Eastrop Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Eastrop Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school.

They are happy and feel safe. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The vast majority of parents agree with this view.

They appreciate the care and guidance their children receive. One parent stated, 'All staff members encourage everyone to grow and reach their potential. Every child is valued.'



Pupils talk enthusiastically about the range of opportunities provided to them both inside and outside of the classroom. They enjoy the links they have with their local junior school and the church.

Pupils are polite and be...have well in lessons and around the school site.

They understand the school values and how these link to how they should behave and treat others. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare. Pupils understand what bullying is but say it doesn't happen often.

They are confident that adults would deal with it quickly if it happened.

Pupils have formed strong relationships with staff and each other. They have a good understanding of respect for adults and their peers.

They feel respected by the adults that work with them. Pupils say that 'it doesn't matter how old you are, you should always look after each other.'

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

Leaders and staff are ambitious for what pupils can achieve.

Adults have created an ethos of teamwork in the school. They are proud to work at the school. Staff appreciate how leaders support their well-being and continuing development.

Leaders prioritise reading. From the moment children start in Nursery, there is an emphasis on developing their language skills and introducing early letter and sound recognition. Children encounter songs, rhymes and stories that widen and support their vocabulary development.

Phonics teaching continues when children enter Reception. Books match the sounds children are learning. Careful assessment of what pupils know and remember ensures appropriate additional support is provided for those who need to catch up.

Classrooms and the reading garden are full of interesting books and other texts for pupils to enjoy. This inspires pupils to read. Pupils talk fondly of 'book talk' and enjoy the challenges that new vocabulary brings.

The mathematics curriculum is designed and sequenced well. This helps pupils to build on previous knowledge from Nursery to Year 2, including for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults in Nursery plan learning opportunities within the indoor and outdoor environment to allow children to understand number in a range of situations.

Effective talk and accurate use of mathematical vocabulary enables the youngest children to develop their understanding of number well.

Some subjects within the wider curriculum are not planned in sufficient detail. The key knowledge that teachers want pupils to know is not explicit enough.

For example, in physical education (PE), pupils are unable to talk about the key concepts they should know and remember with confidence. In some subjects, pupils do not understand what they are learning and why. Teachers do not check with precision what pupils know and can do.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their understanding.

Staff know their pupils well. Effective and strong pastoral support enables all pupils with SEND to succeed.

Careful identification of needs ensures effective support is put in place. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

Leaders provide a range of opportunities to support pupils' personal development.

Pupils enjoy opportunities to take part in events with other local schools as well as engaging in themed weeks to explore aspects of the world around them. They enjoy taking on responsibilities in school. In particular, pupils enjoy representing others on the school council, where they feel they can make a difference.

Pupils are taught how to be a good friend through the personal, social and health education. They understand that people look different and have different opinions.

Trust leaders and the school's academy committee share the same ambition as school leaders in wanting all pupils to succeed.

The members of the academy committee understand, and fulfil, their role well in keeping children safe.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure there is a strong safeguarding culture of keeping children safe.

Staff receive regular and up-to-date safeguarding training. They have a clear understanding of what to do when they have a concern about a child. Clear procedures are in place for reporting concerns about pupils' welfare.

Leaders provide the support pupils and their families need.

Leaders ensure that recruitment checks are carried out rigorously. Through the curriculum, pupils are taught how to stay safe.

They know about the dangers they may face online. Staff are aware of the wider issues that could affect pupils within the local community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects across the wider curriculum, the key knowledge that pupils need to know has not been clearly identified.

As a result, pupils cannot articulate their learning well enough. Leaders need to ensure that the key knowledge pupils need to learn in each subject is clearly identified and sequenced well so that pupils know more and remember more. ? Assessment is not used well enough to check what pupils understand in some subjects in the wider curriculum.

As a result, pupils have gaps in some subject-specific knowledge. Teachers need to check what pupils know and can do when implementing the curriculum so that they can assure themselves that pupils are securing all the essential knowledge they intend pupils to know.

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 first section 8 inspection since we judged Eastrop Infant School to be good in February 2016.