Enderby Road Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Enderby Road Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy, valued and cared for. Staff know their pupils very well. The school has a 'family' atmosphere and staff treat pupils as individuals.

Pupils respond in kind by trying, and working, hard. The school encourages pupils to develop their personal values and strengths. Pupils spoke confidently about how they develop and showcase their own personal strengths.

For example, pupils said how they are helpful when using their kind hands to help others. A weekly assembly praises and rewards pupils for demonstrating their strengths.

Pupils told inspectors that they... feel safe in school.

They do not worry about bullying or acts of unkindness. Pupils said adults are kind and help to look after them. Pupils play well together, enjoying games and activities at lunchtime and playtimes.

Pupils like coming to school. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are real strengths of this school. Pupils are very keen to learn new things in lessons.

Teachers plan lessons that motivate and interest pupils. Pupils said that their lessons are fun, and they love learning, especially mathematics.

Parents are happy with the school.

They value the range of extra-curricular opportunities offered to the pupils. Parents shared positive comments, including the openness of the school. For example, one said: 'The school is simply wonderful! It's a safe, positive and family feeling school.'



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

The school still provides a good quality of education. Leaders have created a curriculum that engages pupils. Leaders consider pupils' different needs and take their interests into account.

Since the previous inspection, leaders and teachers have updated curriculum plans. They have a clear picture of the curriculum. They check that topics cover the national curriculum in depth.

Teachers plan topics in a meaningful way to help pupils to know and remember more. They make sure curriculum plans help pupils gain skills and knowledge in a logical order. Teachers deliver lessons that build on pupils' prior knowledge.

For example, in science, pupils enjoy the practical nature of lessons when learning new things. Teachers plan lessons in science that help pupils to learn through a 'hands-on' approach. During a practical lesson, pupils were able to explain how sounds travel in waves.

Pupils have a good understanding of the meaning of different science vocabulary. Sometimes, pupils' written work is not presented well enough. Pupils' letters and numbers are not as well formed as they should be.

The curriculum caters well for all pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff help pupils to progress well academically and in their personal development.

Teachers and teaching assistants ensure that lessons are inclusive. Staff work well with families to identify pupils' needs and find ways to support them.

Since the last inspection, mathematics has been a focus of school improvement work.

Leaders have channelled their energies into improving pupils' problem-solving skills. Pupils of all abilities rise well to the challenge of solving problems. Pupils practise their mathematics a lot to master the basics.

Teachers provide pupils with ample opportunities to rehearse and develop their fluency skills. This approach helps pupils to recall and build on what they already know. For example, pupils could use instant recall of number facts to add pairs of numbers together.

The impact of leaders' work ensures that pupils achieve well and are ready for key stage 2.

The school promotes the importance of reading. Opportunities for reading are everywhere.

The school contains attractive reading areas, including a refurbished library. Parents are very well included in school life. The school holds a wide variety of events to inspire pupils and parents to develop a love of reading.

They value the opportunity to attend these events to share books and read together.

The school's programme for phonics ensures that pupils get off to a good start in reading. Staff involve parents to help pupils learn their letters and sounds.

This helps them to read and spell words with accuracy. Teachers and teaching assistants make regular checks on pupils' progress. Leaders are quick to identify pupils who are in danger of falling behind.

These pupils receive extra adult support to help them catch up.

Pupils read books in school that match their reading ability. However, they take different books home to read.

Some of these books are not well matched to pupils' phonics knowledge. This includes pupils who at the early stages of reading. This means pupils do not have the opportunity to practise the sounds and words they have learned.

This also limits their ability to build confidence and develop their fluency skills.

Governors know the school very well. Many are generous with their time and are a visible presence in school.

As a result, governors gain a good understanding of the quality of education at the school. They support and challenge leaders during meetings and through their visits into school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good awareness of how to keep pupils safe. They have regular training and updates. They understand the potential threats pupils face outside of school.

Staff know how to recognise any signs of these risks. Staff know how to report any pupil welfare concerns promptly. When supporting vulnerable pupils, leaders work closely with external agencies.

Leaders ensure that these pupils and their families receive the support they need. The curriculum helps pupils to know how to stay safe in everyday situations. Pupils understand how to be safe when using the internet or mobile technology.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Sometimes, pupils do not take sufficient pride in the presentation of their work. As a result, their writing and mathematics recording lacks precision and accuracy. Leaders should ensure that pupils improve the legibility of their writing when forming letters and numbers.

. Although pupils read books in school that match the sounds they know, the books they take home are not matched precisely to the sounds they know. This means pupils do not get to practise the sounds and letters they are learning in school.

Leaders should ensure that pupils in the early stages of reading access books that match their phonics knowledge. This should include the books pupils take home in order to help pupils to read confidently and fluently.

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 school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, 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 convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Enderby Road Infant School to be good on 11 May 2016.