or concerns are quickly identified and shared.

Positive relationships with parents and frequent communication with external agencies, including pupils' previous schools, help leaders to secure timely support for pupils and their families. Leaders consistently and astutely focus on all matters related to safeguarding. They make sure that everyone who has a key role in safeguarding has up-to-date knowledge about pupils, contextual issues and safeguarding practice.

Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online. Pupils know that they can go to any trusted adult at the school if they have a worry.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment in some subjects is at an early stage of development.

In these subjects, staff do not use information about what pupils have learned to develop the curriculum as well as they might. Leaders should support staff to make the best use of assessment information to ensure that the curriculum supports pupils to progress well in all subjects. ? On rare occasions, teachers do not apply routines to secure positive behaviour well.

As a result, pupils can sometimes lose focus during changes in activity. Leaders should support staff to use the agreed systems consistently so that pupils can meet leaders' high expectations.

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2014.

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