Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School Marlborough Road, Great Bradfords Estate, Braintree, Essex CM7 9LW

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Outcome

Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school where pupils develop the confidence to be themselves. Pupils experience a rich curriculum that extends their understanding across a broad range of subjects. They are keen to share what they know and are curious to learn more. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and understand the school’s values. They talk about how ‘perseverance’ helps them overcome challenges and learn to do new things. Pupils recognise the importance of honesty and have a well-developed sense of fairness. School council representatives understand their role to help make school better for everyone. Children in the early years play and learn happily together. They quickly learn the routines that help them to be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They demonstrate kindness and respect towards each other in lessons and at playtimes. They can explain the difference between unkind behaviours and bullying. Pupils say that adults listen to what they say. Bullying is rare because adults help pupils sort things out at an early stage.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the work of leaders. They appreciate the commitment of school staff to create a caring school community in which their children thrive.

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

Leaders have carefully considered the curriculum. They have identified how children’s learning in the early years connects to the subjects that pupils study in key stage 1. Children develop the knowledge and understanding they need to achieve well in all areas of their learning. Teachers plan lessons that help pupils build on what they have learned before. Regular practice and review help pupils secure the important knowledge they need. In mathematics, pupils apply their learning in problem-solving and mathematical reasoning. This helps deepen their understanding. 18 and 19 May 2022

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Phonics and early reading are taught well. There is a clear sequence for phonics learning in place. In Nursery, children listen carefully and join in with stories, songs and rhymes. Children are taught to read from the moment they join Reception. Leaders ensure that staff model the pure sounds clearly and consistently. Pupils apply their phonics accurately to decode. Pupils secure their phonics knowledge through regular practice. They read books that are closely matched to the sounds they are learning. Leaders identify pupils who need additional support to help them develop confidence and fluency in reading.

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Pupils are enthusiastic readers. They experience a wide range of books and stories that excite their interest across the curriculum. Leaders are adopting a new phonics programme. They have planned this carefully to build on the effective practice that is already in place.

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Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They are confident to lead their subjects well. They provide guidance and training for staff to develop their understanding of the curriculum in each subject. Leaders recognise that there is work to do to deepen staff’s subject knowledge in the foundation subjects. Because of this, teachers do not consistently plan lessons that help pupils secure their knowledge in the foundation subjects as well as they do in reading and mathematics.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn confidently alongside their peers. The curriculum is adapted well to meet their needs. Pupils with SEND make good progress and achieve well across a broad range of subjects.

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Children engage purposefully with learning and play in the early years. They develop positive relationships with each other. There is a strong focus on developing children’s language and mathematical understanding. Adults ask skilful questions to develop children’s understanding and extend their thinking. The curriculum is carefully considered to support children’s emotional and physical development. Children become confident and are keen to try new things.

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Pupils’ wider development is well supported. Pupils learn that all people are equal, although we are all different. Pupils are knowledgeable about different religions, cultures and beliefs. Pupils demonstrate empathy and understanding. They care for one another and support each other when they are anxious, hurt or upset. Pupils regularly participate in music and sport. Trips and visitors to school help pupils make connections between their learning and the wider world.

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Governors are confident in their roles. Leaders value the challenge and support they receive from the governing body to continue to improve the school. Governors take part in appropriate training. Governors visit the school regularly. This helps give them the knowledge they need to hold leaders to account for their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 and 19 May 2022

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Leaders have created a positive culture of safeguarding. Staff are vigilant. They receive regular training that keeps their knowledge of safeguarding up to date. Staff can recognise the potential signs of abuse. Staff are clear about what to do to report a concern.

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Pupils learn about fire safety, road safety and internet safety. Leaders provide information for parents to help keep children safe online.

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Governors are diligent in ensuring that safeguarding procedures are effective. They check that the school follows the appropriate procedures when appointing new staff. The single central record of pre-employment checks is comprehensive and up to date.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are introducing a new programme for the systematic teaching of synthetic phonics and early reading. Staff have taken part in relevant training. Leaders should ensure that staff continue to receive the guidance and training they need to implement the new programme well, building on the effective practice that is already in place.  Teachers do not anticipate or address pupils’ potential misconceptions as confidently in the foundation subjects as they do in English and mathematics. Leaders should provide training for staff to deepen their knowledge and confidence in teaching the foundation subjects so that pupils gain the subject-specific knowledge and understanding they need to achieve well in all areas of the curriculum.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged, the school to be good in December 2016.

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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 18 and 19 May 2022

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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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 May 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.gbins.co.uk Date of previous inspection 13 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of governors was appointed in September 2021.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school makes use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector spoke with the local authority school effectiveness partner on the telephone.  The inspector met with the chair of governors and two members of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a 18 and 19 May 2022

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed children while they were learning and playing in the Nursery.  The inspector met with the designated lead for safeguarding to discuss the arrangements in place to report, record and follow up on safeguarding concerns. They also discussed training for staff. The inspector reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during playtimes and visited a singing assembly.  The inspector spoke to representatives of the school council and groups of pupils to gather their views of the school. The inspector also spoke with pupils in the playground.  The inspector reviewed 87 responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 48 free-text comments.  The inspector considered 36 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Katherine Douglas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 May 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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