Selston Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Selston Church of England Infant and Nursery School Nottingham Road, Selston, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 6DH

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The acting headteacher of this school is Lynette Hardwick. This school is part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO) Chris Moodie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Hunter. There is also an executive headteacher, Joanna Redfern, who is responsible for this school and one other.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Selston Church of England Infant and Nursery School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Selston CofE Infant and Nursery School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in the safe, nurturing environment of this aspirational school. Staff know pupils well and have their best interests at heart. Young children settle quickly. They thrive in the school’s vibrant nursery thanks to the high level of care provided by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like spending time with each other. They play happily together and say making friends is easy at Selston. ‘Playground pals’ are on hand at breaktimes to check that everyone is okay. Pupils behave well. They try hard and listen attentively most of the time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision is to ‘open hearts and minds’. To this end, pupils experience a range of enrichment activities designed to broaden their horizons. In daily assemblies, pupils come to understand the school’s values of love, service, forgiveness, truth and endurance. For example, pupils know that service is about treating everyone with kindness. Developing pupils’ independence is a key aim in all classes. Staff empower pupils to do things for themselves. Pupils enjoy independent learning and take pride in completing tasks on their own.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school, especially the new nursery provision for two-year-olds. They praise the family feel that has been created at Selston.

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

Pupils benefit from a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum. The school has thought carefully about what children need to know and do in all areas of learning and all subjects. There is a clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary from nursery through to Year 2. Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1, which prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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

From the moment they start in the early years, children are immersed in a world of books. While at Selston, pupils experience a diverse range of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, songs and rhyme. The school has chosen texts specifically to instil a love of reading and to develop pupils’ understanding of the world. Staff deliver much of the school’s curriculum through stories. This approach makes learning accessible and enjoyable. Most staff are experts in developing children’s communication and language skills. Staff teach phonics well. Any pupil who falls behind in learning to read gets additional support straight away.

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

The school identifies any additional needs that pupils may have swiftly. Staff adapt their lessons well so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same learning as their peers and achieve well. Staff have good subject knowledge. They question skilfully, encouraging pupils to think deeply and work things out by themselves. Staff are knowledgeable about the importance of play-based learning in the early years. They understand how to support children to learn through play and how to help them collaborate with others. Staff also make effective use of images, presenting them alongside important words to support pupils’ understanding of language. 14 and 15 January 2025

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Teachers check closely on pupils’ progress. However, at times, they do not use this information well enough. On occasion, staff do not move children in the early years or pupils in key stage 1 on to new learning when they are ready.

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Pupils treat each other with kindness and respect. Staff model the school’s values so that pupils know what is expected of them. Incidents of misbehaviour are rare. The school is taking effective action to improve attendance. It ensures that parents understand the importance of their children attending every day and how absence has a negative impact on pupils’ progress. Staff intervene early to get to the bottom of the reasons for pupils having time off school. This work is leading to a significant reduction in persistent absence.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is woven into all aspects of school life. In personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons, pupils learn how to be a good friend, as well as how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by many curriculum-linked trips, visitors and experiences that bring learning to life. Highlights include visiting the University of Nottingham, learning to play the ukulele and the Year 2 residential. There is also a range of extra-curricular clubs.

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Local governors and trustees work in partnership with school leaders, providing effective challenge and support. Staff enjoy working at the school. They appreciate the consideration given to their well-being and workload. They make the most of the high- quality opportunities to improve their practice provided by the trust. Those in the early stages of their teaching career prosper thanks to the support and guidance they are given at Selston.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, pupils do not learn more demanding curriculum content when they are ready for it. As a result, some pupils do not progress through the school’s ambitious curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that all learning is well matched to pupils’ age and stage of development.

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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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Headteacher Lynette Hardwick (Acting headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Selston Church of England Infant and Nursery School converted to become an academy school in December 2022 as part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, Selston CofE Infant and Nursery School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in October 2024. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The acting headteacher took up her role in December 2023.  The school’s nursery has provision for two-year-old children.  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 14 and 15 January 2025

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(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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 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 taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in English, science, geography, religious education and PSHE.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher and the acting headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, the early years, behaviour, attendance and personal

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development.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors examined a range of school documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, as well as the school improvement plan.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 read. Inspectors met with groups of pupils from different year groups.  The lead inspector met with the CEO of the trust and the trust’s academy improvement director.  The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body and a director from the trust board.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the results of Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ben O’Connell Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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