Chapel End Infant School and Early Years Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Chapel End Infant School and Early Years Centre continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to be part of this friendly and welcoming school. They described their teachers as kind, fun and helpful. Warm relationships between staff and pupils are rooted in the school's values.

All are treated with kindness and respect. The school motto encourages pupils to be 'Caring, sharing and trying our best'.

Children settle quickly into the early years centre and infant school.

They learn about taking turns, making friends and looking after one another. Daily literacy, reading and mathematics lessons ensure they are suitably prepared for ...the next stage of learning.

Pupils learn about the importance of treating others fairly and with respect.

They behave well in lessons and at playtimes. Incidents of bullying are rare and dealt with quickly. Pupils are safe in school.

The curriculum is ambitious. Outdoor learning is well developed. Leaders are determined that all pupils will succeed.

Pupils enjoy their lessons and achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

They appreciate the work of leaders and staff in creating a supportive and nurturing environment.

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

Leaders have clear ambitions for what pupils should learn from the early years to Year 2. They ensure children's learning in the early years centre links to the subjects that pupils study in Years 1 and 2.

Teachers help pupils to build on what they have learned before. They ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to review their learning. This helps pupils to secure the important knowledge they need.

In mathematics, pupils apply their learning from an early age. Leaders' curricular thinking is carefully sequenced to build on pupils' prior learning. Pupils learn about the names of shapes, place value and to count with confidence.

Through phonics and early reading, pupils build their reading fluency effectively. This starts as soon as children join the provision for two-year-olds. In Nursery, children listen carefully and join in with songs and rhymes.

Children are taught phonics from the moment they join Reception. Leaders ensure that staff model sounds clearly and consistently. Pupils secure their phonics knowledge through daily practice.

They read books that match closely the sounds pupils are learning. Leaders identify pupils who need additional support. They provide effective support to help these pupils to develop fluency in their reading.

Teachers read a wide range of books and stories to pupils every day.

Subject leaders are confident to lead their subjects. In some subjects, leaders have not had opportunities to develop the curricular thinking.

Opportunities for staff to develop their expertise are not consistently strong across all subjects. As a result, in some subjects, teachers do not deepen pupils' understanding as well as they do in reading and mathematics.

Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

The curriculum is adapted skilfully to meet a range of complex needs. Pupils with SEND build their knowledge securely across a broad range of subjects. Teachers ensure that all pupils can succeed.

Children engage purposefully with learning and play in the early years. In Years 1 and 2, any low-level disruption or inattention is dealt with quickly by teachers so learning proceeds uninterrupted. The curriculum is carefully considered to support pupils' emotional and physical development.

Pupils become confident learners and are keen to try new things.

Pupils' wider development is well planned for. A broad range of local trips and visitors to the school help to widen pupils' experiences.

Pupils demonstrate empathy and understanding. They care for one another and support each other when they are anxious or upset. Pupils love to take part in music and sport, including at playtimes and after school.

They spoke with pride about their work in the outdoor gardening areas. Pupils grow a range of plants and wildflowers. They enjoy the calm and quiet spaces in the school's grounds.

Leaders value the challenge and support they receive from the governing body. Members of the governing body visit the school regularly. They are well informed of leaders' work.

This helps the governing body to continue to improve the school. Staff feel well supported in managing their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a culture of vigilance and care at the school. Leaders and members of the governing body understand their responsibilities. They protect the welfare, health and safety of pupils and staff.

Staff know their community well and are aware of local safeguarding issues. They understand how to report and escalate their concerns if necessary. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in safeguarding matters.

Strong professional relationships and good communication between everyone ensure that pupils are kept safe. Pupils shared that they feel secure and cared for in school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• New subject leaders have not had time to review, implement or monitor their new subject responsibilities.

As a result, aspects of the planning and assessment of some foundation subjects are not as well embedded as they are in English and mathematics. Leaders should provide training and guidance for staff in teaching the foundation subjects so that pupils gain the subject-specific knowledge and understanding they need to achieve well in all areas of the curriculum.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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.