Dinglewell Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Dinglewell Infant School Dinglewell, Hucclecote, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3 3HS

p.1

Outcome

Dinglewell Infant School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Dinglewell Infant School. They are happy, safe and enjoy their learning. Pupils understand the importance of practice in mastering a new skill and remembering new knowledge.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents say staff care for and nurture their children. Staff know the children and their families well. Warm relationships between pupils, staff and parents help children to settle quickly when they start school. Pupils think school is a fun place where everyone helps you. They take their roles as playground leaders and school council members seriously.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘Gold Value Stars’ help pupils to ‘think about and make good choices’. Staff help pupils to become independent, resilient, kind and respectful members of the community. For example, pupils make get-well cards for people in their local doctor’s surgery.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils celebrate what makes them unique. They are keen to find out about people’s lives different from their own. A variety of carefully planned trips and visitors help pupils learn about life in modern Britain. The children’s authors they meet during the ‘Really Wild Reading Festival’ inspire pupils to be writers. A wide range of enrichment activities, such as after-school clubs, supports pupils’ personal development well.

p.1

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

Leaders check the quality of teaching and learning effectively. They use information gathered from their checks to design and implement a curriculum to improve the quality of education. For example, leaders introduced a new phonics curriculum in September 2022 to raise the standards of pupils’ reading and writing. This work is successful. 3 and 4 July 2023

p.1

2

Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Each session requires pupils to revisit and recall previously taught phonemes. This helps staff check pupils’ phonics knowledge and quickly spot those who need help. These pupils have extra practice. As a result, pupils develop a secure knowledge of phonics.

p.2

2

The phonemes in pupils’ reading books match the phonics pupils are taught. When pupils apply their phonics knowledge, they gain a great sense of achievement as they can read their books. However, sometimes, pupils do not comprehend some of the vocabulary they are reading. Most staff check pupils’ understanding and explain new words, but this is not consistent.

p.2

2

Leaders have identified the curriculum concepts they want pupils to know and remember. Staff carefully check pupils’ understanding, and appropriate support or challenge is swiftly put in place. This helps to secure pupils’ knowledge. Where staff use subject vocabulary, such as in mathematics and physical education (PE), pupils do so too. However, some curriculums do not identify when subject-specific vocabulary should be taught. When this occurs, pupils cannot always understand and recall important knowledge.

p.2

2

Leaders plan carefully and review accurately the impact of additional support in place for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff regularly complete training so that they know how to identify and adapt learning to meet the needs of pupils effectively. This includes lunchtime staff who help to organise inclusive playground games.

p.2

2

Pupils learn how to be physically and mentally healthy. They are taught how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they are taught how to recognise people they can trust. Leaders ensure that any pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions and improve their well-being get the targeted support they need.

p.2

2

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This begins in Reception Year. There are clear routines that children follow. For example, sharing equipment and taking turns when playing and learning together. These help to create a calm and purposeful learning environment.

p.2

2

Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide appropriate levels of challenge for leaders to bring about school improvement. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive from leaders to manage their workload. Staff feel valued.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, check that safer recruitment checks are completed before staff and volunteers begin working at the school. They assure themselves that records are up to date and accurate. 3 and 4 July 2023

p.2

3

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They are vigilant and know how to report and record concerns for a pupil’s safety. Leaders follow up on concerns appropriately, seeking advice when necessary.

p.3

3

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online through the curriculum and events such as e-safety week. This information is shared with parents through newsletters and workshops.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils cannot recall important vocabulary in some foundation subjects. This means they do not comprehend important concepts sufficiently well. Subject leaders need to ensure that pupils know and remember subject-specific vocabulary in order to secure and deepen their knowledge of important curriculum concepts.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2013.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 3 and 4 July 2023

p.3

4

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. 3 and 4 July 2023

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10284070 Type of school Infant

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Nathan Bishop and Oliver Tuck

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is a Gloucestershire local authority-maintained school.  The school is a three-form entry infant school for Reception Year to Year 2.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

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 co-chairs of the governing body and a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. 3 and 4 July 2023

p.5

6

 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 lunchtime and breakfast club and spoke with pupils and 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.

p.6

Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 July 2023

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