Sunshine Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Sunshine Infant and Nursery School Blakenall Lane, Leamore, Walsall, West Midlands WS3 1HF

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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 Good 7 and 8 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive and welcoming school. Pupils are happy and feel safe. Adults are always on hand to reassure pupils and build their confidence. Staff work well as a team. They care deeply about the pupils and are attentive to their needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for pupils. They have worked hard to improve reading and have been successful. Books are everywhere around school for pupils to enjoy. Improvements have also been made in writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils are achieving better in these subjects. However, leaders are still developing some subjects in the wider curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They are enthusiastic in lessons and keen to discuss their work. ‘Sunshine Values’ set the tone for pupils to be kind and respectful to each other. As such, bullying is rare. All pupils have a bullying poster in their trays. This reminds them to speak up if they are being hurt. Consequently, leaders can, and do, sort things out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are very pleased with the care and support their children receive. They say that their children are happy and feel safe at school.

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better?

Leaders introduced a new curriculum programme before the pandemic began. They have mapped out the skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn in all subjects. Lessons are sequenced in an order to help pupils build their learning over time. However, senior leaders have identified some gaps in the content and skills taught in some projects. This means that pupils may not cover all aspects of the national curriculum. Leaders are making changes, where needed, to ensure that pupils achieve well in all subjects.

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better?

Curriculum leaders are enthusiastic and committed. However, some lack the expertise needed to identify what is working well and where improvements are needed. As a result, some issues in curriculum planning and delivery go undetected.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. The teaching of early reading and phonics is a strength. Leaders have made sure that staff have received effective training. Staff have bought new books for pupils to enjoy. Pupils can also buy books from the school’s own ‘bookshop’ to take home. Staff check pupils’ reading ability regularly and move them on when they are ready. Pupils who fall behind receive extra help. This ensures that they catch up quickly and become confident and fluent readers.

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better?

Children in the early years get off to a strong start. The curriculum is well planned and covers all areas of learning. Early reading and mathematics activities provide a good foundation on which to build in Year 1. Appropriate attention is given to developing children’s language skills. Adults encourage children to answer in sentences and speak clearly. There are good resources available, both in classrooms 7 and 8 December 2021

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and outside. Relationships between adults and children are warm and positive. Exciting activities help children develop their early skills. For example, nursery children enjoyed wrapping Christmas gifts and decorating their Christmas tree prints.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get a great deal of extra help. They are supported well in lessons, in small groups, or individually. This helps them achieve well. Leaders also make sure that those with complex needs receive specialist support. The new leader for SEND has created a well-thought-out action plan to improve provision further.

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The school uses a consistent approach to behaviour from the outset. Expectations of good behaviour start in the early years. The learning environment in Nursery is particularly calm and purposeful. Pupils with challenging behaviour receive good levels of support from the headteacher, pupil support manager or by attending the Values Club. This ensures that lessons are rarely disrupted.

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Pastoral support for pupils is a strength. Leaders have focused closely on pupils’ well-being during the pandemic. Worry boxes in classrooms, lunch with the headteacher and visits to the Rainbow room, all allow pupils opportunities to share any concerns with staff. Before the pandemic, pupils enjoyed lots of clubs, trips and school concerts. These have been temporarily suspended, due to COVID-19, but the headteacher intends to reintroduce these as soon as possible.

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Leaders track attendance carefully. They act swiftly to check why pupils are absent. They also commission the support of an education welfare officer for pupils who are persistently absent. Nevertheless, there are a small number of families who do not send their children to school regularly. Leaders are intent on tackling this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that protecting pupils is everyone’s responsibility. As a result, staff are well trained in safeguarding. They are vigilant and know how to raise and report any concerns. Leaders keep good records and take well-judged actions in response. Advice is sought and support accessed from external agencies where needed. Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures closely when appointing staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about safeguarding through the curriculum. Important messages such as ‘People should not hurt children’ are shared regularly with all age groups. All pupils have leaflets with this message on in their trays, together with the number for Childline. 7 and 8 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Planning in some of the school’s projects does not cover the full range of subject content and skills to meet the expectations set out in the national curriculum. The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned or sequenced in some subjects. Leaders should review curriculum plans across all subjects to check that the intended curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced and covers the required content to meet the expectations set out in the national curriculum. However, it is clear that leaders have already started to take action to plan next year’s curriculum. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  Some subject leaders lack the expertise needed to detect where weaknesses in curriculum planning and delivery lie. This reduces their effectiveness to ensure that the curriculum helps all pupils achieve well. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders receive the support needed to carry out their roles effectively and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

bring about sustained improvement in all subjects.  Too many pupils are persistently absent and numbers are rising. Consequently, these pupils miss crucial lessons and fall behind their peers. Leaders should continue to find ways to improve pupils’ attendance, including promoting to parents the importance of regular attendance.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 7 and 8 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200008 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mike Christoforou

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 September 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes since the previous inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, the leader for special educational needs and behaviour, the early years leader and the attendance leader. Meetings were also held with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in English, early reading, mathematics, science and art. Inspection activities in these subjects included: lesson visits, discussion with staff and pupils; meeting with subject leaders, and work scrutiny. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading. 7 and 8 December 2021

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 The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and plans for improvement. Minutes of governor meetings and reports from the school improvement partner were also scrutinised. Inspectors also looked at records of behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them informally about behaviour, bullying, and welfare.  The inspectors talked to parents at the end of the school day and gathered their views. They also collected the views of staff and pupils on site through discussion with these groups. The school’s own surveys of pupils’ and parents’ views were also reviewed and considered.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Potter Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 December 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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