Carlisle Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Carlisle Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Carlisle infants is highly inclusive. The right of everyone to be respected is central to the ethos.

The school's values of happiness, belonging, curiosity, courage, confidence, ambition and togetherness embody this and are woven throughout school life. Pupils are kind and considerate to each other. They readily refer to the 'golden rules' for behaviour and follow these consistently.

Parents are highly appreciative of all the school has to offer and its prominent place within the community.

Pupils are kept safe and know there are lots of grown-ups who look after them. Pupi...ls like the 'worry monsters' in their classes where they can report any concerns they might have.

Pupils know and trust that adults will always help them.

Pupils achieve well here. The curriculum is broad and ambitious.

This helps pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding across most subjects. Overall, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils are given opportunities to have a say in their school.

For example, all classes vote for the story they will hear at the end of the day. Consequently, pupils value and engage well in story time.

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

Early reading is prioritised right from the start.

A strong culture of reading is evident across the school. A new phonics programme was introduced last year to better support pupils to become fluent readers. All staff have been trained to deliver this consistently.

Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils know, providing daily opportunities for them to practise and develop their fluency and accuracy. Support is in place for those at risk of falling behind to help them catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy both reading and being read to.

Pupils follow a broad curriculum that matches the ambition of what is expected nationally.In each subject, the knowledge and key vocabulary that pupils need to learn has been identified. This is well sequenced to help pupils build their understanding cumulatively and take on more complex learning as they get older.

For example, in mathematics, children in Reception practise number recognition and counting using precise vocabulary. This prepares them well for more complex mathematical ideas later on. Similarly, the school's 'active learning zones' provide opportunities for pupils to practise and secure important knowledge and skills in different subjects.

For example, pupils refine their throwing and catching in physical education (PE) and colour mixing in art.

Oversight of the curriculum is robust, and consequently, staff are knowledgeable and implement the curriculum consistently. In some subjects, assessment is used well to identify pupils who may need extra help.

In other subjects, however, this is not as effective. In these instances, pupils are not routinely supported to recall and build on their previous knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not make connections with prior learning, and therefore do not deepen their understanding as well as they could.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are accurately identified. Leaders work well with outside agencies to secure the support that these pupils need to access an ambitious curriculum. Suitable adaptations are made to tasks and activities that typically enable pupils to access to the same curriculum as their peers.

Starting in Reception and continuing throughout the school, classrooms present calm, orderly environments where learning is valued. Independence and resilience are encouraged and promoted. Pupils rise to these expectations and show consistent positive attitudes to their work.

For example, in PE, and at playtime, pupils are encouraged to be active and run on the playground track. Over their time in school, they practise to improve on their 'personal bests' alongside developing a healthy, active mindset. Pupils appreciate the range of extra activities that are on offer, for example art, football, construction and street dance.

Staff enjoy working at the school and are overwhelmingly positive about the consideration given to their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, assessment is not used effectively, to check what pupils have learned.

In these instances, some pupils have not secured the knowledge they need to tackle more complex ideas later on. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used across the curriculum to identify and address any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions pupils have.

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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2018.

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