Caister Infant With Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Caister Infant, Nursery School and Children's Centre continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly, polite and welcoming. They have positive relationships with adults and each other. Pupils are kind to each other.

They know what qualities make a good friend. Children in nursery enjoy playing and learning together. Children are being prepared well to start their education.

Pupils enjoy their learning and try hard in lessons. The youngest pupils are encouraged to develop independence, resilience and determination. Pupils listen well and respond to the high expectations staff have of their learning and behaviour.

They under...stand the school rules and show respect. As a result, pupils learn and behave well in a well-resourced environment.

When pupils feel anxious or upset, they know staff are there to help them.

They describe how going to classroom 'calm corners' can help them if they feel angry or sad. Older pupils know what to do to help keep themselves safe. Bullying is rare.

Pupils say that adults will help them sort out any difficulties they may have in school.

Pupils understand the importance of helping others. They raise money for a range of charities.

Pupils also enjoy a range of after-school clubs such as Zumba and yoga.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. Detailed curriculum plans support pupils' learning, which starts from the early years.

Leaders have thought carefully about the important knowledge they want pupils to learn in each subject. As a result, pupils achieve well across their different subjects. They enjoy their learning and behave very well in lessons.

Pupils are well prepared for junior school.

Teachers check what pupils know and remember. They revisit previous learning to help pupils apply what they have learned in new or different situations.

Teachers quickly identify and support any pupils who need extra help. In subjects such as mathematics, pupils develop a deep and lasting mathematical understanding of number. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to practise their learning and understanding so they can become proficient.

In personal, social and health education, pupils reflect on their own learning. They enjoy opportunities to say for how well they are doing, or what they need to improve.

Children are taught to read from arrival in Nursery or Reception.

They receive high-quality phonics teaching, so children get off to a good start. Staff are well-trained to teach phonics. They make sure children listen to stories to help them gain a love of books.

Pupils in key stage 1 and early years read books that match the sounds they know. Leaders quickly identify any pupils who need help to keep up with learning their sounds. These pupils are provided with the support they need.

As a result, pupils become confident, fluent readers.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. Leaders identify pupils' needs at an early stage often in early years.

Teachers ensure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff have the training they need to support these pupils. Because of this, staff know how to help them be successful.

Children get off to a strong start to their education. Staff create a positive environment for children from the age of two to feel welcome, to learn and to play. Early years staff are well trained to teach all the expected areas of children's development and learning.

Adults provide highly effective support for children's emotional and physical development. Staff are caring, consistent and quickly establish routines that early years children willingly follow. Children learn well and are provided with the activities they need to help them prepare for the Reception year.

Pupils' wider development is at the heart of the school's work. Leaders see pupils' well-being as paramount. Pupils celebrate diversity and can explain how they value difference and uniqueness.

Leaders check that pupils in key stage 1 attend school. Leaders work closely with families to help them understand the importance of sending their child to school. However, a small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

Their attendance is not yet improving. Leaders continue to address this issue, so pupils develop good habits of attendance.

Governors are supportive of leaders and the school community.

Governors' work in recent months has focused on the school's response to the pandemic and safeguarding. Although governors discuss curriculum development, they are too accepting of leaders' information without seeking further assurances, or asking further probing questions. As a result, they do not know enough about the quality of education the school provides for pupils.

Leaders support staff well-being. Staff appreciate their caring attitude.Parents are very positive about the work of the school.

Many parents' comments reflect the view that nothing is too much trouble for the staff, and their children thrive as a result.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make safeguarding a high priority.

Staff at the school are vigilant and receive regular training to support their understanding of child protection. All staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil's welfare. Leaders have well-established and strong systems for following up concerns.

They work effectively with external agencies. Records for safeguarding are detailed and well maintained.

Pupils know that adults will listen and act if they have any worries or concerns.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. Children in nursery demonstrate that they have positive relationships with adults. Leaders have rigorous checks on the suitability of staff to work with young children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A small number of pupils in key stage 1 continue to be routinely absent. This results in these pupils having gaps in their learning and knowledge. Leaders should continue to work with families to ensure that all pupils attend well.

• Governors do not know enough about the quality of education because they are too accepting of what leaders tell them. Governors should ensure there are clear and robust systems in place to hold leaders to account for the quality of education being provided.

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.

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