Paddock Junior Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school This is a highly inclusive school where tolerance, acceptance and equality abound. A strong sense of community permeates the school. The strong leadership and determination of the new headteacher and deputy headteacher have successfully steered the school through a challenging period.

As a result, the school has recovered quickly following a decline in the quality of teaching and pupils' outcomes. The quality of teaching has improved considerably over the last year. Consequently, more pupils are making stronger progress in reading and writing.

Although improving, the teaching of mathematics is weaker than in reading and writing. Teachers ...do not ensure that learning resources enable pupils to improve their skills. Older pupils do not have enough opportunities to deepen their reasoning skills.

Teachers' subject knowledge and effective use of questioning ensure that learning is deepened for the majority of pupils. However, on occasion, activities for the most able pupils are not sufficiently demanding. The governing body supports and challenges school leaders effectively.

Governors are determined in their actions to pursue improvements. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make particularly impressive progress because of the support they receive when they join the school.

The teaching of phonics is very effective. Pupils are developing a passion for reading because it is taught well throughout the school. Leaders and governors ensure that the curriculum is well planned.

It offers pupils a wide range of exciting experiences that stimulate their interest. Work to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is most effective. Staff have pupils' welfare and safety as their highest priority.

Pupils and their families are provided with strong support. Relationships are of a high order. Pupils are polite and respectful.

Children in the early years get off to a good start because of the school's nurturing approach and effective teaching. Children do not always attend regularly, however, and this weakens their progress. Pupils' outcomes are improving but they are not yet good.

Some pupils, particularly in Years 5 and 6, are still catching up because previous teaching was not good enough. The most able pupils do not reach the standards they should.

Information about this school

Paddock Junior, Infant and Nursery School is a much larger school than the average primary school.

The large majority of pupils are of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage, with the others coming from various other minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average. The early years provision consists of two part-time Nursery classes and two full-time Reception classes.

There is also provision for a small number of two-year-old children. A significant number of pupils join classes during the school year. There is one newly qualified teacher who has recently joined the school.

The headteacher was formally appointed in September 2018. She was previously the deputy headteacher at the school. A new deputy headteacher was also appointed in September 2018.

A number of middle leaders and governors are relatively new to post. The school provides both a breakfast club and an after-school club. The school is a member of the Aspire Learning Trust.