Copthorne Community Infant School

Copthorne Community Infant School

Address: Rodgers Lane, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 7FF Unique reference number (URN): 112687

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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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This school requires special measures

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a positive and well-designed personal development programme. This supports pupils’ wider personal development and wellbeing effectively. Through regular lessons, assemblies and events, pupils learn how to stay safe and healthy. Visitors and trips serve to enrich pupils’ experiences beyond their local area. For example, pupils have enjoyed a visit to a local museum and a sea life aquarium.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils speak enthusiastically about the wide range of opportunities for them to take part in clubs and activities. The uptake of activities such as sports, football and gardening is thriving. Pupils are supported to take part if they wish to do so, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils enthusiastically live up to the school’s motto, which states: ‘every day a new adventure’.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop an age-appropriate awareness and growing understanding of fundamental British values. Through electing members of the Copthorne ‘pupil parliament’ they learn about, and can explain, democracy. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally, regardless of disability, race or religion. By their actions, pupils demonstrate kindness and respect for their peers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff support pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs well. Staff offer support when needed through the positive play and nurture provision. Pastoral care is thoughtfully provided.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders promote positive attendance habits through the class reward scheme. They analyse attendance information and use their findings to work with families to provide support. Leaders’ actions to support some individuals have had significant, positive impact on those pupils’ attendance. However, leaders have not improved the attendance of pupils overall. Attendance over time has been consistently low for all groups of pupils. There are signs of an improving picture, although this is in the early stages. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils to attend as regularly as possible.

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Urgent improvement

Pupils generally behave well. They show enthusiasm for learning. When planned activities do not closely match pupils’ needs, their attention wanders and they lose focus. Those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities who need help to manage their emotions to be ready for learning receive appropriate support. Outside of lessons, pupils play and interact happily and kindly. They are well mannered and friendly to visitors. Bullying is not an issue at the school. Staff ensure that any disagreements are resolved effectively.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders and staff know pupils well. Leaders have implemented well-established systems for identifying and assessing pupils’ needs. This helps them to understand the barriers that prevent some pupils from learning. However, leaders’ efforts to secure a fully inclusive culture are not consistently effective. The support provided in lessons to reduce pupils’ barriers to learning is sometimes not effective. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerabilities receive well-considered support that enables them to thrive. Others do not. Leaders have not ensured that staff have sufficient expertise to target their support where it is most needed. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils appropriately. However, systems for checking the impact of the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils lack precision. Some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve or attend as well as they should.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Due to ineffective teaching, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. They do not secure the knowledge necessary to be well prepared for their next steps in education.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Too many pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, do not secure the phonics knowledge that they need to become fluent, confident readers by the end of Year 1. This has been the case for the past 3 years. Leaders have focused their attention on this area of the school’s work over a number of years. Despite this, it has not led to any tangible improvement. Pupils do not secure the knowledge they need in writing or mathematics to be ready for learning in Year 3.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Across the curriculum, teachers do not provide work that matches closely what pupils know and can do. Consequently, pupils are not successful in learning. The quality of pupils’ work shows that they do not achieve as well as they should across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not acted quickly enough to bring about the necessary improvements to the curriculum and teaching. Leaders have begun to introduce some changes, such as a new mathematics scheme and revised timings of phonics sessions. These changes are very recent and the impact is not yet known.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have implemented a curriculum that is generally broad and balanced. However, leaders have not ensured that the early reading curriculum is taught well and supports pupils to become fluent, confident readers. They have not ensured that staff can deliver the school’s phonics programme effectively. Teachers do not ensure that pupils read books that are at the right level for them. Too often, pupils struggle to apply the sounds they have been taught when reading unfamiliar texts.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that teachers consistently check pupils’ understanding. This means that teachers do not pick up and resolve pupils' mistakes quickly enough.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders' actions to improve the teaching of basic knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics have not led to rapid or sustained improvement. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should.

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Early years Urgent improvement

The school’s provision for children in the early years has been unsettled due to numerous staffing changes over recent years. Leaders’ actions to bring stability have not had the desired impact on children’s learning and development. Too many children, including those who are disadvantaged, do not develop the essential knowledge and skills they need by the end of Reception Year. They are not as well prepared as they should be for learning in Year 1.

