The Alderton Infant School and Nursery

Inspection of The Alderton Infant School Alderton Hall Lane, Loughton, Essex IG10 3HE

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 22 and 23 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They love to learn and participate in new experiences. Older pupils are good role models for younger pupils, as they are kind and caring. All pupils understand the school’s golden rule, ‘be kind and friendly’. They can explain how this means they should act towards others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow routines and respond well to leaders’ high expectations. In lessons, they show good speaking and listening skills and work hard. Pupils take pride in their work and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave maturely by, for instance, standing aside in the corridor to let adults pass and lining up after lunch in a calm and orderly manner. Bullying happens rarely. Staff deal with concerns quickly and effectively. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get many opportunities to develop their talents and interests. They are proud to be part of groups in the school by, for example, acting as library monitors or being elected to the school council. Members of the eco-club are passionate about improving the environment and have even written to their local member of parliament to ask for help.

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better?

Leaders have planned an ambitious, broad and well-sequenced curriculum. It builds pupils’ knowledge and helps them to understand how different subjects cover interconnected content. Subject leaders are knowledgeable, and they support staff to deliver the curriculum well. Across the school, language development has a strong focus. Leaders have carefully identified the key vocabulary and knowledge pupils need to learn and understand in all subjects. This helps pupils to produce work of a high standard, and they achieve well over time.

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better?

Teachers regularly check what pupils know and can do. They recap on important learning and change their teaching to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

Leaders have selected ‘The Fantastic Five’ books for each half term. These support pupils with learning across many different subjects. For instance, one book teaches pupils about a child’s life in a different country. This creates a context that pupils can understand when learning about the geography of that country. Leaders also provide pupils with extra opportunities to improve their understanding of different subjects, such as through trips and visitors to the school, which pupils enjoy.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading, and pupils talk with enthusiasm about the books they read. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme. This strengthens 22 and 23 February 2023

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further the effective teaching of phonics. Staff have the expertise to teach this programme well. Children learn phonics from the start of Reception. Pupils who fall behind get the help they need to catch up. However, a few pupils read books that do not closely match their phonics knowledge, making it hard to read words confidently. This means they may take more time to become fluent readers.

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Staff identify if pupils have any barriers to learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Some have individual targets for their learning and progress. For a few pupils, these targets are not precise enough. As a result, teachers do not always get clear enough information about how to best support pupils with SEND.

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In the early years, children show high levels of interest and engagement. They understand the class routines and behave well. Teachers concentrate on improving children’s communication skills. Adults model speaking in full sentences and encourage children to do the same. Children are well prepared for the transition to Year 1.

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Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from a carefully constructed personal development programme. Staff teach pupils how to recognise and manage their emotions so that they can explain how they are feeling. Pupils learn about tolerance and respect for different cultures and beliefs. Pupils learn to appreciate and value difference. For example, one child explained that ‘we are all unique.’ Pupils are highly respectful towards each other. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils know the routines well and follow instructions carefully.

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Leaders, governors and the trust are working well to improve the school further. They know the school well and check that leaders’ actions improve outcomes. Parents and staff are positive about how the school is led. Staff appreciate how leaders are considerate of workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors, school leaders and staff receive regular and up-to-date safeguarding training to understand their roles and responsibilities. Leaders work well with external agencies and make sure that pupils receive the support they need to be safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe in a variety of situations. They understand how to stay safe online in an age-appropriate way.

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Safeguarding

Appropriate checks are in place for adults working or volunteering in the school. Governors scrutinise leaders’ safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that they are used effectively. 22 and 23 February 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils with SEND are accurately identified. However, some targets on pupils’ individual plans are not precise enough to maximise their progress. Leaders need to incorporate precise and measurable targets into pupils’ support plans so staff can provide the individual support pupils need.  Pupils’ reading books do not always match their phonics knowledge closely enough. This means they spend too much time breaking down individual words, limiting their word fluency. Leaders need to ensure that pupils access reading books containing words that match their current ability in order for pupils to develop reading fluency.

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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255104 Type of school Infant

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School details

Chair of governing body Susie Worthington

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The Alderton Infant School converted to become an academy school in September 2018. When its predecessor school, The Alderton Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust.  The school has a separately registered breakfast club and after-school club.  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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 22 and 23 February 2023

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 The lead inspector held a meeting with members of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, design and technology and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector met with the designated leaders for safeguarding and reviewed records of safeguarding. Inspectors spoke to staff about the training they have received and how this helps them identify potential safeguarding concerns. Inspectors spoke with pupils to establish the extent to which they feel safe in school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at playtime. Inspectors

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reviewed the support and training that staff receive to help pupils manage their behaviour. The lead inspector reviewed records of behaviour, including bullying.  Inspectors considered the 52 responses and the 26 free-text responses made by parents to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors considered the 21 responses to the staff survey. Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils to find out their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sharon Waldron His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 February 2023

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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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