Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School Pennine Way, Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 9EY

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Outcome

Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Jo Cripps. This school is part of John Taylor Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mike Donoghue, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Colin Roy Hopkins.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School places itself at the heart of its community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and children in the early years, are happy and safe in this welcoming school. They know and understand the importance of the school’s values. Pupils learn the importance of respecting others. The school ensures that pupils reflect on the ‘diamond rules’. The school sets high expectations of behaviour. Pupils make good behaviour choices. They play happily together at playtimes. The school enables pupils to become independent and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve and flourish. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a key priority. Staff enrich the curriculum with additional musical activities, for example with glockenspiel and recorder clubs. Pupils enjoy and value the opportunities available to develop their creativity and confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Reading is a high priority at this school. The school knows the importance of reading stories to pupils every day. Pupils develop a love of reading. They like visiting the library in school and down the road. They talk knowledgeably about the books they enjoy reading and how these help them ‘learn more about the world’.

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

The school provides a curriculum that is ambitious and enables pupils to learn important knowledge over time. For example, pupils learn about significant musicians from different 30 and 31 January 2024

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cultures. They gain a broad background of knowledge in their study of music and study of the world. They learn about inspiring people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Staff make this learning meaningful, thus enabling pupils to talk about those who inspire them and why. The school continually adapts the curriculum in all subjects to meet pupils’ needs and interests. Pupils achieve well.

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Children make a swift start in learning to read. They are taught the foundations of early language and sounds as soon as they start Nursery. Reception children continue to develop their reading fluency with daily phonics lessons. The school nurtures a love of reading and books. Pupils who need more help benefit from extra practice and support to help them to learn to read. This means they catch up quickly.

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The school has the same ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as it does for all pupils. Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. The school adapts the curriculum and teaching so that these pupils achieve as well as they can. Staff support pupils with SEND effectively.

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The school has not ensured that the well-planned curriculum is taught as effectively as it could be at all times. On some occasions, pupils are not focused on learning the intended learning. On these occasions, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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The school sets high expectations of pupils’ attendance. Leaders have effective systems in place to reduce absence. This has a positive impact on improving attendance over time. The school invests much time and effort in working to support and challenge parents to make sure that their children attend regularly.

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The school prioritises pupils’ personal development. Pupils flourish through a wide range of opportunities and experiences. There is a range of clubs. The choir is particularly popular. Pupils in the choir perform for community and parental events. Pupils visit the theatre, and they welcome visitors to the school. Pupils raise money for charity. The school is part of the wider community. For example, pupils recall fondly planting bulbs at the local church. The elected school council leads on school projects and collects pupils’ views about school life. Pupils gain an understanding of democracy through the council.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is carefully thought through. It provides opportunities for pupils to learn about money, safety, relationships and self-belief. Pupils recall wise decisions on how to spend money. PSHE enables pupils to learn about themselves and feel empowered as individuals. As one girl said, ‘You need to be who you are, it’s your choice.’

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Staff work well together. There is a strong team ethos. The school places staff well-being high on the agenda. Staff appreciate the support provided by leaders. Staff value the school’s positive working environment and how parents engage as partners in the pupils’ learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 and 31 January 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that all the curriculum is implemented as effectively as it could be. This means that some pupils do not always learn in a way that helps them to know, understand and do more of the planned curriculum. The school should ensure that the curriculum is delivered in a way that enables all pupils to know, remember and do more over time.

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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 predecessor school, Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School, to be good in June 2013.

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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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected.

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Information about this school

 Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School converted to become an academy school in September 2019. When the predecessor school, Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The headteacher was a co-headteacher during the previous inspection and became the substantive headteacher from January 2022.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders and teachers. She met with local governors, trustees and the CEO of the trust. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspector also reviewed the curriculum in computing and PSHE.  The inspector discussed pupils’ attendance with the headteacher.  The inspector considered the views of parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector reviewed responses to the staff and pupil surveys. She held discussions with staff and pupils.  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.

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Inspection team

Donna Moulds, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 January 2024

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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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