Trent Vale Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management, and outcomes for pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, by: ensuring that all subject leaders accurately monitor and evaluate the impact of their actions to ensure that outcomes for disadvantaged pupils improve rapidly

reducing the differences in the rates of progress made by groups of pupils, particularly the disadvantaged pupils, compared with other pupils nationally.

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning in key stage 1 to accelerate pupils’ progress and attainment by ensuring that all teachers: provide work that is suitably matched to all pupils’ abilities, especially the most able and disadvantaged pupils, so they can develop their skills, knowledge and understanding, particularly in mathematics use questioning skills effectively to deepen pupils’ understanding so they make greater progress provide pupils with opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics lessons, so they are able to use and apply their skills effectively and, therefore, make the progress expected of them. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding is recommended in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management can be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement because subject leaders do not accurately evaluate the impact of their actions on pupils’ outcomes well enough, particularly those of disadvantaged pupils. Therefore, they are unclear as to whether their actions are having a positive impact on improving pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders do not monitor or evaluate the use of the pupil premium funding closely enough to ensure that it is used effectively to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Currently, these pupils do not make the progress expected of them. Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment in 2016 is low compared with national expectations.
• Leaders and the governing body recognise that there is more work to be done to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have recently re-evaluated the school’s pupil premium funding plan to ensure that the needs of disadvantaged pupils are met effectively. Leaders have the skills, knowledge and aptitude to ensure that outcomes for disadvantaged pupils improve rapidly.
• Performance management targets for teachers are closely linked to whole-school priorities and have helped to foster and develop leadership skills among staff.
• Since the last inspection, the school has joined the George Spencer Teaching School Alliance. Teachers value the broader range of training opportunities that this has opened up to them. Subject leaders are able to meet with other local subject leaders to share ideas and examples of good practice. More time is needed to see how leaders use the training opportunities provided by the alliance to impact on the school’s development.
• The provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective because adults support their needs well. Adults know how to adjust tasks to suit the needs of pupils to ensure they make good progress. For example, children in the early years are supported well to develop fine motor skills through a range of practical activities.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced and caters well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils enjoy their learning because it is fun and interesting. For example, pupils enjoyed their visit from a local wildlife expert where they learned about different types of owls. The visit complemented their recent work on nocturnal animals.
• Leaders use the additional funding for physical education and sport to increase pupils’ participation rates. The school has employed a sports leader to provide sporting activities across the school so that pupils’ fitness remains a priority. All pupils benefit from the enhanced physical education activities on offer.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils vote for their school council representatives and know that they are there to represent the views of many pupils. They enjoy their regular meetings with the headteacher to decide on future playground developments, such as new equipment. Pupils know that democracy is important and that the laws of the land are used to keep people safe.
• The large majority of parents, who spoke with inspectors and replied to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and free text service, are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They confirm that the school provides a caring and nurturing environment.

