Featherby Infant and Nursery School

Featherby Infant and Nursery School

Address: Allington Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 6PD Unique reference number (URN): 145042

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use clear, structured processes to identify pupils’ needs accurately, reviewing provision regularly so that support adapts to pupils’ changing needs. Staff and families contribute to purposeful ‘pupil passports’ that build a shared understanding of pupils’ strengths and barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the full curriculum and opportunities on offer. For example, the introduction of ‘The Nest and Fledglings’ spaces ensures that where pupils need the most tailored support, they receive the right input to help them to access the curriculum. This supports pupils to make effective progress from their starting points. Staff understand pupils’ needs well and apply strategies that promote progress, independence and confidence.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Disadvantaged pupils benefit from leaders' strategic use of additional funding, such as the pupil premium grant, to strengthen key skills such as language development effectively. Pastoral provision is a strength. Targeted support and specialist interventions contribute to a calm, purposeful environment within lessons and improved engagement when learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders promote a highly inclusive culture. They identify needs swiftly and use their expertise to consistently enhance pupils’ education and wellbeing. Leaders rigorously check progress so staff can provide timely support. Strong partnerships with external agencies ensure that barriers to learning are addressed quickly and successfully.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, pupils achieve well. This is reflected in the phonics outcomes at the end of Year 1, which are now in line with the national average outcomes. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) progress well from their starting points. They are supported to access learning and increasingly demonstrate independence and confidence.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across the school, pupils generally develop appropriate knowledge across a broad range of subjects. However, in some areas of the curriculum, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned over time. A love of reading is evident across the school, and most pupils become confident readers by the end of Year 2. Pupils develop a genuine enthusiasm for learning and are keen to talk about the activities they have completed. Typically, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have created a school environment where pupils want to be, so they attend regularly. Leaders’ work has increased expectations of high attendance across the school, starting with the very youngest children in the early years. Attendance now matches national figures for most pupils. Leaders act closely with families to increase attendance where necessary, creating tailored interventions to remove barriers to pupils attending school. Pupils who previously struggled to come to school now attend more frequently. This ensures that pupils benefit from consistent routines and improved access to learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

From the beginning of Nursery Year, children learn the school’s routines and expectations. Positive relationships between staff and pupils underpin the school’s kind, supportive, inclusive ethos. Staff deal with any incidents of bullying or unkindness swiftly and effectively. This results in a nurturing environment where pupils can learn with little disruption. Leaders have worked effectively with external agencies to support the behaviour of pupils with high levels of need. They have introduced effective provision, such as ‘Toast and Talk’ and bespoke starts for those who need it in the mornings. Throughout the school, pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and enthusiastic. Playtimes are joyful, and pupils of all ages play together happily.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff promote a culture of high expectations for all pupils. Leaders have designed an ambitious and coherent curriculum that begins in the early years. They check how well the curriculum is taught and use this to guide improvements. Leaders ensure that staff have the subject knowledge that they need to teach across the curriculum. The school prioritises teaching pupils to become fluent readers, writers and mathematicians. Phonics teaching is precise and consistent from Nursery Year onwards. Pupils learn to read confidently and fluently. Adults model high-quality language and structure discussions carefully so pupils develop the vocabulary they need to access the full curriculum. Staff generally teach the building blocks of knowledge well. Staff tailor learning so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers typically give appropriate feedback to help pupils learn from their mistakes and address misconceptions. However, sometimes, activities in the wider curriculum are not sufficiently well designed to support pupils to learn as well as they could. At times, some staff do not check pupils' understanding of key concepts or intervene quickly enough to close gaps in pupils' learning. Pupils recall more effectively where learning is recalled and reinforced over time.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff and children in the early years enjoy trusting, warm relationships. Well-established routines and a language-rich environment support children’s confidence and communication. Children engage enthusiastically in their learning and practise the important knowledge and skills they need to be ready for key stage 1. Leaders prioritise securing the foundations of knowledge in early reading, writing and mathematics in the early years. Structured approaches such as an early introduction to stories and the use of imagination and targeted provision reinforce key skills. Staff have a relentless focus on identifying what children know and can do at each stage of their learning. Adults model language well and use questioning to extend children’s thinking. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged children. Staff identify and address any gaps in children’s understanding. They address misconceptions through feedback and

