Tuel Lane Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small, welcoming school, where staff know each pupil well.

Pupils feel safe. They trust staff to look after them. Pupils work and play together happily.

They know that staff expect them to behave well and they do so most of the time. Pupils and parents and carers are confident that there is no bullying.

There have been significant changes at the school since the previous Ofsted inspection in January 2018.

During a period of high staff turnover, the quality of education declined. The headteacher of the local junior school took up post as executive headteacher in September 2022. Since that time, leaders have taken swift action to make sure ne...cessary staff are in place.

They have begun the journey to improve the curriculum. School leaders have worked closely with the local authority and the local junior school to bring about rapid improvement. The impact of this work is already clear in pupils' achievement in some subjects.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff have high expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve. Parents appreciate the care and attention their children receive.

Children in the early years benefit from an ambitious curriculum and knowledgeable staff. The classrooms are vibrant and well resourced. This helps children to be inquisitive and independent learners.

Children get off to a good start that prepares them well for learning in Year 1.

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

The curriculum for early reading and mathematics is ambitious and well established. However, some subjects in the wider curriculum do not demonstrate the same ambition.

Pupils have developed misconceptions and their knowledge is inconsistent in these subjects. Leaders acknowledge this and are introducing a more aspirational curriculum. In subjects that are more well established, such as art and design, lessons are well sequenced.

This helps pupils to build knowledge and skills over time. In these subjects, teachers have clear guidance about what to teach and when. As a result, pupils know and can do more.

For example, pupils are able to talk about the work of the artist Paul Klee. They can explain how they use composition in their artwork. In other subjects, leaders have introduced the new curriculum very recently.

The impact on learning is not established.

Reading is a high priority. Teachers read to pupils every day.

Pupils enjoy settling down with a book in the welcoming and well-stocked reading areas. Children in the early years get off to a strong start in reading. They begin to learn to recognise sounds as soon as they start school.

In Reception, children respond well to the routine of the daily phonics lessons. Teachers recap learning frequently to make sure children remember new sounds. Reading books match the sounds and words that children know well.

This helps them to read fluently. Pupils who are less secure in reading receive daily help to catch up.

Mathematics in the early years is a strength.

Children learn to manipulate small numbers. They practise what they have learned in independent and adult-supported play. In Key Stage 1, the sequence of lessons enables pupils to build on prior learning.

Teachers use strategies to help pupils remember more. However, some pupils do not know basic number facts well enough. This limits their independence when attempting problem-solving and reasoning tasks.

The support for pupils with SEND is strong. Leaders identify additional needs as soon as children come into Nursery. They work with outside agencies to make sure children have appropriate support.

Pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers wherever possible. Pupils with high needs get the support and intervention they need to be successful.

Leaders provide a range of enrichment opportunities for pupils.

Pupils were excited to meet a talking giraffe puppet to learn more about healthy lifestyles. They enjoy the opportunities they have to be physically active. Year 2 pupils look forward to visiting the junior school for sports activities.

Pupils learn about British values through assembly themes and the personal, social and health education curriculum. They understand the importance of rules. Pupils have an open and tolerant attitude towards others.

They know it is important to be kind and to help others. Pupils have limited knowledge and understanding of different faiths and cultures.

Staff are well supported by leaders.

They appreciate the training and support that leaders provide for them. More experienced staff support those who are less experienced. There is a strong ethos of working together to improve the school further.

Governors are ambitious for pupils. They understand the particular challenges faced by this school very well. They moved quickly to secure school leadership.

They are working closely with the local authority to secure further improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding.

They ensure that staff are well trained. Staff know the pupils well. They discuss any concerns with leaders and use the electronic reporting system to report these in detail.

Leaders act promptly to engage the support of outside agencies, such as local authority children's services. They are tenacious in seeking help for pupils.

Leaders have provided a strong curriculum for safeguarding.

Visitors to school help to deliver important safety messages on issues such as road and fire safety. Visitors from the Canals and Rivers Trust talk to pupils about water safety.

Leaders are rigorous in carrying out the appropriate safety checks when employing new staff or welcoming visitors to school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have very recently begun to implement a new, more ambitious curriculum. In these subjects, pupils have limited knowledge and some misconceptions. Leaders should continue to use the processes that have been successful in subjects, such as art and design, to develop the remaining subjects, making sure that teachers have the resources and training they need to deliver the curriculum effectively.

• In mathematics, a small number of pupils do not have a secure knowledge of basic number facts. This hampers their ability to independently apply their mathematical knowledge to work out number problems. Leaders should make sure that the calculation strategies they have put in place to help pupils remember these important building blocks are effective in all year groups.

• Pupils have little direct experience of different faiths and cultures. As a result, they have limited knowledge and understanding of people who are different to those they meet in school and the local community. Leaders should ensure that the wider curriculum gives pupils increased opportunities to understand and appreciate difference in the world and its people.

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