Petersgate Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Petersgate Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly exemplify the school values of 'safety, caring, achievement, resilience, and friendship'. These 'SCARF' values are interwoven through the school and can be seen in how happy pupils are to try new things and how hard they work in lessons. There is a sense of purpose and positivity that pervades the school.

Pupils trust that the adults in the school want what is best for them and will keep them safe.

Pupils benefit from the high expectations that the school has for what they will achieve. They value the support they receive to do their best.

As such, all pup...ils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well through the curriculum.

Pupils also share the school's high expectations for how they will behave. As play leaders or class helpers, children from Reception onwards play a vital role in their school community.

They actively encourage each other to behave well and play together positively. Consequently, playtimes are enjoyable and safe. Pupils appreciate the range of activities that adults put in place during break and lunchtimes and how they help them.

This includes spending valued time with Cooper, the school dog.

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

The school has an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum in place. There has been careful thought about the precise knowledge pupils will learn and in what order.

There are planned opportunities every year for pupils to build on their knowledge. In Reception, children gain knowledge of early mathematics and literacy. Subsequently, children develop a secure understanding of key mathematical and literacy concepts, which prepares them well for a smooth and successful transfer to Year 1.

Lesson activities are mostly well planned, and teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They make sure that pupils learn the knowledge and vocabulary they need to learn more in the future. Teachers use information from assessments to check how well pupils are learning.

In mathematics and English, assessments are accurate and help teachers to know exactly what help pupils may need. This process is not as effective in foundation subjects. While learning is assessed in these subjects, it is not precise enough to help teachers to know what gaps in knowledge pupils may have.

This means that future lessons may not be as effective as they could be in helping pupils to build secure knowledge over time.

The school is still sharpening the provision to ensure that pupils with SEND are working towards specific and achievable targets. Currently, the overall support for some pupils is not as precise as it could be.

However, effective adaptation is made during lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well, which they mostly do.

The school prioritises the teaching of early reading as soon as children start in Reception. Most teachers use their phonics expertise well.

They spot when pupils have fallen behind with their reading and put in place extra activities so that they keep up. Most pupils learn to read well. However, those who find reading more difficult are not gaining the confidence and fluency as quickly as they could.

For example, some find it hard to accurately say the sounds they have learned. The school implemented a new reading curriculum last year and recognises there is still work to do to embed the expectations for this approach.

Pupils' behaviour and attendance help them to learn.

The right support is in place to ensure that all pupils attend well and benefit from what school has to offer. Consequently, pupils attend well. The school has high expectations for how pupils will behave.

As such, pupils behave well and focus on their learning. Low-level disruption is extremely rare and is dealt with well if it does occur.

Pupils demonstrate inclusive attitudes.

They understand about difference and are taught about a range of cultures and traditions. In their personal, social, health and economic education lessons and through their school leadership roles, pupils learn the importance of being positive members of their community.

Leaders have created stability while also striving to do what is best for pupils.

Staff are proud to work in the school and are inspired by the new vision in place. They know that the recent changes put in place are needed to ensure that all pupils achieve their best.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some of the weakest readers are not yet secure in their knowledge of the sounds they have learned. This hinders their learning overall. The school should ensure that all staff have the knowledge to support this group effectively.

The school is refining the assessment process for foundation subjects. Currently, pupils are not progressing as well as they could through the entire curriculum. The school should ensure that teachers know how to precisely identify pupils' knowledge gaps in foundation subjects so they can provide accurate support in order to close them.

• Provision for pupils with SEND is not as precise as it could be. The school should continue its work to develop the systems in place and ensure all staff have the knowledge to identify the most effective support for pupils with SEND.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2014.

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