Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy

Overview

Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy is a well-led school where pupils are polite, cooperative, and enthusiastic about learning. The report highlights a strong focus on reading, mathematics, and personal development, with staff feeling supported and proud of their work. However, the school faces challenges regarding persistent absence and the need to refine curriculum planning in certain subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils display positive behaviour, using silent signals to move quietly and showing care for others, including inter-generational links with local residents.
• Reading is central to the curriculum, with a ‘vocabulary rich environment’ and consistent phonics teaching that supports blending, fluency, and comprehension.
• Mathematics is a strength, offering challenge for higher-attaining pupils through reasoning questions and application of key facts in different contexts.
• Nursery provision is well organised, with adults deliberately choosing activities to support communication and language development.
• Staff are ‘overwhelmingly positive’ about working at the academy, feeling respected and supported by effective leadership.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure all subjects have clearly defined ‘small steps of learning’ linked to the knowledge and skills pupils need to remember.
• Subject leaders require time to effectively monitor the wider curriculum to identify where pupils are performing well or need support.
• Leaders should take effective action to work with families to reduce high rates of persistent absence, which are currently showing little sign of improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff trained to identify risks and alert to subtle behavioural changes, particularly in pupils with limited communication skills.