Trafalgar Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and friendly school. The school's caring community helps pupils settle quickly when they join.

Pupils are happy and safe. They enjoy learning and are enthusiastic about school. Pupils know the school's rules and expectations.

Typically, they behave responsibly.

The school organises popular extra-curricular clubs including at lunchtime, such as chess and sports. Children are taught the importance of fairness, equality and tolerance in an age-appropriate way.

Pupils take on a range of responsibilities in the school. For example, children in the early years are responsible for looking after the school's ducks and guinea pigs.
.../>The school has high expectations for pupils.

The school regularly checks on what pupils know and can do. The school provides additional support throughout the school day for pupils who need it. The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective help and support.

Pupils achieve well here.

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

Pupils love listening to stories and are excited to learn to read. They are focused and attentive in class.

In phonics lessons, pupils sound out letters and the sounds they make with great enthusiasm. Phonics teaching takes place daily for all pupils. Teaching staff check that pupils keep up.

Some pupils have additional phonics and reading support from well-trained staff if they need it. This includes pupils with SEND. Pupils regularly take home books matched securely to their knowledge of phonics.

The school provides information for parents and carers to help them to support their children with reading at home. The school's firm focus on reading helps pupils to quickly become confident readers.

The school's curriculum is ambitious and includes a broad range of subjects.

Knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced from the early years onwards. This prepares pupils well for future learning in different subjects. For example, in the early years, pupils learn about places in the local area.

Pupils use this knowledge when they draw maps of the local area in Year 1. The school supports all pupils to learn the curriculum. This includes pupils with SEND.

For example, the school provides pupils with additional support to learn key vocabulary to help them remember important subject content.

Changes to subjects have been made recently. This is to ensure that subject curriculum thinking prepares pupils effectively for learning in Year 3 in the federated junior school.

Teaching staff receive training and support from leaders in both schools and external experts. The school provides staff with support to make these changes and shows consideration for the workload of staff. However, the changes are not securely embedded.

Occasionally, resources and activity choices do not help pupils to learn the required knowledge. Leaders have plans to address this. The governing body provides effective support and challenge.

Members of the governing body take part in training regularly to ensure that they know and fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

The school measures pupils' attendance and punctuality meticulously. Leaders consult external professionals for suggestions to improve attendance.

The school collaborates with parents to find specific ways to support pupils and their families to attend regularly and on time. As a result, pupils' attendance rates are high.

Pupils are taught important information about keeping themselves safe.

Pupil digital leaders help other pupils to learn how to stay safe online. Pupils take on many roles of responsibility in the school. For example, some pupils are elected by others to be school councillors, others are chosen to be 'music maestros'.

The school encourages pupils to be aware of their feelings and to talk about a range of issues. This includes conversations about the importance of treating others equally and how to be a good friend.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject changes are not securely embedded. Occasionally, resources and activity choices do not enable pupils to learn the required knowledge. The school needs to ensure that teaching and resources enable pupils to learn the intended curriculum knowledge and skills.