Shelton Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. School is a happy place.

Pupils are very respectful towards each other. As one pupil said, 'Everyone is unique in their own way.' Pupils behave very well, particularly on the playground.

There are many activities outside to engage pupils. They enjoy using construction play equipment to build structures, riding on bikes and tricycles, playing football, drawing and reading. Pupils also enjoy playing the games led by the sport coaches.

They feel safe at school. Pupils say bullying is rare and is dealt with by adults at the school.

The school regularly invites parents and carers into school.

Recently, parents were ...invited for a 'snack and solve' event. This event informed parents about the problem-solving and reasoning activities in mathematics. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

One parent's comment, which was typical of so many, was: 'My child has come on leaps and bounds over the last two years, both academically and socially.'

The school encourages pupils to become active citizens. For example, they strive to complete activities within the school and beyond to graduate from 'Shelton Infant University'.

The school has high expectations for pupils in all subjects. Pupils achieve well.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum to help pupils learn new knowledge and develop their skills.

The curriculum is well planned and sets out the learning in a logical order. Pupils develop their knowledge well across many subjects. For example, children in Reception could explain the life cycle of a butterfly.

Reading is prioritised in the curriculum. Staff are skilled at teaching phonics. Children in the Nursery benefit from daily practice to orally blend sounds to make words.

Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have constant practice to develop their reading skills. They make good progress.

Children in the early years listen to nursery rhymes and develop a love of reading. The school organises many events for parents to come into school to read to all pupils, for example reading at a picnic in the summer. Pupils are eager to gain stickers so they can achieve a gold coin and collect a book from the school's book vending machine.

Pupils can name their favourite books and authors.

Pupils enjoy writing and are eager to use ambitious vocabulary. However, they can make too many mistakes in their writing.

Moreover, mistakes are sometimes repeated.

In mathematics, pupils develop a deep understanding of number. For example, children in the early years can explain different ways of totalling '5' and older pupils can use number lines to find the midpoint.

Pupils discuss mathematical problems and explain their thinking.

Pupils with SEND are included very well in all school activities. Teachers adapt learning carefully to ensure that this group of pupils makes good progress.

Adults support pupils to rehearse their thoughts and encourage them to speak to the rest of the class. Parents highly appreciate the work of staff to support their child's individual needs.

In music, pupils achieve well.

They know the families of instruments. Pupils can use technical vocabulary, such as pitch, dynamics and tempo, to describe music. Pupils can recall the emotions they felt when they listened to music composed by Gustav Holst.

Singing is promoted very well. However, in some other subjects, strategies used to help pupils recall key knowledge are not as effective as they could be. As a result, pupils can sometimes struggle to remember key knowledge.

Pupils are polite and well behaved. The vast majority of pupils attend well. The school works closely with parents when a child does not attend as regularly as they should.

This leads to improved attendance.

There are very positive relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils are highly respectful.

They appreciate that people have different cultures and beliefs. They also respect people who have no religious beliefs. Pupils also have a good understanding of how to stay safe online.

For example, they know that passwords help keep information safe.

Leaders and staff have worked collaboratively and skilfully to develop the curriculum over the past two years. They have astutely monitored the impact of the curriculum.

They know how to develop it further. Staff feel that leaders take into account their workload and well-being. Morale is high.

Governors have a good understanding of how well the school is performing. The local authority has supported the school well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils do not have enough guidance to develop their ability to write with accuracy. As a result, pupils make repetitive mistakes in their writing. The school needs to ensure that pupils develop a good knowledge of how to write accurately when they are writing independently.

• Pupils are remembering more in some subjects. However, some pupils still find it difficult to recall some of the key knowledge that the school wants pupils to remember in all subjects. The school should continue to develop the strategies it employs to help pupils recall key knowledge across all areas of the curriculum.

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