Northfield Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Northfield Infant School Southfield Close, Driffield YO25 5YN

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Outcome

Driffield Northfield Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Driffield Northfield Infant School is a warm and welcoming school in the heart of its community. Pupils, parents and staff talk proudly of ‘Team Northfield’. Pupils are happy and safe because staff care about them. Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. They appreciate the support they receive from staff, noting that staff help pupils to settle quickly. Pupils behave well in classrooms, when moving around the school and in the playground. They are polite and friendly to visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The whole school ensures every pupil gets a good start to their education, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils flourish because of the care and nurturing they receive. Reading is a priority, and pupils develop a love for reading. They can talk about the types of books they love to read. The curriculum has been well thought out. A range of rich and purposeful experiences engage and motivate pupils. Subject characters, such as ‘Gerry the Geographer’ and ‘Arlie the Artist’ help pupils’ understanding of each subject. For example, Arlie the Artist encouraged Year 2 pupils to talk about colour, pattern and texture. Pupils learn and achieve well. Pupils enjoy a wide range of after-school clubs as well as educational visits. For example, many talked about enjoying the football skills club.

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

The ambitious curriculum is broken down into logical steps so that learning builds on what has been taught before. For example, as pupils practise and use different techniques in art, their portraits become more developed over time. In mathematics, children in early years build their accuracy in counting. This gives them a firm foundation ready to move into key stage 1, where pupils tackle more-complex mathematics in addition and subtraction.

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

Teachers plan carefully what they want pupils to learn. They plan interesting activities for pupils. For example, a series of art lessons included studying an artist famous for painting 12 and 13 March 2024

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colourful animals, visiting a farm to do life drawings of highland cattle, then creating their own colourful pastel drawings of cattle. Teachers explain ideas and tasks clearly and address misconceptions in lessons.

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Following some disappointing reading outcomes in 2023, the school correctly prioritised the teaching of reading and phonics. Effective staff training means that staff teach phonics with technical accuracy. Consequently, phonics is taught with precision and consistency. Phonics is introduced as soon as children start in Reception. Pupils are making good progress in phonics. Staff check pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly, and those falling behind are given extra help to catch up. Most of this extra help is effective but there is some variability. This is, in part, because of some recent staff changes and the quality of planning. Pupils have very positive attitudes to reading.

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Children in early years get off to a good start from their varied starting points. Leaders establish strong links with families. The curriculum and learning experiences in the early years are carefully planned to provide firm foundations for pupils’ learning in Years 1 and 2. Staff skilfully interact with children, modelling the use of language well.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly so they can provide the right support by working closely with external experts. Teachers and support staff adapt teaching and resources effectively to meet pupils’ needs. Support staff provide unobtrusive support to pupils in lessons. This enables pupils with SEND to be fully included in learning, and develop independence over time.

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Pupils try hard in lessons and learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils value the school and its motto of ‘all moving forward together’. They understand the importance of being kind and respectful to each other. Bullying is rare, but, if it were to occur, pupils are confident that adults would sort it out. Pupils are often proud of their work. For example, when reviewing his artwork one pupil stated, ‘Wow, that looks really good.’ Pupils’ English and mathematics work is typically neat and well presented. This is not the case in all subjects. Occasionally, work is not well presented, and letter formation is variable.

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The school highlights the importance of good attendance. Pupils enjoy school and most come to school enthusiastically each day. They arrive on time and are ready to learn. Leaders, including governors, ensure that all pupils, even the very youngest, enjoy rich experiences within and beyond the classroom. For example, the whole school enthusiastically took part in a skipping day, to enhance their experience of physical education and fitness. Pupils and their parents appreciate the wide range of activities on offer. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures as well as having opportunities to celebrate their own heritage.

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Staff are proud to work at the school and feel well supported and valued. They receive the training they need and are confident in their roles. Staff appreciate measures to reduce workload and support their well-being. For example, leaders consult teachers before any workload-related changes are introduced. 12 and 13 March 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Plans to help the weakest readers to catch up and fill gaps in their phonics knowledge are not consistently precise. This means leaders cannot check that extra help is having the desired impact, and pupils do not always make the progress they could. The school should ensure that reading and phonics interventions are well planned to help pupils catch up more quickly.  Occasionally, in some subjects, the quality of presentation and handwriting varies. The school should ensure more consistent expectations of recorded work, handwriting and letter formation in all subjects.

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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 September 2014.

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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 12 and 13 March 2024

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.driffieldnorthfieldinfants.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 During the previous academic year, the school had a break-in and significant damage was done to some of the classrooms and teaching resources. This resulted in some lost learning time for some pupils.  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, school leaders, other school staff, a representative of the local authority and a group of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a 12 and 13 March 2024

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils from Years 1 and 2 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector met with groups of pupils and spoke to pupils during playtime.  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.  The inspector considered the responses to the staff and pupil online surveys and Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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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