Greasby Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud to attend this caring school, which is at the heart of its local community.

Pupils of all ages love to help to look after their school and its grounds. For example, members of the eco-team delight in helping to look after the school's birds and rabbits. Through various leadership roles, pupils are encouraged to develop their confidence and independence.

From the early years upwards, pupils' behaviour is exceptional. Children in the Nursery class settle quickly into school life. They learn the school's rules and routines so that not a moment of learning is lost.

At breaktimes, pupils of all ages play happily together. They help one anothe...r and they are kind and considerate. The oldest pupils are excellent role models for younger children.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. They respond to the high expectations that the school has of them. As a result, they leave well prepared for junior school.

Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities on offer. They take part in clubs such as football, cooking club and multi-sports club. Pupils enjoy visiting places of interest to extend their learning, such as the science museum and aquarium.

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

Reading is given a high priority. This starts in the Nursery class, where children are enthralled at story time. Books are brought to life with simple props that children then use to act out familiar stories.

The phonics programme begins in the Reception Year. Children start to learn the sounds and letters that they need to begin to learn to read. Pupils practise reading using books that match the sounds they know.

Following this strong start, pupils typically go on to be accurate, fluent readers in key stage 1.

The school identifies and supports those pupils who need more help to keep up with their reading. However, some pupils in key stage 1 are not given sufficient opportunities to apply their knowledge of the sounds that they have learned to their writing.

This hinders some pupils from forming letters correctly. These pupils do not develop their fluency in writing as well as they do in reading.

The school's curriculum has been carefully designed.

It sets out the most important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught. In most subjects, staff regularly check how well pupils are learning. This enables any misconceptions to be addressed as they arise in lessons.

However, in one or two subjects, the curriculum is not as ambitious as it could be. Some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. This is because assessment information does not give teachers the information that they need to shape future learning.

This hampers teachers from designing learning that builds successfully on what pupils know already.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND swiftly. Staff are well trained to ensure that they adapt their delivery of the curriculum to meet these needs.

In addition, pupils receive the support that they need with their learning. This enables pupils with SEND to learn alongside their peers.

Emphasis is placed on pupils' personal development.

This includes a well-designed curriculum for relationships and sex education and health education. This builds pupils' knowledge about how to stay safe online and how to be physically healthy. Pupils demonstrate maturity beyond their years when they talk about what makes people different.

They learn the importance of acceptance and they celebrate diversity. Pupils are encouraged to develop empathy and understanding. They are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils take the opportunities that they are given to contribute to their local community seriously. For example, they sing for elderly residents and raise money for charities that are close to their heart. The programme for personal, social and health education enables pupils to have a well-developed sense of right and wrong.

They speak up and have faith in staff to resolve any worries that they might have.

Pupils have exemplary attitudes to learning. In lessons, they listen very attentively to their teachers and try their best with their work.

Pupils, including children in the early years, show a thirst for knowledge. They enjoy sharing their learning with others. Classrooms are purposeful learning environments and pupils take a pride in their achievements.

Attendance has a high priority. Pupils attend very well. The school supports the very small number of families who need help to improve attendance.

Governors know the school well. They offer appropriate support and challenge. They are especially mindful of staff's workload and well-being.

Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported to carry out their roles effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not provide sufficient opportunities for some pupils in key stage 1 to apply their knowledge of letters and sounds in their writing. This hinders some of these pupils from forming their letters correctly and from developing fluency in writing as quickly as they could. The school should provide regular opportunities for these pupils to practise their writing.

• In one or two subjects, assessment information does not provide teachers with the information that they need to ensure that the curriculum is suitably ambitious for all pupils. This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could. The school should ensure that assessment information supports teachers to design learning that helps pupils to develop a rich body of subject knowledge.