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Early years Expected standard

intervention, although the precision of feedback can sometimes vary. Children make clear progress from their starting points. Staff teach phonics effectively throughout the early years, and children secure key knowledge, which they apply in their reading. Many parents engage positively with reading sessions. Transition arrangements are well considered, including enhanced support for children with higher levels of need. The learning environment promotes all areas of development. Positive relationships underpin cooperative play and secure personal, social and emotional development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. They want all pupils to achieve their very best, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged. Leaders prioritise inclusion and make decisions that are in the pupils’ best interests.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make sure that children in the early years get off to a secure start by prioritising the acquisition of reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders and governors understand the school’s context and know what needs to be done to continue to improve the school. They prioritise high-quality professional development. This training supports all staff, including early career teachers and trainees. Leaders ensure it is relevant and aligned to school priorities and enables staff to apply secure knowledge confidently. Opportunities to collaborate across the trust further strengthen staff expertise and contribute to effective practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders take a proactive approach to managing workload. Staff recognise these actions as supportive and well considered. Responsive leadership, dedicated wellbeing provision and flexible working arrangements help staff to feel valued. Leaders build strong relationships with families. Home visits at the start of the early years deepen staff’s understanding of children's needs and strengthen parental engagement. Parents are highly supportive of the school and value the care their children receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance demonstrate strategic understanding of the school and fulfil their statutory duties robustly. Leaders are held to account with effective challenge, balanced with support, that ensures that all decisions made ensure positive outcomes for pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a coherent and appropriate personal development programme across the whole school, starting with the youngest pupils in early years. Leaders respond swiftly to the school’s context and pupils’ changing needs. This supports all pupils to develop confidence, manage their feelings and build positive relationships from an early age. Leaders make adaptations if needed, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those needing pastoral support, to enable them to access the full offer.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad range of experiences that includes enrichment visits, faith experiences, a range of clubs and visits from members of the local community. Pupils value and recall these opportunities, showing positive engagement. Pupils proudly participate in leadership roles such as being on the school council and ‘Eco Warriors’.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The curriculum for relationships education is age appropriate and enables pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe and behave appropriately in social situations. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They demonstrate an appropriate understanding of healthy living and relationships and develop cultural awareness and respect for others. They show positive attitudes towards diversity and can describe inclusive behaviours.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils demonstrate positive characteristics, including respect, cooperation and self- regulation. They understand rules, fairness and how to respect others, supported by consistent modelling from staff. Pupils report feeling supported and able to seek help when needed. This contributes to a positive and supportive school environment. Pupils are able to explain that they are all equal and that if anyone is on their own that they would welcome them to play.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders check participation in additional activities carefully, including for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. The programme supports pupils’ physical and mental health effectively. A range of pastoral support is in place, including wellbeing teams and targeted support.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are known as individuals at Featherby Infant and Nursery School. Staff get to know all pupils and their families well. They do everything possible to ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those from other disadvantaged groups, have a positive experience at school and thrive.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from leaders’ belief that all pupils should develop a love of reading. Pupils are exposed to high-quality texts that spark a love of books, which is evident throughout the school. Leaders liken pupils’ knowledge at the beginning of their time at Featherby to a ‘hungry caterpillar’ and aim that by the time they leave, their knowledge is soaring, like a butterfly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils feel safe and trust adults to help them with any worries. Pupils play cooperatively and include others, so playtimes feel busy and carefree. Children understand the school’s expectations for positive behaviour from the early years. Pupils understand what bullying is and trust staff to act when concerns arise. When pupils need support to manage their own behaviour, staff act quickly to provide this.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are excited by their learning and are keen to share what they know. They benefit from a range of other experiences beyond the curriculum, such as watching ducklings hatch from eggs. Pupils generally achieve well at this school and are ready for the next stage of their education. Leaders design support for pupils with SEND effectively. This helps pupils to overcome barriers to learning and wellbeing. Although teaching is generally clear, some subjects in the wider curriculum are not taught as effectively as they could be. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their understanding, so they do not build their knowledge across

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Team inspectors:

Katie Hancock, His Majesty's Inspector Lenny Williams, Ofsted Inspector the wider curriculum as effectively as they could. Leaders prioritise improving attendance and are sharply focused on ensuring that pupils attend regularly.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop systems to ensure that the curriculum is implemented in line with their intentions so that pupils build secure knowledge and skills cumulatively across the full breadth of the curriculum. Leaders should strengthen staff’s expertise in making accurate assessments to deliver precise and targeted feedback in foundational skills to help pupils improve their work and develop increasing accuracy over time.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Maritime 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), Nick Osborne, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tiffany Beck.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders, councillors, trustees, the CEO and other trust leaders during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with staff, parents and carers and pupils during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The number of education, health and care plans has increased from 0.99% to 7.1%.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. National average: 26.3%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 6.2% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.2% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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