Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Littlemoor say, 'People help each other'. They have an enthusiasm and a zest to be helpful.

Year 2 pupils have strong inter-generational links with the occupants of Alexander House. Pupils enjoy making friends with the older residents. They know this will help them to be caring and responsible when they grow up.

Adults use silent signals to support pupils to move around the classroom. They show one finger to stand up, two fingers to move and three fingers to sit down. Pupils follow these signals swiftly and quietly.

Pupils know what bullying is and say it doesn't happen very often. If it did happen, they know a teacher will help sort it out.Pupils k...now how to stay 'body and brain healthy'.

Pupils enjoy the academy focus on skipping and strive to the be the 'top banana' with the highest number of skips in two minutes.Leaders develop pupils' character through the trust's 'aspire curriculum'. Pupils focus on a different value each week, like teamwork.

Teachers celebrate pupils who display these values in Friday's assembly.Pupils are polite and play cooperatively. One pupil said, 'If you treat people right, they will treat you right'.

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

Leader's vision for the curriculum is that 'every day is the best day possible'. They want pupils to be aspirational. They have created a thematic approach to teaching some of the foundation subjects like science, history, geography and art.

Other subjects are taught separately like physical education, religious education and music. Teachers 'hook' pupils into the theme with a wow experience. This can be an educational visit or a visitor to their class.

Teachers ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum with extra adult support or adapted resources.Some foundation subjects have content that is well sequenced and show how pupils' knowledge and skills will build over time. There are some subjects that are not as clearly defined.

In some subjects, leaders are adding more detail to their curriculum thinking. This will ensure all teachers are clear on the small steps of learning that lead to the planned outcome. Some subject leaders have not had an opportunity to check and quality assure the effect of the curriculum in the subject they are responsible for.

Leaders have put reading at the heart of the curriculum. From the start, nursery children are 'bathed in language, stories and rhymes'. The vocabulary rich environment supports language and communication development.

As soon as children settle in Reception Year, they start learning phonics. There is a structure to the phonics lesson that all adults follow. Adults use the same phonics terminology for consistency.

Reading books match the sounds that pupils know. Adults skilfully support pupils with their blending, fluency and comprehension. Teachers identify pupils for extra catch-up sessions through their half-termly phonics checks.

Leaders use school-led tutors to provide more phonics sessions for these pupils. This means they have more opportunities to revise and revisit sounds.The teaching of mathematics is a strength of the academy.

There is challenge for pupils within mathematics. Pupils who are higher attaining deepen their knowledge and understanding by answering reasoning questions. They use mathematical sentence starters to support their thinking and explanations.

When pupils learn key facts and methods, they are given time to apply their learning in different contexts.Children in the Nursery get the best possible start to their education. The provision is well organised and used productively by the children.

Adults position themselves around the room to support learning in a caring and nurturing way. There is a high emphasis on learning and using new vocabulary. Teachers choose activities deliberately to support communication and language development.

A significant number of pupils are persistently absent from school, including pupils with SEND. Leaders know these pupils are falling further behind. Leaders have a staged process for addressing persistent absence.

However, absence rates are not improving significantly.Staff, including teachers who are early in their career, are overwhelmingly positive about working at Littlemoor. They feel supported, respected and that the academy is led well.

They are incredibly proud to be associated with the academy.Governors have established link roles with staff. For example, the link governor for SEND challenges and supports the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator in their termly meeting.

Governors recognise the importance of the strong links they have developed with other trust academies and especially the junior academy. This ensures the curriculum continues to build on what the Year 2 pupils already know.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have annual safeguarding training to ensure they are aware of the safeguarding risks to pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND, especially those with limited communication skills, have mechanisms for raising concerns. Adults know to look for subtle changes in the behaviour of these pupils.

Leaders use a pastoral assistant to signpost families to additional support services like sleep clinics or financial help for uniform.Pupils tell an adult if they have any concerns. Adults know that at this young age pupils often reveal their worries during play.

They are alert to listening to anything that upsets them. Pupils know how to stay safe online. They know to only play games that are suitable for their age.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have begun to develop a sequenced curriculum. Some subjects are well planned and sequenced, others are in the process of being refined. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the subjects that need developing.

Leaders should ensure they have identified the small steps of learning linked to the knowledge and skills they want pupils to remember for each unit of the curriculum. ? Some subject leaders have not had an opportunity to monitor their subject. This hampers their ability to improve this aspect of the academy's work.

Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have time to effectively monitor the wider curriculum so that they can identify where pupils are performing well and where they need further support. ? A significant number of pupils are persistently absent from the academy and this is showing little sign of improvement. These pupils are missing essential learning.

Leaders have implemented persistent absence procedures. However, the rates of persistent absence remain high. Leaders should take effective action to work with families to reduce persistent absence rates.