New Invention Infant School

Inspection of New Invention Infant School Cannock Road, New Invention, Willenhall, West Midlands WV12 5SA

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 23 and 24 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the very best for pupils in this welcoming and friendly school. They ensure that pupils’ early experiences of education are happy and memorable. Staff and pupils put into practice the school’s motto - ‘we can… we will… together’. Everyone works together to make the school a busy and purposeful place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work and play together well. Adults treat pupils with respect. Pupils follow this positive example by being kind to each other. Those who need extra help to manage their behaviour are supported very well. This means that there is very little disruption to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is and say that they always tell staff if it happens. Leaders deal with any concerns quickly to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and learn to say ‘no’ if they ever feel unsafe. As one parent stated, ‘At school, they are safe, happy and well looked after.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the wider world. They appreciate experiences such as visiting the library. They take on extra responsibilities such as being school councillors. These experiences are helping them to build independence and confidence.

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better?

Leaders have introduced a high-quality curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. Curriculum leaders have set out clearly the knowledge that pupils need to remember in each subject. They have considered the order in which this content is taught and ensured that it builds logically each year.

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better?

Staff know how to teach the curriculum well. They use strategies to help pupils remember the key information that they need to know. For instance, teachers revise important vocabulary and recap knowledge regularly. These strategies help even the youngest children to learn well. For example, children in Nursery learn vocabulary to explain where objects are in relation to other things. They are then encouraged to use this language in a broad range of activities. As a result, children begin to use these words as part of their everyday speech.

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better?

Leaders had introduced a programme to further develop teachers’ knowledge of subject-specific content. However, the pandemic disrupted this training programme. This means that not all staff have developed the same level of expertise across all areas of the curriculum.

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better?

Staff make adaptations to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the curriculum. Sometimes these adaptations include the use of extra resources. For example, in mathematics, some pupils use physical resources to represent numbers. This helps them visualise the calculations that they are working on. In addition, teachers talk to pupils with SEND, before lessons, to 23 and 24 November 2021

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explain tasks in advance. This helps these pupils to engage well in lessons and ensures that they learn well.

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Leaders have recently introduced a new approach to teaching reading. All staff, including senior leaders, now teach phonics. Some staff are still building their confidence in how to deliver the new approach. The curriculum leader works with these staff to develop their expertise. This is helping to ensure that pupils benefit from consistent teaching. However, leaders have identified that many pupils are behind where they would usually expect them to be. They have taken steps to help these pupils catch up. This is helping all pupils to make progress: they are becoming better readers over time.

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The school’s behaviour policy places emphasis on promoting positive behaviour. Staff are alert to pupils doing the right thing and commend them for this straightaway. This approach is working well. Classrooms are calm and pupils concentrate on their tasks. Occasionally, when pupils are distracted or lose focus, staff quickly bring their attention back to the purpose of the lesson.

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Leaders use the curriculum to teach pupils about personal characteristics and values. Pupils learn, in their ‘pieces of me’ lessons, about the importance of respect for, and tolerance of, other people. They learn about different religions and faiths of the world. In addition, the curriculum includes opportunities for pupils to put these values into practice. For example, pupils visited a local care home to read and sing to its residents.

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Governors work with leaders to ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties. They have a clear rationale about how school funds are used, and provide meaningful strategic oversight of key decision-making. Governors and leaders take their responsibility to promote staff well-being very seriously. They have put steps in place to reduce teachers’ workload. The majority of staff appreciate this and feel that their work is valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Staff and governors have clear roles and understand them well. Leaders have made safeguarding everyone’s responsibility. Staff act quickly and take the necessary steps when they have concerns about a pupil. Leaders work well with external services. This work ensures that families and pupils get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Staff use the curriculum to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. This includes learning about how to keep safe when working or playing online. 23 and 24 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff knowledge in some subjects is still developing. This means that they are not always confident when teaching these subjects. Leaders should provide further opportunities for staff to deepen their subject expertise.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

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. 23 and 24 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

30 January 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  A new chair of governors started in September 2021.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school Leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and three assistant headteachers. The lead inspector met with two governors.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors looked at curriculum planning and spoke to leaders about the subjects that they lead. They visited a sample of 23 and 24 November 2021

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lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding information, including the school’s safeguarding policy and single central record. The lead inspector spoke to the designated safeguarding lead and looked at records of safeguarding incidents.  Inspectors considered responses on Ofsted’s Parent View, including parents’ free- text responses. Inspectors also took account of responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  Inspectors visited the before-school provision and spoke to pupils who attend it.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Antony Bradshaw Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 November 2021

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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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