Scartho Infants' School and Nursery

Inspection of Scartho Infants’ School and Nursery Edge Avenue, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN33 2DH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 2 and 3 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Following a period of staffing changes, the school is becoming a more settled place for pupils. The school is a happy and friendly place to learn. Pupils from different backgrounds and with different needs are warmly welcomed. Classrooms are calm and most pupils behave well. The new leadership team has high expectations for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn well in mathematics. In reading, pupils learn about letters and the sounds they represent in increasingly structured ways. This work is not consistent. Pupils do not learn well enough in a wide range of subjects, including in personal and social development. Staff have only recently begun to identify what they want pupils to learn and in what order.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have quickly established positive relationships with parents. Staff are proud to work at the school and they want to continue to improve things for pupils. Curriculum leaders know that they need to develop how well they check how pupils are learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents have confidence in the school. Bullying is rare. Pupils say that adults respond swiftly to their concerns. Where there are problems, pupils say that staff talk to pupils and help them to find ways to play together.

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better?

New leaders are working hard to improve the quality of education at school. They are having a positive effect. Leaders have made reading and mathematics their first priorities. In mathematics, pupils benefit from a well-structured curriculum. In reading, improvements are less securely embedded. Despite recent staff training, the reading scheme is not consistently implemented. Leaders know that staff need further support to better apply this scheme and improve pupils’ reading. Pupils practise reading with books that are well matched to their needs. Teachers have identified those pupils who are falling behind but have not yet put extra support in place to help pupils catch up. Daily reading lessons are helping pupils to be taught to read in an increasingly systematic way. This is not a consistent approach across all year groups. Pupils develop a love of reading and can talk about their favourite books, characters and authors.

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better?

Leaders have ambitious plans to develop the curriculum in other subjects. Pupils enjoy their learning in a wide range of subjects. Many can recall facts about recent topics. However, the curriculum has not been constructed well enough to ensure that pupils build on learning from year to year. It is not sufficiently clear what teachers want pupils to know, do or understand. Leaders know this and are working to help pupils to know more and remember more in subjects such as history and science. 2 and 3 March 2022

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Pupils can attend a range of clubs and a variety of sports after school. Pupils learn about different cultures, religions and types of families. They learn how to be good citizens and how to share and take turns. Leaders have held assemblies on consent and the importance of respecting one another’s bodies. However, the personal development curriculum is underdeveloped. For example, the policy for relationship and sex education has not been consulted on, approved or implemented.

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In the early years, there is a strong focus on developing children’s vocabulary. Children develop their confidence and social skills well. Adults know what interests individual children. However, not enough thought has been given to the curriculum. Plans are designed around activities rather than what leaders want children to know and do by the time they start Year 1.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities study the same subjects as other pupils. Leaders think carefully about how they can best support these pupils and give them well-thought-out extra help. Leaders focus on these pupils’ social or behavioural needs as well as any additional support needed in English and mathematics.

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Pupils attend school regularly. They enjoy positive relationships with the staff and other pupils. Pupils’ behaviour is improving but occasionally pupils lose focus in lessons.

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Leaders are improving the school and already know what the next steps for improvement are. The local authority is supporting them well. Even as the school develops, teachers say that leaders take account of their workload. However, subject leadership is underdeveloped. Subject leaders’ ability to influence and check the curriculum in their subject is limited. Most governors are new to their roles. They have not been able to challenge and monitor with sufficient depth.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All the required checks are carried out before staff start their roles. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. There is a caring culture at the school. Staff use the electronic recording system if they see anything that might indicate a pupil needs help. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to support pupils and families, when needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe online and in life. They have learned about the risks associated with speaking to strangers online and they understand that busy roads can be dangerous.

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 The recently introduced phonic scheme provides a suitably sequenced and systematic approach to teaching phonics. Staff have benefited from some training. However, staff need further training and support to implement the new scheme more effectively. Leaders should ensure that staff get ongoing training and support so that they all become adept at implementing the scheme to help pupils make better progress in reading.  The curriculum is not well sequenced in all subjects. Some plans are still under review. Leaders have not considered what pupils must know in each subject carefully enough. Teachers do not consistently help pupils build on what they already know in some subjects. Senior leaders should ensure that curriculum leaders understand how to better plan a well-sequenced curriculum with clear components. Curriculum leaders should consider what is essential for pupils to know and in what order so that pupils can deepen their knowledge in each

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subject.  Curriculum leaders have not checked and influenced how well their subject is being implemented. They do not have a consistent understanding of how well pupils are learning in the subjects they lead. Senior leaders should introduce effective systems to check how well pupils are learning. Leaders should support teachers to plan more effective activities that help pupils build on what they know and can do.  Governors do not consistently have the knowledge and skills to challenge and support the work of the school. Many governors are new to their roles. Some understand their role, but this is not the case for all governors. Leaders should ensure that governors are better trained so they are able to exercise their roles as critical friends.

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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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212281 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 3 and 4 July 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been many staffing changes since the previous inspection, with a number of teachers and support staff leaving or joining the school. The headteacher and three of the six class teachers took up post in January 2022.  Almost all members of the governing body are new to their roles, including the chair of the governing body.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  There is a breakfast club and an after-school sports club managed by an external provider.

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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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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 The inspectors met with senior leaders and two governors, including the chair of the governing body. An inspector met with an officer from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and history. Inspectors talked to subject leaders, staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspectors reviewed the safeguarding arrangements by scrutinising safeguarding records, interviewing staff and through discussions with pupils.  The inspectors considered the 46 responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online and free-text survey. Most respondents made free-text comments. Inspectors also spoke to parents on the playground at the end of the day. Inspectors considered 12 responses to the staff survey and held discussions with staff throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Allwood Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 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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