Pickhurst Infant Academy

Inspection of Pickhurst Infant Academy Pickhurst Lane, West Wickham, Kent, BR4 0HL

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 January 2022

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected since November 2007. 18 and 19 January 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly place, where pupils love coming to school and staff take immense pride being a part of it. Leaders aim for excellence for all pupils through a well- organised and exciting curriculum. Pupils achieve exceptionally well. They are very proud of what they learn and talk about it with enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The learning environment is attractive and stimulating. Teachers use the stunning school grounds creatively to support interesting learning experiences. Pupils learn how to communicate well because of the focus placed on teaching high-quality vocabulary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm, and staff manage pupils’ excellent behaviour consistently well. Pupils are polite and respectful. Staff keep pupils safe. Pupils feel confident to talk about their feelings and share their worries with adults. They understand what bullying is and explain this as ‘someone who keeps on being unkind’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders work hard to develop pupils’ character. Pupils learn about diversity. They speak with confidence about differences and similarities. Pupils recognise that everyone is different, unique, and ‘special’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents are accurate in their view that staff provide a caring, safe environment that also challenges each child to do their very best.

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better?

The trust works closely with leaders. Together, they use careful curriculum thinking to set clear end goals for all subjects and year groups. Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They organise subjects into what pupils need to know and remember. Teachers deliver inspiring and high-quality learning experiences. In Reception, all areas of the early years learning are available for children to use every day. Leaders have extended this approach to Years 1 and 2 to help pupils learn any lost knowledge due to the impact of COVID-19.

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better?

Staff routinely check what pupils know and can do across the curriculum. They use different techniques to address what pupils may not understand. They support pupils to keep up or catch up in reading and other subjects. By the time pupils leave Year 2, they are ready for moving on to the next phase in their education.

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better?

Staff are nurturing and accommodating of pupils’ individual needs. Teachers make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the best possible opportunities to succeed. Staff produce detailed support plans, in partnership with parents and external organisations. They work skilfully in giving pupils clear steps to help them to learn. Pupils with SEND are highly motivated and work hard to reach ambitious targets. They achieve well from their starting points. 18 and 19 January 2022

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Leaders prioritise reading across the curriculum. Children begin to learn phonics when they start Reception. The approach to teaching phonics is consistent. Teachers use books that match the sounds pupils learn. Adults use repetition and rhymes well to help pupils understand how to say and use sounds accurately. In Reception, children remember sounds they learn and give examples of how they use them. By the time pupils leave Year 2, they are confident in knowing complex sounds and reading ‘tricky’ words. Teachers enjoy reading high-quality books in story time. They read books promoting diversity and equality. This helps pupils learn about themselves and people from other cultures, for example books that celebrate women in science, and that explore the texture of people’s hair from different cultures.

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Mathematics is taught exceptionally well. Teachers teach pupils to build their knowledge of mathematical concepts very securely. They provide high quality resources that pupils use when solving problems. They teach pupils different ways of doing calculations in a logical way. Children in Reception enjoy exploring number through a range of practical activities. They show confidence in knowing and remembering number bonds to 10.

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Pupils show keen interest and concentration during lessons. They behave exceptionally well because adults teach them how to be respectful and kind to others. Pupils appreciate the way staff celebrate their achievements. They know what the school values mean and show them in how they behave, learn, and treat others .

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Leaders are responsive to pupils’ interests and needs. They provide opportunities to develop their skills and talents in becoming confident learners. These includes trips, visits, and clubs such as choir and ju-jitsu.

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Leaders are aware of the strengths of the school and have a clear vision for what they need to focus on next. They manage change well and sensitively. They place strong emphasis on the well-being of pupils, staff, and parents. Staff say that leaders, ‘actively encourage a good work-life balance and focus on what is essential’. They feel valued and part of the constant review of all that they do.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Those responsible for governance fulfil their statutory duties skilfully. They have well-defined roles and meet with staff often, so they know what is happening in school. They check the single central record, staff training records and routines, to ensure staff are vigilant.

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Safeguarding

The trust and committee members work with leaders to maintain oversight of safeguarding through the curriculum. They check that staff plan and deliver opportunities to teach children how to build healthy relationships and to stay safe online. 18 and 19 January 2022

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Systems and procedures are robust. Staff record concerns clearly and take swift action where necessary. Pupils, parents and staff agree this is a safe school for all.

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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. 18 and 19 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211837 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority Board of trustees and local committee

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School details

Chair of local committee Christina Moody

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School details

Website http://www.pickhurst-inf.bromley.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 and 24 November 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a very large infant school with four classes in each year group.  The school is part of the Nexus Education Schools Trust. The local committee carries out some functions on behalf of the trustees, especially holding the school leaders to account.

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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 has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the chief executive officer, chair of the local committee, headteacher, senior leaders, a range of staff, and members of the local committee. 18 and 19 January 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of curriculum plans and documents, including the school’s self-evaluation of the work it does and the school improvement plan.  The inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by scrutinising records, including the single central record, talking to leaders and staff and through discussions with pupils and parents.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and staff through Ofsted’s online surveys, including 54 free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View, 21 responses from members of staff and 18 responses from pupils to the surveys.  The inspectors visited the school’s SEND group provision for pupils with social,

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emotional and mental health needs and the breakfast and after-school club operated by the school.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lucy Bruce Her Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 January 2022

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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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