Woodthorpe Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a warm and caring ethos that enables pupils to fulfil its vision for them to 'be brave, be kind, be happy'.

Parents and carers, staff and pupils strongly endorse this popular school. Pupils respond very well to the school's high expectations in all areas. They are well prepared for their next stage of education.

Pupils behave respectfully towards each other. As a result, lessons are calm and purposeful. Playtimes are happy social occasions that promote pupils' well-being, and their physical fitness, very well.

The attractive outdoor spaces have been very well developed to encourage pupils' energetic and imaginative play.

The schoo...l effectively promotes pupils' broader personal development. For example, many pupils proudly take on 'ambassador' roles for their class well as for sports, science and looking after the environment.

These opportunities enable pupils to develop a sense of responsibility and independence. There is a range of trips, experiences and after-school activities that nurtures pupils' emerging talents and interests. These popular opportunities are equally accessible for everyone, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.

Children in the early years make a strong start to their education, due to the recent transformation of this area of the school's provision.

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

The school's curriculum has been carefully designed to set out the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn in all areas. The curriculum is well sequenced from the early years to Year 2.

The aim is to enable all pupils to know and remember more over time, including pupils with SEND. To that end, the school ensures that pupils' additional needs are quickly identified, so that pupils with SEND receive effective support that caters for their needs.

After a period of change, the school is now in a position of greater stability and rapid improvement.

Staff work as a team to provide interesting activities that engage and motivate pupils very well. For example, in mathematics, pupils were seen enjoying practical activities such as predicting and weighing natural objects. In geography, pupils enjoyed identifying physical features on maps of their locality.

However, teachers' checks on pupils' understanding is often limited. Opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning do not provide a complete view of what pupils know and can do. For example, in mathematics, pupils do not receive the opportunities they need to record written calculations and form numbers correctly.

In English, pupils produce high-quality written work that clearly shows their development as increasingly skilled, careful writers. These high expectations for what pupils can do are not consistent across all areas of the curriculum. The school is beginning to revise and rebalance the approach to pupils recording their work.

However, this is in the early stages.

The school prioritises reading, and a love of books, across all areas of the provision. There is a well-established, systematic approach to teaching early reading.

Pupils develop well as fluent, confident readers. This applies equally to pupils with SEND and those who need help to catch up.

Children in the early years benefit from the introduction of a revised curriculum that sets out clearly what children should know across all areas of learning.

The indoor and outdoor areas have been carefully reorganised and equipped. The learning environment and staff interactions support children's development including their social and early language skills, very well.

The school sets high standards for behaviour and attendance.

There is a careful analysis of both. In the rare instances when behaviour or attendance becomes a concern, appropriate support is provided.

The school promotes pupils' personal development through the 'respect' curriculum and the 'five Rs' school values.

Pupils understand and demonstrate the school's values with confidence. Many can talk with assurance about the importance of respect and treating everyone equally. They describe the fundamental British values as 'keeping everyone safe and happy'.

They are developing as thoughtful, caring young citizens.

Governors are well-informed and dedicated to the school, and the best interests of pupils. They bring skilled support as well as challenge in their role.

Staff are highly supportive of the school and the changes that are being introduced. They praise the support they receive for their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The ambition and expectations for the work that pupils produce are not consistently high in all subjects. This limits pupils' opportunities to consolidate their learning and demonstrate what they can achieve. The school should ensure that pupils' detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum are consistently reflected in the work that they produce.