Henry Bradley Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this happy school, where they feel safe and secure. Everyone gets on well.

Martha, the much-loved school dog, makes them feel at home. Children in the Nursery settle in quickly. They enjoy making 'porridge' in the mud kitchen with new friends.

Staff are kind and caring. They tell pupils to 'Reach for the stars', and pupils are eager to do so. They know the school's motto means that they must aim high.

When they do, they are proud of becoming a 'Henry Bradley Hero'. They see that staff recognise and celebrate their hard work and good behaviour. Pupils agree that 'Hot Chocolate Friday is the best of all'.

Pupils say that being at ...Henry Bradley is fun. Skilled teachers teach them to read and to understand multiplication without delay. In science, they learn about wildlife.

They like going on visits to the 'Eureka! Science and Discovery Museum' and to see 'Aladdin' at the 'Winding Wheel Theatre'. They play their part as future citizens by raising money for Children in Need. They also enjoy learning new skills at the many clubs that staff organise for them, such as basketball.

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

Staff are a united team. They know every pupil well and want the very best for each of them. A carefully designed curriculum is delivered effectively and meets pupils' needs.

Funding is well used to support those who are disadvantaged. Lessons and activities are adjusted skilfully for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Everyone is included.

As a result, pupils achieve well from their starting points. They leave well prepared for junior school.

The school has wasted no time in addressing the weaknesses noted at the last inspection.

They now have reliable systems to record what pupils know. Staff have been given the knowledge to plan the precise steps they need to teach next in each subject.

Children get off to a good start in the early years.

Staff help children to begin to catch up with their language and communication. They learn how to identify different sounds. This means they are ready to begin learning their phonics from the first week in the Reception Year.

Last year, the school replaced its phonics scheme to one that staff judged to be better. The adjustment hindered the progress of some pupils in the interim, and in 2023, too many pupils did not pass the phonics check that all Year 1 pupils complete. However, the scheme is now fully embedded and is being effectively delivered.

Pupils love hearing about the 'Tricky Witch'. They listen carefully as staff teach them an ambitious early reading curriculum. Weaker readers are given help to learn any sounds they do not know.

These readers practise with reading books that give them plenty of confidence. As a result, pupils learn to spell words like 'turned', to make compound words and to use suffixes. They read fluently, and love hearing stories like 'The Gruffalo'.

Pupils know and remember more across subjects. In mathematics, children in the early years are taught to recognise doubles and to count well. By Year 2, they can solve division problems.

In history, pupils can describe how they understand timelines and find out about who Henry Bradley was. They make square-based pyramids in design and technology. They sketch portraits using shade, tone and cross-hatching in art and design.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has left some pupils struggling with their handwriting and having less stamina to write. This has meant their writing skills are not as good as they could be.

Pupils behave well.

Even the youngest pupils pay attention, listen, follow instructions and do their best. Their attention span is good. Pupils are eager to learn and do not disrupt lessons.

They can explain the school's values and uphold them. They are kind, respectful and cooperative. They line up smartly and move around the school sensibly.

Most attend well. Leaders are doing all they can to work with any families whose children are persistently absent.

The school's personal development programme broadens pupils' experiences.

In the early years, children talk about their feelings and how things change over time. Those in key stage 1 learn about healthy lifestyles, money and the need to respect everyone. This helps pupils to make safe, well-informed decisions.

Pupils also find out about those whose cultures or religions are different from their own. 'Positive Play' sessions form an important part of the school's pastoral support package.

Unsurprisingly, parents hold the school in high regard.

Almost all would recommend it to another parent.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• COVID-19 has resulted in some pupils lacking stamina when writing, with their presentation poor due to lower fine motor skills.

In addition, pupils' communication skills have been impacted so that they do not habitually write in sentences. These factors have resulted in pupils' attainment in writing not being as high as it needs to be. The school should give pupils sufficient opportunities to form their handwriting correctly and, whenever appropriate, to use full sentences and write for different purposes.