Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School

Inspection of Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School Lovibonds Avenue, Orpington, Kent BR6 8ER

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The head of school for this school is Diane Thompson. This school is part of Chancery Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Matt Rampton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Phillip Jefferies. There is also an executive headteacher, Andrea Rampton, who is responsible for this school and one other.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Ofsted has not previously inspected Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Darrick Wood Infant School to be outstanding, before it opened as Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School as a result of conversion to academy status.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since November 2009. 5 and 6 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this nurturing and highly inclusive school. Pupils and staff are happy and extremely proud members of their school community. Pupils are very well cared for and are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an ambitious and thoughtfully planned curriculum. They develop a secure and deep foundation of knowledge and skills. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve highly across the curriculum. They are very well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s provision for pupils’ wider development has been given considerable thought and is precisely mapped out. The ‘characters of learning’, which have been selected by the whole school community, thread through all aspects of the curriculum and school life. These focus on developing pupils’ resilience, curiosity, respectfulness, creativity, independence and confidence. Pupils take on roles of responsibility, such as by becoming a reading or well-being ambassador or a member of the school council. A variety of educational visits and extra-curricular clubs enrich the taught curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They are polite and respectful. In lessons, pupils are focused and on task. The recently introduced ‘learning zones’ are understood by pupils. They use the zones to help them to fully focus on their learning and activities. Pupils enjoy their social times and play happily together.

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better?

Leaders’ shared vision for pupils to be happy, nurtured and achieve well in an inclusive environment is put into practice consistently. All pupils benefit from a high- quality education where their academic and all-round development is fostered with great care and ambition.

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better?

From the moment they start school in early years, children get off to a flying start. Adults use every opportunity to promote children’s use of language and vocabulary. Children engage in exciting and purposeful activities. These have been deliberately planned so that children learn and practise the skills and knowledge that have been identified as priorities. The curriculum is designed and delivered consistently well to ensure children’s readiness for Year 1.

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better?

The teaching of reading is prioritised and permeates throughout all subjects. For example, leaders have identified and mapped out where high-quality texts can support pupils’ learning across all the different subject areas. Children begin their reading journey at the very earliest opportunity. Daily phonics sessions build children’s knowledge of the sounds that letters make. They have lots of opportunities to practise using these sounds to read and spell words. The books that they read are closely matched to the sounds they have been taught and know. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers. If any pupil is falling behind, 5 and 6 December 2023

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they are quickly identified, and staff provide effective extra support. Pupils become fully immersed in the daily story-time sessions. They especially enjoy the opportunities to read for pleasure in the school’s ‘library lodge’, as well as visits to the local library and author visits.

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The school’s curriculum maps out precisely the crucial knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and remember. The curriculum is well understood by teachers, who deliver learning clearly and in coherent sequences. Lessons provide opportunities for pupils to revisit, recap and build on their prior learning. Teachers regularly check what pupils know and understand. This means that any gaps in learning or misconceptions are quickly picked up and addressed. As a result, pupils remember what they are being taught in depth and achieve highly. This includes pupils with SEND, who are very well identified and supported. These pupils learn alongside their peers and all staff are ambitious for what they can achieve. Staff are highly trained and adapt learning and activities effectively. Staff work closely with those in the provision for pupils with hearing impairments, which is located on the same site. This means that staff share expertise and that pupils are

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fully included in all school activities.

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Work to support pupils’ personal development is of very high quality. The school’s curriculum incorporates purposeful opportunities for pupils to learn about fundamental British values. Pupils also have opportunities to vote and to elect their peers to positions of responsibility. They are taught about different families. They learn that everyone has the right to be treated with respect. Pupils learn about cultures and beliefs other than their own. Diversity and difference are celebrated.

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There are clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour. As a result, classrooms are calm and movement around the school is orderly. Pupils are highly responsive to adults’ expectations and instructions. Leaders closely monitor and track pupils’ attendance, and support is put in place promptly for families where needed.

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Staff enjoy working at the school and value the range of professional development and support that is available to them.

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Leaders at all levels, including the trust and governing boards, are reflective. They continually look for ways to further improve what is already very strong practice in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 December 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’ 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). 5 and 6 December 2023

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Chair of governing body

Headteacher Andrea Rampton (Executive Headteacher)/Diane Thompson (Head of School) Website www.darrickwoodinfant.co.uk

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Chair of governing body

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Chancery Education Trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The local-authority run Griffins unit is on the same site as the school and provides for pupils with hearing impairments. Some pupils attending this provision are dual registered at the Griffins unit and Darrick Wood.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 5 and 6 December 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with the chair of trustees, the chief executive officer and other trustees as well as the chair of governors and other members of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 inspectors also considered the staff’s responses to Ofsted’s survey.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 December 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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