South Wootton Infant School

South Wootton Infant School

Address: 9 Church Lane, South Wootton, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 3LJ Unique reference number (URN): 120903

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils attend school well, reflecting their positive attitudes towards school. Leaders check attendance carefully and ensure they have the information they need to spot changes. The school takes a support-first approach. Leaders’ positive relationships with parents and carers help staff understand any challenges that pupils may face to attending school. This enables leaders to take timely action to provide support or, when necessary, challenge attendance that risks falling below expectations. This approach works well. Overall, pupils' rates of attendance are above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is low.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have established a mostly effective approach to managing behaviour across the school. Built on positive relationships, staff generally use their training to apply procedures for managing behaviour in line with leaders’ expectations. Leaders have put further professional learning in place to make sure that behaviour expectations are embedded more consistently throughout the school. Based on the school’s simple rules, ‘be safe, be respectful, be learners,’ most pupils follow these well. As a result, lessons are calm and conducive to learning. Occasionally, some pupils disengage from their learning, but staff typically re-engage them quickly, minimising disruption. Some pupils require a different approach, and these pupils are positively supported.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years provides a firm foundation for children. It prepares them well for their future learning. Staff have cultivated positive relationships with parents, carers and previous settings so they understand children’s needs as soon as they start school. The needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well understood. Staff adapt the curriculum well to support them.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum is carefully planned to balance play and provides children with well ‑ structured, adult ‑ led sessions that lay important foundations for their learning. Teachers prioritise the teaching of early reading and phonics. Therefore, children learn their letter sounds quickly and successfully. An additional focus on teaching early writing and letter formation gives children a solid start, which prepares them well for future learning. Children engage in well ‑ structured activities that help them practise and consolidate these skills in the well ‑ resourced environment.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff and children interact positively. Staff use approaches such as ‘my turn, your turn’ to engage children in conversation to support their communication and language development. Consequently, children talk confidently and engage positively with both staff and their peers. Overall, the early years provides a nurturing, inclusive and well ‑ structured start to children’s education, preparing them well for Year 1 and beyond.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know pupils and their families well. They understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Leaders use embedded school systems to identify the changing needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Leaders engage proactively with parents, carers and external agencies to secure the support pupils need.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify barriers to learning and put actions in place to reduce them. These strategies are suitable, so pupils are typically ready to learn. They review and update these strategies regularly. Leaders provide training and support to help staff develop the expertise needed to enable pupils with SEND to learn alongside their peers, but this practice is not yet fully embedded. The support provided for pupils who learn an adapted, bespoke curriculum is effective.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school uses additional funding in a focused way to support disadvantaged pupils. Leaders identify pupils who need support with their emotional needs. This funding has strengthened the school’s capacity to provide wellbeing support for those pupils who need it.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils grow through a well ‑ organised personal development programme. They talk enthusiastically and confidently about how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know how to behave online and understand the importance of parental controls to ensure they only access suitable content. Pupils understand the importance of having a healthy mind. They learn about different emotions and can express how they feel in a variety of ways. Pupils who need specific support with their wellbeing are well supported by the school’s trained pastoral team.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders build diversity into the curriculum by celebrating differences, starting with eye and hair colour and extending to different family structures. Pupils learn to be kind and to understand that families can differ from their own. They discuss questions of fairness and show a secure understanding of right and wrong. Pupils talk confidently about the need to respect others and are developing their knowledge of different cultures and beliefs. They have an age ‑ appropriate understanding of fundamental British values. While some aspects of pupils’ knowledge are still developing, overall they gain the knowledge they need for their future lives in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, can join clubs and take part in school trips. Pupils speak enthusiastically about clubs, such as crafts, music and singing. Pupils' trips to the Science Museum and a farm are particular highlights for them and serve to enrich the curriculum. Pupils also enjoy taking part in local community events. For example, they visit the local church to sing and participate in planned services.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school council gives pupils an active voice in school life. Pupils suggest ideas, such as ways to raise money for charity. Pupils are keen to talk to visitors about the outdoor activities they complete as part of their forest school sessions. Pupils develop resilience, teamwork and curiosity through activities such as den building.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils do not achieve well as they progress through the curriculum. While some pupils build their knowledge and demonstrate this through high ‑ quality work, others do not develop a sufficient depth of understanding. Some pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, do not learn and remember knowledge confidently and build on this successfully. This means that they are not well prepared for their next steps in education.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils develop a love of reading and learn to read in a structured and effective way. Pupils typically become fluent readers at an age ‑ appropriate level. This is reflected in the positive published outcomes in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. However, some pupils do not develop their foundational writing skills well. For example, while they write at length throughout the curriculum, they do not always demonstrate accuracy in letter formation and sentence structure.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

While leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning across the school, there is more work to do. Leaders have designed a suitable and broad curriculum. However, across some subjects and phases, teachers do not teach it effectively. Sometimes, teachers do not make clear the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Pupils do not always have opportunities to practise and consolidate the knowledge they need most. Furthermore, teachers do not use assessment carefully enough to check what pupils know and remember.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff support pupils with a wide range of needs to learn a bespoke curriculum that is tailored to their needs. However, support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities who do not follow the specialised curriculum is not well embedded. At times, teachers do not adapt teaching effectively, which means pupils' learning is not well matched to their needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

When pupils fall behind in key areas of learning, leaders plan appropriate support to help them. For example, teachers employ effective strategies to help pupils to reach the same standards as their peers in reading. Staff focus on helping pupils to develop their writing skills, but this is less effective.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

While leaders are proud of the positive relationships and the supportive ethos of the school, significant work to improve the consistency of teaching and learning throughout the school is not embedded, and it is too early to see the impact of some of this work. Leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school and the areas for attention.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors are fully invested in the school. They visit regularly and provide ongoing support to school leaders. Overall, they fulfil their statutory duties effectively. However, they do not challenge leaders robustly enough so that necessary changes happen quickly. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the close-knit team and the support they provide one another. They also appreciate the support they receive from school leaders. Staff feel leaders consider their workload and wellbeing when making decisions. The training staff receive has increased in quality over time. Staff welcome these opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. However, much of the training to raise the quality of teaching across the school is recent, so it has not had time to embed and bring about the changes leaders plan for.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Parents and carers value the school highly. They appreciate the warm relationships and the nurturing approach the school provides. They feel listened to and are active partners in school life.

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

Pupils at South Wootton Infant School build kind and caring relationships. Pupils attend school regularly and start the school day positively because staff greet them and their parents and carers warmly each morning. Staff know pupils well and understand their pastoral needs. They make the school a welcoming place for all. Pupils receive effective support for their social or emotional needs. They trust the staff around them and feel safe in school.

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

Pupils enjoy their learning and share their experiences of school willingly. In early years, children make a secure start to learning the skills they need. However, some pupils do not continue to achieve as well as they progress through the school. Some pupils do not build their knowledge securely across different subjects because there is variation in the quality of teaching. As a result, these pupils, including some from disadvantaged backgrounds, are not well prepared academically for their transition to junior school.

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

Pupils generally behave well around school. Their positive attitudes to learning mean lessons are calm and orderly. Throughout the school day, pupils get along well with one another and enjoy active games together in the playground. Typically, staff help pupils return to their learning quickly if they lose focus. Bullying is rare and, if it occurs, staff deal with it effectively.

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

Pupils enjoy and remember fondly the wide range of opportunities and experiences offered to them. They speak excitedly about trips that enrich the curriculum, such as visits to Sandringham and the beach. Pupils take part in after ‑ school clubs that offer additional opportunities in sports, arts and music. The school ensures that these experiences are easily available to all, especially disadvantaged pupils.

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Next steps

Leaders, including governors, must act to hasten the changes necessary to improve the quality of teaching, so that pupils learn the curriculum well.

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Team inspectors:

Imran Khan, Ofsted Inspector Sarah Louise, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders must ensure that teachers develop the pedagogical expertise they need to teach the curriculum fully and effectively. Leaders should ensure teachers adapt learning for pupils with additional needs and support those who require help to develop essential writing skills. Leaders need to make sure behaviour-related routines and approaches are consistently applied, so that the high expectations that leaders have of pupils are fully embedded.

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About this inspection

The school is part of a federation called South Wootton Federation.

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About this inspection

The joint chairs of the board of governors in this school are Jennifer Cook and Stephen Scales.

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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

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, head of school, school leaders, teachers and support staff during the inspection. An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority. The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors, including one of the joint chairs of governors.

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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 does not make use of alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the previous inspection. The school has federated with South Wootton Junior School to form the South Wootton Federation.

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About this inspection

Executive Headteacher: Georgina Earl 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.

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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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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 10.2% 13.3% Close to average

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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. 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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