World’s End Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and attend happily. Warm and caring relationships enable pupils to feel safe in school and helps them to settle quickly to their learning.

They know staff care about them.

The vast majority of pupils follow the school rules well and enjoy the learning opportunities available to them. They understand how important it is to try their best.

However, a small minority of pupils still find it difficult to do so. Pupils show acceptance and tolerance of this. They understand that some pupils find learning, and behaving well, more difficult than they do.

Pupils are polite. They open doors and say please and thank you consisten...tly.

Pupils are respectful and understand why this is important.

They talk about their rights to an education, to be safe and to be heard. Staff support this aspect of the school's work well.

Pupils appreciate the variety of clubs available to them outside of the curriculum.

This includes sports, gardening club, first-aid club, cooking club and musical opportunities. They play happily together on the playground, supported by staff who lead them in their games. The school has provided lots of equipment for the pupils to enjoy during their social times.

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

The school has high ambitions for its pupils. In most cases this ambition is realised. However, for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), staff have not received adequate training and support to enable them to respond to pupils' needs well enough and quickly enough.

Children in the early years settle well and get off to a good start with their education. Adults skilfully model and repeat language back to children to support this important aspect of their education. Children learn to be resilient and not to give up when things are difficult.

Teachers are skilled in the teaching of phonics and pupils quickly grasp the knowledge they need to start being able to read fluently. They identify pupils who cannot keep up with the pace of the programme swiftly. Extra phonics sessions enable these pupils to catch up.

There are many opportunities for pupils to love and appreciate books. They can borrow books from their class libraries to enjoy at home. They also enjoy listening to classic stories at the end of each day.

The school has recently adopted a new approach to teaching mathematics. They realise the importance of pupils being able to recall important facts quickly. Other curriculum subjects are taught through topics.

However, the key knowledge pupils need to learn has not been precisely identified in all subject areas. This means that teachers are not clear about the important information that pupils must remember.This leads to some gaps in pupils' knowledge and makes it harder for them to build new learning.

Pupils do, however, demonstrate impressive skills in writing. They can write accurately using ambitious and interesting vocabulary.

Pupils try their best in lessons.

They listen carefully to adults and to each other. The vast majority of pupils do not disrupt the learning of others. They are very respectful of each other and talk confidently about how they always aim to 'reach for the stars'.

Pupils learn about different religions and cultures through the curriculum. This is beginning to prepare them for life in modern Britain. The school recognises that this could be extended to learn about a wider range of religions and cultures that reflect the school community.

Lessons in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education ensure that pupils understand the importance of healthy lifestyles. Leadership roles and responsibilities help pupils to learn about the different contributions they can make to school life.

The school understands that having a workforce that feels both well-equipped and supported to confidently meet the needs of all pupils in school is important.

However, this is an area that needs much improvement. Too many staff feel their workload and well-being is not considered enough. They would welcome more opportunities to broaden their skills and to have the full support of the school in all aspects of their working life.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not make sure that staff are trained well enough to support the needs of some pupils with SEND. Staff feel ill-equipped to manage the behaviour of these pupils, so they can access their learning.

This means pupils do not engage with their full learning entitlement. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge, alongside support, to effectively respond to the needs of these pupils. ? The school does not engage well enough with all staff.

They do not take enough account of staff well-being. This means that, on occasion, staff feel unsupported in the workplace. The school needs to strengthen its approach, taking account of staff's viewpoint, to ensure strong, shared values and practices are in place, so that pupils' learning and outcomes remain the key focus.

• The school has not identified the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember in all curriculum areas. This means that staff are not clear about what key knowledge they should check that pupils have learned. The school should ensure that all subject curriculums set out the important knowledge that pupils must learn and remember to enable teachers to identify and address any gaps in pupils' learning.

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