Baddow Hall Infant School

Inspection of Baddow Hall Infant School New Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 7QZ

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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 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Baddow Hall Infant School. Pupils say they feel safe and can speak with a trusted adult about any worries or concerns. Pupils are kind and respectful towards each other. Starting in Reception, staff are caring and nurturing and help children to learn the school routines quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils to achieve well across the curriculum. There is a particular focus on ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are as successful in this as their peers. Pupils enjoy learning. They are enthusiastic during lessons and like to share what they have been learning recently. The school supports pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They understand the school’s expectations. In lessons, pupils engage in learning, listen to adult instruction and try their best. They celebrate each other’s achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils take part in the broad range of clubs provided by the school. These help to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils look forward to the trips and the experiences that help to bring the curriculum to life. Pupils’ personal development is well considered. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Wider experiences improve pupils’ academic, personal and social skills. These provide pupils with deliberate opportunities to explore their place in the community.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that begins in the early years. It sets out what pupils will learn and how this develops across the school.

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

Staff use the agreed systems that are in place to promptly identify pupils with SEND. The school works tirelessly to ensure pupils get the precise support they need. It works well with parents to strengthen this work. Recently, there has been a higher intake of pupils with SEND. In response to this, the school has developed its provision to ensure that learning can be adapted well and individualised where needed. This is evident in the recent introduction of the nurture space, the ‘Butterfly Room’. In this space, pupils receive intensive support to help them prepare to learn as successfully as possible. This enables pupils to make rapid progress from significantly lower starting points.

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

Staff are skilled at teaching the school’s phonics programme. They have strong subject knowledge and ensure that, from Reception, children learn the phonics code and develop into confident, fluent readers. The school quickly identifies pupils who need support to catch up and keep up. It puts effective support in place. As a result, pupils make strong progress. The emphasis on phonics helps pupils to develop a love of reading. They enjoy stories and confidently talk about stories they like and dislike.

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

The school focuses on pupils being able to communicate effectively. For example, the agreed process of ‘talk tactics’ gives pupils the chance to talk about their learning. Pupils 4 and 5 February 2025

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use these to share their ideas or build on others’ ideas when in lessons. This supports pupils to develop vocabulary and use it correctly in context. However, in some subjects, teachers are not checking that pupils are using the vocabulary that has been modelled. Pupils often find it hard to recall subject-specific vocabulary. This is also the case in Reception. While staff engage well with children and develop positive relationships, interactions do not always fully support children to develop key vocabulary.

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During lessons, staff model learning well. They check what pupils know and can do and use key questions to check pupils’ understanding. However, in some subjects, the school does not check how well pupils have remembered previous learning. This means that, at times, pupils struggle to build on this and do not recall what they have learned.

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The range of wider experiences to enhance pupils’ personal development across the year are well thought out. As a result, pupils learn to be curious, resilient and respectful. From Reception, children are encouraged to ask questions and explore the world around them. They respect that everyone is different because they learn about and appreciate other cultures and religions. Pupils become aware of how they can help others in the community, such as raising money for selected charities. Pupils help and support each other to make the school a nicer place in which to learn. For example, the school council members proudly talk about how they are actively improving the school with an annual project.

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The school tracks attendance with rigour. It identifies pupils and families who are not in line with the high expectations. The school works closely with outside agencies to seek support for families who need it in order to improve attendance.

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The school is constantly making improvements so that pupils get the best quality of education. Governors check this and ask questions to satisfy themselves that pupils are learning well.

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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, gaps in pupils’ understanding of vocabulary and retention of prior knowledge are not identified quickly. This means that, occasionally, pupils are not fully ready to learn new content and find it harder to commit knowledge to their long-term memory. The school should ensure that staff identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding and vocabulary and ensure that key learning is retained over time. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a breakfast club, and this is run by the school.  The school is not using any alternative provision at this time.

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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 taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders to discuss the school’s curriculum and its work in the curriculum, behaviour and attendance. The lead inspector met with the governors, including the chair of governors, to gather information about the school’s work.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. 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 pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspectors also spoke to some parents in person.

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 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.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Danny Wagstaff Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 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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