Somercotes Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Somercotes Infant and Nursery School Nottingham Road, Somercotes, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 4LY

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 15 and 16 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is improving. Parents and carers have noticed the positive changes in school. As one parent commented, leaders ‘have turned the school around'.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils say they feel safe and enjoy coming to school. Pupils learn to talk about their emotions. For example, in one lesson, pupils talked about their achievements and how they made them feel proud.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the rewards they receive for good behaviour. They understand that if they make the wrong choices, an adult will help them understand their feelings and the consequences of their actions. Pupils said bullying is rare but during social times, behaviour is sometimes unkind. Pupils know whom to report these incidents to and are confident that staff will deal with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like to share their work with their families. However, their understanding of different faiths and cultures is less secure.

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better?

Leaders’ actions are bringing rapid improvements to the school. They know their school well and know what the next steps are to continue to improve the school. The trust is supporting leaders through this period of transition. Staff say that leaders are supporting their workload and well-being through this period of change.

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better?

Pupils enjoy listening to and sharing books. In one class, pupils enjoyed the humour of ‘The Twits’. Pupils enjoy visiting the school library. Leaders ensure that high- quality literature is part of the school’s curriculum. However, the school’s current system for teaching early reading does not ensure that all pupils learn to read quickly and efficiently. Sometimes adults do not use accurate teaching methods to ensure that pupils remember the words they sound out. Sometimes, books do not match the stage of pupils’ reading development. Leaders are in the process of moving to a new phonics programme. This programme will include training for all staff.

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better?

Leaders have started to map out the curriculum with the knowledge they want pupils to know. However, these plans do not identify the key knowledge pupils need to know from early years to Year 2. The plans do not help teachers to identify the key subject-specific knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember.

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better?

In early years, children develop strong relationships with their peers and with adults. Adults purposefully help children with their spoken language and vocabulary development. For example, pupils learn the story of ‘Goldilocks’ by retelling the story repeatedly, using images. Adults use stories to help pupils use language related to size and materials. However, curriculum plans in early years do not show how each area of learning links to what pupils need to know as they move into Year 1. 15 and 16 February 2022

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Leaders think carefully about how they can support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They give extra help to these pupils. Some pupils with SEND study the same subjects as other pupils. Others receive a curriculum that is more bespoke to their needs. This tailored approach enables pupils with SEND to know more of the school’s planned curriculum.

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There have been significant improvements in behaviour. Pupils who require additional support to understand their emotions are given strategies to help them regulate their behaviour. Pupils in the Reception Year are proud to wear their wristbands because it shows they follow the school rules. However, pupils commented that behaviour during social times is not of a high standard. Many pupils said that low-level behaviour was still an issue at lunchtime.

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Pupils enjoy the clubs that the school has to offer. Teachers help pupils to develop their resilience and perseverance. Pupils understand how to stay safe online. They know how to be a good friend. However, pupils were not as confident in their understanding of other faiths and cultures.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise pupils’ safety. Leaders organise regular safeguarding training and updates for staff around safeguarding. Leaders ensure they understand the needs of each family so they can provide the right support. This includes helping families with routines at home so pupils can come to school ready to learn. Leaders use all information available to them to look for patterns that may indicate that pupils or families need additional support.

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Safeguarding

All staff are vigilant for signs of abuse. They know how to report concerns. Safeguarding concerns are dealt with quickly. Where needed, leaders challenge other agencies to get the right support for their families.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all pupils at the early stages of reading learn to read quickly and fluently because the reading programme is not used consistently by all staff. Sometimes pupils receive books that are not well matched to the sounds they know. This results in some pupils not having the necessary knowledge to help them to learn to read efficiently. Leaders need to implement the new phonics programme so that all staff have accurate knowledge of how to support pupils at the early stages of reading to read quickly and fluently.  Not all subjects set out the important knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which they must learn it. This does not help teachers to build securely on what pupils have learned in the past and pupils do not gain a secure knowledge 15 and 16 February 2022

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of the subject. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum plans in all subjects set out what all pupils, including pupils with SEND and pupils in the early years, must learn and the order in which they should learn it.  Pupils’ behaviour is inconsistent during some parts of the school day. This means some pupils make choices in behaviour that do not reflect the school’s expectations and values. Leaders need to ensure that all adults use effective strategies to ensure that pupils’ behaviour is consistent throughout the school day.  Pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures is not sufficiently developed. This does not prepare pupils for life beyond their immediate community. Leaders need to ensure that pupils have a well-developed understanding of diversity, so they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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. 15 and 16 February 2022

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School details

Headteacher Helina Kirkup (Executive Headteacher) Sarah Gray (Headteacher) Website www.learnerstrust.org/sis

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This was the school’s first inspection since opening in September 2017.  Since the school joined the trust, there have been significant changes in staffing, leadership and governance.  The executive headteacher took up post in January 2021. The role involves leadership over two schools.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, and representatives from the trust. 15 and 16 February 2022

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 Deep dives were conducted in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and talked to some pupils about their learning. Aspects of the school’s personal, social, health and economic education programme and history were also sampled.  Information on attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records was scrutinised. This included the school’s single central record. Inspectors also conducted meetings with leaders to discuss the safeguarding of pupils.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime. The school’s records on behaviour were also considered.  The views of staff were considered through the Ofsted surveys. View of parents were sought during the inspection. Insufficient responses were received for the

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Greaves Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 February 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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