Reinwood Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Reinwood Infant and Nursery School is a good school.

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The school motto 'I can' is shared by all staff and pupils. Leaders have carefully considered the impact of COVID-19 on pupils' well-being.

They have prioritised pupils' social, emotional and mental health. The learning mentor provides advice for staff and works with pupils to ensure that they get the support they need.

Pupils say they are happy in school.

Pupils follow the school rules because they know it makes their school a safer place to be. Relationships between pupils and adults are respectful. All staff deal with behaviour with cons...istency.

As a result, classrooms are calm places where pupils can learn with little disruption. Pupils told inspectors that their school 'is a lovely school because everyone is kind and respects each other'.

Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is.

They are certain that it does not happen. This view is supported by leaders' behaviour records.

Leaders have ensured that pupils benefit from a good selection of clubs and wider opportunities.

These are well attended. Leaders continue to enrich the curriculum for pupils. In subjects such as history, visiting speakers have helped teachers to bring the subject alive for pupils.

This is helping pupils to remember more about what they are taught. Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the science they had learned during their forest school lessons.

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

Leaders and governors know the school well.

Teachers say that leaders help them to manage their workload. Visits help governors to see the impact of the work that leaders are doing. The introduction of a creative curriculum leader means that subject leaders do not work alone in making improvements to their subjects.

However, not all leaders have had the opportunity to check the impact of their work.

Reading remains a high priority for the school. Leaders have provided all staff with the training they need to teach phonics with consistency.

Teachers regularly check which sounds pupils have learned. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. This builds their confidence and fluency.

Leaders have ensured that pupils who struggle to learn their phonics, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), get the help they need to catch up.

Phonics teaching starts for children in the Nursery. By the time children start in Reception, most have learned the sounds they need.

Across the early years, staff are skilled in teaching children phonics as they learn through play. Regular phonics teaching ensures that children learn new sounds quickly. All teachers, in all year groups, read regularly to pupils.

This helps them to develop a love of books and reading at an early age. One pupil said, 'Reading makes your brain smarter.'

The mathematics curriculum that leaders have chosen to use is well sequenced.

The order in which units are planned is logical and progressive. However, teachers do not assess pupils' learning with enough precision. As a result, in some lessons, learning does not build accurately enough on what pupils already know.

Pupils report that mathematics is sometimes too easy. They would like it to be more challenging. Children in Reception benefit from regular mathematics teaching.

Mathematics areas in classrooms are rich in resources. This encourages children to explore mathematics through play. Teacher-led mathematics groups help pupils to develop a good understanding of subject-specific vocabulary.

In subjects, such as history and computing, pupils benefit from well-planned and engaging curriculums. In history, pupils have developed a clear understanding of changes in the recent past. The computing curriculum is supported by the same resources that leaders have used to provide remote education for pupils.

Pupils are familiar with the programmes they use to learn. However, as with mathematics, pupils report that the work can sometimes be too easy. The art curriculum is very new but has had a clear impact in a short space of time.

Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to experiment with different materials and artistic techniques. They have a growing knowledge of different artists and their work.

Leaders are committed to creating a highly inclusive school.

Leaders work closely with parents to provide the extra help that pupils need. Support in the classroom is effective. Pupils with SEND enjoy an ambitious and broad curriculum.

Pupils know that it is important to be respectful to everyone. They demonstrate this in the way they treat one another. Pupils understand the fundamental British values, such as tolerance and respect.

However, their knowledge of different religions and beliefs is underdeveloped. Pupils lack a clear understanding on wider issues, such as how families can be different.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The necessary checks are carried out to ensure that adults are safe to work with pupils.

Regular meetings take place between the leaders of both schools that share the same building. Strong systems of supervision are in place for the many visitors that come to the school building.

Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding have the time they need to carry out their role effectively. The systems for recording incidents ensure that patterns of concern are quickly identified. Pupil absences are chased up swiftly.

The curriculum promotes pupils' understanding of online safety. Pupils know what to do to stay safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Not all middle leaders have been able to fully monitor the impact of their work due to COVID-19.

As a result, the impact of the actions leaders take are not fully known. Leaders, including those with curriculum responsibilities, should now prioritise monitoring activities so that they are clear on the impact their actions are having and so that training can be targeted to staff that most need it. ? Assessment, in subjects such as mathematics and computing are not precise enough.

This means that some pupils are not always moved on to new learning at the right time. Some pupils say that work is not challenging enough. Leaders should ensure that the assessments they use to capture pupils' knowledge and understanding are accurate.

• Pupils' understanding of different religions and beliefs is underdeveloped. Pupils do not remember the religions that they have been taught or the different opinions and family structures to which they have been introduced. Leaders should ensure that the approach to teaching this aspect of the curriculum is reviewed so that pupils remember what they have been taught.

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