Governance

• The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s priorities. Governors have confidence in the headteacher and senior leaders to bring about the improvements needed to secure good outcomes for pupils.
• Training is used effectively to ensure that the governing body can carry out its duties well. For example, governors have received training on safeguarding and are knowledgeable about the school’s responsibilities to ensure that all pupils are kept safe.
• There are close working relationships between the infant and junior school governing bodies. This ensures that transition from the infant school to the junior school is seamless.
• The governing body is aware that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is not good enough and this has recently become a school improvement priority. More work is needed to ensure that the funding is used to improve outcomes for pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s single central record of staff and visitor checks is kept in order and meets requirements.
• Staff and governors have a clear understanding of safeguarding and they value and have benefited from the training they have received. They understand their role and the procedures they must follow to keep pupils safe.
• Staff receive up-to-date training, which includes how to identify ways that pupils may be at risk from extremist views. Staff are fluent with the procedures to report any concerns about a pupil’s welfare.
• Leaders respond promptly to concerns and ensure that there is early support in place for vulnerable pupils. The school provides a nurture group to support pupils and liaises well with families to meet their children’s needs.
• Leaders work closely with external agencies to make sure that pupils are safe. Where there are concerns, leaders meet regularly with parents to discuss their child’s welfare and ways to support the family. Leaders are assertive on matters concerning pupils’ welfare and safety.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement because the level of challenge for pupils is inconsistent in key stage 1. Teachers do not consistently provide work that is matched well enough to pupils’ ability and enables them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. This is particularly the case in mathematics. An analysis of current pupils’ work showed that not all pupils, particularly the most able and those who are disadvantaged, make the progress of which they are capable, because work is not sufficiently challenging. Pupils are not able to make accelerated progress because their learning is limited to the task set.
• Not all teachers are consistent in their use of questioning to gauge how well pupils have understood the tasks they have been set. Teachers do not use questions to probe and help pupils deepen their understanding, particularly in mathematics. As a result, teachers do not have the information that they need about pupils to inform them of the next steps in pupils’ learning.
• Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics. Pupils are not developing a deeper understanding of mathematics, nor using their skills widely enough.
• Pupils read well and understand the importance of reading as a life skill. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have additional adult support to help them with their reading. The most able pupils read regularly and can cite their reading preferences. They discuss stories in detail and predict what might happen next in a story. Lower-attaining pupils receive support for their reading and use their phonics skills well to read unfamiliar words. Pupils read regularly at home and this is recorded in pupils’ reading journals.
• Pupils apply their phonics skills well in their reading. They are able to sound out words and are willing to attempt unfamiliar words. Pupils have phonics skills that are well developed and they are proficient in applying them. Disadvantaged pupils and lower-attaining pupils receive good support from adults, when they can regularly practise their reading skills. Adults support pupils to blend their sounds and use a range of skills to understand the text. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 was below the national expectation in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, this rose sharply and the school met the national standard.
• Teaching assistants are effective in supporting pupils’ learning, particularly pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Teaching in the early years is good because staff have high expectations of what children can achieve, and plan learning that is suitably challenging.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils feel safe in school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online through informative school assemblies. Pupils told inspectors that they know whom to go to if they have any concerns and that they can ask for help at any time. Pupils spoken with said bullying is rare.
• Pupils know the school values well, because these are regularly shared in assembly. They know the importance of being kind and polite, and know it is important that they all try their best in school.
• The school council meets regularly with the headteacher to discuss how to improve playtimes. Playtimes are harmonious. Pupils enjoy playing with each other and with a range of equipment, and understand the importance of the ‘scooter swap’ so that everyone can have a go.
• Pupils are taught effectively about healthy eating. They understand the importance of eating fruit and that physical exercise helps to keep them fit. Pupils told inspectors that lunchtimes are important and that pupils help to serve each other their meals. Pupils enjoy physical education, where they play a range of games to increase their heart rate.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs during assemblies. They have a good understanding of the main religions. Pupils happily work together showing tolerance and respect in all that they do.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils consistently show good manners and happily engage in respectful conversations with each other and adults during class activities and at playtimes.
• Pupils know the school rules well. They understand that these are important to keep them safe and to help them become successful learners.
• Absence rates for disadvantaged pupils were above the national average in 2016. School information shows that this is now improving and the headteacher is taking swift action to manage weak attendance for this group of pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2014 and 2015, not enough pupils met the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. In 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the national average at the end of Year 1 rose sharply and the school met national expectations in the phonics screening check. Results at the end of Year 2 for the phonics screening check retake have been broadly in line with national expectations for the past two years.
• Since 2013, the progress of disadvantaged pupils has fluctuated. There is a significant difference between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. Disadvantaged pupils do not perform as well as other pupils nationally in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. They perform less well compared with other pupils nationally in their attainment in all subjects at the end of key stage 1.
• The evidence from lessons observed and from pupils’ work books indicates that the most able pupils are not always given the appropriate challenge to help them make the accelerated progress of which they are capable.
• Outcomes in mathematics are slightly below the national expectations at the end of key stage 1. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning abilities.
• In 2016, pupils’ attainment in reading and writing at the end of Year 2 was broadly in line with national expectations. Mathematics attainment was slightly below national expectations in 2016. In 2014 and 2015, attainment in all subjects was significantly above the national average. Mathematics attainment was above the national average for two years prior to 2016.
• Reading and writing outcomes at the end of key stage 1 are in line with national expectations for the proportion of pupils achieving expected and greater depth.
• School information and other inspection evidence indicate that most pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points.

