Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School Heathfield Avenue, Dover, Kent CT16 2PB

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Outcome

Shatterlocks 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 Melanie O’Dell. This school is part of Samphire Star Education 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), David Meades, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ryan Davies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils bounce happily into school each morning. They enjoy learning and playing with their friends. They look forward to the exciting range of events the school provides. Within this inspection, pupils were enthusiastically preparing for Victory in Europe Day celebrations. Staff get to know each pupil and their families very well. Families are very appreciative of all the ways in which the school supports and includes them in school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has consistently high expectations for every pupil’s achievement. Staff know reading is vital to pupils’ educational success and ensure pupils get off to a strong start on their reading journeys. Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and at playtimes. This is because staff ensure consistent routines and expectations from the start. Pupils are active, enthusiastic learners. They are attentive to their teachers and take pride in their high achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Thinking of others becomes second nature for pupils as a result of the nurturing environment the school provides. Pupils contribute to the school in a range of ways. They proudly take on classroom helper jobs, for example, collecting fruit and milk for their classes. An active pupil council takes a key role in further improving aspects of school life, driven by their strong sense of fairness. 7 and 8 May 2025

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum that has been carefully designed to meet the needs of pupils. Leaders at all levels ensure that the school’s curriculum offer takes the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) into account carefully. In early years, there is a strong focus on communication and interaction. Stories, rhymes and songs are woven through children’s learning. Staff have been well trained to support children through talk and questioning. This helps children to develop their own speaking and listening well and to begin to build their vocabularies.

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

Reading is a top priority for the school. Children in the Reception year quickly begin learning the sounds that letters represent so that they get off to a strong start in reading. Once pupils are ready, the school ensures that they have ongoing practice reading books that match the sounds they know. This helps pupils to become fluent and confident readers. Pupils who need additional help to learn to read are quickly identified and effectively supported. The school maintains a strong focus on developing pupils’ love of reading through reading aloud and encouraging discussion of stories.

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

The school has further strengthened its curriculum and approaches to teaching, in the foundation subjects. Teachers generally have strong subject knowledge and explain learning clearly. Consequently, pupils develop a range of knowledge across the subjects. In some subjects, the curriculum is sometimes very broad and wide ranging. This makes it harder for teachers to identify the most important knowledge and understanding for pupils, and check that they have remembered it over time This means that sometimes pupils do not gain and remember the key knowledge they need for successful future learning, 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 strong systems to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified and met. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life, so that they achieve well, and have a very positive experience of school.

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

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted and supported across the school. Pupils quickly learn to play kindly alongside their peers. As a result of the consistent expectations of staff, pupils rarely need reminders about what is expected. This means that teachers can concentrate on teaching and learning time is maximised. Since the pandemic, there has been more pupil absence. This school takes effective action to address this so the number of pupils who are persistently absent is reducing.

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

Pupils’ personal development is very well considered. The school has developed a programme for personal, social and health education. This has been carefully personalised so that it meets the needs of pupils and their families. Pupils learn to keep themselves safe and to get help when they need it. The school carefully utilises opportunities, such as visits from the fire brigade, to begin to teach pupils about careers. Pupils have a range of opportunities to build their cultural capital. For example, they visit a wide range of local historical sites to further support their understanding of the school’s curriculum. 7 and 8 May 2025

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Leaders at all levels share a strong commitment to the school and its community. Staff appreciate the support and development provided by the school. They benefit from strategic working with other schools within the trust to further strengthen and develop the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is too broad and wide ranging. This makes it harder for teachers to focus their teaching on the most important knowledge and skills that pupils need to secure for later success. The school should review and refine the curriculum to clarify this important knowledge they want pupils to gain securely so that teaching can be even more impactful.

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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 outstanding 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 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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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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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 7 and 8 May 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Samphire Star Education Trust.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The chair of trustees was appointed in July 2022.  The school uses no alternative provision  The school operates before- and after-school care for pupils.

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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. 7 and 8 May 2025

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 During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspector met with the trust’s CEO and the chair of trustees.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ interest first.

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Inspection team

Alice Roberts, lead inspector 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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