William Austin Infant School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: William Austin Infant School Culverhouse Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 1PZ

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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Outcome

William Austin Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s core values of happiness, caring and respect are woven through everything pupils do at William Austin Infant School. Pupils arrive promptly each day, keen to learn and play in the school’s stimulating environments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s aim is for all pupils to shine. Adults have high expectations and pupils rise to these. Many pupils arrive with few English language skills, often from other countries. They are quickly welcomed into the school’s inclusive community and receive the support they need to be successful. By the time they leave, most pupils achieve or exceed the school’s expectations for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. They love to earn rewards for demonstrating the school’s wider set of values. Values champions in each class award stickers to pupils who show a particular value. Pupils celebrate each other’s achievements in a weekly assembly. There is a strong culture of respect and aspiration throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Extra-curricular clubs are very popular. They cover a wide range of interests, including cookery, science and a range of sports. Pupils enjoy going on trips that bring their learning to life. For example, a memorable visit to the houses of parliament gave members of the pupil parliament a taste of democracy in action.

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

The school’s curriculum is carefully constructed. From early years to Year 2, the curriculum sets out what the school wants pupils to learn and the small steps that will get them there. Pupils build their knowledge and skills progressively. They use what they have learned before to access new learning. 15 and 16 October 2024

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The school has acted decisively to support the emerging language skills of many of its pupils. Language, communication and the development of vocabulary are prioritised from the moment children join the Reception classes. Throughout the school, adults model clear concise use of language. In every subject, teachers give pupils repeated opportunities to orally rehearse key vocabulary. Pupils with English as an additional language, or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), particularly benefit from this approach.

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Teachers revisit previous learning often. Lessons typically start with a ‘flashback’ activity. This supports pupils’ recall of what they already know. Teachers use questioning effectively throughout lessons to check pupils’ understanding. They adapt their teaching or provide additional resources to enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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In the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, the school’s approach to checking how well the curriculum is working are well established. Curriculum leaders tweak and refine the curriculum, so that pupils learn as well as they should. In other subjects, a similar approach was more recently introduced. Curriculum leaders in these subjects are still developing the way they use it to identify and make improvements to the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as the school would like them to.

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Reading is a top priority. Children in the Reception classes develop a love of stories from the moment they start school. In daily phonics lessons highly skilled adults teach them the letters and sounds they need to be able to read. Throughout the school, pupils with English as an additional language, or those with SEND, receive targeted early reading support. This enables them to progress at a pace that is right for them. High-quality books and stories support pupils’ learning in all subjects.

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The school has established consistent routines and expectations in and out of the classroom. These support pupils to behave very well. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning and to school life in general. They attend well. The school’s actions to reduce pupil absence over the last two years have been successful.

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The school has carefully planned the way it caters for pupils’ wider development. The young age of pupils does not deter the school from offering them leadership roles. All pupils, including those with SEND, have access to these. Members of the pupil parliament play a part in school improvement. Active council members lead games in the playground. Road safety ambassadors monitor traffic around the school. Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles, different belief systems, online safety and fundamental British values. They are very well prepared for their future lives.

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The governing body supports and challenges school leaders appropriately. Leaders and governors are sharply focused on providing the best possible education for pupils. They ensure that staff receive training to support this aim. Leaders are mindful of the pressures 15 and 16 October 2024

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on staff. They look after staff well-being and consider workload when planning new initiatives. Staff, parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school's approach to assessing pupils’ progress in the wider curriculum is in the early stages of implementation. Curriculum leaders are still developing the way they use assessments to identify where the curriculum might be improved. This means that, in these subjects, pupils do not always learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that it continues to embed the new approach and strengthen the way it is used to inform curriculum improvements, so that all pupils learn as well as the school intends them to.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in December 2018. 15 and 16 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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In September 2023, the school reduced its pupil admission numbers from five to four forms of entry.  There is a daily ‘morning club’ providing before-school care. This is run and managed by the school.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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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. 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 met with a range of leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher. She met with governors, including the 15 and 16 October 2024

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chair of governors, and with the school’s improvement adviser from the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, looked at samples of pupils’ work and listened to several pupils read to a familiar adult.  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 reviewed a range of school documentation and policies. These included the school improvement plan and minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspector took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text responses. She also reviewed responses to the staff survey and spoke with pupils, parents and staff to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Caroline Crozier, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 15 and 16 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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