Imperial Avenue Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Imperial Avenue Infant School Imperial Avenue, Braunstone, Leicester, Leicestershire LE3 1AH

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Outcome

Imperial Avenue Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s aim of ‘working together to achieve success’ is lived out by the staff and pupils. One parental comment, typical of many, described the staff as ‘awesome’. Many other parents and carers agree that their children are happy and work hard here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values include respect, motivation, empathy, listening and laughing. These are lived out as the pupils come into school smiling and saying ‘good morning’ to staff on the playground. By displaying these values, pupils are keen to earn reward points. One pupil said that they like school because ‘it’s fun and helps you learn’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe. They know that they can share their feelings or worries with an adult when they come to school. They love the wide variety of activities available at lunchtime and enjoy earning ‘pom poms’ from the lunchtime staff for behaving well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inclusive and welcoming. They are kind and respectful to each other. They make sure that everyone feels included. Pupils know that if they do not follow the school rules, they will get a ‘red card’ and miss some of their breaktime. They say that most pupils behave well and follow the rules.

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

Leaders and staff have worked together to design a curriculum that sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn in each subject. They make sure that the foundations of learning begin when the children start in the nursery class. These foundations are built on gradually as the pupils move through school. Leaders make sure that the important content and vocabulary that pupils are expected to know and remember is clear and grows logically.

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

Leaders ensure that teachers have effective training. In most subjects, teachers present subject matter clearly. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not thought carefully enough about the 13 and 14 June 2023

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opportunities pupils have to practise and revisit key knowledge and skills. As a result, in these subjects, pupils cannot always remember what they have learned.

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Leaders have thought about how staff should check that pupils have remembered important knowledge and vocabulary. In most subjects, staff check how pupils are getting on during lessons. This means they can intervene quickly when help is needed. However, in a small number of subjects, checks are not made to ensure that small steps have been learned. This means that children are not always given opportunities to revisit this knowledge to make sure they remember it.

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The phonics programme is taught consistently well throughout the school. Children learn to distinguish sounds in Nursery. They begin to learn the sounds that letters make as soon as they enter the Reception class. Children who join the school mid-year are quickly assessed. If required, they are given effective support to help them to catch up. Teachers use similar routines in all classes to help children sound out words. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. They enjoy taking the books home to share with parents. If pupils fall behind, extra support is quickly provided to help them to catch up.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Leaders work closely with teachers to quickly identify any additional needs pupils may have. Leaders provide training for staff to ensure that they can help pupils to access the curriculum. This includes pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) unit.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ personal development. Pupils’ various cultures and languages are celebrated in assemblies and through the curriculum. Pupils enjoy attending the many clubs offered such as cookery, Taekwondo and singing. School councillors speak proudly of the ‘friendship stop’ that they have helped to create on the playground.

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Pupils behave well. They are actively involved in their learning, for example when joining in with ‘think, pair, share’ activities. They play collaboratively at lunchtime with the varied activities on offer, such as the climbing wall or scooters. They are proud to be playground buddies. Pupils talk proudly about following the classroom rules that they develop together at the beginning of each year.

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Leaders and governors know the school well. They are very clear about the school’s strengths and the areas that it needs to develop. Staff say they enjoy working at the school. They say that leaders are supportive. They enjoy working together as part of a team and know there is always someone to go to if they need help.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff have annual safeguarding training, with additional weekly updates. Staff quickly pass on to leaders any safeguarding concerns that they have. Safeguarding leaders swiftly act on these concerns to make sure that pupils and their 13 and 14 June 2023

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families get the support that they need. Leaders access any required support from outside agencies promptly. Governors carry out regular checks to make sure that safeguarding procedures are being followed.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. The school’s online safety charter helps pupils to understand how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and revisit the key, identified and important knowledge. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils are not securing and remembering the small parts of learning necessary before moving on. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, opportunities are provided to practise and embed the key knowledge that they have identified as important for the pupils to remember long term.  In some subjects, checks are not made to ensure that key knowledge has been remembered. This means that in these subjects, staff are not aware if children need further opportunities to consolidate learning or if they are ready to move on. Leaders should ensure that these checks are timely and feed into future learning in all subjects. The checks should not be overburdensome for staff.

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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 September 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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.imperialavenue.leicester.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 13 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for 10 full-time pupils with SEND on the school site. The pupils have a range of communication needs.  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 carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and art and design. For the deep dives, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers, curriculum leaders and a sample of teaching and support staff. The inspector met with the leaders responsible for pupils with SEND, the early years, the specially resourced provision, behaviour, attendance and personal development. 13 and 14 June 2023

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 The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the actions taken to help keep pupils safe. The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  The inspector examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult and met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The inspector met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent, staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ann Davey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 June 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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