Butler's Hill Infant and Nursery School

Overview

Butler’s Hill Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school, characterised by an inclusive ethos and a ‘family feel’. Pupils are happy, feel safe, and engage well in lessons, supported by staff who maintain high expectations for all learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Staff foster ‘warm and nurturing’ relationships, ensuring pupils feel safe and proud of their school.
• The nursery provides a ‘secure start’ with a clear focus on developing early language skills through encouraging interactions.
• Leaders have prioritised early reading, using a systematic phonics approach and high-quality texts to help pupils ‘read like a river and flow’.
• Mathematics lessons effectively develop fluency, problem-solving, and reasoning, supported by practical resources and key vocabulary.
• Pupils with SEND receive tailored support, including access to the ‘rainbow room’ for those with high-level sensory needs.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should enhance pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values, as pupils currently struggle to relate concepts like ‘democracy’ or ‘tolerance’ to their everyday lives.
• Leaders must ensure staff make full use of assessment information to adapt the curriculum in foundation subjects, addressing gaps in knowledge so pupils remember what they have been taught long term.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture where leaders promote the view that ‘it could happen here’, robust record-keeping, and regular staff updates.