Early years provision Good

• Over time, children’s attainment in the early years has been broadly in line with national expectations. However, in 2016, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was significantly above the national average.
• In 2014 and 2015, the difference between the progress of disadvantaged children and other children nationally in the early years was significant. Since then, the early years leaders have used the additional pupil premium funding well to target the needs of disadvantaged children. In 2016, the difference in achievement between disadvantaged children and other children nationally diminished.
• The leadership in the early years is good. Leaders have improved outcomes for children over the past two years. Children, are therefore, well prepared and ready to start their education in Year 1.
• All the adults in the early years contribute to the children’s ongoing assessment. Accurate records of children’s development are maintained to help adults plan and prepare children’s future learning.
• Disadvantaged children are now supported well in the early years. They receive additional language support to develop their speaking and language skills. Teaching assistants support children while they play, to develop their language skills. They ask children detailed questions to extend and deepen their understanding. For example, a small group of children enjoyed playing in the role-play area where they were asked how to measure the ingredients for their cake. The teaching assistant introduced new vocabulary and showed the children how to use equipment to measure their ingredients.
• Adults in the early years provide effective support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They know the needs of these children well and cater for their needs well through targeted support.
• Children enjoy their learning activities because the teachers make the activities fun and relevant. The children are usually absorbed in their activity, show full concentration and behave well. For example, a small group of children enjoyed adding numbers that equalled 10 using Christmas baubles. Once they had written down their number sentence on a paper Christmas tree, they hung the baubles on the mini-trees.
• Adults provide a caring and supportive environment that promotes children’s safety, welfare and social skills effectively. Staff are suitably trained in paediatric first aid.
• Adults in the early years provide a comprehensive induction for new children and their families. This helps children to settle in to school promptly.
• The outside area is used well to support children’s physical development. A sports leader provides structured play activities to develop children’s fitness and team-building skills.
• Parents have daily opportunities to speak with staff through a dedicated discussion time about their child. They are also invited to regular parents’ meetings and school events.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 122541 Nottinghamshire 10008639 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Number of pupils on the school roll Maintained 3–7 Mixed 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Darrell Todd Jackie Moss 0115 917 9224 www.trentvale.notts.sch.uk office@trentvale.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 September 2011

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The executive headteacher leads both the infant school and local junior school.
• This is a smaller than average-sized school, where the vast majority of pupils are of White British origin.
• The school has recently joined the George Spencer Teaching School Alliance.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is slightly below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes in the school. Jointly, six lessons were seen with the headteacher.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders and representatives from the governing body, including the chair of the governing body.
• The lead inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised in detail a range of pupils’ books.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and the development plan, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, behaviour, bullying and attendance records, safeguarding procedures, reviews of the spending of the pupil premium and sport funding, and minutes of the governing body meetings.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, including at break and lunchtimes. They spoke formally to a group of pupils in Years 1 and 2 and informally with others around the school. One inspector listened to pupils reading.
• There were 41 responses to Parent View for inspectors to view. Inspectors spoke with parents before school and considered the 36 responses from parents to the Ofsted free text service.
• There were 17 responses to the staff questionnaire which were also considered. There were no responses to the pupils’ questionnaire.

Inspection team

Emma Nuttall, lead inspector Janis Warren Jo Ward

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector