John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school provides a friendly and welcoming environment.

It is a place where pupils are happy, safe and enjoy learning. There are caring relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils, including the very youngest children, know there is always someone they can talk to if they have concerns.

Most parents hold positive views about the school and describe staff as 'skilled, supportive and encouraging'.

Pupils behave well because school routines are clear to them. The John of Gaunt way includes the '6 R's', such as respect, resilience and responsibility, which are values woven throughout the curriculum.

Most pupils try their best to personify these val...ues.

Pupils understand that their actions can affect others, both positively and negatively. Adults teach this in a way that the youngest children can understand.

Pupils learn how they can make situations better and solve problems and difficulties.

Pupils learn to be responsible citizens. They contribute to school life by being house captains and members of the school council.

Councillors enjoy responsibilities such as choosing which charities to support and collecting 'kindness' pennies. This teaches them to recognise the positive impact their actions can have from the very beginning of their time in school.

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

The schools in this federation work closely together.

This relationship has been central to this school's continued development. Staff have worked to secure an ambitious curriculum that stems from the early years through to Year 2. Pupils make links between their current learning and what they have learned before.

This helps to consolidate their understanding.

There is a focus on communication and language development as soon as children begin school. They learn to be ready for reading in the Nursery by recognising sounds, reading rhymes and singing songs.

All staff understand how to deliver phonics. The school provides books for pupils to practise reading the sounds they have learned. Adults use assessment information well to identify any further support children may need.

This helps these pupils to catch up quickly with learning to read.

Pupils have opportunities to practise and develop their writing skills in different subject areas. The quality of this writing is variable.

On occasion, teachers' expectations of written work are not high enough. Basic errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling are not always picked up. As a result, some pupils repeat the same errors and do not make enough progress.

Children get off to a flying start in the early years, where their interests help to shape the curriculum. The environment is fun and exciting. Pupils love being in the different outside spaces, exploring and playing together.

For example, during their forest school time, children in the Nursery enjoyed exploring the mud kitchen to prepare food for Santa's reindeer. Staff are highly skilled at developing children's language, knowledge and social skills through their play. As a result, children grow in confidence and are able to choose learning activities for themselves.

The school identifies accurately the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school provides useful information to teachers, which they use to meet pupils' needs. As a result, staff adapt the curriculum to ensure pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Any extra support is effective and provided promptly.

A well-established behaviour system means that pupils understand what is expected of them. The school recognises and celebrates positive behaviour.

Pupils try hard to follow the 'golden rules'. They understand the traffic light system for behaviour. Pupils strive to achieve gold to earn a golden ticket.

This gives them the chance of winning afternoon tea with their headteacher.

The school has ensured that pupils' personal development is well considered. Staff guide pupils well to build a growing understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Pupils understand, at an age-appropriate level, about the differences between themselves and others. They learn about who they are and about managing feelings. Pupils develop their social skills through opportunities, such as performing in plays and welcoming visitors from the local care home.

Governors are knowledgeable and have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths. They check the effectiveness of leaders' actions to further improve the school. Generally, staff feel well supported.

They say there is a culture of teamwork and their well-being and workload is a priority. Parents express positive opinions about the school. They comment that their children are happy at John of Gaunt.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are inconsistencies in the quality of pupils' written work across the school. This is because not all staff have high expectations of pupils' writing skills.

There are occasions when staff do not intervene when pupils are making basic errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. As a result, some pupils go on to repeat these errors in subsequent activities. Leaders need to ensure that staff are consistently identifying and addressing these errors and understand how to support all pupils to develop their writing skills.

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