Bursledon Church of England Infant School

Overview

Bursledon Church of England Infant School continues to be a good school, providing a "wonderfully nurturing, warm, kind environment" where pupils feel safe and valued. Leaders have driven significant improvements in teaching and learning since the pandemic, ensuring pupils achieve well in English and mathematics. However, the curriculum in some foundation subjects requires further refinement to ensure coherent sequencing and deep retention of knowledge.

Strengths

• Pupils are taught to read effectively, with staff using phonics assessments to provide targeted support, ensuring children "learn to read" and "love to read".
• Mathematics teaching is clear and structured, with teachers addressing misconceptions and securing foundations after pandemic-related disruptions.
• Behaviour is excellent, with bullying being rare and staff managing low-level disruption "quickly, with no fuss".
• Staff identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly, raising expectations and adapting learning effectively in core subjects.
• Enrichment activities, including trips and community leadership roles, broaden pupils’ experiences and deepen their engagement.

Areas to improve

• The curriculum in some foundation subjects is not yet sufficiently well planned or sequenced, hindering teachers from focusing on key concepts for long-term retention.
• Staff do not consistently apply their recent training to meet the needs of pupils with SEND in foundation subjects, meaning these pupils do not always learn as well as they could.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff being well trained, vigilant, and ensuring that concerns are logged and followed up swiftly and thoroughly.