Alver Valley Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Alver Valley Infant and Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn consistently well.

Forest fun walks are important times where pupils fill special treasure bags and compare the things that they find. Teachers expertly use time in nature to practise the new words pupils are learning and to build confidence in their physical abilities. As a result, pupils are enthused and enjoy learning.

They are well pr...epared for the future.

Pupils in this school receive a very high level of care. Right from the start in Nursery, parents and carers are confident in how staff support their children's well-being.

Pupils have many trusted adults to talk to. They value the nurturing support they receive, which fosters pupils' deep sense of safety and belonging.

Pupils' behaviour throughout the school is positive.

Pupils celebrate differences between themselves and others. They are encouraged to become considerate and tolerant. Staff maintain a respectful environment by teaching pupils how to behave in lessons so that they can enjoy learning new things.

This approach helps pupils to manage their emotions and to make improved choices in how they behave.

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

The school has created a highly ambitious curriculum, which it has planned for pupils to find 'irresistibly interesting'. The content of the curriculum inspires pupils.

For example, in art, they study a very fulsome range of artists and develop skills in a wide range of different art mediums. Consequently, many examples of the pupils' high-quality artwork adorn walls. The curriculum sets out what pupils should learn, step by step, right from the early years.

The school prioritises securing pupils' fundamental skills in reading and mathematics. This builds a deep foundation of knowledge and allows pupils to achieve well across both subjects. However, the school has not yet placed the same emphasis on the development of pupils' writing skills.

This is either because sometimes pupils have not been taught these well enough or because gaps in learning these skills have not been identified and addressed. This means pupils sometimes make avoidable mistakes in their written work.

Teachers are skilled at knowing how pupils learn best.

They explain the learning clearly, questioning pupils to check that everyone has understood them. If there are any misunderstandings, these are quickly addressed. Teachers ensure that pupils have lots of opportunities to revisit what they have learned and build on what they already know.

Children get off to a very positive start when they join the school. Adults are very caring and help develop children's communication and language skills by skilfully interacting with them, extending their understanding. Well-designed activities help develop their physical stamina, curiosity and social skills.

Some exciting activities, such as hammering nails in woodwork, help children learn to manage risk and keep safe. As a result, children are eager to learn, and what they learn prepares them well for the next key stage.

Leaders instil a love of reading via a variety of means.

The use of 'hooks into books' approach brings carefully chosen texts to life through retelling, rereading and acting out. Most pupils learn to read quickly. They have excellent knowledge of what they have been taught.

The books that pupils read match the sounds that they are learning in the classroom. As a result, pupils quickly become confident readers. Extra help is provided for pupils who fall behind in their reading so that they can catch up with their peers.

The school is quick to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. To remove barriers to learning, these pupils have access to adapted resources and additional support. Pupils who need extra help to manage their behaviour are well supported.

This helps pupils to get along with each other and play together happily, as well as try hard with their learning. Consequently, pupils with SEND thrive in this school.

The school continually emphasises the importance of regular attendance.

It identifies quickly any pupils who are at risk of poor attendance and provides effective support. This means pupils can enjoy the special opportunities the school provides for them. For example, they are inspired by visits from an oceanographer and learn to swim in the pop-up swimming pool.

Pupils can access a range of clubs and become little leaders representing the views of others in the school council.Governors support and challenge the school very well. They know the school's unique characteristics.

Staff talk about the high levels of job satisfaction they experience working at this school. Through prioritising pupils' education and well-being, leaders have sustained the school's performance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Information for the school and appropriate authority

• Sometimes, teaching does not ensure that pupils have the strong writing skills they need. As a result, some pupils' understanding of sentence structure and punctuation is not secure. The school should ensure that teachers provide pupils with sufficient knowledge and practise to master these important skills.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2019.

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