Foxhills Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now.

The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this highly ambitious school. The school inspires them to do their very best.

Adults are resolute in ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the best start to their educational journey. Pupils love coming to school. They work hard and a...chieve exceptionally well.

Pupils feel safe in school. They are kind and respectful to each other. They enjoy the well-resourced outside environment, playing well together on the outside gym equipment they helped to choose.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They learn how to take responsibility for their choices and their actions. In addition, pupils trust adults to help them if they have a worry or concern.

The school is rightly proud of the opportunities provided to enrich pupils' experiences. Performing in school productions and presenting their work to different audiences, including pupils from the neighbouring junior school, enables pupils to develop as confident and articulate young people. In addition, pupils enjoy making a difference to their local community, such as through promoting road safety outside the school.

Furthermore, opportunities to learn from an illustrator and professional musicians inspire pupils to produce excellence in their work.

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

The school provides a rich curriculum that gives pupils the knowledge they need to be successful. The curriculum identifies the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know in all subjects.

The order in which pupils learn the curriculum content ensures that their understanding strengthens and deepens over time. Furthermore, pupils have many opportunities to revisit the content that they are learning. This helps them to remember what they have learned and achieve highly.

For example, in geography, pupils learn key information about the United Kingdom and then use this knowledge in different contexts, which helps them to remember it over time. The school ensures that pupils with SEND are taught the same knowledge as their peers. Careful identification of the needs of pupils with SEND ensures that staff know exactly how to adapt the curriculum to enable all pupils to achieve very well.

Teachers' subject knowledge is strong. In lessons, teachers present information clearly. They design tasks that enable pupils to develop their understanding step by step.

Teachers routinely identify pupils' misconceptions and address these straight away. In Reception, the way in which adults build children's understanding is highly effective. For example, when teaching children about colour mixing, adults develop children's understanding well through expert observation and targeted questioning.

All staff use subject-specific vocabulary when explaining concepts and expect pupils to use this vocabulary when discussing their learning. Pupils rise to this challenge and talk about what they have learned with confidence.

The school has clearly prioritised reading.

The strong ambition that all pupils will learn to read with fluency and comprehension swiftly is abundantly clear. The school has devised innovative ways of involving parents in their children's reading journey. The weekly reading assembly, when parents are welcomed into school to listen to stories with their children, is a joy to watch.

Right from the start of Reception, children learn to read using a well-structured programme. This is taught with an impressive level of skill and consistency across the school. As a result, pupils read exceptionally well.

Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Regular checks on pupils' understanding ensures that those at risk of falling behind in reading receive highly effective support to help them to keep up.

Pupils behave very well.

The school is calm and orderly. In lessons, pupils concentrate well and work hard. They want to learn.

The school is determined that all pupils attend school regularly. Over time, effective work with pupils and their families has ensured high attendance for all.

Pupils benefit from a variety of opportunities which enhance the curriculum.

For example, regular 'welly walks' enable pupils to learn about nature and develop a sense of awe and wonder about the world around them. A wide variety of carefully chosen books in the school library provide pupils with 'windows to the world'. This helps build understanding of the cultural and social diversity of the United Kingdom and prepare pupils for life in modern British society.

The school is determined to provide a high-quality education for all. All members of the school community work extremely well together for the benefit of the pupils. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel valued.

They appreciate the regular high-quality training that enables them to do their job well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 January 2014.

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