Victoria Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Victoria Infant and Nursery School Oxford Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA14 5QN

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Outcome

Victoria Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, arrive at school happy and ready to learn. Staff greet them with a warm smile each morning. Pupils know that adults are there to look after them and to help with any problems that they may have. Pupils said that this helps them to feel safe and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils achieve well. From the early years, children learn the school rules well. During social times, pupils play sensibly with friends from other classes and year groups.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, from Nursery to Year 2, progress well through the curriculum. They listen attentively and show positive attitudes to learning. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has organised a range of trips and visits from speakers to help pupils to better understand the wider world. Pupils are excited to learn more about the possibilities for their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a broad range of clubs, including construction club and ‘sing and sign’ club where they learn sign language. The school council leads activities to support the local community, such as collecting food for the food bank.

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

Pupils enjoy learning and benefit from an interesting and ambitious curriculum. They are proud of what they have learned. The school has strategies in place to ensure that pupils revisit their learning regularly. This helps them to remember well what they have learned before. The school has developed some of the curriculums recently. In a small number of subjects, the school is still working to identify the specific knowledge and vocabulary that the pupils should learn in each year group. 17 and 18 April 2024

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The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme effectively. When children join the Reception Year, they build securely on their learning in the Nursery class by learning the sounds that they need to read straight away. Pupils practise their reading with books that are well matched to the sounds that they have learned. The school ensures that any pupils who struggle with reading get the extra support that they need to succeed. Most pupils read fluently and confidently by the time that they leave key stage 1. Staff read from a range of carefully selected texts. These help the pupils to learn about differences in society and underpin the school’s work on developing empathy.

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Ambition is high for all to achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school identifies pupils’ needs swiftly. Teachers adapt the way that they deliver lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND are able to access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Teachers’ strong subject knowledge enables them to check pupils’ understanding effectively. Staff help pupils to remember by linking concepts and revisiting prior learning. Pupils receive timely support should they need it. In lessons, teachers are vigilant and check carefully that pupils have understood what they have learned. Pupils talk about their learning confidently.

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From the early years, children are engaged and excited by their learning. Teachers provide opportunities to inspire children and ensure that they develop their ability to work together or independently. For example, the youngest children confidently counted out the fruits eaten by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, while others happily worked together on a bug hunt in the outdoor area.

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Pupils behave well. They understand the school rules and take great pleasure in receiving points for hard work, which they save up for rewards. They show empathy towards their friends and look after each other, for example if they have fallen over. Pupils understand what bullying is and know that they can ask adults for help if they feel upset.

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The school has designed a rich set of experiences that support the personal development of pupils. Pupils enjoyed singing at a local venue and retelling the nativity story at the local church. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and while they are out in the community.

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Staff feel appreciated and they enjoy working at the school. They are given additional time to be able to carry out their roles effectively. This helps to keep workload manageable. Governors bring a wealth of expertise to their roles. They use their experience to challenge and support the school effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 and 18 April 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the specific knowledge that pupils should learn and remember in each year group. Consequently, pupils do not build on previous learning as well as they could. The school should ensure that the essential knowledge in these subjects is clearly identified and organised so that pupils can deepen their learning 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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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). 17 and 18 April 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school uses one alternative provider, which is unregistered.

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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 that 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff.  The inspector met with governors and with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about 17 and 18 April 2024

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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 observed pupils read to a trusted adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.  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 Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff surveys. There were no responses to the pupil surveys. The inspector met with parents to gather their views and opinions about the school.

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Inspection team

Sarah Barraclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 April 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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