Stanley Park Infants School

Inspection of Stanley Park Infants School Stanley Park Road, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 3JL

p.1

Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Stanley Park Infants School as an academy school under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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 of the predecessor school. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud members of Stanley Park Infants. The school motto of ‘It is fun to learn and grow together’ is realised in this friendly and nurturing school. Parents and carers, pupils and staff spoke warmly of the school’s family feel. Staff and pupils have caring and respectful working relationships, and this is one of the reasons why pupils feel safe and valued.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well in a range of subjects. They value the support and encouragement that they receive from staff. In early years, children become keen learners. They develop knowledge in all areas of learning exceptionally well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is. They know that it is not acceptable. Pupils appreciate that adults will sort out any issues for them if these arise. Pupils are taught to use the mantra ‘my body, my choice’. They know to speak up if they feel uncomfortable in any situation.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy break and lunchtimes, when they play together happily. In lessons and when moving around the school, the majority of pupils behave well. Off-task behaviour and low-level disruption are dealt with quickly. Pupils respond to reminders and instructions from adults to keep to behaviour expectations.

p.2

better?

Leaders’ curriculum thinking for all subjects starts from early years. The important knowledge and skills that leaders want pupils to understand and remember have been clearly mapped out. Leaders have also thought carefully about the progression in each subject, including the key vocabulary they want pupils to know and use at each stage of the curriculum.

p.2

better?

In classrooms, teachers plan learning that reflects leaders’ curriculum thinking. They provide pupils with opportunities to recall and recap prior learning. They also check pupils’ understanding and use this information to address gaps and misconceptions. All pupils learn a broad and balanced curriculum and achieve well.

p.2

better?

Children in early years get off to a great start. They are prepared very well for the next stage of their education. Staff understand how young children learn. Children settle quickly into well-understood routines and have positive attitudes towards their learning. The curriculum prioritises the important knowledge that children need to be taught in each area of learning, including early reading and mathematics. Early years classrooms are set up to help children grasp ideas securely. Children revisit and practise ideas in different contexts and using different resources. Particular emphasis is placed on supporting children’s language and their emotional development. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.2

3

Pupils learn to read well because leaders and staff make phonics teaching a priority. Pupils are also supported to become enthusiastic about reading. They particularly enjoy the daily story-time sessions. All staff have received training in the teaching of phonics. They teach pupils sounds in a logical order. Pupils use the sounds that they know to read books with confidence and increasing fluency. They read books that match their phonics knowledge. They also take home books to practise reading. In Years 1 and 2, some of these books are not fully phonetically decodable. When this happens, it can be confusing for pupils, particularly weaker readers. This is because pupils are unable to use their developing phonics knowledge to read the book accurately.

p.3

3

Additional support is put in place for pupils who are falling behind in their reading. They are given regular extra reading practice, for example. Pupils also practise and apply their phonics knowledge in planned daily early reading sessions. However, some of the activities set for pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not helpful in developing reading fluency and accuracy. Leaders plan to change how the early reading curriculum is delivered so that all pupils benefit from meaningful reading practice in these lessons.

p.3

3

Leaders and staff are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Staff quickly identify whether a pupil needs additional support. They liaise with parents and external agencies to put the right support in place.

p.3

3

The exceptional provision for pupils’ personal development is woven through all aspects of school life. Pupils are keen to follow and remind each other about the school’s ‘Busy Bee Code’. This teaches them to ‘be kind, be helpful and be the best they can be’. In assemblies, pupils are taught about ‘super learner heroes’ who display character traits that can help with learning.

p.3

3

During and after school, pupils take part in a wide range of extracurricular clubs. Leaders think carefully about what is provided because they want to help pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils relish opportunities for responsibilities such as being a school council member, an eco-star or helping out with jobs such as taking the register to the office.

p.3

3

Members of the governing body and multi-academy trust provide effective support and challenge to school leaders.

p.3

3

Staff are proud to work here and feel that leaders take their workload and well- being into account.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.3

4

Leaders, including governors and trustees, prioritise safeguarding. They ensure that robust systems are in place to manage concerns, and that staff have relevant and up-to-date training. This means that staff know how to identify any signs of abuse or harm and how to report their concerns. Leaders make appropriate pre- employment checks on the suitability of adults working at the school.

p.4

4

Pupils learn about keeping safe in an age-appropriate way. For example, leaders have created child-friendly safeguarding and behaviour policies. These aim to help pupils understand the systems adults have put in place to keep them safe, including when online.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have put in place a systematic, synthetic phonics scheme, and staff implement this consistently. However, a few aspects of the early reading curriculum are not supporting weaker readers as well as they could. In a few instances, pupils practise reading with books that are not precisely matched to their stage in the phonics programme. Some of the activities in early reading lessons are not selected carefully to help pupils strengthen their reading fluency and accuracy. Leaders need to implement their planned changes to the early reading curriculum, and ensure that, when pupils are learning to read, they routinely practise with books that are closely matched to their phonic knowledge.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 December 2022

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 Stanley Park Infants School converted to become an academy school in February 2018. When its predecessor school, Stanley Park Infants School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school is part of Cirrus Primary Academy Trust.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

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 early reading, mathematics, science, religious education and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, 13 and 14 December 2022

p.5

6

spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection, including music, art, geography and history.  Inspectors met with the chief executive officer, headteacher, deputy headteacher, and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors spoke with leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding. Inspectors also checked safeguarding records and documentation.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View survey and spoke to a number of parents informally during the inspection.  Inspectors also considered staff survey responses.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and the dining room.

p.6

Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Matea Marcinko His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 December 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7