Carrington Infant School

Inspection of Carrington Infant School 2 Chapel Road, Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP10 9AA

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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 thrive at this highly inclusive school. They spoke about the school’s motto, ‘Together we sparkle and shine’, with enthusiasm. Pupils behave positively. They are calm and polite towards each other and staff. Pupils uphold the school’s values deeply, such as honesty and respect. They are very clear about how they can show kindness towards each other. Pupils are keen to make everyone feel included. A typical pupil comment was, ‘everyone is equal here'.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. They know that they have trusted adults that they can turn to if they have any worries. Pupils learn about safety well. For example, in the Reception Year, children learn to ride a bicycle and in Year 2 pupils take part in swimming lessons. Pupils appreciate the range of opportunities on offer to them such as dance, art and music activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn consistently well. This is particularly strong in the school’s specialist resource provision. Where necessary, staff adapt their delivery of the curriculum skilfully and use external specialists to help pupils overcome potential barriers to their learning. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils are secure in their reading, writing and mathematics learning. They are well prepared for their next stage of education

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum. From the beginning of Reception Year, the school has identified the key knowledge and skills that it wants children to learn. Within lessons, teachers support pupils to build their learning systematically towards clear end points matched to the National Curriculum. This ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next steps in learning.

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

In most subjects, staff training and professional development is effective. Staff are increasing their subject knowledge steadily. In some subjects, staff use questioning and subject-specific language well to strengthen pupils’ understanding. For example, in phonics and early reading staff use terms such as 'digraph' and ‘trigraph’ skilfully to help pupils strengthen their reading and spelling skills. However, some training has not yet had the impact the school intends. Some subjects in the curriculum are not delivered as effectively. Some activity choices are not matched to what pupils need. At times, staff do not check pupils’ understanding consistently. As a result, some pupils do not build on their learning as effectively as they could.

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

Children in the early years learn well. The school prioritises children’s personal, social and emotional development as well as their communication and language. Children are highly focused and engage in activities confidently. They take turns, develop independence and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. The school makes effective use of its outdoor areas. For example, a snack shop is used purposefully to help develop children’s speaking and listening skills. By the end of early years, children are ready for Year 1 and 15 and 16 October 2024

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beyond. In the school’s specialist provision, ‘ARP’, pupils with SEND are expertly supported. Pupils develop the confidence and skills that they need.

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Reading is prioritised. The school’s approach to phonics and early reading is robust and effective. Children begin to learn phonics from the start of the Reception Year. Staff use their training adeptly. They check what pupils have learned systematically. If any pupils fall behind, they receive timely interventions and catch up with their peers quickly. Books pupils use to help them learn to read are matched closely to the sounds that they know.

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Pupils develop a love of books. They enjoy ambitious stories that feature throughout the curriculum. Pupils read regularly. They relish visits to the local library and listening to visitors, parents and carers sharing stories each week. Pupils grow to enjoy ambitious texts that that the school chooses for them deliberately and in carefully considered ways that promote ambition and celebrate positive role models in literature.

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The school’s strong personal, social and health education curriculum helps pupils to develop confidence and resilience. The ‘Carrington Bear’ mascot is used creatively to support pupils’ learning about different emotions as well as other aspects of the curriculum. Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests such as through dance, music and sports clubs. They learn about healthy and active lifestyles. Resources such as the school’s outdoor running track help pupils to improve on their own performances and develop resilience. Disadvantaged pupils, in particular, benefit from targeted extra-curricular events.

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Pupils attend school regularly. The school analyses attendance information closely and acts quickly to work with pupils and families who may need additional help to attend consistently. Attendance has increasingly improved over time.

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Parents appreciate the commitment shown by the whole staff team. Governors support and challenge the school appropriately. They know the school’s unique characteristics, including areas that could be strengthened further. Staff feel incredibly well supported by the school in terms of their workload and well-being. Staff, pupils and parents are happy. One parent summarised the thoughts of many others, saying, ‘Staff do everything they can to make the school the best it can be for all children’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, staff training has not yet had the impact that the school intends. Some activity choices do not help children learn the intended curriculum as effectively as possible. This means that a small proportion of children are not learning as well as they could. The school should ensure that the staff training is effective, and that the 15 and 16 October 2024

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curriculum is implemented consistently well across all subjects so that pupils learn securely.  At times, staff do not check what pupils know and can do effectively. This means that some pupils, in some subjects, do not understand securely before new learning is introduced. The school should ensure that staff identify and address pupils’ errors and misconceptions to enable pupils to build their learning more effectively over time.

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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

Chair of the governing body Nadia Zachary and Jane Wright (co-chairs)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision  The school federated with Carrington Junior School in September 2024. The schools now have a single governing body who have responsibility over both schools.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupil with SEND. The school caters for up to eight pupils with autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. There are currently seven pupils on roll aged six to seven years old.

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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. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders within the school and wider staff. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and physical education. For each deep dive, where possible, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of

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pupils’ work.  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 considered the views of parents shared through the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View as well as a letter sent to the school. They gathered the views of pupils and staff through the online pupil and staff surveys, as well as through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings, local authority visit reports and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Britnell 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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