Crofton Hammond Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All the adults at Crofton Hammond Infant School share the same determination for every pupil to learn together and thrive.

Central to this ambition is their successful work to build pupils' confidence, curiosity and resilience. As a result, pupils are proud of their learning and achieve well in all subjects.

Pupils are happy and feel safe at this school.

They know that staff expect them to behave well. Staff help them to follow the school rules and learn about their emotions, using the 'bounce' programme. This gives all pupils the vocabulary and strategies to describe and change how they feel.

Pupils and parents are rightly proud to belong to this ca...ring community and believe their school is welcoming. Bullying is not something that pupils worry about. Pupils say that should they have any worries, kind teachers listen and deal with their concerns quickly.

The emotional support offered helps pupils to talk about issues and be in the best place to learn.

Pupils benefit from the wide range of interesting opportunities. These include cake-making, ukulele, science, art, poetry and sports clubs.

Trips to see Father Christmas at the theatre and visiting a farm demonstrate curriculum enrichment, as well as being enjoyable and memorable experiences.

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

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. This is because the curriculum is ambitious, exceptionally well designed and highly engaging.

This prepares children very well for more-complex learning in Year 1. For example, it equips them with the body of knowledge and character traits they need to succeed. Children delight in the wide array of well-chosen activities.

This means that no time for learning is ever wasted.

Subject leaders ensure that learning in English and mathematics is ordered well to help pupils build their knowledge and skills. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not yet identified with enough precision what they would like pupils to learn and remember.

As a result, teachers are not clear enough about the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn and build on year-by-year in all subjects.

Leaders are determined that pupils will become fluent readers and competent mathematicians. Leaders have worked hard to improve the teaching of mathematics.

They are determined to help pupils who have fallen behind due to the pandemic. Additional daily support is helping pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, to catch up.

The teaching of early reading is exact and prioritised.

Teachers interact skilfully with pupils to develop, assess and enhance pupils' reading knowledge and skills. Teachers read to pupils daily. Pupils really enjoy listening and are inspired by these story times.

This is also helping pupils learn to read increasingly for pleasure. Tailored support is given to any pupils who require additional help so that they make strong progress. Pupils' reading helps them to develop a wider vocabulary and to become more successful writers.

The school is highly inclusive. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need and participate fully in all aspects of school life. Individual needs are identified quickly and accurately.

Well-matched support is in place for each child, so they are ready to learn. All staff communicate well so that teaching meets the particular needs of pupils and helps to move learning on.

The foundations of positive behaviour are firmly laid down in the early years.

Pupils are polite and courteous in lessons and at social times. Occasionally, some pupils lose focus and a few pupils need support to help them regulate their behaviour. However, teachers take effective action to minimise the impact of any off-task behaviour and get learning back on track.

Attendance of pupils, including for those who are disadvantaged, has remained high because of the strong oversight and support provided by the school.

The school's provision for pupils' wider development is strong. For example, pupils from service families are very well supported and considered when parents are away on deployment, including keeping in contact.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships, and how to protect their physical and mental health and keep themselves safe in different contexts. They understand that everyone is unique and should be respected.

Governors are knowledgeable and skilled.

They work well with leaders to justify decisions made and identify the impact. They also safeguard the school's ethos. Leaders continue to invest in teachers' knowledge and training to improve the quality of education further.

Leaders are acutely aware of staff workload, welfare and talent development. As a result, staff feel valued and very well supported. Highly effective leaders inspire the staff's commitment to working together for the benefit of all pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to recognise potential signs of harm in children. They report any concerns promptly, and leaders diligently make sure that these are followed up.

Leaders get to know pupils and their families well. They understand the community and whether there are any local risks. The school works very effectively with other professionals to reduce harm to children and get them the help they need.

Checks on adults appointed to work in the school are carried out thoroughly and monitored by governors. Information about child protection is recorded in detail and overseen meticulously to ensure that no concerns are missed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, leaders have not yet identified with enough precision the most important knowledge they would like pupils to learn and remember.

This means that teachers are not clear enough about the detailed knowledge that pupils need to secure and build on year-by-year. Leaders need to refine the curriculum in the foundation subjects. They need to identify the precise and most important knowledge and skills that they would like pupils to learn and remember.

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