Histon and Impington Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Histon and Impington Infant School New School Road, Histon, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 9LL

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Outcome

Histon and Impington Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Histon and Impington provides a safe and welcoming environment for all its pupils. Classrooms are hives of busy learners, eager to find out about new things and achieve their best. Pupils told me that they enjoyed coming to school each day to learn about something different. The school’s curriculum enables pupils to do well in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils. They ensure that each pupil is seen and heard as an individual. Pupils trust their teachers to do the best for them. All adults make sure that pupils are happy and ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They listen attentively to their teachers so that no time is lost for learning. Pupils respect one another. They work collaboratively in classrooms and willingly share their games at playtimes. Golden rules and class charters help pupils to develop a sense of responsibility for their own behaviours.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents, staff and pupils agree that bullying is extremely rare. Pupils are confident adults would resolve any of their concerns. All parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, would recommend the school. One comment, typical of other views, said, ‘Staff are happy, kids are happy.’

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

Leaders have worked with other schools from the Cambridge Primary Education Trust (the trust) to construct their plans for the curriculum. For each subject, plans set out what pupils need to learn. They include information about what pupils have already learned. Teachers take time to check that pupils remember these things. For example, in a science lesson, pupils used their knowledge from a topic about Shackleton to discuss what are the important things a person needs to survive. 8–9 January 2020

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The curriculum is thoughtfully planned. Subjects are often linked through a topic to help pupils secure a better understanding and apply what they know. Leaders want pupils to know about the local area. For example, pupils learn about the local jam factory. They use their technology skills to design their own flavoured jams as well as scientific skills to investigate how to make the best jam. Leaders ensure that enrichment experiences are a central part of the curriculum. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their activities, including the castle experience being held during the inspection.

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Teachers engage pupils in their lessons. Teachers ask good questions that ensure that pupils understand their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Teachers adapt their plans to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. However, in some subjects, such as science, teachers do not spot when pupils are ready to apply their learning to more complex ideas and activities.

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Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. A love of reading is instilled into pupils from the time they start their education. Regular story times and school events expose pupils to a wealth of reading materials. A well-stocked library and book areas, such as book nooks, are testament to the importance leaders place upon reading. Phonics is well taught across all year groups. Leaders ensure that any pupil who falls behind receives effective help. However, these pupils find some books difficult to read because they do not precisely match the sounds that they know.

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Children in the early years get off to a flying start to their education. Adults foster positive relationships with children so that they feel safe. This ensures that classrooms are calm and purposeful. Teachers plan activities that build children’s understanding and development. For example, children’s counting skills were used well in tackling ideas about money. They understood the value of different coins and how to use this knowledge to buy fruit from the class shop. Parents are very happy with the early years provision.

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Many activities and opportunities support pupils’ wider development. Pupils develop a growing awareness of the needs of others through charity and fundraising events. Through the curriculum they learn about keeping healthy, for example skipping workshops and bike events teach pupils about staying fit and keeping safe. The school council introduces pupils to ideas of democracy and working together to represent others in the school community.

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Together, with the trust, the headteacher and assistant headteacher provides strong leadership and vision. Staff value the training and support they receive from being part of a wider trust team. They recognise that leaders make careful consideration of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a caring ethos. This contributes well to a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained and are kept informed about safeguarding matters. 8–9 January 2020

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For example, weekly questions check staff’s knowledge and awareness of potential safeguarding incidents and concerns. Checks on safeguarding systems are rigorous. This ensures that leaders take immediate action when concerns are raised. Leaders make good use of a family support worker provided by the local cluster. This means that pupils and families receive the help they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have ensured that there is a well-thought-out curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge and understanding. However, in some subjects, teachers do not plan opportunities that allows pupils to apply their learning in more complex ways. This limits the depth of pupils’ learning in these subjects. Leaders must ensure that teachers have the subject expertise so that the planned curriculum is used effectively to challenge pupils consistently across all their learning.  There is a consistent approach to reading across the school. This ensures that pupils develop the phonic knowledge they require to become successful and confident readers. However, sometimes pupils who struggle do not select books that help them practise the sounds that they know. This means that they do not read fluently. Leaders should ensure that all reading books are well matched to developing these pupils’ phonic knowledge.

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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 we judged Histon and Impington Infant School to be good on 18–19 May 2016.

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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. 8–9 January 2020

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 8–9 January 2020

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School details

Website www.histonimpingtoninfants.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18–19 May 2016

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Information about this school

 Histon and Impington Infant School became an academy in December 2012 and is part of the Cambridge Primary Education Trust.  Histon and Impington Infant is a larger than average-sized school and is based on two sites.  The school manages a nurture provision on site. It is attended by pupils from the infant and junior schools.

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Information about this inspection

 I held meetings with the headteacher, school leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and school staff. I also met with members of the school advisory board and members of the trust including the chief executive officer.  The subjects considered as part of this inspection were early reading, mathematics, and science. In each subject I visited lessons, looked at the work in pupils’ books, and held discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, I scrutinised school policies, procedures and records. A meeting was held with the designated safeguarding leader to review 8–9 January 2020

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examples of actions taken to keep pupils safe. I also checked staff’s knowledge of how to keep pupils safe from harm.  I spoke with parents as they brought their children to the school on both sites. I considered 18 responses to be considered on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire including 83 free-text messages. I also took into account 32 responses from Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 8–9 January 2020

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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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