Bolsover Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Bolsover Infant School Welbeck Road, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S44 6DE

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2022

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Outcome

Bolsover Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is ambitious for its pupils and the community. Leaders ensure that pupils receive a wide range of experiences and activities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. There are many opportunities to learn about different cultures and the wider world. The school motto of ‘helping to raise children with kind hearts and inquisitive minds’ is embedded in everything that the school does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy. They feel safe. Parents and carers agree. As one parent said: ‘It’s fab! I leave my child knowing they are safe and happy.’ Pupils say that bullying does not happen. However, they know what bullying is and what to do should it occur. They are confident that teachers will deal with it thoroughly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is good. Recent changes to the behaviour policy are working well. Pupils say that the traffic light system guides them to make positive choices about how they behave. They enjoy earning tokens, including golden tokens for reading regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Routines are well established. Pupils move around the school in a calm way. They are respectful to each other. They play well together. One pupil said: ‘This school is really fun! We learn so much and there are fun things to do at playtimes.’ This comment was typical.

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

Phonics is taught well. Staff are well trained. They quickly spot any pupils who begin to fall behind. Parents know how to support their child because the school provides workshops for them. One parent said: ‘The school is excellent at teaching children to read. We got the support we need to help our child at home.’ However, in a small number of cases, pupils’ reading books do not precisely match the sounds that they know.

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

Reading is prioritised. There are quiet areas for reading in classes, corridors and on the playground. The book shed is a well-used space at breaktimes. Pupils know why reading is important. As one pupil said: ‘It helps us learn more.’ Different characters help pupils to 28 and 29 September 2022

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learn about the different purposes of reading. For example, Reggie the Hero helps pupils to understand how to use books for research purposes. Pupils enjoy story time. They enjoy voting on which books to read.

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The school’s curriculum is well planned and sequenced. It is implemented effectively. Teachers present information clearly. Pupils know what is expected of them. Teachers pick up pupils’ misconceptions and address them. Pupils learn and use ambitious vocabulary. For example, pupils learn what ‘agility’ and ‘accelerate’ mean in physical education (PE) lessons. Overtime, pupils remember what they have been taught.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Leaders have a secure understanding of these pupils’ needs. While record-keeping is detailed, the information is not communicated as efficiently as it could be. This means that, in some cases, support for pupils SEND is not implemented as efficiently as it could be.

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Children get off to a positive start in the early years. Routines are well established. Learning is well organised. Activities are explained clearly. Children work independently and collaboratively. The early years curriculum is well planned. It sets out what children should know and be able to do at each point of their education. It is well sequenced. Adults are skilled at helping children to develop their communication and language skills.

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Leaders are determined that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The curriculum ensures that pupils learn about a wide range of faiths and religions. Older pupils talk confidently about world issues, such as global warming. Pupils recognise the importance of equality. They do not tolerate discrimination. Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs and activities on offer. These allow pupils to try new things. Clubs such as ‘Boogie Bounce’ and ‘Little Dragons’ ensure they experience a variety of ways to keep themselves fit.

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Leaders have been quick to address issues arising from the various national lockdowns and continuing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. They have provided pupils and their families with a wealth of support, including for well-being and mental health. Leaders have successfully tackled a decline in attendance.

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Staff say that leaders are considerate of their well-being. They say that they get the support they need to carry out their duties. Leaders make sure workload does not become overburdensome. Staff morale is high. As one member of staff said: ‘Leaders do everything in their power to support the mental health and well-being of us all.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out the necessary checks to ensure that only appropriate adults come into contact with pupils. Regular training ensures that staff can quickly spot signs of neglect and abuse. The safeguarding procedures are consistently understood and applied. Records are fit for purpose. Leaders regularly check records for any emerging trends or 28 and 29 September 2022

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patterns. Leaders work with a range of external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the support they need.

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Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a range of contexts, including online and in the community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of cases, pupils’ reading books do not match the sounds that they know. As a consequence, not all children become confident, fluent readers as quickly as they could. Leaders should ensure that all reading books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know.  Record-keeping for pupils with SEND is detailed. However, the support that these pupils should receive is not communicated as efficiently as it could be. This means that, in some cases, support is slow to be implemented. Leaders should ensure that the help that pupils with SEND need is clearly and efficiently communicated.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2012.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 28 and 29 September 2022

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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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240886 Type of school Infant

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School details

Website www.bolsover-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the senior leaders, including the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders and the pastoral lead.  The inspector carried out deep dives in three subjects: reading, mathematics and PE. To do this, the inspector met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and met with teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the governing body. He also met with a representative of the local authority. 28 and 29 September 2022

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 The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, pupil survey and staff survey along with written comments from parents. Inspectors spoke informally to parents outside the school.  Attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records were scrutinised. This included the school’s single central record. The inspector also conducted meetings with leaders to discuss the safeguarding of pupils.  The inspector considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 September 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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