Albany Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Albany Infant and Nursery School Grenville Drive, Stapleford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG9 8PD

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are committed to being an ‘Albany all-star’. It is part of their school’s values of being safe, happy, kind, proud, polite and respectful. These values underpin school life. Parents and carers have a positive view of the school. As one parent said, ‘fantastic school, caring and supportive’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They feel safe at school. Incidents of poor behaviour are few, minor in nature and quickly resolved. On the rare occasion pupils need help to manage their behaviour, tailored support is put in place. Pupils know what bullying is. They know that trusted adults in school will help them should they have any worries. Thus, instances of bullying are very rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum provides pupils with experiences that will help them understand their local community, such as visiting the theatre. Pupils enjoy sharing the vast array of books in school. In assembly, they listen carefully to the stories that adults share and consider how the way a character reacts to a situation in a story might help them do the right thing if they were in a similar situation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years have opportunities to develop their early communication, language and social skills well because adults have created a purposeful environment indoors. However, this is not as well developed when children are learning outdoors.

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better?

Leaders have identified the essential knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. This is enhanced with a variety of experiences, trips and opportunities for pupils. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and want to ensure that they are well prepared to play a part in their local community and for life in modern Britain. Leaders have prioritised Year 2 pupils learning to swim and others learning how to administer first aid. Leaders are making checks to ensure that all curriculum subjects are helping pupils in mixed-aged classes remember the key knowledge that they have identified.

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better?

The newly developed indoor areas in the early years have created a calm space for children to learn. Children in the nursery learn to take turns and share. Adults expertly engage children in early language development. For example, adults model how to have a conversation on the telephone and children in the Reception Year discuss who lives in their house. However, when children are outdoors, their learning slows because leaders have not considered carefully enough how the outdoor activities will develop children’s learning.

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better?

Leaders and teachers promote a love of reading. They have developed the school’s library. Regular school visits into the community have ensured that most pupils are now members of the local public library. Teachers use books to help pupils know more of the school’s curriculum. For example, pupils learn about themselves, their 21 and 22 September 2022

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families and about diversity through a range of fiction and non-fiction books. Adults help children to learn the meaning of new words through literature.

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The school’s early reading programme is well developed. Pupils who need additional help to keep up with the programme are provided with the support they need. Teachers ensure that pupils receive books that are well matched to their reading development.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well considered. Teachers check what pupils can remember. They adapt the curriculum to help pupils with SEND to keep up with their peers and to make progress.

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Leaders have rightly prioritised improving pupils’ attendance and punctuality. They want all their pupils to be in school so that they can learn. They provide support to families who do not send their child to school every day. This has made a difference. Governors continue to challenge leaders’ response towards pupils that are persistently absent.

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Leaders and staff promote pupils’ broader development well. They work with the local junior school to ensure that families who have children in both schools are able to attend after-school clubs. Pupils have opportunities to grow their own vegetables and visit the local allotments. At playtimes, pupils enjoy eating their daily snack and understand the importance of putting their rubbish in the bin.

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Staff say that they work well together because they are a ‘supportive’ team. They appreciate leaders’ actions to reduce their workload. Leaders are considerate of staff well-being.

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Governors have made sure that leaders have had the right support to make the school a better place to learn. Those responsible for governance provide effective support and challenge for the school. They fulfil their statutory duties diligently.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take checks on pupils’ well-being and safety seriously. Staff are vigilant. They know how to report concerns because leaders have ensured that they have knowledge and expertise to report any concerns. Governors review the school’s safeguarding work regularly.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders maintain a clear oversight of the arrangements for safeguarding. They ensure that they understand children’s wide-ranging needs and those of families who may be in need. They ensure that the right external support is sought when needed. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Pupils learn how to manage the kinds of risks they may encounter online through the curriculum, stories and assemblies.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some leaders are new to the role of subject leadership. They do not have the necessary knowledge to support teachers with the delivery of subject curriculums. They have not made sufficient checks to ensure that the school’s curriculum is consistently well enough implemented. Subject leaders must have the appropriate support, knowledge and expertise so that they fulfil their roles effectively.  Leaders have not carefully considered what pupils in the early years will know and remember when they access the learning outdoors. This hinders children developing their knowledge and understanding of the early years areas for learning. Leaders must ensure that all adults have high expectations of what children can learn and achieve while they are in the outdoor area.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10211574 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 11 and 12 October 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a new chair of governors and headteacher have been appointed. The deputy headteacher took up post in April 2020. A new special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) has also been appointed.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID 19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the senior leaders, including the headteacher and the SENDCO. 21 and 22 September 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. They met with subject leaders, considered curriculum sequencing, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and spoke with some pupils about their learning. They looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors heard some individual pupils read.  Inspectors also sampled the school’s music curriculum.  Inspectors spoke with some parents informally at the start and end of the school day. They also took account of parent and staff views through Ofsted’s online surveys.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  The inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks and holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Angela Kirk Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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