Heacham Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Heacham Infant and Nursery School School Road, Heacham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 7DQ

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Outcome

Heacham Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Warm relationships between staff and children are evident in this school. Pupils say that they are happy to come to school and that the staff keep them safe. At times, some pupils are unkind to each other. When this happens, they say that staff help them to sort it out. Pupils have lots to do at breaktimes. They read books outdoors, even in the rain as they did on the day of the inspection. Year 2 pupils take the responsibility of being play leaders seriously. They hand out and put away sports equipment to keep pupils safe and to make sure the store stays neat and tidy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show excitement and enthusiasm for learning. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly in learning to read. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy books with adults and with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Overall, pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They are interested in learning and do what adults ask them to do. However, in key stage 1 mathematics, teachers are not always clear about exactly what they want pupils to learn. In these lessons, some pupils lose concentration and their learning slows.

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

Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for all pupils. They want them to experience life to the full in modern Britain. They also want all pupils to be ready for the next stage in their education in the junior school.

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

Leaders work with other schools in the trust to design a new curriculum. Training ensures that staff are learning to teach subjects so that each piece of new knowledge builds well on pupils’ prior learning. This work is at an early stage. The science curriculum begins in the early years with exploration. Teachers in key stage 1 plan teaching using knowledge ‘organisers’ that enable pupils to learn more and remember more. Staff know that there are 1 October 2019

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gaps in some pupils’ learning. They are helping them to catch up quickly.

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Pupils learn to use lots of new words. They do this right from the very start in the two-year- old room. Teachers build on this as pupils move through the school. Adults are great role models. They introduce, repeat and rehearse new words and phrases. Consequently, pupils use these new words and phrases with increasing confidence and accuracy.

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The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) and early reading is a high priority. Children learn to recognise letters in the two-year-old and Nursery provision. Formal teaching of phonics and reading starts immediately children start their Reception Year. Teachers know what pupils should learn and in what order. They provide extra help for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are at risk of falling behind. Volunteers help with this by listening to pupils read. Teachers read daily to pupils, which helps to create an environment which fosters a love of reading. Around the school there are story chairs and inviting book displays. As a result, pupils do well in reading.

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Leaders make sure that children learn well in the two-year-old, Nursery and Reception classes. Children are quick to learn classroom routines. At this early stage, children talk excitedly about learning outdoors in the rain. They can already talk about their imaginative story ideas.

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Results show that in the past, pupils have generally achieved well in mathematics. Effective teaching helps young children to develop their understanding of numbers and shape. However, the current mathematics curriculum is new. Key stage 1 teachers do not assess pupils’ understanding well enough. They are unsure about how to plan learning in lessons in a logical sequence. The executive headteacher has recognised this weakness in mathematics and is doing something about it.

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The executive headteacher leads with experience and enthusiasm. Staff are positive about their work in school. Senior leaders, including governors, are mindful of teachers’ workload. They are making changes to reduce needless tasks. Staff appreciate the fact that senior leaders often check on their well-being.

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Typically, pupils behave well. Pupils are provided with lots of different activities and events to stimulate their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This promotes awe and wonder in pupils. For example, in one lesson, pupils were keen to discover what is inside a pumpkin, and described the seeds as ‘yukky’. Pupils experience active learning and fun out of doors in forest schools. They join with children from other schools to engage in drama and dance performances. Pupils participate in a range of sporting events.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff training is up to date. Staff are clear about what to do if they have any safeguarding concerns. Effective procedures are in place to record information to keep pupils safe. Records show that leaders follow up all safeguarding issues. Leaders work well with other 1 October 2019

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agencies to protect pupils from harm. This ensures that pupils and their families get the help and support they need. The single central record meets requirements. Leaders check the suitability of all adults who apply to work at the school, including volunteers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all teachers have a clear understanding of what pupils already know and can do in mathematics. They are unable to plan sequentially what pupils need to know next. They lack confidence in teaching the new mathematics curriculum. They also find it difficult to gather the necessary assessment information. Teaching is not meeting the needs of all pupils. When this happens, some of them become inattentive, and this has a negative impact on their learning. Leaders should review how effectively staff plan, teach and asses pupils’ learning in mathematics.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since the school converted to be an academy. When its predecessor school, Heacham Infant and Nursery School, was inspected under section 8 in March 2016, the school remained good.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 1 October 2019

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In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110249 Type of school Infant and Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.heachaminfant.norfolk.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Heacham Infant and Nursery School is much smaller than average. It has a Nursery and one class each for children in their Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2. There is also provision in Nursery for two-year-olds.  The school is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust (WNAT). Trustees are responsible for holding the school’s leadership team to account. The school has a local governing body which is shared with Heacham Junior School.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, senior leaders and other staff. Inspectors met with the chair of the governing body, two parent governors and the primary director of WNAT. The lead inspector spoke to staff responsible for safeguarding.  The lead inspector talked to the chief executive officer of WNAT on the telephone.  Inspectors looked at reading, mathematics and science in detail. They met with staff responsible for leading these subjects. Senior leaders joined inspectors in visiting lessons to see how well pupils are learning. Inspectors talked to pupils and looked at work in their books. The lead inspector observed teachers listening to pupils read. 1 October 2019

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 Inspectors took account of 13 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 11 free-text responses from parents. They considered the five responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff. There were no responses to the survey of pupils’ views.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents. These included the school’s website, leaders’ evaluation of the school and plans for improvement. Inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance.

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Inspection team

Sarah Warboys, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanna Pedlow Ofsted Inspector 1 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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