Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning at Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery School. The school motto is 'Happy Learning', and pupils say that they are happy at school.

They know why the school's values and rules are important. Adults provide a positive environment in which pupils learn. Staff have high expectations for pupils to achieve well.

They encourage all pupils 'to be the best that we can be', using praise to guide them to make positive choices. In response, pupils work hard. They are kind to one another and help ea...ch other out.

Pupils trust adults to help them with any problems they may have.

Pupils learn free from disruption. Strong relationships with adults help pupils to feel confident to try new ways of working.

For example, pupils enjoy learning new methods to solve calculation problems.

Pupils enjoy a range of wider opportunities. These include school visits, gardening club and sporting clubs.

The school develops pupils' character and confidence well. This is evident in how pupils behave and work together. Pupils talk with confidence to visitors and explain their work enthusiastically.

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

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils learn this curriculum well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has decided the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn in each subject.

Pupils learn this knowledge in carefully ordered steps from the early years to Year 2. For example, in science, pupils learn key scientific words that help them to build a solid body of knowledge. The school has recently refined the curriculum in some subjects, to ensure that it better meets the wide range of needs of pupils in the school.

However, the school's checks on the impact of these changes are at a very early stage. This means the school is not clear about the impact on pupils' learning over time.

In the early years, the curriculum supports children to make a strong start to learning.

For example, in the Nursery class, children develop personal and social skills when they learn to share toys and help to tidy up. Staff help children to strengthen their listening skills through telling stories, singing songs and rhymes. This prepares children well for the phonics programme, which starts straight away in the Reception class.

The school has recently changed its approach to teaching early reading. Staff are trained well to deliver the reading programme. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils achieve the expected reading level.

The school is ambitious that pupils learn to read with a greater degree of fluency by the end of Year 1. Pupils read often to an adult within the school. The school makes sure that all pupils visit the local library to share stories.

The school has acted to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence. This has had varying degrees of success. Pupils understand the importance of, and receive positive rewards for, regular school attendance.

The school tracks attendance carefully. However, some pupils do not attend school regularly and some are absent too often. This has an impact on their progression through the curriculum.

Pupils enjoy taking on roles of leadership and responsibility, such as 'table monitor' or being part of the school council. They understand the importance of working together. The school encourages pupils to raise money for charities to help the community.

Pupils benefit from experiences such as local artists visiting the school to share their work. Pupils behave well. They share, take turns and are well mannered.

The school is supportive to staff who are new to their role and enables them to be effective quickly. Staff are very positive about working at this school. They support each other well.

Leaders accurately identify areas for development. When necessary, leaders take decisive action to bring about improvement. Governors understand the school's needs.

They have valuable experience. They share this with school leaders. Governors are determined to continue improving educational outcomes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly. They miss out on important learning.

This means that they have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure its actions to improve attendance have an impact so that all pupils attend regularly and do not miss out on their learning. ? In a small number of subjects, the changes to the curriculum are at an early stage.

The school has not checked on the impact of its improvement work. This limits its understanding of what works well, and what needs refining. The school should ensure that in all subjects, it has a clear overview of the impact of the curriculum on pupils' learning over time.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.