Balfour Infant School

Overview

Balfour Infant School is described as a "friendly and inclusive" environment where pupils are "happy to come" and feel safe. The report highlights that the school has "high expectations" and that pupils "achieve well," particularly in reading and mathematics, preparing them effectively for the next stage of their education.

Strengths

• The curriculum is "broad and logically sequenced," with a recent review making it "more ambitious" and focusing on key technical vocabulary.
• Reading is a "key area of focus," resulting in pupils becoming "fluent readers" who are familiar with a range of book types and authors.
• Staff are "vigilant in identifying pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)" and ensure they are supported to learn the same curriculum as their peers.
• Pupils develop leadership and citizenship skills through roles such as "school councillors and playground friends," including fundraising for a school in Gambia.
• Adults act as "strong role models," fostering "mutually respectful" relationships and helping pupils manage their emotional health.

Areas to improve

• In some curriculum areas, the school has not fully identified the most important knowledge and skills, meaning "assessment is not used effectively to embed knowledge, check understanding or inform teaching."
• The school should continue refining the curriculum so that "pupils achieve equally well across the whole curriculum," particularly where pupils struggle to make links across subjects.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."