Galley Common Infant School

Inspection of Galley Common Infant School Plough Hill Road, Galley Common, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 9NZ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

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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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 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. 21 and 22 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Galley Common Infant school is a special place to learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and safe here. Parents and carers are highly positive about the school, typically saying that ‘staff are kind, welcoming and knowledgeable.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children get off to a flying start in early years. They love being in different outside spaces, exploring and playing together. Staff encourage children to praise each other for their achievements. This helps children to grow in confidence and appreciate each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond enthusiastically to the high expectations that staff have for them. They learn from an exciting and ambitious curriculum that meets their individual needs. They usually behave well and try hard to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils thrive taking on additional responsibilities, such as older pupils helping to look after younger pupils at lunchtime. This develops a sense of community and enables older pupils to be good role models.

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better?

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum. Staff give careful attention to the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn at each stage. This begins in the early years, where children’s understanding builds step by step in readiness for key stage 1.

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better?

Pupils develop their subject knowledge and skills successfully over time. They remember important concepts and skills. They frequently go back to think about and apply what they have learned before.

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better?

The school ensures that learning to read is a high priority. Staff are well trained to deliver the reading programme. As soon as children start in Reception, they are taught to develop a love of reading. Books match the sounds children learn to enable them to read with accuracy and fluency. Pupils access a range of high-quality and diverse texts across the curriculum to support their understanding of the wider world.

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better?

The school has implemented a mathematics curriculum that builds pupils’ learning over time. This systematic approach to learning mathematics begins in the early years. Children develop their mathematical vocabulary and understanding of numbers and shape recognition. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They check what pupils have learned and understood. Teachers use the feedback from pupils to address any gaps in pupils’ learning.

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better?

Staff identify pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) effectively. They adapt the delivery of the curriculum appropriately for pupils with SEND. Staff work closely with parents to find out about pupils’ individual needs and provide 21 and 22 November 2023

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targeted additional support when required. Typically, pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers and achieve well. Staff have received training and guidance to support pupils with additional needs, including social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is continuing to provide all staff with further training to ensure that support for all pupils with SEND is highly effective.

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There is a close working relationship between staff and parents. This is particularly evident in the early years provision. These positive relationships help children settle into school quickly. Staff are adept at communicating with children and developing their spoken language. This contributes to children’s strong progress in the early years.

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Pupils are polite and courteous. They know how staff expect them to behave, and most pupils live up to these expectations. However, some staff are not consistent in reinforcing behaviour expectations. This leads to pupils not focusing fully during lessons.

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Pupils benefit from learning about different traditions, faiths and cultures. They enjoy learning about their local community and welcome members of the local community for events, such as afternoon tea. Pupils learn about healthy friendships and relationships as part of their sex and relationships education curriculum.

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The school provides an excellent range of wider opportunities for pupils. There are lots of clubs on offer, including sewing, gardening and well-being club. Pupils value these opportunities. They enjoy a range of trips that enhance their learning, including visits to the local farm and museums.

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Staff are taking effective steps to encourage good attendance so that all pupils benefit from the education and experiences the school offers.

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Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. However, there are many governor vacancies, which is limiting governors’ capacity to hold the school to account.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the training they receive and feel well supported by leaders with their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not apply the school’s behaviour policy with consistency, and their expectations of pupils’ behaviour, including pupils with additional needs, are not high enough. As a result, some pupils distract others or do not engage with their 21 and 22 November 2023

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work. The school should ensure that all staff apply the behaviour policy as intended.  The school has struggled with the recruitment of governors, resulting in many vacancies on the board. Therefore, governors have limited capacity to challenge and support leaders and undertake all aspects of their role fully. The school should find alternative ways to recruit new governors and build capacity within the governing body.

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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). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 November 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is a nursery on site run by a private provider.  The school does not use any 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.  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 headteacher and senior leaders.  The lead inspector talked to a representative from the local authority.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body. 21 and 22 November 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. 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 a sample of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans. Minutes of governing body meetings were also scrutinised.  Inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors talked to parents at the start of the school day and considered the Ofsted Parent View survey and free-text comments. Inspectors also reviewed the responses to the staff survey and gathered the views of staff and pupils through discussion.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Maybank Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 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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