Bolsover Infant School

Overview

Bolsover Infant School continues to be a good school, providing an ambitious curriculum that prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Leaders embed the motto of ‘helping to raise children with kind hearts and inquisitive minds’ into daily practice, ensuring pupils feel safe, happy, and respected. The school has successfully addressed challenges arising from the pandemic, including improved attendance and robust support for well-being.

Strengths

• Phonics is taught well, with staff quickly identifying pupils who fall behind and providing workshops to support parents.
• The curriculum is ‘well planned and sequenced’, enabling pupils to learn ambitious vocabulary and retain knowledge over time.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well, with leaders having a ‘secure understanding’ of their needs.
• Behaviour is good, guided by a traffic light system that encourages positive choices, and bullying is effectively managed.
• Staff morale is high, with leaders considered ‘considerate of their well-being’ and ensuring workload is not overburdensome.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure all reading books are well matched to the sounds pupils know, as mismatches in a small number of cases delay fluency.
• Leaders should ensure help for pupils with SEND is ‘clearly and efficiently communicated’, as current record-keeping inefficiencies can slow support implementation.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders carrying out necessary checks, ensuring staff are trained to spot signs of abuse, and maintaining records that are ‘fit for purpose’.