St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School New Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 3DW

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 15 and 16 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Alphege’s is a harmonious and welcoming school community. Relationships between staff and pupils are exceptionally strong. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe in school. They describe the school as ‘caring’ and a ‘place of trust’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond to the school’s high expectations of them with enthusiasm. They achieve well and are fully prepared for the next stage of their education. From the Nursery Year onwards, pupils are curious and independent learners. They concentrate and work hard in lessons. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning in different subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. Classrooms are calm and productive. In the playground, pupils enjoy playing together. Pupils in Year 2 act as positive role models. They voluntarily play with and help younger pupils during social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers hold the school in high regard, with one parent representing the views of many by calling it ‘a school where children thrive’. Pupils delight in being selected for the ‘magical moments’ feature in the newsletter. This feature celebrates their achievements. The school successfully extends pupils’ interests through clubs. These clubs include musical theatre, gymnastics, choir and board games. A carefully planned programme of trips to museums, farms and theatres brings learning to life effectively.

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

Since the last inspection, leaders, governors and staff have worked in partnership with the local authority and diocese to secure significant improvements across the school.

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

The curriculum is ambitious. It sets out the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils are expected to learn in each subject. Teachers use a range of strategies to check pupils’ understanding so that any gaps in learning can be addressed swiftly. This helps pupils to build on what they know over time and to achieve well by the end of Year 2.

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

High-quality training helps staff to deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers are adept at breaking down learning into manageable steps and presenting ideas clearly. Well-chosen activities help pupils to practise. For instance, children in Reception Year used different fruits and paint to create a print of an animal they had seen at a safari park. In Year 2, pupils manipulated paper to create a textured effect for an Aboriginal-inspired sculpture.

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

The school has a strong reading culture. Pupils learn to read with fluency and confidence. Staff deliver phonics expertly and consistently. Pupils who need extra help with reading are identified quickly. Staff give them the right support to catch up. When pupils finish the phonics programme, they continue with daily reading sessions. These sessions help to broaden pupils’ vocabulary and their knowledge of the world. ‘Evening story telling’ sessions and the ‘literature on the lawn’ event promote reading for pleasure effectively. 15 and 16 July 2025

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The school’s approach to helping pupils secure writing transcription skills is not fully embedded. As a result, some children in early years struggle with fine motor control. In key stage 1, some pupils have not mastered letter formation and handwriting fully.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) progress well through the curriculum. The school has robust systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Staff use a range of strategies to ensure that pupils learn what they should. Pupils with the most complex needs benefit from personalised adaptations to help them access the curriculum. The school works successfully with families and external professionals to provide pupils with the support they need.

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Children in the early years and pupils in Years 1 and 2 show excellent levels of interest and independence in their learning. They are calm and empathetic. This is because staff help them to understand different emotions. Staff also help pupils to reflect before responding to a situation. Rates of attendance are high. Staff work closely with individual families to overcome any barriers to regular attendance.

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Opportunities for pupils’ personal development are excellent and carefully considered. Pupils learn important road safety skills and how to keep safe online. They show respect for different faiths and cultures. Thoughtful stories help pupils to talk about issues like fairness and kindness. Pupils take pride in helping out in their school. For example, some assist adults at lunchtime. Many enjoy taking care of the woodland area and planting wildflowers to support bees and butterflies. These activities help pupils to make a difference.

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Governors are committed and knowledgeable. They provide an effective level of support and challenge to the school. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s impact on pupils. The school is considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff value being part of a cohesive and nurturing team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to teaching pupils to write is not fully embedded. As a result, some pupils do not secure early transcription skills, such as pencil grip, correct spacing and letter formation. The school should strengthen its teaching of writing so that all pupils become fluent writers. 15 and 16 July 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). 15 and 16 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sam Smith (executive headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a hard federation of two schools. The executive headteacher and special educational needs coordinator work across both schools.  The executive headteacher joined the school in April 2023.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Birmingham. The last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in February 2020.

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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. 15 and 16 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, special educational needs coordinator, other leaders and a group of teachers.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with representatives of the local authority and of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and design technology. 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.

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 The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  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’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents expressed through Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. The inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Usha Devi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Devinder Riat Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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