Hamp Nursery and Infants' School

Inspection of a good school: Hamp Nursery and Infants’ School Rhode Lane, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6JB

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Outcome

Hamp Nursery and Infants’ School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The care and support pupils receive at Hamp Nursery and Infants’ School make a positive difference in their lives. Pupils enjoy school, and they are safe and happy. This is a school ‘where every child matters’. Parents and carers are positive about their children’s experiences at school. They value the regular communication they have with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Skilled adults help children in the early years to develop their speech and language well. Children gain much of their essential knowledge and skills through play. They learn to share, take turns and play well together. Right from the start, children are taught the importance of friendship. Pupils say we should be ‘kind to everyone’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a wide range of enrichment opportunities. They look forward to the many clubs and regular outdoor learning sessions. This helps develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils particularly enjoy singing and Rainbow Time. They are proud to take on roles of responsibility, such as school councillors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff work with parents to help children reach their potential. Pupils learn about life beyond the school gates through carefully planned visits. They are enthusiastic learners and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Leaders, including governors, and staff share the same determination and high expectations for the pupils at Hamp. The ambitious curriculum design meets the needs of all pupils. There is a sharp focus to increase pupils’ communication skills and raise their aspirations.

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

Staff follow the curriculum to plan pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics learning well. They ensure that pupils secure firm foundations to build new knowledge and skills. For example, errors such as number reversal are rectified quickly. Appropriate adaptations are 18 and 19 April 2023 made to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND) learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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

Leaders have rightly made learning to read a priority. They promote a love of reading through their choice of high-quality texts and engagement with parents, for example parent workshops and World Book Day open-day events. Teachers and teaching assistants have a secure knowledge of phonics. Pupils read books that match the phonics they learn. Staff know the pupils and their individual needs well. They give pupils who need extra help support to practise their phonics and reading. As a result, pupils build their phonics knowledge, reading speed and accuracy well.

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

Nevertheless, some pupils have significant gaps in their academic and social development due to the impact of the pandemic. This means pupils’ essential subject knowledge in the wider curriculum is not secure. Teaching does not always help pupils to learn new content well. Leaders have started to address the gaps. This work is in its infancy. Children in the early years, however, build their knowledge effectively. Staff make good use of indoor and outdoor spaces to help children to repeat and master new words, skills and knowledge.

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

There are clear routines in place to support and promote positive behaviour. Pupils who need additional help to manage their feelings are well-supported. The school is a calm and orderly place where pupils are keen to take part in learning activities. They are polite and show respect for each other and adults.

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

Leaders think carefully about barriers to learning and how to overcome them. For example, changes to the start of day timings help pupils to settle in. Leaders support individual families to try and help them improve their children’s attendance at school.

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

Pupils can recall most British values, such as tolerance, justice, rule of law and democracy. They know why these are important, for example following rules to keep everyone safe. Pupils learn to understand and celebrate people’s lives different from their own. They know how to be physically and mentally healthy through lunchtime activities and additional sports sessions.

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

Staff are positive about the support and professional development they receive from leaders. They say leaders’ expectations are realistic. Staff feel proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders of safeguarding complete the necessary checks before staff begin working at the school. Regular training and updates support staff to carry out their safeguarding roles and responsibilities appropriately.

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Safeguarding

Referrals to external agencies are made in a timely manner. Leaders of safeguarding are tenacious in their pursuit to keep pupils safe. They are quick to provide and secure early 18 and 19 April 2023 help for families. Leaders are not afraid to escalate concerns with external agencies if they believe the support offered could be improved.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The wider curriculum is new. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge of some wider curriculum subjects. They cannot recall essential knowledge in these subjects as well. This limits their ability to build and learn new knowledge efficiently. Leaders need to ensure that pupils secure and articulate their subject knowledge effectively and to the same standard in all areas of the curriculum.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.

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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. 18 and 19 April 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268720 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.hampnurseryandinfantschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Somerset local authority maintained school.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2020.  The school has provision for 2- and 3-year-olds.  The school does not use 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, SEND coordinator, staff, pupils, governors, including the chair of the governing body and a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 18 and 19 April 2023 visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read to a known adult.  The inspector also observed pupils during breaktimes and spoke with pupils and

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Information about this inspection

leaders about personal, social and health education and opportunities for pupils’ personal development.  The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including records of safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. She considered how well the designated safeguarding lead acts on concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. The inspector spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding practices.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. She also took into consideration the responses to the survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 April 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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