Hindhayes Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hindhayes Infant School enjoy coming to school.

The family ethos means that pupils feel safe and cared for. The 'Hindhayes Kindways' set out the expectations of how pupils should behave. This means the school is calm and orderly.

Pupils are kind and courteous to everyone. They are keen to share what they learn in lessons. At playtimes, pupils use a range of equipment to keep them active, including the use of scooters.

Pupils know that if they have any worries there are staff who will help them. Pupils learn what it means to eat healthily. They can also explain in detail about staying safe online.

The school has high expectations for pupils.... From the early years, pupils are encouraged to be curious and enthusiastic learners. Parents and carers speak positively about how the school goes out of its way to help pupils and families.

Pupils develop and agree on a set of rules that they abide by in class. They link these rules to the values in modern Britain. The school council helps pupils to have a voice in the school.

Pupils also learn to be active citizens by raising money for local charities through singathons.

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

This school has a well-planned and ambitious curriculum. The school has determined the important knowledge that pupils should acquire and the order in which teachers should introduce it.

By the end of key stage 1 most pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. There are high expectations that all staff know the needs of all pupils, including pupils with SEND.

The school has prioritised reading. Pupils talk positively about their love of reading. This includes pupils being excited about hearing their teachers read to them.

The school has also invested in a school library that includes a range of high-quality texts that celebrate the diversity of life in modern Britain. The books pupils read are well matched to their reading ability. Pupils learn to read as soon as they start school.

The school has a well-planned and sequenced phonics programme in place. Staff have received appropriate training. However, the teaching of phonics is variable and does not always match the ambitious intent of leaders.

Staff do not always check that pupils have a secure understanding of the sounds they learn. This means that pupils move on to new learning with gaps in their existing knowledge. As a result, too many pupils at the end of Year 1 do not achieve the expected levels in the phonics screening check.

In other curriculum areas, teachers have strong subject knowledge. The learning activities that pupils complete reflect the main aims of the planned curriculum. For example, in history, pupils develop an understanding of historical sources by interpreting paintings of the Great Fire of London.

In some subjects, assessment practices are still developing and teaching does not always check how well pupils understand what they have been taught. This means that learning activities are not always adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.Children in the early years are keen to learn.

The activities that they engage in have been purposefully planned. There are daily routines to help develop children's hand-eye coordination, pencil grip and finger strength. Books and stories are central to the early years curriculum.

Children learn nursery rhymes and seasonal songs that help them to build their vocabulary.

The school's provision for pupils' personal development is exceptional. The Hindhayes 'Curriculum for Life' teaches pupils about healthy relationships, the importance of equality, caring for the environment and how to manage their emotions.

As a result, pupils have a strong and committed understanding of the importance of kindness and consideration for others. Pupils are provided with a rich range of experiences, such visits to the beach to learn about coastlines. Pupils go for walks in the local environment to learn about the rich history of their community.

The well-provisioned forest school set in the school grounds allows pupils to climb trees, learn how to make fires and use natural materials to create their own artwork. These opportunities help pupils to develop curiosity and to develop confidence.

The school has taken appropriate action to improve pupils' attendance.

The school builds trust with families to remove barriers to attendance. Pupils across the school generally behave well and most pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

Staff enjoy working at this school.

They say their workload and well-being are taken into account by leaders and governors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the phonics curriculum does not always reflect the ambitious intent of leaders.

This means that some pupils do not learn to read as well as they should. Leaders need to ensure that the school's phonics programme is delivered consistently well by all staff who teach pupils to read, and in all phases of the school, so that pupils are supported effectively to become fluent and confident readers. ? In some subjects, teaching does not consistently check the understanding of pupils well enough to know if pupils fully understand what they have been taught.

As a result, learning activities are not always suitably adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that assessment is used effectively to inform planning and teaching in all subjects to support pupils' next steps in learning.

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