Abbey CofE Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing and welcoming school. They are inspired by the school motto of 'Love, Laugh, Learn', and they flourish here. The school has high ambitions and expectations for pupils and they achieve well.

Staff take great care to get to know each pupil and their family. Parents and carers are positive about the school.

Children develop warm relationships with adults from when they first join the school.

Playtimes are full of fun with engaging activities that provide plenty of scope for energetic and imaginative play. Pupils learn to share, take turns and cooperate together.

Pupils respond positively to the high expectations for be...haviour that the school sets and they behave well.

The school's approach to behaviour is consistently applied by staff. Pupils understand and follow the school's 'ready, respectful, safe' rules. This means the school is a calm and orderly place, where learning typically proceeds without disruption.

Pupils enjoy attending clubs where they learn new skills and interests. These include computing, fencing and dance. All pupils are expected to be responsible and help with jobs, such as tidying up.

Older pupils take on roles as playtime leaders and librarians, which helps to build their confidence.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum. From the beginning of the Nursery Year, the school has identified the key knowledge and skills that it wants children to learn.

Children get off to a quick start in the two-year-olds' room, where staff skilfully focus on developing children's language and helping them to master basic skills, such as counting and holding a pencil correctly. The youngest children quickly develop confidence as a result of the high standard of care that they receive. In the early years setting, activities have a clear purpose and all staff understand these.

This means staff can direct their talk and support precisely to meet pupils' needs. The school successfully identifies and provides for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND learn an ambitious curriculum alongside their peers.

In 'Elm', the school's specialist provision, skilled staff use a wide range of approaches to help pupils to access their learning successfully.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan exciting activities to help pupils learn, such as scientific experiments and visits to farms and local places of worship.

Across the school, curriculum content builds each year. As a result, pupils use their prior knowledge to support them with new or more challenging learning. This is particularly effective in core subjects.

However, in some wider curriculum subjects, new knowledge is not always presented in a way that ensures pupils remember it over time. As a result, some pupils struggle to retain knowledge and vocabulary, which can lead to gaps in their understanding.

The school uses checks to identify accurately what individual pupils know and can do.

This enables teachers to provide opportunities for ambitious learning and to adapt activities for pupils who need extra support. However, in some wider curriculum subjects the school does not yet check what is working well. This means the school does not always have a secure overview of how well pupils are achieving and how well the subject is being delivered across the school.

From the early years, phonics is taught effectively. This enables pupils to develop their confidence and fluency in reading. Pupils who need extra help to catch up get effective support.

The school promotes a love of reading through the quality texts that teachers read to pupils. Pupils are immersed in stories through pantomime performances and theatre trips. The school welcomes parents into the school library after school to select books with their children.

Pupils are positive and enthusiastic about learning. They try hard and want to know more. Routines such as working with partners are established in early years and consolidated through purposeful practice in key stage 1.

Staff consistently use characters, such as 'Ready Rita' and 'Don't Give Up Donald', to help pupils to understand how to be effective learners.

Pupils are prepared well for life beyond the school. Staff teach pupils about different cultures and faiths.

Throughout the personal development programme, pupils have opportunities to learn about what makes everyone different. They learn about these concepts in an age-appropriate way and understand that everyone should be treated fairly. This helps them to develop tolerance and respect for others.

Pupils learn to be good citizens by engaging with the local community, singing at care homes and visiting the local church.

Teachers are a happy, well-trained team and are proud to work at the school. They feel supported with their workload and well-being.

Governors know the school well. Through their experience and challenge, they demonstrate a determination that every pupil achieves their best.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, the teaching approaches used do not fully support pupils to remember the essential knowledge and vocabulary within the wider school curriculum. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their learning. The school needs to continue to refine the approach to teaching in some foundation subjects so that pupils retain more knowledge and build on their learning confidently across all subjects.

• Some subject leaders are newer to their role and are at an early stage of their leadership development. This means the school does not yet have a clear picture of how well pupils are achieving and what is working well in some subjects. The school should continue to develop the expertise of subject leaders so those who are new to their role have a good understanding of how well pupils are learning in their subjects.