Shelton Infant School

Inspection of Shelton Infant School Carlton Avenue, Shelton Lock, Derby DE24 9EJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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 Requires improvement

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. 15 and 16 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Shelton Infant School is a happy and friendly school. The school’s aims of ‘achieve well, aim high and have fun’ encourage all pupils to get the most out of school life. Pupils say that they like school because it is ‘fun’. They enjoy the range of creative activities on offer, such as the big art projects they complete.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They behave well in lessons and understand what is expected of them as they move around school. Pupils say bullying does not happen at their school. They know who to approach should they have any worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wealth of memorable experiences that develop the ‘whole child’. For example, pupils look forward to the many extra-curricular clubs. They enjoy earning credits towards their ‘Shelton university graduation’. Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access these clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, learning is well planned. This is not the case in all subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They say that staff know and care for their children well. One parent, typical of many, commented, ‘I could not have wished for a better start to my child’s education.’

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. They promote a love of reading by involving parents in reading events at school. This helps parents understand how to help their children with reading at home. ‘Awesome authors in class’ encourages pupils’ love of reading.

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better?

Staff have received training in the new early reading programme. Leaders have ensured that books are well matched to pupils’ reading knowledge. The school’s ‘reading squad’ ensures that all pupils read to an adult frequently. However, pupils at the early stages of reading do not get enough opportunities to re-join the words they sound out. Readers who have fallen behind in reading do not catch up as quickly as they could.

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better?

In mathematics, leaders have thought carefully about what pupils should learn and know as they move through the school. Teachers skilfully ask questions to develop pupils’ language and knowledge. For example, while children in Nursery weighed teddy bears, adults supported the children to use the language of weight, height and length accurately.

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better?

In some subjects, such as science, leaders have identified what pupils should know from early years to Year 2. However, this is not consistent across all subject areas. 15 and 16 March 2022

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Leaders have outlined what pupils need to know by the end of the year in each subject. However, leaders have not identified the steps needed to reach these end points.

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Some subject leaders are at the early stages of curriculum development. They do not make checks on how well their subject is being implemented. In these subjects the curriculum is not sequenced in sufficient detail.

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Adults in the early years develop positive relationships with families. Children respond well to the routines and expectations. However, the early years curriculum does not sufficiently outline what children should know and remember so that they are ready for Year 1.

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The school is inclusive. The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) ensures that pupils with SEND receive an appropriate curriculum that is coherent and meets their specific needs. Pupils who need help to manage their behaviour are well supported.

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Pupils learn about how to stay safe online. They understand that their bodies need regular exercise and a healthy diet. Leaders have ensured that the school’s curriculum helps pupils to understand different faiths and cultures. Pupils have opportunities in the curriculum to understand what it means to be a responsible citizen.

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Governors regularly ask questions on the information they receive. They are developing their understanding of the school’s curriculum so they can make further checks.

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Senior leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their pupils and families well. This helps them to identify any issues and put in the necessary support quickly. Leaders work with other agencies to support families and ensure that all pupils are safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular updates and training in safeguarding. They know how to identify children who may need help. All staff are vigilant and look out for signs that may indicate a child is at risk.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have introduced a new system for recording safeguarding concerns. They are ensuring that the different systems they use for gathering information around attendance, behaviour and safeguarding help them to understand pupils’ needs. 15 and 16 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to the teaching of early reading is not yet consistently implemented. Pupils at the early stages of reading do not receive sufficient practice to blend words back together. This does not help pupils to learn to read quickly and efficiently. Leaders should ensure that the phonics programme is implemented consistently. They should check that there are enough opportunities for pupils at the earliest stages of reading to decode and blend words, so that they learn to read quickly and confidently.  The knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and remember is not clearly identified and carefully sequenced in all subjects, including in the early years. This hinders pupils from building key knowledge in a subject from early years to Year 2. Leaders need to ensure that the content of all subject plans is carefully sequenced, so that pupils know and remember more over time.

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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 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211829 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a deputy headteacher has been appointed. The current chair of the governing body has been in post for six years.

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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.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, including the SENDCo and representatives from the local governing body. A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority.  Deep dives were conducted in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, and art and design. 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 15 and 16 March 2022

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personal, social, health and economic education programme, computing and geography curriculum were also sampled.  Information on attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records was scrutinised. This included the school’s single central record. Meetings with leaders to discuss the safeguarding of pupils were also held.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans and documentation relating to governance.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons, around the school and at various times of the school day. The school’s accident records were also considered. An inspector observed an assembly.  The views of staff and parents were considered through the Ofsted surveys and onsite during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Lewis Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 March 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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