Beighton Nursery Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel proud to attend Beighton Nursery Infant School.

They are happy and enjoy their learning. The school is successful in its aim to inspire happy, healthy and successful lives. Most pupils achieve well.

Since the previous inspection, the school has strengthened the curriculum and further prioritised reading. The school strives to ensure that pupils quickly become competent, fluent readers.

The school's 'Bee Rules' set the standard for behaviour.

Pupils behave well in lessons and try hard to complete their work. Pupils are polite, well-mannered and respectful. Pupils are kind to each other.

Pupils say that bullying is rare and that wh...en it does happen, adults sort it out quickly. Pupils feel safe and have trusted adults whom they can talk to. There is a high level of care and respect between pupils and staff.

The school offers several extra-curricular activities, including arts and crafts, gymnastics and mini geographers. Pupils can effect change in the school through leadership opportunities such as being school councillors and healthy mind champions. Pupils know how to lead healthy lifestyles, as they learn about physical and mental health.

Pupils can discuss a range of cultures and traditions different from their own. They understand the importance of respect and acceptance.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious and designed to meet the needs of all pupils.

It builds in a logical order from pupils' earliest starting points. The school has thought carefully about what it wants pupils to know. It has created repeated opportunities for pupils to revisit their learning.

This helps them to remember significant ideas and skills, such as how to apply sketching skills in art. The curriculum is taught well. This is because staff are trained in how to lead subjects and how to develop teachers' subject and teaching knowledge.

Staff systematically teach pupils new vocabulary. This increases in ambition over time.

Pupils get off to a rapid start in reading.

Phonics is taught well. Effective support enables pupils who find reading difficult, or who have fallen behind, to catch up quickly. Reading books are well matched to pupils' phonics knowledge.

Pupils begin to learn spelling and letter formation in phonics lessons. The school uses assessment well to ensure inaccuracies in early writing are ironed out quickly. However, the Year 2 curriculum for English does not build progressively enough from the phonics programme of study.

Teachers do not support pupils to continue to gain early writing knowledge and develop their reading fluency. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should in reading and writing.

The school has a clear understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND thrive in this school. The school identifies pupils with potential educational needs quickly. The school adapts teaching and resources to support pupils.

All pupils access the intended learning.

The school has designed a highly ambitious early years curriculum. This means that children are well prepared for their next stage.

Children benefit from high-quality interactions with adults. In the early years, children learn in a highly stimulating environment. The curriculum is brought to life inside and outside the classroom.

Children are able to learn creatively and independently. For example, they make animal enclosures and act as a zookeeper to act out previous learning. Children can explain their ideas and apply new vocabulary to their role play and discussions with peers.

As a result of systematic assessment, all children flourish and make rapid progress.

The school has a meticulous approach to monitoring attendance and absences. As a result of the action taken by leaders, the school has significantly improved attendance.

Where there are instances of low attendance, the school can show swift improvement from the support given to families.

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct, and this is generally effective. Pupils who need extra support to manage their behaviour receive the help they need to be successful.

However, there are some parts of the day, such as social times, where expectations are not clear enough for staff and pupils. As a result, staff do not consistently reinforce the routines that leaders set. This can lead to a small minority of pupils showing low-level, inappropriate behaviour.

Governors use their skills and experience to provide effective challenge and support. They are strategic and ambitious about the development of the school. They are often in school and spend time learning about the curriculum from subject leaders.

Staff know that leaders have their best interests at heart. As a result, staff morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The English curriculum does not build effectively enough from the school's phonics programme. This means that there are not enough opportunities to build on pupils' early writing skills. Inaccuracies in pupils' letter formation and good handwriting habits are not acted on quickly.

Some pupils do not have enough opportunity to develop reading fluency. The school needs to develop the English curriculum so that it builds progressively and systematically from Year 1. ? A small minority of pupils do not consistently follow routines and show the behaviour expected of them outside of lessons.

This is because staff do not consistently apply the behaviour policy. This can sometimes result in low-level behaviours during unstructured times. The school should ensure it teaches pupils and staff its expectations for all aspects of the school day.

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