Telford Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Telford Infant School Kelvin Road, Lillington, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 7TE

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Outcome

Telford Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Telford Infant School is a place for ‘loving learning’. Pupils happily attend and are proud of their school. Parents’ views of the school are very positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), flourish. They live up to the school’s high expectations for learning and behaviour. Pupils are polite and considerate. They hold open doors and smile warmly at staff and visitors. All pupils know and reflect the school’s rules of ‘safe, kind and proud’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn that they have an important role to play in their school and the wider community. For example, they can become school councillors or sports ambassadors. They raise money for charity and learn about other countries and cultures through their links with Sierra Leone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lunchtime clubs, such as ‘zen den’, give pupils who need it the opportunity for some quiet time. Other clubs, such as learning different languages, cooking and multi-sports, give pupils opportunities to develop their talents and discover new interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that there is always an adult to talk to if they have a worry. They know that the adults keep them safe in school. Pupils also look out for each other. They value opportunities such as class buddies, where younger and older pupils can read together.

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

Children in the early years get off to a flying start. Carefully chosen activities enable them to develop a secure understanding of number. They delight in applying their learning by hunting for insects and building ‘minibeast cities’ with their friends at lunchtime. Pupils in key stage 1 build on what they have learned in the early years. For instance, in mathematics, pupils in Year 1 learn to count confidently in twos, fives and tens. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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The school has given considerable thought to the design of the curriculum. It is ambitious and clearly identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn in each subject. This means that pupils can build a rich body of knowledge and understanding. For example, in geography, children in the early years explore the immediate environment of the school. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 develop more complex mapping skills as they learn about the local area and then Africa. The curriculum is also designed so that pupils can link new learning across subjects. Pupils in Year 2 learn about changes to Leamington Spa over time, when studying the Victorians in history, for example.

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In many subjects, teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. ‘Pause points’ help teachers to check pupils’ understanding and adapt subsequent learning, if needed. This helps pupils to learn well. However, occasionally, teachers’ subject knowledge is not as secure as it could be. Where this is the case, they sometimes use incorrect vocabulary or use resources which could confuse learning.

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The school has ensured that reading is a high priority. Pupils in Year 2 excitedly talk about the interesting chapter books they are reading and children in Reception enjoy sharing familiar stories with their friends at lunchtime. Children begin to learn phonics in Reception using a well-structured programme. Regular assessment means that pupils who find reading tricky receive the support they need to help them to catch up. However, in phonics lessons, pupils’ mistakes are not always identified. This means that, sometimes, pupils miss opportunities to practise saying, reading and writing the correct letters and sounds.

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Provision for pupils with SEND is highly effective. Pupils’ needs are quickly and accurately identified. Staff are well trained to make adaptations to the curriculum where necessary. The school’s use of expert professionals means that pupils get the right help. This enables pupils with SEND to happily attend school, learn and play alongside their friends.

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Pupils behave very well. They listen carefully to instructions in lessons and during break and lunchtime. Pupils are kind to each other and develop independence, for example, by tidying away resources efficiently during lessons.

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A wide range of opportunities help to develop pupils’ character and prepare them for life beyond Telford Infant School. For example, sports ambassadors help to organise sports days and links to a school in Africa help pupils to learn about cultures different to their own. Pupils in Year 2 sell poppies and lead assemblies for remembrance and children in Reception benefit from learning about visitors’ jobs and careers.

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Staff value the consideration given by leaders and governors to their well-being. The sharp focus on continuing professional development means that staff feel very well supported in their roles. They appreciate opportunities to progress in their careers within school. As a result, there is a very strong team ethos and staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In phonics lessons, some pupils make mistakes which are not addressed. This means that they sometimes learn the wrong things or move on to new learning without secure understanding of previous learning. The school should ensure that pupils’ mistakes and misconceptions are identified and addressed before moving on.  There is some variation in teachers’ subject knowledge in a small number of subjects. This means that, sometimes, subject-specific vocabulary and teaching resources are used incorrectly, hampering pupils from understanding the important learning identified in the curriculum. The school should ensure that all staff have the necessary subject knowledge across all subjects so that they can support pupils to develop their understanding correctly, helping pupils to achieve as highly as they can.

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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 February 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 30 April and 1 May 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). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Finbarr McCarthy

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School details

Website www.telford-inf.warwickshire.sch.uk/web

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school runs on-site before- and after-school 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.  During the inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans where they were available, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and other leaders.  The inspector met with the chair and representatives of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority on the telephone.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke to pupils about pupils’ behaviour.  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 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parent free-text responses. The inspector also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector talked to parents and families at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 30 April and 1 May 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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