Old Town Infant School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress from low starting points overall. Standards are above average by the end of Year 2.

Most teaching is good and some of it is outstanding. This consistently good picture is the key reason for pupils' good, and improving, progress. Pupils whose first language is not English make outstanding progress.

The school's spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is particularly good and underpins all that the school does. Outstanding leadership from the headteacher and deputy headteacher, well supported by the governing body, has improved the school rapidly since last September. This is beca...use : they are knowledgeable about priorities for development and are not willing to accept second best.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are eager and enthusiastic learners. They say they feel safe, a view that is supported by the vast majority of parents.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : In a few lessons, teaching is not always pitched at the right level so that pupils sometimes lose their concentration and progress in their learning slows. Work is marked well, but written feedback to pupils is not always clear enough about what they must do to improve their work and move on in their learning.

Information about this school

This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.

The school has had a significant period of change in leadership, with three headteachers since March 2012. The headteacher commenced her post in September 2012 and the new deputy in January 2013. The school is to be a nursery and infant school from September 2013, and is also increasing its intake of younger pupils.

Year 2 and Year 3 pupils are transferring to local junior schools at the end of term. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Nursery and in two Reception Year classes. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is below the national average.

The proportion of those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average. These pupils have a variety of barriers to learning, which are mostly related to speech, language and communication needs. The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (extra government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children looked after by local authorities and children of service families) is below average.

There are currently a small number of children who are looked after by local authorities and a small number of children of service families at the school. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. The proportion of those pupils for whom English is an additional language is above average.

At the time of the inspection, pupils with 29 different languages attended the school. There is a breakfast club on the school site. It is managed by the governing body and therefore formed part of the inspection.

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