Cam Woodfield Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Cam Woodfield Infant School Elstub Lane, Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 6JJ

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cam Woodfield Infants is a nurturing school where pupils thrive and enjoy their learning. The staff care deeply for the pupils and the wider family. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and welcoming. The core values of ‘safe, respectful, ready’ shine through the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a broad and balanced curriculum. They gain the knowledge and skills they need in most subjects to achieve well. However, in a few subjects, teachers’ checks on what pupils know and remember are underdeveloped. This means that in these subjects, pupils do not remember all of the key knowledge they need to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has established comprehensive behaviour policies which reflect its high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know the behaviour adults expect of them. They strive to meet these expectations by behaving well in class and during social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities on offer. These develop their skills and interests in many areas, such as sports, art and drama. The school ensures that these opportunities are open to all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils carry out roles of responsibility maturely, such as playground pals and happiness heroes. These responsibilities help to develop pupils’ leadership skills.

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

Over recent years, the school has experienced a high level of staff changes. It continues to face challenges in recruiting staff. The school recognises the impact of these staffing issues on pupils and is seeking to recruit new staff. 6 March 2024

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The school community is united in its work to provide pupils with a stimulating and ambitious curriculum. It carefully considers the knowledge and skills it wants pupils to learn and remember. However, in some subjects, teachers’ checks on what pupils know and remember are not secure. Consequently, some pupils’ recall of prior learning is patchy. In addition, many subject leaders are new to the school and have not had regular opportunities to monitor the subjects they lead. As a result, they are unsure if pupils are acquiring the knowledge and skills they need. This work is underway, but the school knows there is more work to be done to ensure that pupils are learning important concepts across all subjects.

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The school wants all pupils to leave the school as fluent readers. Children learn to recognise sounds in words from the moment they start in the Reception Year. Story time is a firm favourite. Pupils are excited about their favourite stories and how they ignite their imaginations and develop their vocabulary. Staff subject knowledge of phonics is developing well. However, for some pupils, the books they read do not match the sounds they know. This means these pupils are not able to read these books with fluency and accuracy.

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The school knows the pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Teaching activities are adapted to enable pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Adults carefully use the information in pupils’ education, health and care plans to identify the small steps they need to learn well.

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The school supports pupils’ emotional and mental well-being effectively. Pupils use various methods to help reduce anxiety, such as ‘colour monsters’ and ‘happy breathing’ This helps to reduce pupils’ anxiety and enables them to demonstrate positve attitudes to their behaviour and learning.

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Pupils know about the school values and why they are important. The school ensures that pupils learn about the fundamental British values through assemblies and the curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 2 are confident about the importance of democracy and treating each other with respect.

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Pupils welcome the number of enrichment opportunities, including archery, gymnastics and dance. The school welcomes visitors to share their work in the local community. For example, pupils have learnt about the lifeboat, an assistance dog and from a storyteller. Trips are carefully chosen to complement pupils’ learning. These and other experiences develop pupils’ self-confidence and deepen their understanding of the world in which they live.

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Parents are delighted with the school. They appreciate how the school supports both children and families, resulting in happy pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils at the early stage of reading do not read books that match the sounds they have been taught. As a result, these pupils are not able to read with fluency and accuracy. The school should ensure that the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know and are learning, so that they develop accuracy and reading fluency.  In some subjects, teachers’ checks on what pupils know and remember are underdeveloped. Consequently, some pupils’ recall of prior learning is patchy. The school should ensure that systems for assessment are embedded effectively in every subject so that pupils know and remember more.  The school’s processes to monitor the impact that subject curriculums are having on pupils’ knowledge and skills are underdeveloped. This means the school does not know if pupils are acquiring the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. The school must continue the work started to improve the checking of the quality of provision to assure

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

itself that pupils are learning the intended curriculum.

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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 school to be good in April 2015.

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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. 6 March 2024

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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). 6 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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 lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders, other staff and members of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult. 6 March 2024

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 The lead inspector spoke with an education adviser from Gloucestershire local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including school self-evaluation and school improvement plans.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. The inspector met with school leaders to discuss and scrutinise how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff and pupil questionnaires, Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including free-text replies. They spoke to parents as pupils arrived at school.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Wigley Ofsted Inspector 6 March 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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