Standhill Infants' School

Inspection of a good school: Standhill Infants’ School Standhill Road, Carlton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG4 1JL

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this warm and welcoming school. Staff know each pupil individually and have developed caring relationships with them. Pupils are confident and resilient. They told the inspectors that their ‘learning powers’ help them to be better learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want pupils to do well. Teachers select topics to motivate and enthuse pupils. Pupils’ experiences are enriched with trips and extra-curricular activities. The ‘children’s university’ activities inspire pupils to achieve their best. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils play happily together at breaktimes. There are lots of activities for pupils to do. During lessons, some pupils find it hard to stay focused and on task. This interrupts the learning of others and means that not all pupils are achieving as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff will make time for them and will help them if they are worried. They are confident that adults will listen if they report bullying, and make it stop quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents and carers feel that their children are thriving at Standhill. A typical comment from a parent stated: ‘It is a lovely little school with a great atmosphere and caring teachers.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have planned a broad and suitably ambitious curriculum for pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have successfully designed and adapted the curriculum to ensure that it suits the school’s mixed-age classes. 27 April 2022

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In all subjects, leaders have identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Teachers are clear about the order in which pupils should learn this knowledge. They ensure that pupils revisit the important knowledge and facts that they need to undertake new learning. However, not all teachers precisely check pupils’ misconceptions in lessons at all times. This means that pupils sometimes do not know what they need to do to improve their work.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. They settle quickly into daily routines. Children are respectful of each other and enjoy their learning. Leaders ensure they are well prepared for the next years of their education.

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All staff foster a love of reading in all pupils, including children in the early years. They know it is vital that they help pupils to become fluent readers, and develop their love of reading. Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading. They enjoy listening to the stories that teachers read to them. There is a new phonics programme in place. This is being consistently implemented in every class. However, the books pupils read do not always match the sounds that they have learned. Some pupils struggle to read or sound out the words in their book. Not all staff have the expertise they need to ensure that all pupils learn to read in a systematic way.

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Leaders work carefully with parents to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified as early as possible. Throughout the school, staff provide appropriate support for this group of pupils. Teachers adapt activities and resources so that pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Leaders work with a range of professionals to ensure pupils with SEND receive the right support when it is needed. Parents of pupils with SEND appreciate the support that their children receive.

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In lessons, and when moving around the school, some pupils find it hard to manage their own behaviour. Some pupils expressed their concerns about this behaviour to inspectors. Pupils respond well to staff when they are reminded about acceptable behaviour. Pupils with complex needs spend some of their time learning in the ‘blossom room’. This provision offers some well-targeted support for pupils who need it.

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Pupils have opportunities to develop character and independence. In lessons such as personal, social and health education, they learn about the importance of tolerance and respect. Pupils demonstrate respect when discussing differences and diversity. One pupil, echoing the views of others, told an inspector: ‘It doesn’t matter who you are. Being different is a special thing about you.’

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Leaders, including governors, have staff’s well-being and workload at the forefront of their minds. Staff feel well supported by leaders. They say that leaders listen to them, and they appreciate the steps leaders have taken to look after their well-being.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that early reading and expectations for behaviour may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 27 April 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date through regular and appropriate training. All staff are alert for any signs of potential concern about pupils’ well-being and report concerns quickly. Leaders responsible for safeguarding take swift and appropriate action. They secure the help that pupils and families might need. Staff know the pupils and their families very well.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. For example, during the ‘be safe and healthy’ week, pupils learn about road safety and keeping themselves safe when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For pupils at the early stages of reading, leaders have not identified the precise gaps in their phonics knowledge. The books pupils are given to read are sometimes too hard and prevent them from becoming confident and fluent readers. Leaders must ensure that these pupils receive effective support and read books that match their phonic knowledge.  Some pupils find it difficult to manage their own behaviour around school. Some find it difficult to sustain their concentration in some classes. Staff do not have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in lessons. Low-level disruption is tolerated at times. This hinders pupils’ learning. Leaders need to ensure that staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in lessons, and their conduct around school, so that all pupils can learn well without interruptions.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2013. 27 April 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 27 April 2022

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school has 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of staff.  Inspectors met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and spoke with pupils about their learning. An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors reviewed school policies, procedures and records. The lead inspector met with the

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designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also spoke with staff, governors and pupils about the school’s approach to keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors met with staff and considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Norbury, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanne Sanchez-Thompson Ofsted Inspector 27 April 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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