Cassiobury Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is an outstanding school with good capacity for further improvement. Much has been achieved since the previous inspection and a trend of high attainment has been sustained.

Senior leaders, together with a dedicated governing body, are providing very clear direction to ensure the maintenance of high quality provision while the school enters a period of expansion. Inclusion is at the forefront of everything the school does and as a result the promotion of community cohesion is outstanding. Many different nationalities are represented within the growing school population.

Parents and carers from these diverse backgrounds are very complimentary about how they have been made to feel part of t...his school community. Comments such as, 'I am very happy with this school. The staff are wonderful and my child is very happy,' and, 'I feel my son is very comfortable coming to school as it feels very homely,' fully reflect the views of the vast proportion of parents and carers.

The level of care, guidance and support demonstrated by staff to all pupils is outstanding. All pupils are valued as individuals who are nurtured to reach their potential. Highly effective support is targeted to those who have specific emotional and learning needs and/or speak English as an additional language.

The impact of this support is precisely documented and adjusted accordingly. These pupils quickly grow in confidence, their self-esteem is boosted and they make rapid progress. The school has an excellent record in getting many of these pupils to a point where minimal support is required.

Good and sometimes outstanding teaching is ensuring that all pupils achieve very well. The quality of the curriculum is outstanding throughout the school and fully meets the needs of all age and ability groups. Children in Early Years Foundation Stage develop quickly because of the imaginative learning opportunities planned for them.

Outdoor learning is a significant strength. Pupils in Key Stage 1 demonstrate a thirst for learning and are keen to attend school. Relationships between pupils and staff and among pupils themselves are extremely positive because of very high quality provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Consequently, behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. Pupils' contribution to their own school and wider community is impressive. They are extremely clear about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and what they need to do to stay safe.

The partnership with parents and carers is excellent. They find the staff easy to talk to about any issues and concerns because comprehensive lines of communication between school and home facilitate the sharing of information about the progress a child is making and what is happening in school. They express pleasure at being able to participate in practical homework activities with their child.

A wide range of workshops provide further information about how to help their child learn at home. Governance is good. The governing body is well organised and works closely with the headteacher and staff to oversee school improvement for the benefit of the whole community.

Self-evaluation is accurate because school leaders and the governing body monitor the school's work regularly to create a shared understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement. Very effective use is made of this information to formulate detailed plans that lead to further improvement. However, a growing amount of data related to pupils' outcomes is yet to be systematically analysed to identify trends and patterns between different groups, which can then be used to monitor achievement and support future school improvement.

Information about the school

The school is average in size but going through a period of expansion to three-form entry. The pupils come from an increasingly diverse community with about a half from minority ethnic backgrounds. Just over a quarter of the pupils speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is very small. The school continues to hold Healthy Schools status and the Active Mark and Investors in People awards.

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