Alexandra Infants' School

Inspection of Alexandra Infants’ School Melville Road, Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST3 4PZ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Adele Lupton. This school is part of the New Guild 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), Karen Peters, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Louise Eagle. 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and cheerful. They enjoy their lessons. Pupils feel safe in school. They know their teachers will always look after them. The school has high expectations for pupils. Nothing is considered a barrier to learning for any group of pupils. Pupils work hard in lessons and most reach the high expectations. Pupils typically behave well. They are polite, respectful and well mannered. Pupils’ relationships with adults support their learning well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes the personal development of pupils an exceptionally high priority. The Alexandra Promise gives pupils opportunities to access life skills and opportunities which go far beyond the academic. The school provides a vast range of enrichment opportunities in a carefully planned, highly structured and evaluated way. The school identifies pupils who have particular talents. It then works to enhance these further. Staff encourage pupils to have their own views. Pupils learn how to become extremely responsible and active citizens, both in school and the local community. Pupils have a real impact in the local community. They contributed towards the new Mosque that was built for the community, and this also means the ladies then had their own facilities. Pupils later visited the Mosque to see the impact of their work.

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

Children get off to a flying start to their education in Nursery and Reception. The curriculum in the early years is carefully thought out. The school has identified that children start school with gaps in communication and language. A high proportion of children join school with a wide range of different special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils also join other year groups at different times during the year. The curriculum is language-rich and designed to help close these communication and language gaps. An increasing number of children are well prepared to move into Year 1.

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

Teaching reading is a high priority. A programme for teaching phonics has been carefully selected by the school because it meets the needs of the pupils effectively. The school tracks carefully how well pupils are learning their phonics. This helps staff to identify quickly any pupils falling behind. High-quality extra support provided for these pupils helps them to catch up speedily. Those pupils who have been at the school from the start, and those without SEND, quickly become confident and fluent readers.

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

Staff working with pupils with SEND have a deep understanding of their needs. The school identifies pupils with SEND early and accurately. Highly personalised support is then put in place. The school adapts the curriculum to meet pupils’ specific needs as required. Staff are adept at understanding the differences between pupils with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language and provide strategies to support both sets of pupils. Pupils benefit well from this extra support.

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

The curriculum is carefully designed to build on what pupils have learned before. This is helping them remember key knowledge over time. Teachers use checks on learning to see how well pupils can recall what they have learned. Now and again, the school does not 1 and 2 July 2025

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ensure that subject-specific vocabulary is explained with enough precision. This means some pupils are unclear about the exact meaning of key words, which can make it more difficult for them to grasp new concepts fully. The school’s expectations for behaviour are not consistently upheld in lessons. This means that some pupils miss key explanations or instructions, which can hinder their learning.

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The school is doing all it reasonably can to improve attendance. It is tenacious in its approach to ensuring pupils attend regularly. Attendance is a high priority. The school carefully analyses attendance to identify those who need extra support. It actively seeks opportunities to work with others to strengthen its approach. These include engagement with the attendance hub and collaboration with the local Imam, who helps raise awareness about the importance of regular school attendance. The number of pupils regularly absent is reducing because of the work of the school.

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Opportunities to develop pupils’ personal development abound. The school gives pupils exceptional opportunities they would not otherwise experience. For example, pupils work with law enforcement officers to help reduce parking problems. Trips broaden pupils’ horizons and build their resilience. These include visits to a local museum and the Houses of Parliament. Pupils also take part in dance performances at a local theatre.

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Trustees receive information helping them check on the work of the school. They check diligently on how well all groups of pupils are learning, providing support and challenge equally. The school carefully considers the well-being and workload of staff. Parents are positive about the work of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, the school does not ensure that teachers explain subject-specific vocabulary with enough clarity. As a result, pupils are not always secure in their understanding of key terms. The school should ensure teachers consistently explain important vocabulary with precision so that pupils can access the curriculum and build on their learning over time.  In some lessons, the school’s behaviour policy is not applied consistently. This affects the learning of some pupils. The school should ensure expectations for behaviour are reinforced consistently so that pupils can learn without disruption.

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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 1 and 2 July 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). 1 and 2 July 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The New Guild Multi Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternate 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have 1 and 2 July 2025

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taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, representatives of the trust, including the CEO, trustees and governors, a school improvement partner and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, computing and design and technology. They met with subject leaders to discuss 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 scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school. This included improvement plans, leaders’ self-evaluations and documents relating to behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. They spoke to parents and carers on the school playground and received a

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letter from a parent.  Inspectors took into consideration responses to the staff survey.  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

Declan McCauley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Hayley Clarke Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 July 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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