St Alphege Church of England Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are welcome at the school.

They are integrated fully into every aspect of school life. This is recognised by parents, who told us, 'When I drop my son off, I just feel every muscle relax because I know he's so well cared for.' This starts with the warm greetings that pupils receive from staff at the gates in the morning and continues throughout the day.

This positivity is reflected in pupils' exceptionally strong attitudes to school.

Pupils' behaviour is superb. They are notably thoughtful and considerate.

The strong personal development provision is reflected in ...their mature attitudes. Pupils have a strong sense of understanding spirituality and faith. This is supported by carefully chosen experiences that pupils love, such as trips to local places of worship and theatre performances.

Consequently, pupils discuss race, gender and equality topics with exceptionally open-minded views and awareness of others. The close community feel of the school is rooted in a true sense of open acceptance.

Pupils achieve well.

They are highly engaged in learning and relish the curriculum's ambitious themes and topics. They feel empowered by the knowledge they gain and are enthusiastic about their learning journey.

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

Children have the best possible start to school in Nursery and Reception.

Staff have carefully identified key learning and skilfully adapt it to meet the needs of all pupils. Children build ambitious knowledge over time that prepares them strongly for Year 1. They develop exceptionally strong language and attention skills.

Children use these skills to maintain warm relationships with others. The adults in Reception and Nursery are expertly trained. Their interactions with children are of the highest quality and promote excellent learning.

As a result, children achieve exceptionally well.

The school has a detailed and ambitious curriculum. This is carefully sequenced to support all pupils' learning of the content over time.

For example, in history, the local area study is built from Nursery onwards, with trips and by exploration through art and music. Staff carefully adapt the curriculum to provide meaningful learning for all pupils. As a result, pupils who are disadvantaged, including pupils with SEND, achieve positive outcomes.

The support for pupils with SEND is steadfastly strong across the school. Adults follow the planned curriculum consistently well. The school provides staff with timely and effective training.

This means that lessons match the planned curriculum, and activities are well designed. Pupils produce high-quality outcomes in subjects such as art. They told inspectors, 'I feel tingly when I get to explore in art.'

The school has identified how it wants to help pupils remember knowledge over time, but this is not yet fully effective. Pupils' recall of key knowledge across the wider curriculum is not yet as strong as it could be. Pupils achieve in line with national averages in published outcomes at the end of key stage 1.

The reading curriculum is taught effectively and consistently. Staff strongly promote a love of reading. Adults read to pupils daily, drawing from carefully chosen and diverse books.

Adults teach reading effectively and ensure that weaker readers are strongly supported. Pupils read books that contain the sounds they have learned. As a result, pupils develop accuracy and fluency and develop into passionate and confident readers.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to school are exceptionally strong. Behaviour at breaktimes and in class is highly positive and inclusive. Pupils feel safe and heard by adults if they have any worries.

There is no disruption of learning, and from Nursery onwards, pupils maintain positive relationships with adults and other pupils. The school has been particularly effective in supporting pupils who are disadvantaged to improve their attendance.

The personal development of pupils is a driving force across the school.

The school uses a highly inclusive approach that results in exceptionally high participation from disadvantaged pupils. The wider personal development provision links thoughtfully to the curriculum. Staff teach concepts such as mortality, faith and differing family structures sensitively and effectively.

Leaders across the school share an unswerving ambition for inclusivity. They are well trained and engage positively with external agencies. Governors uphold their statutory duties and provide timely and important challenge.

Staff workload and welfare are well considered by the school. Staff and parents work superbly together for the benefit of pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, staff do not precisely check pupils' understanding. This means that pupils sometimes develop misconceptions or gaps in learning. The school should ensure that staff teach the most important knowledge and skills and routinely check that pupils' understanding of the key content across the curriculum is secure.