Clowne Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Clowne Infant and Nursery School Ringer Lane, Clowne, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 4DB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14–15 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a good school. It is highly valued by pupils and their families. One parent spoke for many when they said, ‘Clowne Infant and Nursery school is a truly wonderful school where children thrive.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children receive an excellent start to their education within the Nursery and Reception provisions. Leadership is expert. Staff are knowledgeable and skilled. Children enjoy a carefully planned curriculum. They receive genuine love and care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn without distraction. Lessons are harmonious. Routines are well understood. Pupils do not fear bullying in school. They trust adults to resolve any problems. They describe the school as their ‘happy place’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported. Learning needs are swiftly identified and addressed. Pupils with SEND experience an ambitious and suitably adapted curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Reading is a priority. The school finds many creative ways to introduce pupils to the love of reading. Pupils said that the library is a ‘safe and comfy place to lose yourself in a book’. They love the reading rewards. The book vending machine is a real winner!

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better?

The school has responded swiftly to the findings of the previous inspection. The curriculum is now better planned and sequenced. Pupils’ expected progress from Nursery to key stage 1 is carefully mapped across all subjects. Pupils revisit important learning. They show confidence in the knowledge that they acquire. In art for example, pupils said that the ‘knowledge we have about art helps us be really skilled and creative’.

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better?

Some aspects of the curriculum are new and need time to embed. Assessment is not consistently effective in all subjects. In some foundation subjects, the assessment systems are newly implemented. They do not yet provide the complete information needed to fully inform pupils’ next learning steps. In other subjects, assessment is used well. In mathematics for example, assessment is carefully woven throughout the curriculum. Leaders have a clear overview of how accurately the curriculum is supporting pupils to learn. Any learning gaps are swiftly addressed.

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better?

The phonics curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Pupils begin to learn to read as soon as they enter the school. Those who need it receive support to catch up. The implementation of the curriculum is not yet as precise or as consistent as needed. In some lessons, insufficient checks are made to ensure that pupils have a strong understanding of the sounds that groups of letters make. Some pupils do not use pure sounds accurately. Although pupils make progress in their reading, it is not 14–15 May 2024

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yet reflected in published results. Leaders are well on their way to addressing these issues through high quality staff training and strong subject leadership.

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The school ensures that pupils read regularly at home and at school. Books are everywhere. They are central to curriculum planning. Pupils receive many rewards for the regularity of their reading. Rainbow rewards are highly prized. In the early years, children become ‘digraph detectives’ to spot the letters and sounds that they are learning. Parents express gratitude for the lengths taken to ensure their child can read.

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The family support worker has had positive impact. Families receive effective support and guidance. Pupils’ attendance has improved. Fewer pupils are regularly absent from school. However, some disadvantaged pupils still do not attend school regularly enough.

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Pupils are given numerous opportunities to develop their learning outside of the curriculum. They are involved in a wide range of activities, including theatre trips, competitions and visits to places of interest. Visitors are welcomed to the school. Pupils enjoy active storytelling, Easter bonnet parade, yoga, sleepovers and the daily mile challenge. They are looking forward to the upcoming ‘colour run’ event. Pupils said that they felt very lucky to attend the school.

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The parent teacher association is very active within the school. Their work has had significant impact. Funds raised have opened up many opportunities for pupils, including the most disadvantaged.

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Pupils benefit from a well planned personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. They learn about the values of honesty and respect. They show great understanding of right and wrong. Pupils are taught about the importance of democracy. They regularly vote for their favourite book or the story to be read by their teacher. The school council and ‘smilers’ give pupils a voice and a greater involvement in the school’s further improvement journey.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the efforts of leaders to consider their workload. They appreciate leaders’ ‘open door’ approach.

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The school is extremely popular with families. The work of all staff is appreciated and praised. There is a genuine sense of the school and families working together as a school community to achieve the school vision. To ‘take our children on a journey of discovery, giving them aspirations and engaging them in lifelong learning.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14–15 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The quality of the curriculum has improved. In some foundation subjects the curriculum is new and needs time to embed. In some of these subjects, assessment systems need refining so that the school has a more accurate view of the curriculum impact. The school must ensure that the curriculum is securely and consistently embedded across all subjects and that assessment across all subjects is robust and informs pupils’ next learning steps.  Attendance has improved. There are fewer pupils that are persistently absent or late. However, some disadvantaged pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They are missing out on their learning and subsequently underachieve. The school must continue the work to improve the attendance and achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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). 14–15 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.clowne-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 24 – 25 January 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of school staff. 14–15 May 2024

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 The lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body and two governors. She spoke by telephone with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics, history and art. As part of the deep dives, inspectors spoke with curriculum leaders to review the curriculum, visited lessons and considered pupils’ work. They spoke with pupil and teachers.  Inspectors visited the Nursery and Reception classes. They met with the Nursery and Reception leaders.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the school day, including the start and end of the day and at lunchtime and breaktime.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the survey of school staff. Inspectors spoke with parents.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Brooks Ofsted Inspector 14–15 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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