Cam Woodfield Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive and welcoming school. The school's vision 'grow, explore, discover' is at the heart of all that the school provides.

Pupils benefit from the school's focus on their well-being.

For example, pupils can practise breathing exercises, to support them to have 'happy minds'. Staff form supportive relationships with pupils, parents and carers. Pupils feel happy and safe at school, because they trust adults to look after them.

The vast majority of parents are happy with the school. They typically comment on the fantastic staff, who nurture their children and help them to thrive.

Most pupils respectfully follow the school's high expectati...ons of learning and behaviour.

They enjoy school and have positive attitudes to their work. Pupils can explain the behaviour rules, 'safe, respectful and ready'. However, the school's work to improve attendance and behaviour is not as successful as it could be.

This means that a number of pupils do not attend school regularly, and some misbehave.

The school provides experiences to enhance pupils' learning, such as trips to museums and to the zoo. Pupils take part in clubs, such as football, gymnastics and cricket.

They relish opportunities to take on positions of responsibility, such as 'playground pals' and 'happiness heroes'.

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

The school has gone through an unsettled time over the last year, due to several changes of staff. Following the appointment of new senior leaders, things are now more stable.

Leaders are committed to improving the school, and have addressed the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection. Staff feel well supported by the school.

The school has designed an interesting and ambitious curriculum, which identifies the essential knowledge pupils must learn.

Staff have secure subject knowledge. They explain new learning and design activities to support pupils to gain the knowledge they need. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

Reading is prioritised. Children begin to be taught to read as soon as they start school. Staff deliver the phonics programme consistently and confidently.

Pupils' reading books match the sounds that they are learning. Regular practise enables most pupils to become fluent readers.

Pupils learn other reading skills, such as vocabulary.

For example, Reception children use words such as 'shimmering' and 'prickly' to describe seashells. Pupils can choose from a wide range of books to read for pleasure. They enjoy listening to stories that adults read to them.

Pupils who find reading tricky are provided with extra support. This helps them to improve their confidence and to catch up.

Staff select appropriate activities, which help pupils to build on previous learning.

For example, teachers use 'sticky starters' to help Year 1 pupils recall words, such as pitch and tempo, to describe a piece of music. In mathematics, Reception children compare quantities of strawberries using words, such as 'equal, less and 'more'. Teachers plan interesting activities, which motivate pupils to find things out.

For example, Reception children pour water into gutters and explore different ways of making it flow.

The school swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It works closely with parents to plan focused pastoral and teaching support, so that pupils can learn the same curriculum as others.

Most pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

However, at times, pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to develop a secure understanding of the most important knowledge and skills they need for future learning. This means that some pupils, including pupils with (SEND), are not as prepared for new learning as they could be.

Pupils who find it tricky to manage their emotions are given extra help. For example, pupils can go to 'calming spaces' and use 'colour monsters' to describe how they are feeling. This has a positive impact for some pupils.

However, the school's work is not yet having sufficient impact on improving the behaviour of a minority of pupils who find it difficult to recognise and manage their behaviour appropriately.The school works closely with families to prioritise attendance. This is beginning to have a positive impact for some pupils.

However, a number of pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly. This means they miss out on essential education, and all that the school offers.

The school supports pupils to develop their talents and interests.

For instance, they can learn to play an instrument, such as the ukulele or guitar. Pupils are supported to develop their cultural awareness, such as when they participated in an African dance workshop and listened to a performance by a concert pianist.

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, the school's checks on pupils' learning do not fully identify what pupils already know and can do. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. In these subjects, pupils are hindered from achieving as highly as they could.

The school should ensure that any key gaps in pupils' subject knowledge are identified and addressed effectively in these curriculum areas, so that pupils learn as well as they could in all subjects. ? Occasionally, the school does not ensure that the work given to pupils enables them to develop secure knowledge to prepare them for new learning. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as strongly as they should.

The school should ensure that pupils are provided with activities that deepens their knowledge and better prepares them for future learning. ? The school's work to improve attendance is not yet having sufficient impact. As a result, several pupils, including pupils with SEND, are frequently absent from school.

This means that they miss essential learning, which hinders how well they achieve. The school must continue to work closely with parents to highlight the importance of regular attendance, and ensure that attendance swiftly improves. ? The school's expectations of pupils' behaviour and attitudes are not yet fully upheld by all pupils.

As a result, a minority of pupils are sometimes disrespectful, or misbehave. This disrupts pupils' learning. The school must ensure that all staff consistently share high expectations of pupils' behaviour and attitudes, and support pupils to uphold these.

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