Carterhatch Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Carterhatch Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are really happy to come to this school. They embrace the school's values through the characters of Polly Perseverance, Chico Challenge, Ruby Resilience and Kai Kindness. Staff talk with pupils when they are demonstrating one of these values, helping pupils to understand the school's expectations and routines.

Leaders have carefully considered all aspects of the curriculum. They want all pupils to achieve the best that they can. Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities offered by the school.

Staff make good use of local amenities, such as visits to the fire station, t...o broaden pupils' local knowledge. Pupils also broaden their experiences through visits to the theatre, seaside and farms.

Pupils move around the school calmly.

They behave well and listen to the instructions of their teachers. For example, during physical education lessons, pupils work together to safely put out sports equipment. They know that before they pick up the heavy mats, they should count, 'one, two, three,' and then lift so that they are all able to pick up at the same time.

Staff help children in the Nursery and Reception classes to understand the school's routines and expectations. Staff provide a wide range of activities, both independent and teacher-led, to develop children's learning.

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

Pupils begin learning to read as soon as they start Reception Year.

Many of the foundations to prepare children for reading have already been laid in Nursery. The school has chosen to renew the way it teaches phonics and early reading because some pupils did not reach the same level as their peers. The school has now placed a clear focus on ensuring that pupils learn to read.

Pupils learn the sounds that letters make in a well-sequenced way. In addition to their phonics sessions, pupils also have small-group reading sessions. In these, all pupils have the opportunity to share a book with an adult, thinking carefully about each word, what it means and how it fits into the sentence and story.

Pupils really enjoy these sessions. Pupils benefit from reading at home and can share a wide range of books with their parents and carers. Pupils are often at an early stage with their reading, and staff have worked hard to improve pupils' understanding of the books that they are reading.

While pupils make strong progress from their low starting points, some do not reach the expected standard at the end of their time at this school.

The school has quickly identified how to best support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make sure that these pupils get what they need to learn well.

Teachers make suitable adaptations to their lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND are supported appropriately. For example, in mathematics, teachers provide additional resources to support pupils' understanding. Support staff help pupils to overcome challenges and to develop confidence.

Leaders work closely with staff and other professionals to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, including in the early years.

The school has implemented a mathematics curriculum that builds pupils' learning over time. This systematic approach to learning mathematics begins in the early years.

Children in the early years develop their mathematical vocabulary and understanding of numbers and shape recognition. They join in with activities to reinforce what has been taught. In all year groups, teachers have strong subject knowledge.

They revisit learning and build on what pupils have learned before. Teachers check what pupils have learned and understood. Teachers use checks like these in mathematics and other subjects to address gaps in pupils' learning.

Pupils benefit from the wide range of activities that enrich their time at school, such as visits to the local church and synagogue. Pupils recall activities in the school's forest area, where they learned to make bird feeders and dens and they learned the names of the trees. Pupils recognise the importance of kindness and respecting others, learning that they can be 'the same but different'.

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. As a result, there is no low-level disruption in lessons, and pupils are able to learn well. Pupils talk confidently about looking after themselves and the importance of eating the right food and taking regular exercise.

The school is working with parents to understand the importance of regular attendance. Most pupils attend school well. However, some pupils are absent too often.

These pupils miss too much school and fall behind in their learning. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have noticed an increase in the number of days that have been missed. The school is supporting parents to ensure that any barriers to their child's attendance at school are minimised.

The school organises parent meetings so that parents have a better understanding of what is happening in school and how to help their child at home.

Staff feel well supported by leaders. They appreciate that leaders consider their well-being and workload.

Leaders support staff effectively to ensure that the school's priorities for improvement can be met.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The phonics programme has been recently introduced.

While this is taught systematically and is having a positive impact on progress, outcomes do not yet fully reflect this. The school must continue to embed the new phonics scheme to enable all pupils to reach reading fluency alongside developing their reading comprehension and understanding. ? Some pupils do not attend school regularly.

This means that they develop gaps in their knowledge. The school should continue to work with families so that attendance improves and pupils are able to access their full curriculum entitlement.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2018.

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