Carlton Vale Infant School

Inspection of Carlton Vale Infant School Malvern Place, Kilburn, London NW6 5PX

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this school. Staff know every pupil and their families well. They enable pupils to be happy and safe here. Staff greet pupils each morning with a big smile on their faces. There is a strong community feel where everyone has a great sense of belonging. Parents and carers appreciated the positive school environment and nurture for their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high aspirations for all the pupils. They ensure that every pupil reaches their potential. Working relationships between staff and pupils are positive and caring. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is generally calm. Children in the early years learn how to work collaboratively with each other. They take turns and work together well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of visits that help strengthen their knowledge across the curriculum such as a visit to a sports centre to learn Irish dancing. Pupils enjoyed sharing their learning about knights and castles after a visit to the Tower of London.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have carefully considered how each subject is sequenced. This helps pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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better?

Leaders’ curricular thinking is well developed across the school. In early years, staff plan the learning effectively so that it fully prepares children for when they move to Year 1. For example, during physical education (PE) children learn to move and travel in different ways in Nursery and Reception. This helped children to use movement techniques with confidence in Years 1 and 2.

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better?

Typically, teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use resources effectively to support pupils’ learning. For instance, in mathematics, staff used resources skilfully so that pupils calculated with great expertise and accuracy. Sometimes, teaching does not check and address pupils’ misconceptions securely. This means pupils are not fully ready for future content.

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better?

The school helps pupils to develop their phonics and reading well. Staff follow the school’s phonics programme consistently. This helps pupils to grow in their reading confidence. Staff check pupils’ reading progress regularly. They identify any pupils falling behind in their reading quickly. Staff help pupils to keep up with their phonics learning well, including through extra support. As a result, pupils segment and blend sounds with increasing accuracy. Teachers make sure that pupils read books closely matched to their phonics understanding. Pupils with SEND receive bespoke support and guidance to help them to build phonics knowledge sequentially. 11 and 12 July 2023

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Teachers make sure that children follow routines and know behaviour expectations in the early years. This helps pupils across the school to behave positively. When there is low-level disruption, staff follow the school’s policy consistently to remind pupils of the expectations. The school is an orderly place where pupils concentrate well during lessons.

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Staff work closely with external specialists to make sure they identify and support pupils with SEND effectively. For example, staff receive regular training to make sure they help develop pupils’ social and communication skills well. Pupils with education, health and care plans receive expert support. This helps these pupils to learn the intended curriculum progressively. Parents valued the support and guidance that pupils with SEND received.

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Staff encourage pupils to make positive choices. This includes in how to lead healthy lifestyles and have healthy relationships. Pupils vote for their peers to represent them as part of the school council. Leaders provide a wealth of opportunities to support pupils’ wider interests and talents. This includes through after-school clubs and workshops.

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Staff work closely with parents in the school. They are overwhelmingly proud to work here. Staff felt well supported by leaders to undertake their many responsibilities. The governing body understands the school’s strengths and areas for improvement well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know pupils and families well. They work with external agencies to make sure that pupils are supported as best they can. Leaders ensure there is a vigilant culture of safeguarding at the school. All staff including members of the governing body are aware of their statutory duties. They know how to identify and report any concerns. Leaders have rigorous systems in place to follow up on any concerns made by staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, teaching does not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions securely. This means that pupils are not fully ready for new content. The school must ensure that all staff have the expertise to routinely check pupils’ understanding so that they know more and remember more of the taught curriculum consistently across all subjects. 11 and 12 July 2023

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Geraldine Chadwick

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has had a significant drop in the number of pupils on roll in recent years.  The school currently uses Brent River College, a registered alternative provision, for some of its pupils.  The school has an Autistic Resource Base for 10 pupils.

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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.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders. They met with governors, including the chair.  Inspectors met pupils to understand their views about the school. 11 and 12 July 2023

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 Inspectors did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons with senior leaders, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors considered the behaviour of pupils during lesson visits and around the school. They observed pupils as they arrived at school in the morning. They looked at behaviour and bullying records and leaders’ analysis of these.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers and support staff. They looked at records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks.  Inspectors spoke to staff about their workload and well-being. They considered the views of staff, pupils and parents, including responses to Ofsted’s online

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surveys.  Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation provided by the school. This included curriculum documentation and school policies.

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Georgina Herry Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 July 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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