Purlwell Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Purlwell Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school at the heart of the local community. The headteacher has established strong relationships with parents and carers and encourages them to play an active part in school life. Leaders provide regular information sessions to help parents support their child's learning in the home.

In particular, the 'FRED' project encourages all members of the family to develop a love of reading with their children.

Positive and caring relationships between all adults and pupils are a key feature of Purlwell Infant and Nursery School. Pupils feel safe and know that they can... speak to any adult in school if they are worried.

There have been no reported incidents of bullying. Pupils demonstrate excellent learning behaviours. They are engaged in their learning and listen well to adults.

Parents welcome the extraordinary lengths that staff go to, to care for their children.

Leaders have prioritised pupils' physical and mental well-being. High-quality, ambitious sports lessons, led by a specialist sports coach, help to ignite enthusiasm for competitive team games.

Teachers include opportunities for physical activity across the school day. Pupils learn to recognise and manage their emotions well. Adults encourage pupils to talk about how they are feeling and look for ways to make things better.

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

Leaders have established an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. This includes the key vocabulary that pupils will return to and build on each year. Curriculum leaders are passionate about their subject areas and lead these well.

The early years curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that it introduces the core knowledge and skills that children will need to be successful in key stage 1. However, some learning activities in key stage 1 are not as effective. They do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to discuss and explore what they are learning.

The approach to assessment is not consistent. As a result, in some subjects, teachers do not know when pupils have gaps in their knowledge.A mastery approach to mathematics is well established in all year groups.

In key stage 1, most pupils confidently discuss their learning using appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Children in the early years explore number through a range of practical resources. This helps them to develop a strong understanding of early number concepts.

However, this approach to learning is not consistent in other classes. In some lessons, pupils did not have access to resources such as counters and number lines to support their learning. This means that some pupils lack confidence in core concepts such as subtraction or division.

Leaders have introduced a new programme for the teaching of phonics. Currently, this is only in place in Reception. This new approach is having a positive impact on the progress children are making.

Children enjoy the structure of the lessons and apply their new knowledge of sounds well in their writing. In key stage 1, phonics teaching is not as well structured. Lessons lack the organised approach of those in Reception.

Teachers do not consistently model the strategies that pupils need to crack the phonics code. This means that some pupils struggle to read new or longer words in their reading books. Leaders have rightly identified this as a priority area for improvement.

The special educational needs coordinator provides effective support to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers include the targets from pupils' individual learning support plans effectively in all lessons. Staff in The Rainbow Room provide enhanced support for those pupils who find learning in the mainstream classes more challenging.

Leaders have commissioned weekly support from a speech and language therapist. This helps to ensure that pupils with communication difficulties receive timely, high-quality support.

Teachers ensure that pupils develop a strong understanding of positive friendships and relationships.

They learn to respect different cultures and beliefs and enjoy experiencing a range of cultural celebrations. Pupils develop an early understanding of democracy through their roles on the school council and as playground buddies. A broad range of trips and visitors help to widen pupils' learning experiences.

These include trips to the seaside, the wildlife park and a light railway as well as visits from owls and chickens.

All staff speak positively about the strong team ethos across the school. The headteacher has been considerate of staff well-being and has established a culture of continuous improvement.

Governors have an informed understanding of school developments. Regular visits into school help them to provide the right challenge and support to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff have the training they need to keep pupils safe. All staff have a secure knowledge of local safeguarding issues and the impact on pupils. Leaders act on any concerns swiftly.

They do not shy away from holding difficult conversations with parents. Leaders have established a range of additional systems to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need. These include nurture groups and drawing therapy.

Leaders invite parents to attend informal meetings where they share information on relevant safeguarding issues. Robust procedures are in place to ensure that all adults who work in school are safe to do so.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The teaching of phonics in key stage 1 lacks rigour and consistency.

This means that some pupils, especially the lowest 20% of readers, do not have the knowledge and skills they need to become fluent readers. Leaders should expedite the implementation of the new phonics scheme, including training for all staff and a robust schedule of monitoring. ? In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment consistently as part of learning to identify what pupils know and can remember.

This means that gaps in pupils' subject knowledge are not identified and addressed effectively. Leaders should ensure that a consistent approach to assessment is established in all foundation subjects. ? Some teachers do not design learning activities that meet the intended curriculum well.

This limits the opportunity for pupils to explore and develop their subject knowledge. Subject leaders should support all teachers to identify and deliver learning that best meets the curriculum outcomes.

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2010.