Strand-on-the-Green Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Strand-on-the-Green Infant and Nursery School Thames Road, Chiswick, London W4 3NX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where every pupil is nurtured and inspired to achieve well. Pupils are happy and safe. They take part in a wide range of opportunities that leaders have specially chosen to develop their characters. Everyone is included. Pupils live and breathe the school values, particularly through their sense of fairness and perseverance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well. Older pupils have an accurate understanding of what bullying is and is not. They know what they would do if it happened. Bullying rarely occurs. However, pupils trust adults to deal with bullying promptly. Children in the early years demonstrate high levels of motivation and concentration. They are taught about how to be kind and how to work purposefully with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that pupils have many opportunities to celebrate and appreciate difference. The flagpole situated in the playground provides regular and meaningful opportunities to learn about different countries and their special days. For example, every pupil can raise a flag that is important to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are effusive in their praise about the school and its leaders. One comment, which captured the view of many, noted that: ‘The school is a fantastic oasis of learning, and a safe and caring place for my child to attend.’

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better?

Leaders have designed a typically well-planned and sequenced curriculum. It sets out how pupils’ skills and knowledge in each subject should progress from the early years onwards. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the small units of knowledge that pupils need to learn before they can tackle more complex ideas. For example, in art and design, pupils develop their fine and gross motor skills in the Nursery Year by learning to manipulate dough. This supports them to model other materials such as plasticine and clay later on in the curriculum. Pupils know, for instance, that heat from their hands can help them to mould clay successfully and remove any cracks.

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better?

However, in a few subjects, essential knowledge is, at times, not as clearly defined. For example, in history, although pupils can remember stories about significant figures, they are sometimes not secure in their knowledge of when events took place chronologically.

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better?

Pupils’ reading development is promoted as soon as they start school. Leaders prioritise early reading and phonics and train staff to teach these well. All staff make sure that pupils practise reading with books matched to the sounds that they know. As a result, most pupils learn to read quickly and fluently. Leaders make sure that pupils who have fallen behind with their reading receive additional phonics lessons so that they catch up swiftly. 6 and 7 December 2022

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The curriculum in early years ensures that children are prepared very well for their next steps. For example, leaders make sure that pupils are secure in their knowledge of number from the beginning of the early years. In the Nursery Year, children develop their knowledge in recognising and using numbers 1 to 5. In the Reception Year, children’s prior knowledge is built upon carefully. For instance, they are encouraged to use their knowledge of number in real-life activities such as counting pennies to purchase their fruit and milk.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) across the school are well supported. This includes those pupils in the resource provision. Staff adapt activities well, enabling pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. This means pupils’ transition between the resource provision and mainstream classrooms is well managed.

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In lessons, pupils are typically attentive and focused. In the early years, children’s engagement in their learning is highly positive. They show sustained focus in self- initiated activities as well as those directed by adults. In a small number of key stage 1 classrooms, pupils sometimes find it hard to stay well focused on their learning.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development is exceptional. Pupils learn in an age- appropriate way about healthy relationships and the importance of being kind to one another. They are taught about stereotyping and that boys and girls can enjoy the same things. Pupils learn about how to identify safe and unsafe situations. They also begin to learn about democracy and the voting process when they elect their school council.

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Leaders provide an extensive range of activities and wider opportunities. They are committed to ensuring that all pupils, but particularly the most disadvantaged, take up something from the extra-curricular offer. Most pupils attend at least one activity. Leaders also make deliberate choices about the experiences on offer through the wider curriculum. Examples include visiting a nature reserve to watch birds and seeing a show at the theatre. Leaders are ambitious and prioritise these experiences as an entitlement for all pupils.

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Staff feel supported with their workload and well-being. They appreciate the initiatives that leaders have introduced to lessen workload demands. Governors know the school and its priorities well through regular visits. They perform their statutory duties effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders train staff so that they understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. This means that all staff know the signs a pupil may display if they are at risk of 6 and 7 December 2022

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harm. Leaders liaise appropriately with external agencies to secure help for pupils when needed.

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Pupils learn about how to stay safe. For example, they are taught how to keep safe when using the internet. They are also taught the importance of telling an adult if they are worried about anything.

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Governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. They provide supervision for the designated safeguarding lead and oversee safer recruitment practices.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In Years 1 and 2, the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn is not as clearly defined in a couple of subjects. This means that teaching does not always focus sharply on the most important knowledge pupils need to know and remember. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for all subjects is consistently well designed so that pupils are supported to develop a deep understanding of the subject content taught.

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Helle Kaiser-Nielsen

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School details

Website www.strandinfantandnursery.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 July 2008, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. This provision is shared with the junior school on the same site.  Leaders do not make use of 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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also considered other areas of the curriculum. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding, looked at records and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding practice.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator to find out how the school supports pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector met with five members of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day and spoke to staff about pupils’ personal development. Discussions were held with several groups of pupils about their views on their school.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and parents through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matea Marcinko His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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