Birk Hill Infant & Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Being a good friend is important to the pupils at Birk Hill. They told inspectors that everyone 'looks after each other'.

Most pupils learn to live out these values. They learn to manage their emotions and behaviour in a safe and positive manner. Pupils know that there is always a trusted adult to speak to about any worries they may have.

They feel that staff get to know them well.

Pupils are proud to carry out their positions of responsibility. For example, the sound technicians help to coordinate the music during assemblies.

The school councillors make important decisions about how to improve the school. However, some pupils do not attend school re...gularly enough to fully benefit from the opportunities on offer.

Meeting the needs of every pupil is a key focus for the school.

Most families of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel well supported. They appreciate being well informed of the small steps in place for their child to learn. They recognise the additional help their child receives as they move to a new school.

However, some of the school's curriculum, including in the early years, does not precisely identify what pupils should know.

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

The school has taken steps to review the curriculum. Leaders want to ensure that it reflects the needs of the pupils and of the community it serves.

They have thought carefully about the improvements that they want to make and when they will make them.

Many staff are new to the school. Staff appreciate the time they receive to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

This helps to manage their workload. The school provides training for all staff to develop their knowledge and expertise to teach the school's curriculum. In some subjects, such as mathematics, this is helping to improve outcomes for pupils.

Pupils enjoy learning about the topics and themes they encounter. For example, they learn songs to help them remember the seven continents of the world. They talk about events from the Great Fire of London.

However, the order of learning, including in the early years, does not clearly set out the important information pupils must remember. It does not consider how pupils will get better at subject-specific knowledge. This means that some pupils cannot recall the key knowledge that will help them to know more of a subject.

The early years has been through a period of rapid change. Leaders have worked hard to improve the environment both indoors and outdoors. Children in the Nursery live out the school's motto of 'Spend each day in learning, laughter and love'.

They learn to look after their toys with 'kind and happy hands'. Staff in the early years encourage children to join in activities. However, opportunities to enhance and

extend children's communication and language through child-led activities are not fully developed.

Leaders want all pupils to be able to read well and to enjoy literature. They have considered which books pupils will share and read during their time at the school. These help pupils to understand themselves and the wider world.

Pupils learn poems, which they recite during weekly assemblies. The school continues to ensure that the teaching of phonics is consistent throughout the school. This includes how well reading books are matched to pupils' reading development.

Leaders regularly check how well pupils are remembering the sounds and words that will help them to read. They use this information to ensure pupils, including those with SEND, receive the right help to keep up with the reading programme.

Most pupils listen to, and follow, adult instructions well.

They are keen to uphold the 'Birk Hill way'. While persistent absence remains high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, the school has been successful in improving the attendance of some pupils.

Pupils enjoy learning about different traditions, faiths and cultures.

They enjoy learning about their local community. For example, pupils enjoyed a visit to a local World War Two satellite station in Eckington Woods. They learn songs to help them to understand words such as 'respect' and 'responsibility'.

This helps them to understand the values of the school community and wider British society.

Governors support and challenge school leaders to ensure their vision for the school is realised.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel safe around school. They can explain how to keep themselves safe online. They know to tell a trusted adult if something concerns them.

Staff receive regular training to help them to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. However, sometimes records or incidents for safeguarding are not logged as carefully as they could be. A few aspects of the school's safeguarding procedures are not checked thoroughly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some aspects of the school's safeguarding systems need further refinement. This does not help leaders to have a complete oversight of safeguarding in school. The school must ensure that all records of safeguarding concerns are precise and contain sufficient detail.

• In some subjects, the small steps of knowledge that all pupils, including those in the early years, are required to know and remember are not precise. Therefore, pupils do not know and remember more in a meaningful way. The school must continue to refine the school's curriculum to ensure that the important knowledge is clearly identified so that pupils remember more as they progress through school.

• In the early years, adult interactions during child-led activities do not fully support children's communication and language development. This does not help children to close gaps in early child development. The school must ensure that all staff in the early years have the knowledge and expertise to support communication and language development through child-led activities.