Loddon Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Loddon Infant and Nursery School Kittens Lane, Loddon, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 6JX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school that sits at the heart of its community. One pupil echoed the views of many when they said, ‘Everyone is kind and you can make friends easily.’ Pupils are happy. Children in the Nursery settle quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a broad curriculum. Pupils revisit prior learning through meaningful links across subjects. The school adapts the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is aspirational for what pupils can achieve. In response, pupils work hard and are successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school and know there are adults who they can go to for help with issues in and out of school. Pupils behave well. They show consideration and respect for one another. They value and appreciate the care and support of staff. When there is a problem, pupils say that the school quickly sorts it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to explore and learn from first-hand experiences. The outdoor provision and ‘Wellie Wednesdays’ provide pupils with the opportunity to practise and apply their learning in different ways. They learn to take risks. Pupils care for the environment. There is an active school ‘eco-squad’.

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

The school has created a well-ordered curriculum that builds learning coherently over time. Subject leaders are knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects. While some subjects have undergone recent development, other subjects are not as far through this process. In these subjects, the school has not yet determined the best way to teach the curriculum’s ambitious content so that pupils remember the important knowledge.

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

The school has a consistent approach to teaching phonics. Pupils thrive because of the consistent routines and high expectations. They stay motivated and focused. The school quickly identifies pupils who fall behind with reading. The school ensures they get the support they need to develop their reading fluency and catch up. There is a focus across all areas of the curriculum on developing pupils’ language and vocabulary. Pupils enjoy reading and talking about the books they have read. The school chooses the books pupils read carefully to give them a rich menu of texts before they leave school.

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

The school regularly reviews the curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils. For example, the school has recently introduced changes in the ambition and resourcing of the computing curriculum and increased opportunities for scientific enquiry in the science curriculum. As a result, pupils now gain more experience in applying their knowledge in practical situations. Teachers regularly check what pupils know. However, at times, they do not identify pupils’ misconceptions quickly enough. This means some pupils continue to make the same mistakes and there are gaps in their understanding.

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

The school works closely with parents and carers to identify and support pupils with SEND. Appropriate adaptations are made to the curriculum. Regular opportunities for 8 and 9 October 2024

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pupils to practise and apply knowledge and targeted support allow all pupils to develop independence and confidence and make progress in meeting ambitious targets.

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In both Nursery and Reception, the curriculum exposes children to a wide range of vocabulary. Activities provide opportunities for children to practise and develop their communication skills, for example using the water tray to link ‘more’ and ‘less’ and using measuring activities to compare ‘bigger’ and ‘smaller’. The indoor and outdoor learning spaces let children learn and explore through structured play. Adults support pupils to learn to interact, manage their emotions and explore across all areas of learning. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils are thoughtful and care about each other and their school. Staff positively reinforce expectations, recognising when pupils are doing the right thing. Pupils’ regular attendance is a priority. In recent years, some pupils have been absent too often. Attendance is improving because of the revised approach adopted by the school. The school works closely with parents to understand the barriers to their child’s attendance. Parents value the care, individual attention and support their children receive.

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Pupils are encouraged to value difference and to show respect when others believe different things. There are moments of awe and wonder, for example when a puppet emerges from a cupboard in Nursery. Links with the local community and a range of educational trips enhance the taught curriculum. Pupils can explain how the school teaches them to stay safe and be healthy.

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Pupil and staff well-being is a priority. In this small school, staff have many roles and responsibilities. The school considers staff workload when making changes. Staff appreciate the support and training they receive. They enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, the school has not determined how to teach the content of the curriculum so that pupils retain the important knowledge. This means that in some subjects, pupils do not develop a secure understanding of important knowledge and so do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively in all subjects so that pupils remember the important content and knowledge intended.  At times, teachers do not identify pupils’ misconceptions quickly enough. This means that some pupils make repeated mistakes that can hinder their future learning. The school needs to ensure that teachers check that pupils have securely learned new content so that misconceptions are addressed quickly and pupils can achieve the 8 and 9 October 2024

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.loddonprimaryfederation.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with Loddon Junior School and is part of the Loddon Primary Federation.  The school does not use 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 8 and 9 October 2024

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taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the assistant headteacher and other school leaders. Inspectors also met with members of the governing body and the chief executive officer of Active Learning Trust who are providing external support to the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the 20 responses and free-text responses submitted by parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also gathered parents’ views by speaking to them at the end of the school day.  There were no responses to the pupil survey. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils by speaking to them throughout the inspection.  Inspectors gathered staff members' views by speaking to them. Inspectors took account of the 16 responses to the Ofsted online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Oriana Dalton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Nutbeam Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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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