Hannah More Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Hannah More Infant School White Oak Way, Nailsea, Somerset BS48 4YZ

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2022

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Outcome

Hannah More Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They are following the school motto of ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ every day. Leaders have the pupils’ best interest at heart. Pupils are safe in school and know how to be safe outside. There is a culture of tolerance and respect that permeates the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff hold the well-being of pupils in high esteem. Much is done to ease any concerns following outbreaks of COVID-19, or anything else that might be a worry for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations which are met by pupils. There is very little low-level disruption. Pupils know how to behave well. On the very rare occasions that bullying takes place, staff deal with it swiftly. Pupils have trusted adults to turn to when any issues arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pride in their work. From Reception onwards, children want to learn and engage well with their different subjects. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their learning and extend their vocabulary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to participate in extra-curricular activities. These include sports clubs, forest school, trips locally and further afield. There is an extensive and cared-for site. Pupils grow plants, learn about their apple orchard and use the outdoor classroom whenever possible.

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

There is an ambitious curriculum which has been carefully planned so that pupils learn key concepts in a suitable order. Leaders review subject curriculums regularly and tweak them when necessary.

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

Reading is a priority. Phonics is planned carefully. Children in Reception learn phonics from the moment they start school. Helping pupils to read fluently is an important focus. Leaders are very aware that this is key to pupils following the full curriculum offer 13 and 14 September 2022

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successfully. There has been extensive work to encourage reading, such as enhancing comfortable book corners and the introduction of non-fiction. Leaders have worked recently to ensure that reading books align closely to the phonics knowledge that pupils learn. When pupils misunderstand anything, intervention work is immediate and successful.

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Pupils are confident in their mathematical knowledge. They become fluent quickly in their understanding of the value of numbers. In Reception, teachers provide children with counting activities in a variety of ways. Mathematics is part of pupils’ daily routine in every year group, as is phonics. Pupils have a secure grasp of the subject as a result.

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Teaching is planned well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The highly competent special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with teachers to find ways to help pupils with SEND learn in the most efficient way. Leaders review strategies with teachers on a regular basis. Similar work takes place for disadvantaged pupils.

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Leaders are aware that, sometimes, pupils are not remembering key facts in some subjects over time. This is especially the case in the wider curriculum. However, in religious education and some of the geography curriculum pupils are remembering more. Subject leaders are developing the way that teachers explain the learning so that pupils are better able to recall what they have learned previously.

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Teachers are continually gaining expertise in the wide range of subjects they teach. Their knowledge is enhanced by training in school, with the trust and other subject networks. Teachers appreciate this input and value the support of school and trust leaders.

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Teachers assess pupils’ learning effectively. They provide feedback that is both positive and supportive. When pupils make errors, teachers help pupils to correct misconceptions quickly.

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Pupils are gaining an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values. They know right from wrong. Pupils understand democracy at a school level. They gain responsibility by being members of the school council or helping with other aspects of school life, such as supporting charities throughout the year.

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Governors and trustees maintain the high standards of the school. They make sure that they do not put onerous demands on staff. Staff appreciate this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive annual training and regular updates. They know how to identify and report any concerns about pupils who may be vulnerable. The designated safeguarding lead makes sure that external support is provided at the right level to keep pupils safe. 13 and 14 September 2022

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Recruitment checks are undertaken thoroughly. The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff, parents and carers about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not remember key curriculum content over time, especially within foundation subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers clarify and embed concepts within the foundation curriculum so that pupils can remember them better in the longer term.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Hannah More Infants School, to be good in May 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.

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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.

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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. 13 and 14 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10231294 Type of school Infant

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in May 2020.  The school became part of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership multi-academy trust in 2017.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Hannah More Infant School converted to become an academy school in April 2017. When its predecessor school, Hannah More Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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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 chair and vice-chair of governors and a co-opted governor, the headteacher and senior leaders, the trust’s director of education, the chief executive officer, a trustee, and staff and pupils. 13 and 14 September 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum 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.  The inspector looked at the single central record and discussed case studies of vulnerable pupils with the designated safeguarding lead. She spoke to staff and pupils about the training and education they had received about keeping safe.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the results of the staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 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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