Wallisdean Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get off to a great start in their education here. In the early years, children flourish. They settle quickly into school life and learn well.

Staff make sure that the children learn the important social and communication skills they need to be successful as they move into key stage 1.

Pupils behave well and feel safe. They learn to be confident, kind and helpful.

They know the school rules and understand why rules are necessary and important. When playing together at breaktimes, pupils confidently remind each other about the school's behaviour expectations. They play together harmoniously, enjoying their own and adult-led games and activities.

...>Pupils learn and follow routines effectively. For example, children in the early years show great respect for their environment. They tidy up assiduously, taking great care to make their classrooms immaculate, well-organised places.

In addition, the school ensures that pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding about keeping themselves safe, including when online.

Well-chosen resources and events support pupils to stay mentally and physically healthy. Pupils enjoy regular sessions which help them to understand the positive impact physical activity has on mental well-being.

The school also provides interesting opportunities to enhance pupils' learning such as trips to local places of interest.

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

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn a broad curriculum. For many subjects, the curriculum sets out in detail the important knowledge that pupils must learn and the most sensible order in which to learn it.

This includes in the early years where there is clarity about exactly what children need to learn to be ready for key stage 1. Where the curriculum content is clearly set out, teachers use this information well to support pupils to remember their learning and achieve well. However, in a few subjects, the important knowledge that pupils must learn is too broad.

Teachers do not know exactly what pupils must remember before they move on to learning something new.

Teachers generally set tasks that help pupils to achieve well. For example, in science, teachers routinely check pupils' understanding and provide thoughtful activities to develop and deepen this further.

However, teachers' knowledge about how to deepen pupils' understanding and ensure that pupils remember their learning is not consistently strong in all subjects. On occasion, pupils' work does not enable them to secure the knowledge they need to remember. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

The school wants all pupils to learn to read as quickly as possible. Right from the start of early years, developing children's vocabulary and use of language is a priority. Pupils enjoy listening to a wide range of high-quality texts.

In Nursery, children learn to communicate their ideas confidently such as when reciting excerpts from stories in their role-play activities. Children learn phonics right from the start of Reception, using a well-structured programme. In recent years, pupils have not achieved as well as they should in phonics.

However, this year the school has improved support for pupils who need additional help to learn to read. Now, most pupils learn the phonics knowledge they need to be successful when reading unfamiliar words.

The school seeks to identify the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly and accurately.

Helpful adaptations to the curriculum and within lessons, enable pupils with SEND to access learning effectively. In the early years, expert support for children with SEND ensures that they learn the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well.

In lessons pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

They show high levels of respect for each other and for adults. A small number of pupils do not attend school as well as they should. However, when needed, the school takes appropriate action to improve pupils' attendance.

Promoting pupils' personal development is a priority. Pupils learn how to develop character traits such as independence, resilience and confidence that will serve them well in their futures. Pupils develop a secure understanding of British values.

For example, they learn about the democratic process through opportunities to vote for school rewards and learn about the rule of law through devising class charters. The school also seeks to develop pupils' understanding of the world around them. For example, children in Nursery love learning about the natural world through their regular 'welly walks'.

All staff and governors are passionate to achieve the very best for the pupils in their care.Governors know the school well. They fulfil their role effectively.

Staff feel valued. They appreciate the support they receive to do their jobs well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the component knowledge that pupils must learn is not clear enough. This means that teachers do not have sufficient guidance about exactly what they need to teach and when they need to teach it. The school needs to refine the curriculum where needed to clarify the component knowledge pupils need to know so that they can build their understanding systematically towards the identified curriculum end points.

• Sometimes, teachers do not design tasks or use the most effective strategies to ensure all pupils learn and remember the important knowledge they need to be ready for their next steps. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should develop staff subject and pedagogical knowledge further so that they can support all pupils to achieve well in all subjects.

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