Tibshelf Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Tibshelf Infant School 144 High Street, Tibshelf, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 5PP

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

Tibshelf Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school with a warm, caring ethos. Pupils thrive here. They say that they are happy at school because the teachers are kind and the lessons are interesting. The older pupils are proud of their roles as play leaders and ‘iVengers’. They enjoy organising playtime activities and helping others learn to stay safe online. These roles help pupils to learn about responsibility and safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is good. They respond well to teachers’ high expectations of how they should behave, in lessons and around school. Pupils say that they feel safe at school. They understand that bullying is wrong. Pupils, staff, parents and carers agree that bullying hardly ever happens at this school. However, pupils are certain that teachers will deal with any issues that may arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. These activities are open to all pupils. They include sports, music, computing, ‘clay creators’, art and ‘eco’ clubs. The outdoor play area has been extensively developed. There is an impressive range of equipment to promote pupils’ physical fitness. There are also some quieter zones, designed to encourage pupils’ social and emotional development.

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

In recent years, leaders have revised the curriculum to ensure that it sets out the important knowledge and skills pupils should gain by the time they leave the school. Given the age of pupils, leaders have rightly prioritised reading and mathematics. In several other subjects, leaders’ work to revise the curriculum is not fully complete. Leaders have yet to refine the curriculum in these areas, to ensure that pupils know and remember more over time in all subjects.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has formalised its partnership with the neighbouring junior school. Curriculum leaders are beginning to work closely with their counterparts in 15 and 16 November 2022

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the other school. The aim is to ensure that pupils will benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum, from the early years to the end of Year 6.

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Leaders and staff recognise the importance of checking how well pupils understand what they have been taught. Staff regularly check what pupils know. They step in quickly to address any misunderstandings. Curriculum leaders also carry out a planned programme of checks in their subject areas. They are developing a secure overview of the curriculum.

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In mathematics, the curriculum provision is strong. Leaders have ensured that all staff are well trained. Staff follow a confident and consistent approach in lessons. They encourage pupils to develop increasingly secure knowledge and skills, from Nursery to Year 2. In lessons, pupils are enthusiastic and confident learners. They clearly enjoy mathematics. Teachers ensure that all pupils can access the mathematics curriculum. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as well as those who are quick, able mathematicians.

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Leaders are in the process of revising the reading curriculum. Currently, too many pupils do not develop quickly enough as fluent readers. Leaders have begun to improve the teaching of early reading and phonics so that the approach is becoming more systematic. All staff will receive further training. Leaders plan to introduce a new phonics programme from February 2023. However, some immediate changes are starting to have a positive impact. Pupils now read from books that match the sounds they know. Leaders and staff promote the enjoyment of books and reading throughout the school.

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In all parts of the school, leaders and staff ensure that pupils with SEND receive well- planned support. Staff understand pupils’ needs very well. They liaise effectively with parents and carers and external agencies. Pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school.

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In the early years, children get off to a strong start. Staff use the indoor and outdoor areas well to promote children’s development across all areas of learning. Adults constantly prioritise children’s language development. For example, in the Nursery, the popular ‘welly boot Wednesday’ outdoor day is a source of excitement and conversation for adults and children alike.

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Leaders promote pupils’ wider development very well. Pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures, through the curriculum and in assemblies. They are learning to appreciate differences and to value equalities.

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Staff say that they are proud to work at the school. They are a close, supportive team. They appreciate leaders’ care for their workload and well-being. Governors share leaders’ ambition for all pupils to receive a high-quality education. They provide strong support and challenge for the school. 15 and 16 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

This is a close-knit school where everyone understands that safeguarding is a shared responsibility. Leaders and staff know the pupils very well. They pick up on any concerns straightaway. Records show that concerns are logged quickly. Leaders respond by taking appropriate actions. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates. Governors carry out checks to ensure that safeguarding is effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, through the curriculum and in assemblies. They know about online safety and how to respect each other’s personal boundaries.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, leaders have revised the curriculum to ensure that it sets out the key knowledge and skills that pupils should gain. In a small number of foundation subjects, this work needs refinement. This means that, currently, leaders cannot be sure that the curriculum is precisely sequenced, from Nursery to Year 2, in those subjects. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced so that pupils know and remember more, in all subjects.  Leaders have begun to revise the reading curriculum in response to the poor outcomes in phonics. Previously, too many pupils did not develop as capable readers. There is a plan to introduce a systematic synthetic phonics programme from February 2023. Leaders have introduced some interim improvements that appear to be effective. Leaders should ensure that the school’s approach to teaching early reading enables all pupils to develop quickly as fluent, confident readers.

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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 school to be good in July 2017. 15 and 16 November 2022

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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.tibshelf-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school entered into a formal collaboration with Town End Junior School in January 2022. The executive headteacher, who was formerly the headteacher of Tibshelf Infant and Nursery School, became executive headteacher of both schools at that time.  Following a series of consultations, there is a plan to establish a formal federation between the two schools by April 2023.  The school does not make use of any 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and curriculum leaders.  The inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of governors and two other members of the governing body. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum, reviewed curriculum planning and looked at samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  The inspector 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

Christine Watkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 November 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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