Inglehurst Infant School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ms Kathryn Parsons Headteacher Inglehurst Infant School Ingle Street Leicester LE3 9FS

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 8 March 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in March 2012.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and have responded rapidly to any areas requiring improvement. You are unwavering in your commitment to ensure that all staff prepare pupils well for the next stage in their education. You said that you believed that yours was a ‘safe and nurturing school’ and that of upmost importance was that pupils felt safe and that their welfare was safeguarded. The parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parents View, were in agreement. One parent commented that your school ‘helps the children to be confident in themselves and in their abilities’.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

You know your pupils and their families well. The inspector observed pupils and their parents or carers being welcomed to the school and having their questions, concerns or issues skilfully addressed by a range of school staff. Much positive work happens to ensure that pupils make a productive start to the school day. Pupils settle quickly to their learning and respond positively to the stimulating learning environment that their teachers have ensured. They take pride in the work they produce. When pupils move around the school, they are well behaved and treat each other with care and consideration. Staff show great skill and warmth in their dealings with pupils.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

Inspectors at the previous inspection identified that leaders should monitor and evaluate teaching more frequently to ensure that strengths are shared and consistently implemented in all lessons. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now regularly checked. You are proud of the many ways that teachers collaborate, plan together, share ideas and develop their practice. Subject leaders regularly conduct scrutiny of pupils’ work. You often ‘drop in’ to lessons in order to assess pupils’ progress and provide teachers with feedback. Teachers are involved in regular professional development activities that include links with other local schools. You and your staff are particularly enthusiastic about the training and the consultant support received in order to adopt the local authority intensive phonics scheme.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

You acknowledge that pupils’ attendance is a key priority. You have appointed an attendance, welfare and child protection officer and a family support worker. These appointments have had significant impact. Children and their families receive high- quality support from these committed, organised and tenacious members of staff. The attendance of all pupils is the same as the national average. More children within the early years, more boys and more White and Black African Caribbean pupils are attending school. Still, there are a number of pupils who, for complex reasons, are regularly absent. Pupils’ attendance remains a school improvement priority.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

Children enter the early years with skills and abilities below those expected for their age. Some children, boys in particular, are hampered by poor levels of physical development. Some children find speech and communication problematic. You have ensured that a vast range of help is in place. This includes speech and language therapy from an expert and from well-trained teaching assistants. Further help includes developmental and fun physical exercise sessions that help children to increase their physical ability and their confidence. A greater proportion of pupils are predicted by their teachers to achieve a good level of development at the end of the early years. Although attainment is not yet at national levels, children make good progress, and in some cases accelerated progress, from their starting points.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

You recognise that, in 2016, pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 1 were disappointing. Lower-ability pupils, including lower-ability disadvantaged pupils, underachieved. You have lost no time in addressing this. Leaders have worked closely with the local authority and with local schools in order to make sure that assessment at key stage 1 is accurate and that teachers’ planning precisely meets pupils’ learning needs. When the deputy headteacher and I scrutinised the work of Year 2 pupils, it was clear that the lower-ability pupils are now making improved progress in their reading, writing and mathematics. Assessments indicate that a greater proportion of pupils will achieve appropriate to their starting points at the end of key stage 1 in 2017.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

Leaders and governors have ensured a culture that promotes pupils’ safeguarding and welfare. You have made good appointments in the attendance, welfare and child protection officer and the family support worker. Children and their families benefit significantly from their high-quality work. More pupils are attending school and more pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making the progress they should according to their starting point.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

The response to pupils in need is rapid. The ‘orange slip’ system works well. Extensive productive work is undertaken with external agencies.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

Leaders, governors and all staff undertake regular training relevant to child protection and safeguarding issues, such as raising awareness of the risks to children of female genital mutilation. A safeguarding policy is in place, meets current requirements and is well understood by all staff.

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Short inspection of Inglehurst Infant School

Pupils are taught well how to keep themselves safe from a range of risks, including how to protect themselves when using new technology.

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Inspection findings

 You have dealt effectively with the key areas of improvement that inspectors identified at the previous inspection.

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Inspection findings

 Levels of pupils’ attendance are improving for all pupils. However, there remain some pupils who regularly do not attend school. Extensive successful work happens to address this issue. Ensuring that all pupils attend school regularly remains a key priority.

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Inspection findings

 A pupil premium strategy is in place. A key priority of pupil premium spending is to improve the regular attendance of eligible pupils. It is clear that more disadvantaged pupils are attending school, particularly within the early years.

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Inspection findings

 A greater number of children are prepared well for key stage 1 and achieve a good level of development. Many pupils make good or accelerated progress. Although attainment is improving, it remains below the national average.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders predict that pupils’ outcomes at key stage 1 will improve. A greater proportion of the lower-ability pupils are making the progress they should. Although improving, too few of the most able pupils achieve at greater depth. This is a further priority for the school.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  the number of pupils who fail to attend the school regularly continues to reduce  the improvement in pupils’ outcomes within the early years and at key stage 1 continues  a greater proportion of the most able pupils achieve at a greater depth. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leicester. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, we met, discussed and then agreed the lines of enquiry. I met with all staff during the morning briefing meeting. I considered the views of the eight parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. I viewed a range of documents including an evaluation of the school’s performance, information regarding pupils’ achievement and attendance, and a number of school policies. I reviewed the pupils’ safeguarding and welfare arrangements and documentation. I met with the attendance, welfare and child protection officer. Together, the deputy headteacher and I reviewed a sample of the work of key stage 1 pupils. I met with the chair of the governing body.

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