Alexandra Infants’ School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and cheerful.

They enjoy their lessons. Pupils feel safe in school. They know their teachers will always look after them.

The school has high expectations for pupils. Nothing is considered a barrier to learning for any group of pupils. Pupils work hard in lessons and most reach the high expectations.

Pupils typically behave well. They are polite, respectful and well mannered. Pupils' relationships with adults support their learning well.

The school makes the personal development of pupils an exceptionally high priority. The Alexandra Promise gives pupils opportunities to access life skills and opportunities which go far beyond the ac...ademic. The school provides a vast range of enrichment opportunities in a carefully planned, highly structured and evaluated way.

The school identifies pupils who have particular talents. It then works to enhance these further. Staff encourage pupils to have their own views.

Pupils learn how to become extremely responsible and active citizens, both in school and the local community. Pupils have a real impact in the local community. They contributed towards the new Mosque that was built for the community, and this also means the ladies then had their own facilities.

Pupils later visited the Mosque to see the impact of their work.

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

Children get off to a flying start to their education in Nursery and Reception. The curriculum in the early years is carefully thought out.

The school has identified that children start school with gaps in communication and language. A high proportion of children join school with a wide range of different special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils also join other year groups at different times during the year.

The curriculum is language-rich and designed to help close these communication and language gaps. An increasing number of children are well prepared to move into Year 1.

Teaching reading is a high priority.

A programme for teaching phonics has been carefully selected by the school because it meets the needs of the pupils effectively. The school tracks carefully how well pupils are learning their phonics. This helps staff to identify quickly any pupils falling behind.

High-quality extra support provided for these pupils helps them to catch up speedily. Those pupils who have been at the school from the start, and those without SEND, quickly become confident and fluent readers.

Staff working with pupils with SEND have a deep understanding of their needs.

The school identifies pupils with SEND early and accurately. Highly personalised support is then put in place. The school adapts the curriculum to meet pupils' specific needs as required.

Staff are adept at understanding the differences between pupils with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language and provide strategies to support both sets of pupils. Pupils benefit well from this extra support.

The curriculum is carefully designed to build on what pupils have learned before.

This is helping them remember key knowledge over time. Teachers use checks on learning to see how well pupils can recall what they have learned. Now and again, the school does not ensure that subject-specific vocabulary is explained with enough precision.

This means some pupils are unclear about the exact meaning of key words, which can make it more difficult for them to grasp new concepts fully. The school's expectations for behaviour are not consistently upheld in lessons. This means that some pupils miss key explanations or instructions, which can hinder their learning.

The school is doing all it reasonably can to improve attendance. It is tenacious in its approach to ensuring pupils attend regularly. Attendance is a high priority.

The school carefully analyses attendance to identify those who need extra support. It actively seeks opportunities to work with others to strengthen its approach. These include engagement with the attendance hub and collaboration with the local Imam, who helps raise awareness about the importance of regular school attendance.

The number of pupils regularly absent is reducing because of the work of the school.

Opportunities to develop pupils' personal development abound. The school gives pupils exceptional opportunities they would not otherwise experience.

For example, pupils work with law enforcement officers to help reduce parking problems. Trips broaden pupils' horizons and build their resilience. These include visits to a local museum and the Houses of Parliament.

Pupils also take part in dance performances at a local theatre.

Trustees receive information helping them check on the work of the school. They check diligently on how well all groups of pupils are learning, providing support and challenge equally.

The school carefully considers the well-being and workload of staff. Parents are positive about the work of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, the school does not ensure that teachers explain subject-specific vocabulary with enough clarity. As a result, pupils are not always secure in their understanding of key terms. The school should ensure teachers consistently explain important vocabulary with precision so that pupils can access the curriculum and build on their learning over time.

• In some lessons, the school's behaviour policy is not applied consistently. This affects the learning of some pupils. The school should ensure expectations for behaviour are reinforced consistently so that pupils can learn without disruption.