Trafalgar Infant School

Inspection of Trafalgar Infant School Gothic Road, Twickenham TW2 5EH

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 5 and 6 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and friendly school. The school’s caring community helps pupils settle quickly when they join. Pupils are happy and safe. They enjoy learning and are enthusiastic about school. Pupils know the school’s rules and expectations. Typically, they behave responsibly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school organises popular extra-curricular clubs including at lunchtime, such as chess and sports. Children are taught the importance of fairness, equality and tolerance in an age-appropriate way. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities in the school. For example, children in the early years are responsible for looking after the school’s ducks and guinea pigs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils. The school regularly checks on what pupils know and can do. The school provides additional support throughout the school day for pupils who need it. The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective help and support. Pupils achieve well here.

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better?

Pupils love listening to stories and are excited to learn to read. They are focused and attentive in class. In phonics lessons, pupils sound out letters and the sounds they make with great enthusiasm. Phonics teaching takes place daily for all pupils. Teaching staff check that pupils keep up. Some pupils have additional phonics and reading support from well-trained staff if they need it. This includes pupils with SEND. Pupils regularly take home books matched securely to their knowledge of phonics. The school provides information for parents and carers to help them to support their children with reading at home. The school’s firm focus on reading helps pupils to quickly become confident readers.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and includes a broad range of subjects. Knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced from the early years onwards. This prepares pupils well for future learning in different subjects. For example, in the early years, pupils learn about places in the local area. Pupils use this knowledge when they draw maps of the local area in Year 1. The school supports all pupils to learn the curriculum. This includes pupils with SEND. For example, the school provides pupils with additional support to learn key vocabulary to help them remember important subject content.

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better?

Changes to subjects have been made recently. This is to ensure that subject curriculum thinking prepares pupils effectively for learning in Year 3 in the federated junior school. Teaching staff receive training and support from leaders in both schools and external experts. The school provides staff with support to make these changes and shows consideration for the workload of staff. However, the changes are not securely embedded. Occasionally, resources and activity choices do not help pupils to learn the required knowledge. Leaders have plans to address this. The 5 and 6 December 2023

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governing body provides effective support and challenge. Members of the governing body take part in training regularly to ensure that they know and fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

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The school measures pupils’ attendance and punctuality meticulously. Leaders consult external professionals for suggestions to improve attendance. The school collaborates with parents to find specific ways to support pupils and their families to attend regularly and on time. As a result, pupils’ attendance rates are high.

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Pupils are taught important information about keeping themselves safe. Pupil digital leaders help other pupils to learn how to stay safe online. Pupils take on many roles of responsibility in the school. For example, some pupils are elected by others to be school councillors, others are chosen to be ‘music maestros’. The school encourages pupils to be aware of their feelings and to talk about a range of issues. This includes conversations about the importance of treating others equally and how to be a good friend.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject changes are not securely embedded. Occasionally, resources and activity choices do not enable pupils to learn the required knowledge. The school needs to ensure that teaching and resources enable pupils to learn the intended curriculum knowledge and skills.

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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 5 and 6 December 2023

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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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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.trafalgar-inf.richmond.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 and 19 May 2011 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the post in September 2021.  The school operates from two sites. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 are educated at the site located at Gothic Road, Twickenham TW2 5EH. Pupils in the Reception Year are educated at Meadway, Twickenham TW2 6PY.  The school is federated with Trafalgar Junior School. The schools form the Trafalgar Schools Federation. The headteacher leads both schools.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors held meetings with representatives of the governing body, the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also spoke with a school improvement specialist from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and geography. 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 discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors scrutinised responses to Ofsted’s online surveys from parents and staff. Inspectors also spoke with some parents in the morning at both sites.  Inspectors visited the dining hall and observed arrangements at breaktimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Jones Ofsted 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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