Honeywell Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a lot here and are happy at school. They look forward to seeing their friends and teachers each day.

Pupils know that staff care about them and keep them safe. Warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils are evident across the school.

Pupils are clear about what bullying means.

They said it does not happen. Staff deal with occasional incidents of bullying well. Pupils learn about what it means to be a good friend and the importance of being kind to each other.

Staff have high expectations of pupils. In lessons, pupils are keen to learn and take part. They follow the 'golden rules' of behaviour to get class points for weekly... rewards.

The 'behaviour rainbow' helps pupils to understand the impact of their behaviour.

Pupils enjoy playing in the spacious playground and garden area. They have opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.

For example, children in the early years have regular drama workshops. Pupils in Year 1 enjoy their 'seasonal walks' in the local area. Parents and carers feel lucky to have this school in their community.

Typically, they described how well parents and staff work 'hand in hand' across all aspects of school life.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They make sure that pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn a wide range of subjects.

Pupils achieve highly across the school. In the early years, children develop knowledge and skills securely in all areas of learning. Children get a strong start to their education and are fully prepared for Year 1.

Leaders have given careful thought to what they want pupils to know and remember across the curriculum. They have planned learning in a sequenced and coherent way to build pupils' knowledge over time. For example, pupils in Year 1 used a timeline to look at the invention of selected toys.

This helped them in Year 2 when they put the events that led up to the Great Fire of London into chronological order. Learning is planned from Nursery through to Year 2 with clear end points for what pupils need to know and remember. However, in a few subjects, links between what pupils learn in one year and what they learn in the following year are not as strong as they could be.

Staff are sometimes not clear about what pupils have learned before and how current teaching builds on that. Leaders have plans to strengthen these links.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge.

They develop pupils' vocabulary well. For example, children in early years learned the names of the different body parts of a fish and could recall these when looking at pictures of fish. Children described the different parts of a castle using words such as 'moat' and 'drawbridge'.

Staff make regular checks on pupils' learning and address any mistakes or misconceptions. At times, teachers do not break pupils' learning down into small and manageable steps. This can confuse pupils and prevent them from achieving what was planned.

Leaders are thorough in their approach to identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They identify pupils' needs accurately after careful monitoring and discussions with class teachers, parents and external specialists, as required. Teachers adapt their teaching successfully to meet the individual needs of pupils with SEND.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Leaders make sure that staff are well trained in teaching pupils to read. Pupils in Reception and Year 1 have daily phonics lessons and read books to practise the sounds they have learned.

Staff are quick to spot any specific gaps in pupils' knowledge. They give additional support to pupils who struggle with reading. This helps pupils to catch up quickly and become fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

Pupils like to read and enjoy listening to stories every day in class.

Leaders have reviewed the curriculum in recent years, with a focus on diversity and equality. They have invested in high-quality texts and planned learning to help pupils learn about different backgrounds and cultures.

As part of their learning about Kenya, for example, pupils in Year 2 studied the work of photographer Thandiwe Muriu. Pupils enjoy visiting different places of worship and learning about the world religions.

Staff teach pupils to think of others and to be kind.

Pupils collect produce for a local food bank and raise money for different charities. They are keen to help each other and to please their teachers. Lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour.

Staff morale is high. Leaders have worked hard to create a supportive culture. Leaders and governors understand the demands of teaching and do what they can to minimise staff's workload.

The governing body takes an active role in school life and plays an essential part in the school's success.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know pupils and their families well.

They report any concerns, and leaders are quick to follow these up. Leaders track behaviour and attendance concerns alongside safeguarding records. This helps them to identify and monitor vulnerable pupils.

Leaders carry out thorough pre-recruitment checks on staff.

Pupils have staff that they can talk to, or can 'feed' any concerns to the school's 'worry monster' posting box. Pupils are taught about staying safe outside of school, including road safety and what to do if they get lost.

Leaders work closely with staff from the on-site counselling service and offer a range of therapeutic support.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, teaching focuses on an end task without giving attention to the small steps that pupils need to follow in order to achieve it. When this happens, the building blocks of knowledge are not secure.

Leaders should refine their curriculum thinking to ensure that all staff are clear about how the end tasks and end goals are broken down into small steps. ? Subject leaders have plans to develop their subject areas further, in particular to strengthen links between year groups. Senior leaders should continue to support and develop all subject leaders so that they can carry out their roles fully effectively.

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