South Green Infant School

Inspection of a good school: South Green Infant School Ganels Road, Billericay, Essex CM11 2TG

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

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Outcome

South Green Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Overwhelmingly, pupils are happy and feel safe at South Green Infant School. They enjoy warm and positive relationships with each other and with staff. Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They say that it cares well for their children and helps them to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They say that bullying is extremely rare. Pupils understand the school’s values of confidence, friendship, happiness, kindness and respect. Year 2 pupils enjoy looking after younger pupils at lunchtimes. Some pupils are lunch monitors and they enjoy this responsibility.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations and is ambitious for all pupils. Consequently, pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The members of the governing body work closely with the school to ensure that pupils experience a curriculum that inspires them to learn and develops their interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities and visits. For instance, they participate in gymnastics and multi-sport clubs. Pupils appreciate visits, such as to the local petting zoo and theatre. The school ensures that there are no barriers to pupils participating in such opportunities.

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

The school has reviewed and developed its ambitious curriculum over the past three years. Staff deliver this curriculum well, with effective support from subject leaders. Pupils show high levels of enthusiasm in lessons. They make links between their current learning and what they have learned in the past. Staff adapt the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Any extra support is effective and provided promptly. 10 and 11 October 2023

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In many subjects, the school has identified the most important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. Where this is the case, pupils build their learning on what they already know and can do. However, in a few subjects, other than English and mathematics, the school is still working to identify the essential knowledge that pupils need. In these subjects, pupils do not acquire the same depth of knowledge and understanding.

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Pupils develop the skills needed to become confident and fluent readers. Children in the Nursery and the Reception class learn to listen and develop a love of exciting stories. Staff receive effective training that creates a consistent approach to the delivery of the phonics programme. Pupils listen in phonics and reading lessons attentively. Teachers regularly review how well pupils develop their reading skills. They use this information to target support that ensures pupils who have fallen behind with their reading catch up quickly. Staff support pupils who read less frequently at home with additional opportunities to read in school. Pupils rehearse their reading skills. This helps to build their reading fluency.

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Children in the Nursery and the Reception classes benefit from a carefully planned and well-resourced indoor and outdoor environment. Staff know the children well. Children’s interests are skilfully woven into the curriculum to enhance their engagement and learning. The school ensures that the early years curriculum prepares children well for what they will learn in Year 1 and Year 2. Children are motivated and engage with all activities. They listen, take turns and play well together.

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A well-established behaviour system means that pupils understand what is expected of them. The school recognises and celebrates positive behaviour. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils are proud to be part of their school. They treat each other well.

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The school has ensured that pupils’ personal development is well considered. Leaders provide opportunities for character development into many parts of the curriculum. The school inspires pupils to be proud of where they are from. Staff cultivate pupils’ appreciation of, and curiosity about, the wider world. There is a range of leadership responsibilities available to pupils. They talk enthusiastically about their roles as eco- warriors and librarians. Pupils relish these opportunities.

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A committed governing body supports the school well. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas for further development. Teachers are positive about the support that they get from the school. They feel that their well- being and workload are a high priority.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 October 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, other than English and mathematics, the school has not yet refined its curriculum documentation to ensure that it clearly identifies the key knowledge and skills that pupils should know and remember. This means that teachers do not always teach these subjects in a sequential manner and pupils are not always acquiring the key knowledge and skills required to be competent in these subjects. The school should ensure that these subjects are as well developed as the others so that pupils learn the key knowledge and skills required to support their future learning.

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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 May 2014.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christopher Glover

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the role after the previous inspection.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education 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 the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders.  The inspector spoke to members of the school’s governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. Inspection activities in these subjects included lesson visits, discussions with staff and 10 and 11 October 2023

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pupils, meeting with subject leaders, and work scrutiny. The inspector also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those relating to behaviour and attendance. The inspector also reviewed the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector talked to staff about their role in keeping pupils safe.  The inspector held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime.  The inspector reviewed the 41 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 40 additional free-text comments. He also took account of responses to

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Inspection team

Joseph Figg, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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