Speedwell Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher leads a dedicated and caring team that shares her high expectations for all pupils. She has acted swiftly to address the weaknesses found at the last inspection.

Attendance has risen and is currently in line with the national average. Pupils like coming to school to learn. They think lessons are interesting and work hard.

Pupils make good progress across a range of subjects. Leaders and governors keep a keen eye on the information the teachers collect to ensure that this is maintained. Teaching is consistently good.

Staff ask pupils good questions that make them think. They help them well if they do not understan...d or make mistakes. Teachers' assessment of what pupils can do is accurate.

Teachers use this knowledge to plan what they want pupils to learn next. Leaders have designed a curriculum which helps pupils to remember more and to build their knowledge over time. Lessons are planned carefully.

The additional funding for pupils who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) helps these pupils to make good gains. They are supported well in their learning. Pupils are consistently well behaved.

They are polite and respectful to each other and to adults. They keep the school tidy and tidy up well. Children settle in well into the early years.

Staff are caring and this helps children to feel safe. Teachers are skilled in helping pupils to become confident learning and using new words to improve their speaking and their writing. Staff are very proud to work at Speedwell Infant School.

They are given good training to improve further. Parents and carers speak consistently highly of the school. All those who expressed an opinion would recommend it to others.

The new system for teaching mathematics is yet to have a marked impact because it is not embedded across the school. Teachers do not demonstrate to pupils consistently well how to reason mathematically or to explain, in writing, how they have reached their answers. Teachers do not help pupils well enough to make links with what they are learning in other subjects and aspects of mathematics, such as money, shape, measures and time.

Information about this school

This is smaller than the average-sized infant school. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is much higher than average. The proportion of pupils from minority backgrounds is well below average.

Almost all pupils are from a White British background. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.