Balfour Infant School

Inspection of Balfour Infant School Pattens Lane, Rochester, Kent ME1 2QT

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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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 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to come to this friendly and inclusive school. Their teachers welcome them every morning. The day begins calmly with activities such as yoga. Pupils look forward to social times when there are a wide range of games to play with their friends. Pupils love to challenge themselves on the trim trail, construct models from toy bricks or read quietly in the outdoor library.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations and pupils achieve well. They are ready for the next stage in their education. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their own talents and interests, such as learning to ride a bike and dance workshops. As one parent, sharing the views of many, commented: ‘The school is warm and welcoming. Children are challenged and supported in their learning as well as encouraged to become confident in themselves’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high standards for behaviour. Adults uphold these standards through being strong role models for the school’s values. Relationships between adults and pupils are mutually respectful. Pupils concentrate well in lessons and strive proudly to be their best selves. Pupils feel safe, knowing they can always talk to an adult if they need help.

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

The school has developed a broad and logically sequenced curriculum. The curriculum has recently been reviewed, so that it is more ambitious. Pupils’ language skills are developed through learning the key technical vocabulary in each curriculum area. Pupils learn the meaning of new words and practise using them during discussions in lessons. The school is vigilant in identifying pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults are ambitious for pupils with SEND and make sure they are supported so they can learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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

Reading is a key area of focus for the school. Pupils achieve well and become fluent readers, familiar with a range of book types and authors. Pupils enjoy listening to stories, rhymes and singing songs. This helps them to hear and recognise letter sounds which they pick up quickly when they start school in Reception. Older pupils practise reading every day and enjoy class story times where their teachers read interesting and challenging books to them. During phonics lessons, adults show pupils how to sound out words and write them accurately, to encourage pupils to become confident, independent learners. Adults notice when pupils make mistakes and give them the help they need straight away. Adults spot any pupils who are struggling with early reading and adapt their teaching or use additional resources.

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

Teachers explain the curriculum in ways pupils can understand. For example, pupils learn what life was like for children in Victorian times by dressing as Victorian children and making replicas of Victorian toys. Pupils enjoy the range of learning experiences on offer. In Reception, adults have a detailed understanding of what children must learn. Adults introduce new ideas clearly. Children practise their learning through well designed 15 and 16 October 2024

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activities independently, or when needed, with adult support. Any children who struggle with transition into school are helped to learn new routines and they settle in quickly.

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In more well-established areas of the curriculum, the school has identified precisely what pupils must understand and remember. In these areas, pupils can recall and discuss their learning in detail. They relate new learning to what they already know. For example, in mathematics, pupils are fluent in recognising numbers and can explain different ways of partitioning 10. They build on this understanding securely when learning multiplication tables or adding and subtracting numbers.

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The school is further refining some areas of the curriculum so that teachers know exactly what must be taught and when. In these areas, pupils do not always fully understand what they have learned. For example, pupils remember different weather conditions, but struggle to make links across their learning with other subjects.

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Pupils develop leadership skills through their roles as school councillors and playground friends. Older pupils learn about responsible citizenship as they support younger pupils by reading with them. Pupils learn that a small action can have a huge impact on the world. For example, they hold fund raising events to support pupils at a school in Gambia. Pupils learn how to look after their physical and emotional health. They recognise different emotions and understand how breathing can make them feel calm. Pupils know that their teachers will help them if they feel worried or sad.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum areas, the school has not fully identified the most important knowledge and skills that pupils must understand and remember. As a result, assessment is not used effectively to embed knowledge, check understanding or inform teaching. The school should continue its work to further refine the curriculum so that pupils achieve equally well across the whole curriculum.

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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. 15 and 16 October 2024

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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

Co-chairs of governing body Caroline Webber and Gary Wells

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently 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 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the headteacher and the senior leadership team. She met with the local authority representative. She also met with members of the school’s governing body.  Inspectors met with several groups of pupils about their learning.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning, spoke with leaders and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead 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’ interest first.  Throughout the inspection, the inspectors met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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 Inspectors met some parents at the beginning of the day and considered the views expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Hacker Ofsted 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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