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Early years Urgent improvement

Leaders ensure that children receive regular phonics teaching. However, the delivery of the school’s early reading curriculum is not effective. Typically, children are not proficient in reading at the level that they should by the end of Reception.

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Early years Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that staff are sufficiently skilled in promoting children’s language development through high-quality questioning and conversation. Learning activities do not routinely develop children's spoken and written language. Tasks given for children to complete are not consistently well matched to their level of development. For example, children who cannot form letters accurately are asked to write words and sentences that are too challenging for them. Similar instances of mismatched tasks occur in other areas of learning, such as mathematics.

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Early years Urgent improvement

Staff promote positive relationships well. This ensures that children are safe and well cared for. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely support. Children generally behave well and follow familiar routines willingly.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders and governors do not have an accurate understanding of the school's performance or how to bring about the improvements needed. Although leaders recognise that some critical areas, such as reading and attendance, are in need of improvement, their overall evaluation of the school is overly positive. Leaders’ actions over time have not led to the necessary improvements. Neither leaders nor governors have the necessary capacity to enact rapid or sustained change without external support.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Governors understand and carry out their responsibilities under the law, such as safeguarding. Their checks on other areas of the school's work lack precision. Governors do not sufficiently challenge leaders' actions to address areas where pupils are underachieving, or to improve attendance. Governors have too readily accepted a slower pace of improvement. They have not recognised or challenged leaders to tackle the weaknesses in the early years and the curriculum and teaching.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Nevertheless, some aspects of the school are effective despite these failings of oversight, notably pupils' personal development and wellbeing. Parents and carers typically endorse the school. They value the care that their children receive. Staff are positive about their roles in school and the support they receive from leaders. Leaders consider staff's wellbeing, ensuring that workload is manageable for the most part. As a result, staff feel motivated and proud to work at the school.

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

Pupils do not receive the quality of education that they deserve. They do not achieve as well as they should. Due to ineffective teaching, pupils do not develop the fundamental knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics. Too many are below where they should be for their age, especially in reading. Children in the early years do not develop the knowledge needed to be ready for learning in Year 1.

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

Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should or arrive on time. This means that they miss important parts of their learning.

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

Most pupils behave well and try hard in lessons. Pupils who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities generally receive appropriate support. However, this does not ensure that some pupils learn or attend as well as they should.

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

Pupils are encouraged to display the ‘Copthorne Characteristics’ by being kind and polite, trying their best, being hardworking, being team workers, bouncing back and being independent and honest. Pupils respond readily. They are enthusiastic ambassadors for the school's values.

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

Pupils enjoy being creative and produce careful, attractive work in art lessons. They enjoy physical education and sports activities. This promotes pupils’ physical fitness well. The well- equipped play areas provide positive opportunities for outdoor learning and socialising. The school promotes a love of books by means of the regular class visits to the attractive library area.

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

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. They are polite, welcoming and proud of their school. Pupils care for one another and show kindness if anyone is upset. Bullying is not an issue because staff are quick to help if any friendship problems arise. Warm, positive relationships ensure that pupils are well cared for. This helps them feel safe.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that they take urgent action to improve the quality of the curriculum and teaching so that the areas of weaknesses are rapidly addressed, with particular regard to the early reading curriculum. Leaders should take urgent action to ensure that all pupils develop secure foundational knowledge and skills in English and mathematics, become fluent, confident readers, and that any gaps close quickly so that pupils are ready for the next stage in their education. Leaders should ensure that, by the end of Reception, children in the early years are fully prepared for Year 1 and are able to communicate, read, spell and acquire fluency in mathematics at a level that is appropriate for their age. Leaders and governors should ensure that they take suitable and timely action to deal with the areas of weakness in the school, basing their decisions on the best interests of pupils. Leaders should ensure that the support provided for disadvantaged pupils consistently

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Next steps

reduces barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders should ensure that their actions have the intended impact on raising overall rates of attendance and punctuality.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Wendy Sharp.

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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About this inspection

The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspections we carry out.

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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 who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, other leaders, members of the governing body, representatives of the local authority, staff, pupils, parents and carers 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 is part of the Unity Federation.

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Lead inspector:

Christine Watkins, His Majesty's Inspector

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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 school currently uses no alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

There have been a number of leadership and staffing changes since the previous inspection.

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What does this mean?

Executive headteacher: Nichola Way 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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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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