Linton CofE Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Linton CofE Infant School Church Lane, Linton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB21 4JX

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Outcome

Linton CofE Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is true to its aim that ‘happiness and achievement go hand in hand’. Pupils learn and play happily and safely. A typical parent comment describes their child ‘running into school every day, excited and keen’. Parents praise how staff ‘nurture’ their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years play and learn a lot at the same time. Pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations and clear routines. They treat each other respectfully. If there is any teasing or unkindness, adults are quick to resolve it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning. They talk with pride about how their reading and writing have improved. Pupils are keen to knowledgably share what they learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum content pupils develop their character. They are taught how to identify and describe their feelings when upset. Pupils adopt a can-do attitude, which contributes towards them building resilience and positively supports their well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a wide range of opportunities for personal development. Trips to Thetford Forest, the zoo and the local village build on what they learn in class. Pupils are enthusiastic about clubs that extend their talents, such as sports, dance, sewing and dodgeball.

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

Leaders have recently reviewed the curriculum. They have ensured the curriculum meets the needs of pupils at the school. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to learn what they need to achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The new curriculum defines what each pupil must know in each area to be ready for their next stage of learning. Subject leaders make sure that teachers know what pupils should learn and when. For instance, the clear curriculum planning helps staff 12 and 13 July 2022

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in early years use interactions skilfully to develop children’s knowledge in all areas of learning when they play.

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Most of the time, teachers deliver the curriculum effectively. They are knowledgeable and well trained. Teachers plan well-considered activities that help pupils learn the expected knowledge. Teachers give pupils with SEND strong support, and regularly review and improve this. Where teachers see pupils’ misconceptions, they correct these. As a result, pupils mostly achieve well. This is especially the case in the early years. However, while in most instances teachers check that pupils remember prior learning, sometimes they do not use assessment as well. On occasion, this results in pupils moving onto new content before being secure with what they are currently learning. This means in a few cases pupils recall their learning less well. Pupils do not always make the connections they might between the different things they learn.

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Leaders have carefully considered how to make the reading curriculum effective for pupils. Leaders make sure staff get the training they need to teach phonics well. Staff are adept at helping pupils use what they learn about reading to improve their writing. Pupils who fall behind get helpful support to catch up. This includes pupils with SEND, who show pleasure in the books they read. Staff work closely with parents to help pupils build up their confidence with reading. Early readers quickly learn to read with fluency. Older pupils explain their books with insight and understanding of what they have read.

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In reviewing the curriculum for personal development, leaders have prioritised supporting pupils’ mental health. Leaders have built up their knowledge about helping pupils with their emotions. Leaders put in place a range of effective strategies to support pupils’ well-being, including working with agencies. This creates a nurturing ethos, which pupils and parents appreciate.

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Leaders have high standards for behaviour. They make sure staff know and use the policy consistently. This means there is very little disruption to learning. The calm atmosphere that results helps all pupils concentrate on their learning.

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Leaders support staff well. Staff say workload is high but feel that leaders help them with this. The whole-school focus on well-being includes training staff about how to manage their own mental health.

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Governors are passionate and knowledgeable about their roles. They know the school’s curriculum well. Governors understand how and when to challenge leaders and do this effectively. They then check what actions leaders take. Governors monitor leaders’ work on safeguarding appropriately. Governors are proactive in supporting leaders’, staff’s and pupils’ well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders respond to safeguarding concerns appropriately. They liaise with agencies promptly when needed. Occasionally, leaders’ recording and organising of safeguarding 12 and 13 July 2022

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information is not as thorough as it should be. Leaders amended this during the inspection.

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Staff are well trained and vigilant in ensuring pupils stay safe. They know how to spot and log concerns and do so.

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Pupils say they feel safe. Parents and staff agree that pupils are safe. The strong pastoral support and nurturing ethos help pupils to feel safe. Pupils feel confident that they have an adult at the school ready to listen and help if concerns arise.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, teachers do not use assessment as effectively as they might to check that pupils understand and remember what they learn. As a result, pupils occasionally have gaps in their knowledge as they move onto new content. Leaders need to ensure that teachers know how to check effectively that pupils understand and remember what they learn.  While safeguarding is effective, and aspects were dealt with during the inspection, leaders are not routinely as thorough as they should be in recording and organising safeguarding information. This has the potential to hinder the effectiveness of actions in response to concerns. Leaders must continue to make sure that all safeguarding information is organised well and recorded thoroughly and appropriately.

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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 April 2017.

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241646 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 26 – 27 April 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a Christian character and was last inspected under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 on 26 September 2017.  Leaders do not use any alternative providers.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with senior leaders, other leaders, staff, pupils, and those responsible for governance.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In early reading this took the form of listening to pupils read to a familiar adult. 12 and 13 July 2022

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 To evaluate the quality of education the inspector also considered other areas of the curriculum, including history and art.  As part of the evaluation of the school’s safeguarding processes, the inspector reviewed the school’s single central record, met with the designated safeguarding leads, and looked at safeguarding records.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documents, including the school self- evaluation form and improvement plan, curriculum plans and school policies.  The inspector reviewed the 68 responses that were submitted by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and also considered the 68 free-text responses from parents. The inspector also considered 17 responses to the Ofsted staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 July 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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