Stourfield Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and are happy at Stourfield Infant School. Adults foster positive relationships with the pupils. Pupils feel safe.

They have a trusted adult they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. The school's robust management of attendance and close work with parents ensure that pupils attend regularly.

Adults have high expectations for all pupils.

From Reception Year, children respond well to this. Routines are well established and understood. Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly manner.

They are polite and kind towards each other. Classrooms are purposeful and productive because pupils can concentrate on their ...learning without interruption.

The school provides a broad range of opportunities to develop pupils' interests and talents.

All pupils have full and equitable access to the clubs organised by the school. Pupils enjoy the variety of clubs, including mini-Olympics, curling and choir. Pupils have opportunities to make a positive contribution to their community.

The whole school takes part in a local beach clean. All classes take on a 'whole school responsibility', such as litter picking and recycling.

Parents appreciate the warm, kind and caring approach that the school takes.

They value the strong sense of community.

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

The school, supported by the trust, has been relentless in its drive to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection. The school is ambitious and determined that all pupils will receive a high-quality education.

The trust has challenged and supported the school. As a result, the new leadership team has brought about rapid improvements.

The school's focus on curriculum design means that pupils have a broad and balanced curriculum.

The school has identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to learn. This curriculum is taught in a way that build pupils' knowledge well over time. The curriculum begins in Reception Year.

It is carefully sequenced and prepares children well for Year 1.

In mathematics, pupils revisit what they have previously learned so that new knowledge builds well. For example, pupils count in multiples of five before they move on to work on 'grouping'.

Opportunities for pupils to be fluent in number help them to tackle more complex problems and develop reasoning skills. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities progress well through the intended curriculum. This is because adults have an accurate understanding of the needs of pupils.

Adaptations to learning ensure that these pupils access learning alongside their peers.

Reading is a priority for the school. The school is passionate about the importance of reading and the impact this has on pupils' life chances.

As soon as children start school, they learn to read. Adults are experts in the delivery of phonic lessons. They quickly identify pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme.

Additional support for these pupils means they catch up quickly. Pupils who find reading a challenge have books that match the sounds they know. This helps them to be confident and fluent readers.

The love of reading starts in Reception Year. Children retell stories by heart. The language of storytelling is woven throughout the provision.

This encourages children to talk about the characters and repeat phrases from stories they know well.

The work to develop the curriculum extends beyond mathematics and English. In Reception Year, children learn about significant places in their local community.

This helps older pupils to understand human and physical features beyond Bournemouth.

The school uses assessment well in mathematics and English. It routinely checks for misconceptions in lessons and addresses them swiftly.

This supports pupils to build on what they know and address any gaps in knowledge. The school uses assessment information to inform and reshape the curriculum where necessary. However, assessment in some wider curriculum subjects is not as well developed.

Adults do not always have an accurate understanding of what pupils know and can do. In these subjects, the gaps in pupils' knowledge are not addressed.

The curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education is well thought through.

Pupils learn how to manage their emotions and feelings by using 'worry monsters' and talking to adults. Pupils say that when things 'whirl around in their head', they talk to adults. Pupils learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Children in Reception Year talk about the healthy snacks they can choose.

Pupils say that difference is positive. They understand the importance of acceptance and tolerance.

Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They learn from their peers, who share their experiences and traditions about their own faith.

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 wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not effective in checking what pupils know and can do. As a result, there are gaps in pupils' knowledge. The trust needs to ensure that assessment in these subjects is effective and use this information to refine learning so that pupils build their knowledge well and remember more over time.