Minet Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Minet Infant and Nursery School Avondale Drive, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 3NR

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Outcome

Minet Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy attending because they feel well cared for. Pupils are kept safe and know there are lots of staff who look after them. They can all name a specific ‘trusted adult‘ to help them and listen to any concerns they might have. Pupils learn how to be kind, caring and tolerant of each other from an early age.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Staff and pupils understand and follow the school‘s behaviour approach consistently. As a result, pupils behave well in lessons. They demonstrate an enthusiasm for their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff work to raise aspirations for all pupils. Every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is included in all aspects of school life. Staff nurture pupils‘ broader development well. School leaders have ensured that there are strong links to the local community. A variety of carefully planned local trips and visitors help pupils learn about life in modern Britain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting, dance and musical experiences. They value becoming school ambassadors and helping others.

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

Leaders have established a well-sequenced curriculum from the early years to Year 2. It is broad and balanced and is ambitious for all, including those with SEND. In most subjects, leaders use assessment well to identify pupils who may need extra help. In some subjects, the school‘s curricular thinking is not fully embedded. This leads to gaps in pupils‘ knowledge and understanding, including of subject vocabulary.

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

Typically, teachers have strong subject knowledge. They present content to pupils clearly. Children in the Nursery get off to a strong start. Leaders have provided an exciting and ambitious curriculum. In Reception, sometimes staff do not identify and check children‘s misconceptions precisely. This means that teaching does not deepen children‘s learning 11 and 12 October 2023

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across all areas of learning securely. This includes the development of some children‘s language skills, which limits their readiness for Year 1.

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A strong culture of reading is evident across the school. Early reading is prioritised right from the start using a systematic phonics programme. The school ensures that there is regular training in phonics for all staff to ensure consistency in how reading is taught. Pupils are well supported to read books that match their phonics knowledge. This means that most pupils learn to read fluently. Staff identify promptly any pupils who need more help in learning to read. They help pupils to catch up quickly if they fall behind. Pupils benefit from a wide range of books on offer in every class and the library to enrich their reading.

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Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and very well supported. Leaders work with outside agencies to secure the support that these pupils need to access an ambitious curriculum. Suitable adaptations are made to activities to enable pupils to study the same curriculum as their peers.

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Staff have high expectations for pupils‘ behaviour. The school has brought in effective changes to support pupils‘ positive behaviour. There are clear routines that children follow in lessons. These help to create a calm and mostly purposeful learning environment in classrooms. Staff recognise that more work needs to be done to improve even further pupils‘ behaviour at breaktimes. The school has significantly improved pupils‘ attendance rates this year. They have clear systems to check that pupils attend regularly.

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Staff encourage pupils to understand the importance of healthy eating and keeping fit. Pupils enjoy the range of clubs and activities that are on offer, such as gymnastics, dance and archery. They learn about difference and understand the importance of treating others kindly and with respect. Pupils love to talk about their local trips and fieldwork in geography, for instance, during visits to Minet Country Park and Hayes High Street.

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Governors have a clear vision and know their local community well. Staff, including those new to teaching, have confidence in the school‘s work to reduce unnecessary workload. They enjoy working at the school. Senior leaders and governors take account of staff’s well-being when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teaching does not fully implement the aims of the curriculum. This means that pupils‘ knowledge, skills and vocabulary are not developed securely. The school should continue their work to refine and embed the changes to curriculum implementation so that pupils deepen their understanding in all subjects. 11 and 12 October 2023

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 In Reception, sometimes staff do not check children‘s learning and identify any misconceptions that children may have. This means that some children who struggle with their language skills are not fully ready for Year 1. The school should ensure that all staff in Reception have the necessary knowledge and skills to support children‘s early learning and language development.

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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 April 2018.

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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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a four-form nursery and infant school.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The school runs a breakfast- and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is currently undergoing a large refurbishment and building project.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school‘s education provision. This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other school leaders.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, considered the 11 and 12 October 2023

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils‘ work.  The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of school 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 met with parents at the start of the school day and considered the views of parents and staff, including through responses to Ofsted‘s surveys.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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