Field End Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Field End Infant School's 'LEARN' values – 'Listen to others, everybody matters, always be kind, respect and never give up' – are evident in the care given to pupils. These values contribute to a happy and safe environment for pupils.

The whole school community supports this positive ethos and these inclusive values.

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This year, the school has strengthened the curriculum and prioritised the teaching of reading.

Because of this, pupils are making strong progress through the curriculum. Children learn to read as soon as they start in Reception and e...njoy sharing stories and learning rhymes.

Pupils are calm and considerate of others as they move around the school.

During social times, pupils eat and play sensibly with their friends. Pupils hold a clear sense of right and wrong and use what they have learned to manage their emotions.

Pupils have a range of additional opportunities to participate in.

There are many extra-curricular activities, including singing, gymnastics, football, dance, drama and gardening. Pupils can take on roles and responsibilities in school, such as becoming school councillors. Members of the school council have had the opportunity to sing in a local care home.

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

The school has constructed a broad, well-planned curriculum, starting from the early years. For each subject, the school has identified the important knowledge that pupils will learn. The school ensures that pupils have opportunities to revisit prior learning.

The curriculum also considers the area that the school serves and how to make the most of nearby places of interest to enhance learning, for example through educational visits to places in the local community.

Teaching uses resources well and structures tasks effectively to help pupils to understand ideas. Pupils typically achieve well across a wide range of subjects.

In some subjects, staff training has not been sufficient to ensure that the curriculum is consistently delivered well. Consequently, in these curriculum areas, pupils' depth of knowledge and understanding does not build up as effectively over time. Leaders have identified this as an area of priority and are taking action to secure improvements.

The school takes a robust approach to quickly and accurately identifying the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Effective communication and partnerships are in place between staff, families and external professionals. Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils' additional needs.

The delivery of the curriculum is adapted to ensure that pupils with SEND can successfully learn alongside their peers.

This year, the school has further developed the teaching of phonics to ensure that pupils become confident, fluent readers. While there remain a few instances where staff expertise in teaching phonics is still growing, overall, the recently implemented curriculum is helping current pupils to achieve well.

Reading is prioritised from the moment children start in Reception. Staff make sure that pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. This approach supports pupils in the early stages of learning to read well.

It also helps those who are falling behind gain the knowledge and practice that they need to become confident readers.

The school has prioritised attendance. They are working closely with families to help pupils attend more regularly.

This work is based on the school's secure understanding of the potential barriers to pupils attending school and how best to overcome these.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. From the early years onwards, they develop confidence, resilience and respect.

They also learn ways to manage their emotions.

Pupils' personal development is a priority at this school. The school organises numerous enrichment opportunities such as 'Friendship Week' and 'World Week'.

Through these, pupils gain knowledge and experiences designed to prepare pupils for life beyond the school. The school has an unwavering commitment to ensuring that the curriculum teaches pupils important principles about equality. Pupils are knowledgeable and respectful of different religions and beliefs.

The governing body knows the school well. It understands its statutory responsibilities and keeps a careful check on school improvements.

Staff feel well supported by all leaders, particularly regarding their workload and well-being.

The school has made parental engagement a key focus of its work. Parents and carers enjoy attending school events.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, including phonics, the implementation of the curriculum is not consistently strong due to gaps in subject knowledge for some members of the wider staff teaching team. While pupils learn effectively overall, including in early reading, these gaps in teaching expertise mean that pupils do not acquire deep knowledge as well as they might. To address this, the school needs to provide further training to develop subject leadership and staff expertise in curriculum delivery and, in turn, strengthen the curriculum's impact on pupils' achievement.

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