Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School Bilton Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex SS7 2HQ

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Outcome

Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Lucy Fynn. The school is a single academy trust run by Hadleigh Infants and Nursery School (Academy) and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Michael Jones.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils happily attend Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School. They learn the school values and understand that ‘everyone is welcome’. Positive relationships between staff and pupils create a safe space. In this environment, pupils feel secure and comfortable sharing their worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Younger children in the early years follow the school rules well. They understand the routines and how to follow them effectively. This creates a calm atmosphere that reduces distractions, which enables pupils to concentrate well on the learning tasks. Combined with stimulating activities, this ensures that pupils are actively involved in their learning. This helps them to develop key knowledge and skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In Year 1 and Year 2, most pupils behave well and understand the importance of good behaviour. They enjoy learning and socialising with their peers. Playtimes and learning times are happy and fun. Those who find it more challenging to manage their feelings receive tailored support from skilled staff, and their behaviour improves over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations, and pupils achieve well across the curriculum. They remember important subject knowledge. Additionally, pupils develop a well-rounded vocabulary. This is because teachers provide clear explanations of new words and demonstrate how to use them. 23 and 24 April 2025

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

The school has put in place an ambitious curriculum that has been designed carefully. School staff have mapped out what pupils need to learn and when, across all subjects. In many subjects, teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They use this expertise to explain concepts clearly to pupils, supporting their understanding effectively. Often, teachers use the same clear methods and routines. This means pupils complete tasks confidently and, as a result, retain new knowledge.

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

Staff ably prepare children in the early years for the next stage of their education. For instance, children in the Nursery Year show independence when completing tasks and following instructions. Similarly, in Reception, children demonstrate a secure understanding of phonics and early mathematical knowledge. This builds a strong base for future learning.

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

School staff ensure that pupils remember many new concepts. They help pupils to make meaningful connections between their learning. However, in some subjects, staff are developing new ways to check pupils’ understanding. In these subjects, teachers do not use this information to build effectively on what pupils know and can do. This hinders some pupils’ understanding.

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

The school’s highest priority is helping pupils to learn to read. In Nursery, children learn to share and enjoy books, rhymes and songs. This is important because these foundations help them to become confident readers as they grow older. Skilled staff teach pupils the basics of reading well. Pupils practise essential skills, such as blending and decoding, for as long as they need. Teachers check pupils’ phonics knowledge accurately. They then provide targeted and effective extra support for any pupils who need help to keep up. Across the school, pupils develop a love of reading.

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

The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff understand individual pupils’ needs. They use tailored strategies to help pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum. Pupils with SEND make progress across the curriculum in line with their peers. The school collaborates with families and outside experts where necessary. This builds a strong support system, helping pupils with SEND to thrive.

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

The school communicates its age-appropriate behaviour expectations in a way that ensures understanding. Pupils generally behave well. Children in the early years show that they can ‘give and take’ with their peers. Across the school, pupils display empathy, often supporting one another in their activities. This creates a supportive environment that pupils love to be part of.

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

Pupils learn to understand and respect people’s differences through a well-planned curriculum and using stories. These help young children understand complex ideas. Staff help pupils build positive values, like kindness. Pupils show these when they interact with each other. Pupils take on extra responsibilities. For example, they help in the classroom 23 and 24 April 2025

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or become a school council member. These support pupils in playing a part in the school community.

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Leaders and trustees benefit from the training they receive, which develops the skills they need to carry out their duties effectively. They understand the pressures that staff face and are considerate of staff’s well-being. However, some trustees are new to their roles. While they benefit from working alongside experienced colleagues, some trustees do not have a secure understanding of the impact of the school’s work, for example how leaders’ actions make the difference intended. This prevents trustees from fully holding leaders to account.

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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, teachers do not use their checks on what pupils know and remember effectively. Subsequent learning does not take into account pupils’ prior knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time in these subjects, and this slows the progress they make across the curriculum. The school should ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform future learning.  Some trustees do not have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for improvement for the school. This prevents them from robustly holding school leaders to account for their actions. The trust should ensure that trustees develop their expertise further so that they can hold leaders fully to account for the school’s performance.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 23 and 24 April 2025

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date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of trustees Christopher Michael Jones

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in headteacher since the previous inspection.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other leaders and staff. They also met with representatives from the board of trustees, including the chair of trustees and a representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered 23 and 24 April 2025

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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