Furze Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Furze Infant School Bennett Road, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Essex RM6 6ES

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Outcome

Furze Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school lives up to its motto of ‘learning happily together.’ Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, and they have created a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their classmates, receiving extra help if they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons is calm and positive. Pupils are focused and engaged in their learning. They treat each other and the staff with respect. Playtimes are energetic and fun, and pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer. Pupils know they are safe and are confident to go to any adult in school if they have any concerns or worries. They can also name different ways to stay safe online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the part they play in making the school a better place. For example, playground buddies support younger pupils in the playground and school councillors helped to choose new playground equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ wider development. There are clubs before, during and after school, including choir, archery, and drama. There are trips such as a Thames riverboat trip and a visit to Hainault Forest country park. The school also welcomes visitors such as the RNLI and a local farmer that brought in sheep, goats, and rabbits.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. Curriculum thinking in most subjects is organised well, building from early years to the end of Year 2.

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

Learning to read is given a high priority. In Nursery, children share stories, songs, and rhymes and when they enter Reception, they progress to lessons from the phonics scheme. If pupils are falling behind, they receive additional support in small groups or one to one to help them catch up. Pupils can successfully blend sounds, moving on to read 16 and 17 July 2024

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more complex words, and the books they read are at an appropriate level. A love of reading is fostered in different ways, including author visits, a sponsored read and World Book Day.

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In early years, pupils enjoy a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities. Children with SEND are fully integrated into the learning activities. They are supported where needed but also allowed to explore on their own, developing curiosity and ideas. Staff encourage use of rich language. For example, pupils exploring the outside area are supported to describe the features of the minibeasts they find.

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Pupils are helped to discuss their learning and express themselves using appropriate vocabulary. For example, in mathematics they are given sentence starters to enable them to give clear, full answers.

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Pupils access learning in a range of different ways. In religious education, for example, pupils enjoy drama and discussion activities as well as being given opportunities to write about their learning. Their learning is also enriched by a cultural day when pupils celebrate their family background, including their beliefs.

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In some other subjects, while the curriculum intent and ambition are strong, leaders do not consistently identify the important content they want pupils to learn and remember over time with precision. This means pupils sometimes struggle to recall their learning.

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Pupils with SEND are identified as swiftly as possible and appropriate support is put in place. This includes one-to-one support and the use of visual and concrete resources. School leaders work together to identify adaptations to teaching to ensure that each pupil can access the same curriculum as their peers at the appropriate level.

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Behaviour routines and expectations are well established. Pupils understand what is expected of them and value the rewards they receive for work and behaviour, including house points, certificates, and celebrations in assemblies.

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The school is doing all it can to improve its rates of attendance and deal with persistent absence, including offering support where needed and rewards for the class with the best weekly attendance. Attendance is improving and persistent absence is reducing year on year.

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A wide range of enriching experiences is offered by the school. Pupils enjoy trips, for example to different places of worship, and welcome visitors, like the fire brigade. The pupils were excited to talk about all the different clubs they attended, including science and multisports. Pupils are also taught how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally, and there are meditation sessions for all classes.

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Staff are typically positive about the school. They appreciate the efforts made by leaders to improve their workload and well-being, for example by changing the marking policy and providing a well-being afternoon. Governors understand their safeguarding duties and are ready to challenge leaders to ensure the continued improvement of the school. Parents and carers are very positive about the support and care that the school provides. 16 and 17 July 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, leaders have not precisely identified the important content they want pupils to learn and remember over time. As a result, in these subjects, pupils have some gaps in their learning. The school should identify the subject-specific concepts and knowledge they want pupils to know, retain and build on 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 January 2019.

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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, 16 and 17 July 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://furzeinfants.schooljotter2.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision for a small number of pupils.

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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. Inspectors discussed the 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.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. They also held meetings with the members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. 16 and 17 July 2024

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspectors also spoke with groups of staff and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys completed by parents and staff.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 July 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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