Victoria Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Victoria Infant and Nursery School Islay Place, Workington, Cumbria CA14 3XB

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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 Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since January 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 7 and 8 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school holds high ambition for pupils to achieve well. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard in lessons and make the most of the opportunities that the school provides for them. Across much of the curriculum, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Part of the school’s vision is for pupils to believe in themselves and to respect others. Pupils demonstrate this in different ways. For example, children in the early years show confidence when taking on new challenges. Pupils with SEND demonstrate independence when learning. Across the school, pupils have a strong conviction that everyone should be treated with respect. This contributes to creating a school where pupils feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of behaviour. Many pupils strive to meet these. This begins from the moment children join the two-year-old provision. ‘Class VIPs’ support their peers by modelling the school’s expectations of behaviour. During lunchtime, pupils take on responsibilities such as sweeping the floor and stacking the trays. Pupils also contribute to the wider community through activities such as litter picks in the local area. These experiences help them to understand what it means to be a positive member of society.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. The school has considered the important knowledge that pupils should learn across the curriculum, beginning in the two-year-old provision. Staff benefit from a range of training. This has helped to establish a very consistent approach to how the curriculum is delivered in reading, writing and mathematics. In these subjects, staff readily identify and address any gaps in knowledge that pupils may have. They design learning activities that build on what pupils already know. In these subjects, pupils leave the infant school well prepared for Year 3.

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

There remain a small number of other subjects where some learning activities do not build pupils’ understanding of the key knowledge set out in the curriculum. This includes some of the important vocabulary. As a result, in these subjects, pupils’ knowledge is insecure, and they do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school has effective systems to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. This begins in the early years, where many staff are experts in educating young children, including two- year-olds. This knowledge helps staff to identify and support children with SEND from a young age effectively. Across the school, skilled staff and well-chosen resources help these pupils to successfully access the curriculum.

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

The school places a high priority on ensuring that pupils become fluent readers by the time they leave Year 2. Knowledgeable staff teach the phonics programme as the school intends. Pupils quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. Effective approaches to the 7 and 8 May 2025

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teaching of phonics help pupils to become confident readers. Parents and carers shared with inspectors that they value the information that they receive from the school that helps them support their child’s reading at home.

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Children begin to develop a love of books from the early years. Staff regularly share captivating books that introduce children to new and interesting words. As pupils begin to read books independently, teachers ensure that these closely match the phonics knowledge that pupils have learned. This means that pupils experience success when reading and the pleasure that comes from a good book.

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Children in the early years readily follow established classroom routines and respond well to instructions from staff. Pupils understand the school rules and work hard to realise them. This helps to create many calm and purposeful classrooms. The school has recently put in place a range of additional strategies linked to attendance. These are beginning to further reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school.

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Pupils experience a range of opportunities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils know what to do if they see something online that upsets them. They understand what they should do in order to cross the road safely. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and understand the importance of having a balanced diet. They benefit from a range of educational visits, such as residential trips and going to the theatre.

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Governors are effective in the way that they support and challenge the school. They work in close collaboration with the school to bring about improvements. The school is considerate of staff’s workload and well-being when making these improvements. Staff value the support that they receive, which helps them ensure pupils get off to a positive start in their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, some of the learning activities that pupils experience do not build up their understanding of the important knowledge, including vocabulary. When this is the case, pupils’ knowledge is insecure, and they do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to design learning activities that sufficiently cover the curriculum key content so that pupils achieve well in these subjects. 7 and 8 May 2025

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How can I feedback 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 feedback 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). 7 and 8 May 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 January 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Victoria Infant School is part of Victoria School. Victoria School is a federation that includes this school and Victoria Junior School.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.  The school provides educational provision for two-year-old children.  The school does not currently make use of 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. 7 and 8 May 2025

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, geography and science. 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.  Inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of

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governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Craig Dewar-Willox Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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